The Opening Bell; A boxing podcast

Oleksandr Usyk looks set to
fight Deontay Wilder, potentially under the Zuffa umbrella, in a bout that
could signal the end of the current heavyweight era.

But not before we get Tyson Fury
vs Mariusz Wach. Whether marking time or just wasting it, Fury's decision to
fight a shot 46-year-old is curious.

The good times seem to be just
beginning for Abdullah Mason who rebounded from a slow start to stop Albert
Bell in the 12th and final round.

In This Week, we set the dial to
1991 and head back for some vintage Tony Lopez action as he takes on Lupe
Gutierrez atop a bill that featured a young Lennox Lewis getting the better of
Mike Weaver.

Keep listening to The Opening
Bell, folks; the sweetest sound in boxing.

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Oleksandr Usyk last week vacated three heavyweight titles to focus on a “last dance”. Who will be Usyk’s final dance partner? Where does his departure leave the rest of the division? And what does this decision mean for his legacy?   

Jaron ‘Boots” Ennis, meanwhile, at last found a befitting dance partner in Xander Zayas last weekend as the pair unleashed some sumptuous moves in Brooklyn. Ennis wasn’t perfect but reminded the boxing world exactly why he’s been held in high regard for such a long time. But then, with the fight being stuck behind a paywall, it’s easy to wonder if this was a missed opportunity to draw new fans to the sport.

Ben Whittaker dazzled again on the undercard only days after one of British boxing’s most reliable showmen, Chris Eubank Jr, revealed his plans to keep fighting “until the wheels fall off” at the age of 36.

We review Lewis Crocker’s tight loss to Liam Paro before heading back to the 1990s and not one but two “Sugar” Shane Mosley fights. Thanks to some classic Christie chaos we look at his victory over Wilfrido Ruiz in 1998 AND his beatdown of Wilfredo Rivera the following year.

Thanks for listening to The Opening Bell, one and all. Your support is treasured.

 
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In a week when Ryan Garner scored a glorious victory in a stadium,
Moses Itauma signed for his biggest test, and Boots Ennis is preparing for
Xander Zayas, the biggest story is the one we know the least about: Anthony
Joshua v Tyson Fury.

After much squabbling between
various promoters about who is in control, when it will take place, and where
it will be staged, Turki Alalshikh announced to the world that he is the one
calling the shots. But what does the sport look like without Alalshikh in it; a
very real possibility considering the recent reports about his health.

Meanwhile, everyone’s ‘next
heavyweight champion’ Itauma faced off with Filip Hrgovic to find someone
completely unwilling to read the script. Will Hrgovic toe the line when they
meet on August 29?

Alex and Matt reflect on
Garner’s thrilling triumph inside Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, we look
ahead to Ennis-Zayas, but arguably save the best for last…

This Week is anchored in 1999
and a time when Johnny Tapia was taken by the biggest of surprises by Paulie
Ayala. As ever with Tapia fights, this one has a heck of a backstory.

The Opening Bell: Unbiased,
unflinching, unmissable.

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As self-proclaimed President of the Jessie ‘Bam’ Rodriguez
appreciation society, we welcome fan favourite commentator and former World
Champion boxer Barry Jones to The Opening Bell Pod to assess the latest Bam performance.
Is Inoue a weight too far and a fight too soon? We discuss the latest on the
FURY – AJ saga while running the rule over the upcoming fights including Ryan
Garner’s title eliminator and Lewis Crocker’s trip down under. Make sure you follow
and subscribe to The Opening Bell on socials and check out supporting us on
Patreon or Apple + with our thanks.

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Saturday night saw Eddie Hearn and Dana White go head-to-head, even though miles apart, when they both staged TV shows on UK soil.White likely won that battle, as Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki turned their Zuffa colours red with a violent and bloody slugfest. White wasn’t done there, however.At the post-fight press conference he questioned Hearn’s true influence in world boxing as he claimed to know more about Joshua-Fury than the Matchroom boss. Hearn, in response, took aim at the UFC model that made White’s name.Before that, Hearn secured a fitting venue, Croke Park, for the great Katie Taylor but is Flora Pili a fitting rival?We look ahead to ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in the hope victory leads to a mouthwatering showdown with Naoya Inoue.And, in This Week, dust off your disco balls and join us in 1985 where Pinklon Thomas and Mike Weaver unleash a forgotten thriller at heavyweight.Hit subscribe, show your support, and spread the good word of The Opening Bell.
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