1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,360 Off a weekend that has seen Archer better Biev defend his unified light heavyweight titles 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:15,400 with another impressive knockout showing a wild WBO World Bantamweight title fight for Jason Maloney 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,760 and Saul Sanchez. We are here to recap those fights, that entire card 4 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,839 in Canada, give you some news, some nostalgia and more. Hello and 5 00:00:23,879 --> 00:00:28,359 welcome into the Fight Freaks Unite recap podcast. I'm the somewhat competent host, 6 00:00:28,399 --> 00:00:31,600 TJ. Reeves. He's our insider. Fight Freaks Unite is the name of 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,799 his substack. Why are you not subscribing to that? Get on his newsletter 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,280 as well by the same name, fight Freaks Unite. Also Big Fight Weekend 9 00:00:39,359 --> 00:00:43,200 dot com. You have Dan Rayfield perusing around there and on this podcast feed. 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,280 Hello, my friend, as we have completed another weekend Howard. Thanks 11 00:00:47,359 --> 00:00:50,079 entertaining fight card for sure, a lot to talk about on the show. 12 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:53,479 How are you feeling? I'm good. I thought it was a terrific card. 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,759 I thought that as I put on my social media last night, that 14 00:00:56,799 --> 00:01:00,039 was a great way for Top Rank to kick off. Well, hopefully it 15 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:06,200 woul be an outstanding twenty twenty four. That was three good fights and some 16 00:01:06,239 --> 00:01:08,799 good younger fighters that are that are you know in from Canada. That was 17 00:01:08,799 --> 00:01:11,239 a good show. I enjoyed it totally. I think if you're a fight 18 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:18,000 fan, you had a lot there, including international names as well. All 19 00:01:18,079 --> 00:01:19,079 Right, so we're gonna get into that. We're gonna get into the news, 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,079 et cetera. Reminder, review us, rate us, review us here 21 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,640 as part of the Big Fight Weekend podcast feed five star reviews definitely do help 22 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:33,159 with the algorithms, et cetera. Tell them how great Dan Rayfiel is. 23 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,480 Take thirty seconds do it? Tell me what a dick I am, but 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,319 just review the damn either way, either way, review the show. We 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,640 love that you find us here going into the weekend with the preview show obviously 26 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:46,599 coming off the weekend with the recap, and then from time to time you 27 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,400 get different interviews et cetera. Midweek when we're building up. I know you 28 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:55,840 just most recently talked to Mikayla Mayer in advance of her welterweight title fight coming 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,280 up in Liverpool, England with Natasha Jonas. You can hear that in you 30 00:02:00,439 --> 00:02:05,239 on the previous podcast right here on this speed so follow Subscribe Apple Spreaker, 31 00:02:05,359 --> 00:02:08,120 Spotify, Google, wherever you get podcasts. We love that. Let's get 32 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,039 into it. Better BV not surprising both you and I on the bet Us 33 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,360 show that we host on Friday's Live, thought this would be a knockout. 34 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:20,719 Rayfield got it right that it came quicker than what I thought. Man, 35 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,560 it looked like it might be over very quick in the first round again when 36 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:28,680 he swarmed all over Callum Smith. To Smith's credit, he hung in, 37 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,039 but I think as the fight were on, it was just obvious how much 38 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,000 punishment can he take? How much longer is this going to go? This 39 00:02:35,039 --> 00:02:39,360 is me saying that your thoughts on Better BV coming off a fairly decent layoff 40 00:02:39,479 --> 00:02:45,199 and yet looking very impressive with a ko, Better BV is one of the 41 00:02:45,199 --> 00:02:47,080 best fighters in boxing pound for pound. I mean, if you're not convinced 42 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,360 of that at this point, I'm not sure if you know what you're looking 43 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,400 at. I know he's been had, I know he's had various layoffs and 44 00:02:53,439 --> 00:02:55,240 all. Although it's not like Callum Smith was mister busy. I mean he 45 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,719 was a guy who went and fought for seventeen months and it only had six 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:06,319 in the ring since he had fought and lost lopsidedly to Canelo in a super 47 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,120 middleweight title fight where he lost his belt. This was at the end of 48 00:03:08,159 --> 00:03:12,319 twenty twenty. He just had the one fight in twenty one to one fight 49 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,680 in twenty two against you know, very very low level or unknown or you 50 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:21,000 know, irrelevant opponents. He did score knockouts in his first two fights at 51 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,000 one seventy five, and I never quite understood we talked about on the preview 52 00:03:23,039 --> 00:03:27,280 podcast. I didn't understand why everybody was saying what a big shot he has. 53 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,560 I respect Callum as a as a fighter, He's had a good career, 54 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,479 he's got some nice wins, but coming off that kind of layoff, 55 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,520 having never fought even like a halfway decent guy in your in your new weight 56 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,639 division, and suddenly you're going to be the guy that's going to end the 57 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,919 freight train of Arthur Better BV, who is now twenty and zero with twenty 58 00:03:46,039 --> 00:03:51,120 knockouts, having stopped everyone he's ever faced, the only champion currently in boxing 59 00:03:51,159 --> 00:03:53,800 with a perfect knockout record, and by the way, this is not like 60 00:03:54,719 --> 00:03:59,439 his first notable opponent in terms of whose better BV has been so for Calum 61 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:02,680 Smith, that and destroyed and demolished and pummelled the way he was. He 62 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:08,000 joins a you know, an admirable group of guys who have also tasted the 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,280 fistic theory of one Arthur better Bee. I mean he has also knocked out 64 00:04:12,319 --> 00:04:16,000 Anthony Yard, Joe Smith, Marcus Brown, Alexander Vodzik, Callum Johnson. 