The Opening Bell; A boxing podcast

What started out as plain sailing for Ben Whittaker hit choppy waters in the late rounds of his battle with Conor Wallace. 'The Surgeon', however, just about stayed afloat to remain unbeaten in his first 12-round fight.

As ever with Whittaker, the critics came out in mass. Was the criticism fair? Or was it merely a young fighter finding his way through a tough spot? The referee, Kieran McCann, also received stick. We hear the BBBoC's verdict on his performance.

Joining Matt is up-and-coming journalist Tom Ivers, who was ringside to witness Whittaker, has spent time with him in the gym, and is well-placed to add some balance to the discussion.

We get to hear about Tom's own journey into the sport, from his days as a promising amateur to the stoppage loss that ended his career, through to him making his mark in the world of boxing journalism.

There's also comebacks to discuss, namely those of Derek Chisora and Floyd Mayweather, who may or may not be about to return.
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Mike Costello, former BBC and DAZN commentator and one of the wisest figures in boxing, is here to discuss his career, his retirement, and his thoughts on the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury saga.

Costello relives his experiences at ringside, the life it gave him, and the memories he will always cherish. From his days at the BBC through to the end of his career - as he made the switch from radio to television - Costello was a key voice at some of the most important fights of the modern era.

He turns his attention to Joshua-Fury, and the mayhem behind the scenes, but concludes that the fight's making remains important even at this late stage of the heavyweights' careers. Also discussed is when the fight should have been made, what each now brings to the fight, and who's the likeliest to emerge victorious.

Providing it happens, of course.

There are some sound issues along the way. Apologies for those. We hope you still enjoy it.

Support The Opening Bell by subscribing if you can.

With love and the best of wishes, The OB.
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Mere days after Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is confirmed, we're told it's in jeopardy.

Matt Christie lets off some steam on the subject and the eternal circus that is the sport of boxing.

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Many thanks!
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Recorded at the EXACT moment when Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury was confirmed as a done deal for December 11 in Cardiff, The Opening Bell has another important announcement to bring you.

Our beloved Alex Steedman has chosen to leave the podcast. That's the bad news. And it's horrible, crushing news.

The good news is that The Opening Bell will continue - should, of course, you want it to.

Matt Christie, while paying tribute to the one and only Steed, explains the reasons behind Alex's departure and what he hopes The Opening Bell will look like in the future.

Stay with us, folks, we can get through this.
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Ryan Garcia defeated Conor Benn, stopping him in less than five minutes out in Las Vegas. The contest itself was immeasurably shorter than the build-up that focused on Benn's struggle to boil down to 147lbs but was this really a contest decided by one man's struggle to make weight?

In the Opening Bell studio this week is Tris Dixon, one of the most respected boxing journalists in the business, who answers the pertinent questions regarding Benn's defeat to Garcia. There is, of course, the battle with the scales to consider yet Garcia's triumph was both so emphatic and rapid it would be cruel on the victor to suggest he defeated an already broken man.

Yet it reignites conversation about when fighters should and should not weigh in. Evidence continues to mount that staging them the day before a contest is making the sport more dangerous than it already is. More so, it is only encouraging fighters to compete in a weight class that bears no relation to their actual size come the opening bell.

But was Benn hard done by at the finish? Some suggested it was premature stoppage while others have championed the compassion of the referee.

We look ahead at the rebuild job for Benn and the future of Garcia who, with this victory, finds himself as one of the most marketable fighters in the business.

Thanks, as always, folks for the support.
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