The Opening Bell; A boxing podcast

On the week when it looks all but certain that the all-British
heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will land in New
York, a fight with serious consequences for the current title picture in the
division – Moses Itauma and Frank Sanchez on August 29 – was upgraded to an IBF
title fight.

The Fury-Joshua news will no
doubt make those already in a spin about the location lose their minds
completely. But before we put the blame solely at the feet of Netflix and Turki
Alalshikh, one crucial thing should be remembered: Nobody is forcing Joshua or
Fury to fight outside of the UK. And hey, there are worse places than New York
to host heavyweight boxing.

In Dublin there was a contest
worthy of any stage in the world as Mark Chamberlain surprised most when he
defeated Pierce O’Leary in the kind of topsy-turvy thriller that should buoy us
all as to why we’re here. Yet, on the undercard, the fate of Lee Reeves reminds
us of the violent nature of the Sport. Over in Las Vegas, meanwhile, William
Zepeda proved too good for Lamont Roach.

We preview the weekend’s action
with the sequel between Troy Williamson and Callum Simpson leading the way and
Zuffa’s trip to Dublin will give Aaron McKenna and Callum Walsh a chance to
shine.

Last, but never least, is your
weekly dose of nostalgia and a time when Oscar De La Hoya – as he tears
through Jorge Paez – was a fresh-faced up-and-comer yet to be scarred by this
wackiest of businesses.

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support, we appreciate you. Subscribe, however, and we’ll appreciate you even
more.

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After the performances of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury last
weekend, there can now be no doubt that the two British heavyweights are both
past their best. Furthermore, it is more obvious than ever before that the
fight we wanted all those years ago – when they were 1 and 2 in the heavyweight
division – is gone forever.

So, what are we left with?
Joshua remains a frightful puncher, that much is clear. But he looks so
susceptible these days it’s difficult to imagine him surviving any kind of
onslaught from Fury. Whether Fury is these days capable of producing that
onslaught, while also avoiding Joshua’s right hand, when he couldn’t avoid that
of 46-year-old Marius Wach, likely makes the bout as well-matched as it’s ever
been.

Don’t expect either to walk
away until this long and winding saga has reached a close, though. Unlike Errol
Spence Jnr, who realised against Tim Tszyu that his days as a prize-fighter are
over and announced his retirement in the aftermath.

We look ahead to Pierce
O’Leary-Mark Chamberlain in Ireland and Lamont Roach-William Zepeda in the US,
before kicking back in the DeLorean, setting the flux capacitor to July 1999,
and enjoying the last hurrah of Michael Carbajal against Jorge Arce.

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Opening Bell, folks. And thanks, as always, for the support.

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Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Errol Spence will all this weekend exhibit what is left of themselves. Even if it turns out to be very little, that should still be enough for Joshua and Fury to triumph against Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach respectively. If the point of those exercises is questionable then the task that awaits Spence is, by comparison, somewhat formidable.

He takes on Tim Tszyu in Australia in a bout set at 160lbs. Will Spence show he still has what it takes at 36 or will he become the latest athlete to realise that time is the cruellest opponent of them all?

Elsewhere, Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn reminded everyone how much noise they can make and how hard they can appear.

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Joe Joyce
was again on the wrong end of a painful loss, one that might, this time, mean
the end. But that’s easy for those who merely watch and pass judgement to say.

A case in
point, when examining how difficult retirement is for a fighter to accept is
Derek Chisora who teased another return by going nose-to-nose with Murat
Gassiev on the same Russia event where Joyce was defeated.

We examine
the latest comings and goings at Zuffa and Matchroom as Johnny Fisher makes the
switch. Shakur Stevenson has joined up with Dana White’s men, too plus in This Week,
we go back to 1999 when Baby Jake Matlala shocks Michael Carbajal.

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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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