65 00:04:16,319 --> 00:04:19,839 I mean those are solid names, not to mention, even guys not at 66 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:26,720 that level but still reputable fighters like hot Rod and Adam Danes. And I 67 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:30,360 mean he's been doing a job at anybody, even in Rico Coling, you 68 00:04:30,399 --> 00:04:32,360 know, in his first world title fight. If you go back and look 69 00:04:32,399 --> 00:04:35,360 at the early days of better bf's career, this always rings in my mind. 70 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,399 By the way, he used to be promoted by Ivon Michelle, who 71 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,319 was one of the where it has been for you know, decades, the 72 00:04:42,319 --> 00:04:46,680 top Canadian promoter out of Montreal, and he put on a ton of big 73 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,920 shows in Montreal over there still promotes and I remember back and this is like 74 00:04:50,759 --> 00:04:56,759 probably twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, after a better BF came out of the 75 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,360 twenty and twelve Olympics and made his pro debut sometime I want to say mid 76 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,120 twenty thirteen and I was talking to Von I think I was at a show 77 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,399 that he was doing, and or he was at a show I was out 78 00:05:06,439 --> 00:05:11,120 in Atlantic City or something like that, and he told me at that time 79 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,319 that this fighter, Arthur Betterbiev, who at that moment was probably like two 80 00:05:14,399 --> 00:05:18,319 to zero something like that, he's the best fighter I've ever signed in my 81 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:26,000 thirty year boxing promotion career before that, he saw it that quickly and said, 82 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,839 best I've ever signed. That's amazing. So if you take a look 83 00:05:29,879 --> 00:05:34,040 at the early fights that Arthur had, he's fighting like the highly reputable not 84 00:05:34,199 --> 00:05:39,199 totally finished at that time, Tavores Cloud, who had held a title, 85 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:43,160 was a good puncher. He destroyed him in like his sixth fight, and 86 00:05:43,199 --> 00:05:46,439 then he was fighting Gabriel Campillo, who was a former champion in like his 87 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,439 you know what, seventh fight, knocking him out, you know, early 88 00:05:49,519 --> 00:05:55,519 on, fighting like real guys in the infancy of his career, and then 89 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,120 was the winner of a championship in twenty seventeen at you know, had only 90 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,680 maybe what ten eleven fights, and he's been destroying guys ever since. He 91 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:06,680 was a two time olympian, comes with a big background you know he lost 92 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,319 in the amateurs. I think these are probably forgivable to Alexander Usik, you 93 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,160 know who's now a heavyweight, you know, a heavyweight champion and you know, 94 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,920 cruiserweight undisputed. Anyway I'm saying here is that he may be thirty eight 95 00:06:17,959 --> 00:06:23,480 years old, he may have some inactivity, but he is a devastating puncher, 96 00:06:23,519 --> 00:06:26,519 probably the best in the sport car in league. He has a high 97 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,360 IQ, tremendous pedigree in terms of his amateur career, a willingness to fight 98 00:06:30,399 --> 00:06:33,480 the top guys, and he can fire with both hands. The right hand 99 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,839 is obviously his calling card, but he can hurt you with his left. 100 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,720 His jab is like a power punch. He doesn't just use it to keep 101 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,680 you off him or to you know, get some range to set something else 102 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:45,639 up. He uses that to hurt you also. And I just saw Callum 103 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,040 Smith the entire promotion and going into the fight and obviously watching the first round, 104 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,560 that he was just a dead duck. That it was just you know, 105 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,680 he was going to get him, you know, and it could have 106 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,959 been quick, but it also could have been late. That's why when we 107 00:06:56,959 --> 00:06:59,360 did the bet USA, I didn't pick a bet us show. I didn't 108 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:00,759 pick the over under on that fight. I just said, give me better 109 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,639 b of by the ko. It wasn't like a lot of extra money to 110 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,040 win, you know, picking either way, So it didn't surprise me. 111 00:07:09,079 --> 00:07:15,519 You know. Callum hung in there but again outclast and uh just another just 112 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,480 another emphatic performance. Because you know, even though he had you know, 113 00:07:18,519 --> 00:07:23,120 a couple of rough spots against Yard and that was a great fight at January 114 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,600 of last year, he still put him out impressively. As we talked about 115 00:07:26,639 --> 00:07:29,920 in the preview, he walked right through Joe Smith, the known guy to 116 00:07:29,959 --> 00:07:32,360 have a good chin, blasted him out in two rounds. He doesn't fool 117 00:07:32,399 --> 00:07:34,720 around. I mean he can get you one through twelve at any moment. 118 00:07:34,759 --> 00:07:39,279 And let me tell you something now, now, I know we want to 119 00:07:39,279 --> 00:07:42,439 talk about this too. This sets up the big fight. Let's go right 120 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,360 there, because that's all the talk now coming off of this fight Saturday night, 121 00:07:46,439 --> 00:07:50,079 and better BEF said afterwards. Obviously that's what he wants next. The 122 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:55,680 Saudis obviously have tons of money. Call me crazy. You know I love 123 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,439 couching it this way. Call me crazy. Isn't that next? Why? 124 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,759 Why is that not why would that not be next? Come on, I 125 00:08:01,759 --> 00:08:05,399 mean not you can't say one hundred percent. But first of all, bevoll 126 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,439 As I reported like a couple of weeks ago, and people told me I 127 00:08:07,519 --> 00:08:11,480 was lying in this and thatp but I was one hundred percent correct that Beevill 128 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,319 signed a contract for the Better BF fight. That's done. His side is 129 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,959 set, as Bob Aram spoke about in the interview after the fight, after 130 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,959 Better BF said yes he wanted to do that fight. I remember back in 131 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,000 October at the Tyson Fury Nigan who Fight Better Be and Better b of n 132 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:33,399 Bevo were guests among the dozens of former and current champions and Hall of famers 133 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,799 and all time grades, et cetera that were invited to be a part of 134 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:41,279 that you know, big event. They came face to face that was caught 135 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,360 on video, you know, when they were at the dinner the night before, 136 00:08:45,799 --> 00:08:46,960 not not like in a they weren't like, you know, beating each 137 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,720 other up or you know, into an argument, but basically like saying they 138 00:08:50,759 --> 00:08:52,919 want to fight each other, and they had pictures taken with each other. 139 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,039 You know, they clearly have said over and over for the past several fights 140 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,320 they want to fight each other. It was always a matter of we all 141 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,240 know it's a great but from a financial point of view, to satisfy both 142 00:09:03,279 --> 00:09:05,960 sides, it was hard to make because neither one of them had a natural 143 00:09:07,039 --> 00:09:09,679 base to draw a big crowd. So your git is going to be limited. 144 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,720 I mean, if they did it in anywhere, UK, US, 145 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,399 wherever, it just didn't have a place where you could stick it in terms 146 00:09:16,399 --> 00:09:22,440 of an arena and sell millions of dollars worth of tickets. It wasn't going 147 00:09:22,519 --> 00:09:26,519 to bring a gigantic license fee. I mean it would bring millions from at 148 00:09:26,519 --> 00:09:28,600 the time of showtime or certainly an ESPN or the zone or whatever, but 149 00:09:30,039 --> 00:09:33,120 not to the level where that where both sides were going to feel satisfied for 150 00:09:33,159 --> 00:09:35,799 taking that kind of big fight. And so here you have the Saudis, 151 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,320 who can pay whatever they want for any fight that they desire. They are 152 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:43,120 the market in that sense. I mean it is an artificial market, but 153 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,519 they're putting on the biggest fights. So with that pot of gold that they 154 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:52,159 have to offer and a willingness to do so. And you know his Excellency 155 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,240 Turkey Alaschk who has been the one that is responsible for doling out the money. 156 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,279 It's a beautiful thing for those of us who are boxing fans because he's 157 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:01,320 a boxing fan all and he wants to see the big fights. It's like 158 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,519 he's doing what I always would joke about, like if I was super wealthy, 159 00:10:05,759 --> 00:10:07,799 I would pick off fights at purse bids or go put together fights and 160 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,000 I'd put them on in my cul de sac and invite my friends and we 161 00:10:11,039 --> 00:10:13,200 would do the fight. Like I remember, I joke around like it'd sees 162 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:16,480 some like fight, you know, minimum bid eighty grand for like some WBO 163 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:20,240 straweight fight. If I was like, you know, super wealthy, Like, 164 00:10:20,279 --> 00:10:22,799 yeah, I'd pay the money and put them on in my backyard. 165 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,080 Basically, that's what his excellency is doing. He's looking at the landscape of 166 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:31,519 boxing and he's making the biggest fights possible because he can finance them and gain, 167 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,399 you know, the tremendous amount of attention that they desire to bring positive 168 00:10:35,759 --> 00:10:39,480 to their country. So that fight will happened. Now, as I was 169 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,080 saying, Bob Aram said in the interview, they have to go through the 170 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,639 details and get the deal done, but they both want it. I guarantee 171 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,320 you better be able to make more money than he's ever made by multiples in 172 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,960 that fight, and there's absolutely zero reason for it not to happen. All 173 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,799 four belts, both guys want to fight each other, both guys are undefeated 174 00:10:56,279 --> 00:11:00,559 without even a remote discussion or argument, I think for anything, and you 175 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:05,200 know, boxing fans can't agree on anything, but I think pretty much universally 176 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,360 we'd all agree that, however you want us to put them in order, 177 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:13,559 that the number one and number two light heavyweights in boxing are better be it 178 00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:16,879 than b bole. I mean they have different kind of styles. You know, 179 00:11:16,919 --> 00:11:20,879 Bibbles a classic boxer, puncture and the other guys you know, a 180 00:11:20,919 --> 00:11:24,919 great puncher boxer. I mean, it has everything you want to see. 181 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:28,519 They may not have the biggest personalities, and they're not gonna be guys that 182 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,960 are gonna be uh you know, creating TMZ headlines or anything like that, 183 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,279 but if you like, you know, the fine art of combat sports, 184 00:11:35,639 --> 00:11:39,600 uh, they can definitely do some damage and they can thrill you because that's 185 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,399 gonna be a high, high level fight and I think that's going to be 186 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,519 a superb, superb matchup. And on the tight other thing, the winner 187 00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:48,879 that fight, they're they're fighting for history in that fight. That's a pound 188 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:52,799 for pound fight, that's a Hall of Fame fight, that's a that's the 189 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,159 best of the era kind of fight. I mean, that's what you want 190 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,000 to see. That's that's this. Now, this is not going back that 191 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:03,720 long ago. This This is sort of like cove Leve andre Ward that type 192 00:12:03,759 --> 00:12:07,080 of fight, kind of like Roy Jones James Tony, that type of fight 193 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:11,559 in terms of the two best finally doing it to settle number one for that 194 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,639 that era. One other quick thing, just real quick, how realistic? 195 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:20,519 For when? Because again better Be have just fought on a day of reckoning, 196 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,200 Better Be of on the same timeline fights two a couple weeks later with 197 00:12:24,279 --> 00:12:28,799 this rescheduled fight, could we see this? I know the March eighth card 198 00:12:28,879 --> 00:12:31,799 is Joshua and in Ghanu. It's probably not going to be part of that 199 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,519 card. This is to be just speculating, but could it be right after 200 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,200 that in March? Would it be April? No? What are you hearing? 201 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,679 What do you think? According to the way that Bob spoke about it, 202 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,799 And he's one hundred percent right, because this is exactly what I had 203 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:46,440 heard prior to that was that because Better b was a devout Muslim. He 204 00:12:46,519 --> 00:12:52,440 will observe Ramadan. Ramadan this year starts uh in a mid in a mid 205 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:58,840 mid March and it runs through mid April, and so as Aaron put it, 206 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,759 as soon as Ramadan is over, he needs three months post Ramadan to 207 00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:07,320 get ready for the fight, which means, you know, because you're fasting 208 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,159 and you know, it takes a toll on somebody that he needs probably the 209 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,840 you know, a good quality you know, a couple of weeks to recover 210 00:13:13,879 --> 00:13:18,159 from that and just to do his thing and then you know, the intense 211 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,039 camp. Then better be it, by the way, as an animal when 212 00:13:20,039 --> 00:13:22,720 it comes to his training, to put in the full eight maybe ten week 213 00:13:22,759 --> 00:13:24,360 training camp to get ready for the fight, which means if you go on 214 00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:28,279 the calendar, that the earliest you're talking about is probably mid July. Now, 215 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:33,360 it's been suggested by some people that maybe they end up because the amount 216 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,320 of money. I don't think either guy is going to be concerned about. 217 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,200 Another layoff is that they wait and it becomes the type of fight that opens 218 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,159 next year's or this year's read season, you know, in October potentially, 219 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,919 or maybe this audience will just wait and they'll put it on you know, 220 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,399 prior to that. I don't know if anybody wants to do that fight in 221 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,360 the example or this is me just this is me just saying this. When 222 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:56,320 they had the Usik Joshua rematch, that was an August fight. For whatever 223 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:58,960 it's worth, it wasn't, I mean, just throwing that out there. 224 00:14:00,039 --> 00:14:03,919 The only thing I'm saying with this is the longer we wait. I understand 225 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:05,519 his religious beliefs, but the longer we wait, the more stuff can get 226 00:14:05,519 --> 00:14:09,600 screwed up. Well whatever reason. So no matter what TJ. Reeves or 227 00:14:09,639 --> 00:14:13,919 Dan Raefeler, anybody says he's going to observe Ramadan, that's a first period, 228 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,840 I understand. So the fight will not be before March. That's like 229 00:14:16,919 --> 00:14:20,720 a few you know, a months. Second of all, I said the 230 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:24,080 earliest would be July. So you're talking about whenever they decide they can work 231 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:30,639 it out. When whenever Turkey decides that he wants to to fight, you 232 00:14:30,679 --> 00:14:33,879 know, post Ramadan, that's what it will be. I mean, this 233 00:14:33,159 --> 00:14:37,279 is not complicated the fight. Listen, well, it is complicated because it's 234 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,679 taken over two years to make I again, put this is true. Hasn't 235 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,080 happened in the last two years, taken over two years. Not arguing with 236 00:14:45,159 --> 00:14:48,360 me about a fight that hasn't happened for two years. They haven't been trying 237 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,480 to make it. They were trying. They were trying to make it in 238 00:14:50,519 --> 00:14:54,360 twenty twenty two. They were not really make it in twenty twenty two, 239 00:14:54,399 --> 00:14:58,360 but dem Korolov told you on our podcast, that's the fight we want, 240 00:14:58,399 --> 00:15:01,080 but the money is not there. They they were not stop arguing, trying 241 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,600 to make it. Stop arguing with me. I'm not something that you're wrong 242 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:11,519 you on your own podcast interview with Kralov, We're talking to him and he 243 00:15:11,639 --> 00:15:15,399 said to you, we are trying to make the fight, but the fight 244 00:15:15,559 --> 00:15:18,039 money is not there. He said it in twenty twenty two. So when 245 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:22,639 I am sitting here saying this is two years they haven't been able to get 246 00:15:22,639 --> 00:15:26,480 it made, it's not incorrect because his manager told you that in twenty twenty 247 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,639 two, and I thought that point on the podcast. I'm not but there 248 00:15:30,919 --> 00:15:35,559 was not. They didn't have the money, so there was no real movement 249 00:15:35,639 --> 00:15:37,360 on either side. It wasn't It wasn't like they were fighting with each other, 250 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,399 and then there was movement on Bevol's side. That's what Corny just knew 251 00:15:41,399 --> 00:15:43,919 that there was not the amount of money necessary to do it. So it 252 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:48,080 was not like we're arguing over this percentage point or this location or this term. 253 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,039 It's like we throw our hands up, we can't do this. The 254 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,720 other thing I'm saying, because we've got to move on to many other things, 255 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:00,000 is the longer we wait into this summer and this fall, there's something 256 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,799 that can get screwed up and injury, just like what happened with Better Bev 257 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,159 and the tooth problem that moved this Callum Smith back four or five months. 258 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,879 I want this sooner rather than later. Here's the point in twenty twenty four, 259 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,519 I believe, and you know me, I'm always mister negative on things 260 00:16:15,879 --> 00:16:21,679 messing up fights, and you know I'm always skeptical about this. This is 261 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,200 the kind of significant fight I personally view as I can't say one hundred percent 262 00:16:27,279 --> 00:16:33,200 because nothing's one hundred percent except death and taxes basically. But this fight's going 263 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,200 to happen. It's going to happen this year, and it's only a matter 264 00:16:37,279 --> 00:16:44,440 of in the timeframe window of the three months post Ramadan to the earliest portion 265 00:16:44,519 --> 00:16:48,440 of the fall when the read season begins again. If you tell me the 266 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,320 fight's going to be sometime between July and October, sign me up. I'm 267 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,159 with it. There's no intervening fights. The sanctioning bodies are not going to 268 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,159 be doing stupid shit with mandatories. The fight. They want the match, 269 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:06,240 The money is there, the location is there, no problem. I'm saying 270 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,480 that. And by the way, keep this in mind. Bevo is already 271 00:17:08,519 --> 00:17:11,839 signed because one thing, and I try cannot stress this enough. When it 272 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,920 comes to these types of fights in Saudi Arabia, it's not a matter of 273 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,400 the team from Bevol and the team from Better BF negotiating with each other, 274 00:17:21,799 --> 00:17:25,160 or the team from Wilder and the team from Joshua and negotiating with each other 275 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:26,880 and then the falling apart for a reasons not related to the contract, or 276 00:17:27,039 --> 00:17:32,160 the team from Naganu and Joshua, or the team from Fury in Naganu, 277 00:17:32,319 --> 00:17:34,240 or any of the fights that we've seen or are about to take place. 278 00:17:34,799 --> 00:17:40,480 They don't negotiate with each other. They do separate deals. Team Fury goes 279 00:17:40,519 --> 00:17:45,640 and talks with his Excellency, and then Team Naganu did the same. Team 280 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:48,200 Usik did the same. They work out their own deals and don't worry about 281 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:52,400 it. There's plenty of money for everybody, So this is the same situation. 282 00:17:52,559 --> 00:17:55,880 They're not gonna butt heads over stuff with each other on the money. 283 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,079 It's the Saudis said here, what do you need? Here? What do 284 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,319 you need? And they're good to go. All right, let's get him 285 00:18:03,319 --> 00:18:06,599 in the ring, hopefully sooner rather than later. I understand for all the 286 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:11,839 reasons. Okay. Immediately immediately preceding that fight was Christian Mobilly, and I've 287 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,000 got to confess this is the first time that I watched him live. I 288 00:18:15,039 --> 00:18:18,400 had seen some of the highlights of a couple of his other fights. He 289 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:23,759 beat the Australian Rohan Murdoch mercilessly over the last couple of rounds especially, I 290 00:18:23,799 --> 00:18:27,680 was really I was surprised that his corner put Murdoch back out there for another 291 00:18:27,759 --> 00:18:33,480 round, with the way that Mobility was teeing off in their super middleweight contender 292 00:18:33,559 --> 00:18:37,640 fight, with the crowd roaring all right, he gets the the TKO the 293 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,160 stoppage after six What did you see out of all of that? Tell me 294 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:45,039 more, well, I saw a very good stoppage by the corner. You 295 00:18:45,039 --> 00:18:47,480 know, if you watched the fight prior to that, he was taking a 296 00:18:47,519 --> 00:18:49,920 real hammering and the trainer was telling him, you know, you got to 297 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,920 do something, and was basically sitting on the step with the with the towel 298 00:18:55,079 --> 00:18:57,680 in his hand, ready to throw it in. But actually as much punishment 299 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:02,799 as Murdoch was taking, he actually had a pretty good sixth round and was 300 00:19:02,839 --> 00:19:06,160 doing very well until like the last probably twenty or thirty seconds, when it 301 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,799 basically reverted to the previous situation and he was getting you know again his you 302 00:19:10,799 --> 00:19:12,400 know, his rear end handed to him. So at that point when that 303 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:17,599 when the fight finally you know ended, or rather when I should say when 304 00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:19,799 the round ended. Uh, it really didn't take a long time for them 305 00:19:19,839 --> 00:19:23,920 to go back into the quarterer and have them stop that fight, because there 306 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:29,079 was there was really no way he was going to suddenly come back and when 307 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:30,279 he you know, he it was all he could do to just stay in 308 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:33,200 there through the end of the sixth round. And so I thought the corner 309 00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:38,000 let it go appropriately, but ultimately made the right decision in the manner in 310 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,200 which they stopped it, because you know, that's the kind of way you 311 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:45,440 get hurt when when that happens. That was a brutal situation. So the 312 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,039 trainer's name, who, as they were saying on the broadcast, basically views 313 00:19:49,079 --> 00:19:52,480 Murdoch almost like a son to him, is a man named Chris Carden. 314 00:19:52,559 --> 00:19:56,240 He has the you know, he has his guy's best interest at heart. 315 00:19:56,519 --> 00:19:59,480 He did a tremendous job in terms of the way that he stopped that fight. 316 00:20:00,039 --> 00:20:02,960 Rowan Murdoch, you know, can live to fight another day. He 317 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,559 got nothing to be ashamed of. But Christian Mobilly is a bad man. 318 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,960 Let me tell you that. He is a guy who you know, and 319 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,920 I've heard this before, but Mark Ramsey, who is his trainer, who 320 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,119 was one of the very best trainers in Canada or in the world frankly, 321 00:20:15,279 --> 00:20:19,160 and has been around training fighters for you know, three plus decades, you 322 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,880 know, loves to tell people that of the fighters that he has worked with, 323 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,920 and there's been lots of them, that in terms of a guy in 324 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,400 shape, in terms of his cardio, in terms of just his sheer, 325 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,480 just just in the way he takes his training so seriously, in terms of 326 00:20:33,519 --> 00:20:37,960 the conditioning that mobility is the guy and if you look at the way he's 327 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,799 built, he looks like he's a brick wall and he showed that. Now 328 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,640 he's as fun a fighter as there is a boxing right now to watch, 329 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:48,160 and he's exciting, he's you know, and he's got pedigree too. This 330 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,920 is a guy that was a twenty sixteen Olympian for France, and you know 331 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,920 he's got that background also, and he's a good puncher and he seems like 332 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,319 he takes a good shot. He's not afraid to mix hit. He got 333 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,920 history fight, so that might be a concern too when you step up in 334 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,920 competition as much. Yet you know he wants to fight a big name. 335 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:10,319 I mean they were asking about Canelo, who is the king of the division. 336 00:21:10,559 --> 00:21:12,119 I think the reason that they were asking about Canelo specifically, even though 337 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:15,359 he hasn't had any fights at that level yet, is because in the WBC, 338 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,480 in the WBA he's ranked number one. It doesn't mean he's the mandatory 339 00:21:18,559 --> 00:21:22,359 yet, but you know he's high up there. So you know he's a 340 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:26,799 guy that's that's making his case in this weight class. And that's one of 341 00:21:26,839 --> 00:21:29,519 the you know, it's a it's a double edged sword in the ones in 342 00:21:29,559 --> 00:21:33,119 the one sense, uh super MIDI weights on Lockdown, Canelo has all the 343 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:34,400 belts and he gets to pick and choose who he wants for his two fights. 344 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:38,119 Basically, you know, if there's a mandatory, it will get negotiated 345 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,200 that he has to do it or not. But at this point, he's 346 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,519 going to fight who he wants to fight. And on the on the on 347 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:48,000 the negative side, if the title's worstplit up, then that means there's other 348 00:21:48,039 --> 00:21:49,519 guys who get opportunities, so you kind of can't have it both ways. 349 00:21:49,519 --> 00:21:52,720 So he's not getting a title shot right away, but there's certainly opponents in 350 00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:56,119 that weight class that he could match up with that would make for interesting. 351 00:21:56,559 --> 00:22:00,440 Give me a name, give me a realistic name for later this year. 352 00:22:00,599 --> 00:22:03,440 What do you think and how intrigued would we be? Do you have a 353 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,839 realistic name? What do you think? Well, the one thing is uh, 354 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,000 I'm not saying this is realistic, but I heard the uh the the 355 00:22:11,079 --> 00:22:12,720 mention of him and Edgar Berlanga, which to me, honestly, that is 356 00:22:12,759 --> 00:22:17,839 a that would be I mean, I'd be happy to watch that, but 357 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,000 in my opinion, that's just not realistic. Okay, it's not realistic for 358 00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:23,759 a lot of reasons. Some are saying David Morrell, who's right there as 359 00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:27,519 the w BA. What clarify for me because I get confused with the WBA. 360 00:22:27,599 --> 00:22:30,480 Is he the interim? What is he considered? He's the WBA regular 361 00:22:30,559 --> 00:22:34,400 che yes, whatever, so, but what would Morell want to take that 362 00:22:34,519 --> 00:22:38,279 risk with Mobilly? While he's likely, it's unlikely, particularly when he fights 363 00:22:38,279 --> 00:22:42,519 in the same uh you know, a universe of David Benavide's and kyleb Plant 364 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:48,200 and obviously Canelo. And I can't give you like a name, but I 365 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,039 can tell you that if you match him up with like you know, David 366 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:56,440 Morrell or Berlin, or like cayleb Plan or Sergey defren Schenko or you know 367 00:22:56,839 --> 00:23:00,160 Morrell, these are exciting fights. Like he's in the same kind of all 368 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,160 right, that those would make for very good fights. I'll tell you one 369 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:04,599 thing you just now that I'm thinking about it. I mean again, it's 370 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,839 not uh he would be favorite, probably, but like a devren Schenko who 371 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,079 was in the you know, one of the best fights of the year, 372 00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:15,160 uh in you know, in twenty twenty three, in his tremendous battle against 373 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,839 Mangia. I mean it would be a step up in competition for the Billy 374 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,960 and hustle would probably be hell of a fight. I mean kind of a 375 00:23:22,039 --> 00:23:26,400 you know, a slug fest in my mind. But uh, he's he's 376 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,319 coming along. I mean there's guys that he could fight. Jesse Hart is 377 00:23:29,319 --> 00:23:33,400 a guy that's fought for a title, just signed with with PBC. You 378 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:34,359 know, I'm not sure what the you know, if that could be made 379 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,519 again. I'm thinking of guys who would be good fights but also be step 380 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:42,119 a step up and what's the realistic what's realistic to happen. So that's good, 381 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:47,279 that's good. On Mobilia again, cut I had the crowd roaring. 382 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:53,119 His super got some intangibles there, Okay. Now, immediately before the televised 383 00:23:53,400 --> 00:24:00,680 ESPN portion of the championship card, the ESPN Plus card concluded with the WBO 384 00:24:00,799 --> 00:24:04,599 bantamweight title fight that turned out to be a tremendous battle with Jason Maloney and 385 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:10,319 Saul Sanchez. We talked up Sanchez some that he had basically been a club 386 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:15,400 fighter at that level in southern California and in Florida, but he acquitted himself 387 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,920 well. Maloney badly cut over the right eye, which was an issue throughout 388 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,480 the fight. Close battle going into the final few rounds, Maloney gets the 389 00:24:23,519 --> 00:24:26,000 decision. Dann what do you think of all of that in the recap mode? 390 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:29,079 Well, I thought it was a tremendous fight. I mean, you 391 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:30,200 know, people want to say fight of the year. Okay, fine, 392 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,720 it is trick in January, so let's all calm down about that. I 393 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,720 mean, is it is it a chance that because of nine more weeks ago 394 00:24:37,839 --> 00:24:40,759 people forty nine? I mean, it could still be like it could wind 395 00:24:40,839 --> 00:24:41,880 up at the end of the year, being that, you know, in 396 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:47,279 the upper echelon of the fights that people mentioned, and nothing against the two 397 00:24:47,279 --> 00:24:49,079 guys that just laid it all on the line. But I'm very confident that 398 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,960 when it's all then done, it won't be the fight of the year. 399 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:53,400 But it was a hell of a fight. No, no, I'm not 400 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,720 knocking it all. I'd love to see a rematch. They were, you 401 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,279 know, were made for each other. It seems like to me, you 402 00:24:59,279 --> 00:25:00,839 know, the Malone, he and his brother Andrew are pretty much always in 403 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,880 a good fight, and Sanchez, with that kind of style, you're probably 404 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,480 not going to ever see him in a bad fight either. Look, the 405 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,480 bottom line is Maloney edged it out. It was a close fight. There 406 00:25:11,519 --> 00:25:14,640 was a lot of close rounds. It was a majority decision. Officially. 407 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,799 One judge had it one fourteen, one to fourteen, which I couldn't strongly 408 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,160 argue against. The two other judges had it the way I had it, 409 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,440 which was one sixteen to one twelve, which is eight to four, and 410 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,200 I saw some people complaining that that was too wide. I'm like, what 411 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,799 the fuck do you want? There were a bunch of swing rounds. I 412 00:25:30,799 --> 00:25:33,960 thought Maloney edged them out in close, competitive rounds, and he was the 413 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,720 rightful winner of the fight. And if I'm not mistaken, the two judges 414 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,200 that scored it eight to four gave him the tenth, the eleventh, and 415 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,039 the twelve. They gave him all three of the rounds Maloney to basically ice 416 00:25:45,079 --> 00:25:48,279 the fight because the fight was up for grabs on their card, at least 417 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,960 until the eleventh and the twelfth round, when he I don't remember the exactly 418 00:25:52,039 --> 00:25:53,519 believe that's the case, yes, but I'd have to go back and look. 419 00:25:53,519 --> 00:25:56,720 If you look in my substack, I actually put a picture of the 420 00:25:56,759 --> 00:26:02,599 final scorecards. But it was a super close fight. Uh. Sanchez didn't 421 00:26:02,599 --> 00:26:06,200 seem to be super complaining about the situation. Afterwards. I think that he 422 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,000 got out hustled a little bit just enough. He started off very well. 423 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,960 Maloney got his groove. He just seemed a little bit quicker with his hands. 424 00:26:14,799 --> 00:26:17,839 I mean, I think some people have you thought that Sanchez should have 425 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,559 one may have been swayed by the blood. The cut that Maloney suffered was 426 00:26:21,599 --> 00:26:23,240 not from a punch. It was from it was from a head butt that 427 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,200 took place that was accidental, but it certainly made his face look, you 428 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,319 know, bad, because the blood was everywhere, and it really because of 429 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,319 the spot that it was in. It was not the kind of cut that 430 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:36,400 you can closely kind of right on the bone next to the eye, so 431 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,039 it's it's going to continually bleed, and it was. It was a tremendous 432 00:26:41,039 --> 00:26:45,599 fight. And Sanchez as I as I always like to see in these types 433 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,839 of fights that if your guy loses, can he still raise his stock. 434 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,480 Well, let me tell you sal Will Sanchez, who came into this fight 435 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,519 basically unknown unless you're the most diehard, you know, follower of Southern California 436 00:26:56,559 --> 00:27:00,559 club boxing, acquitted himself in a mind which is going to help him get 437 00:27:00,839 --> 00:27:06,440 some notoriety. He's gonna get more phone calls, for fights. He's gonna 438 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,119 make good fights, so he has that going for him. If you saw 439 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:11,640 him on Saturday night, you're not gonna ever say to yourself, boy, 440 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,839 I don't want to watch that guy fight again. So he raised his stock 441 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,680 even in a loss against you know, a good world champion. So I 442 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:22,880 thought it was a terrific fight. I mean again, it won't be the 443 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,960 fight of the year because there's still a long way to go in twenty twenty 444 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,279 four. The other thing about that matchup, as great as the two guys 445 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,759 displayed their abilities and and and their hearts, I thought the corners did a 446 00:27:33,759 --> 00:27:37,400 great job. Angelo Hyder, who was the trainer for Jason Maloney, was 447 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,279 telling his man all the right things in that in that fight, what he 448 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,920 needed to do, how we should do it. You know when he gave 449 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,759 a way around to get it on and you got to get these last couple 450 00:27:47,799 --> 00:27:51,759 of rounds. And likewise, in the other corner for Sanchez is Manny Roblis, 451 00:27:51,799 --> 00:27:53,799 who by the way, has been the trainer in two huge upsets, 452 00:27:55,039 --> 00:27:56,440 So if Sanchez had pulled it off, it would have given a third mass 453 00:27:56,519 --> 00:28:03,119 upset. Remember he was the trainer when when Andy Ruiz bumped off Anthony Joshua 454 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,759 in a heavyweight championship fight. He was also there in the corner for Raffia 455 00:28:06,759 --> 00:28:10,920 Ospinoza in December when he had the big upsit against Robesci Ramirez to win one 456 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,720 of the Featherway titles. So Roblist did a hell of a job in that 457 00:28:14,759 --> 00:28:17,440 fight, you know, guided his guy. I just love when when you 458 00:28:17,599 --> 00:28:21,359 when you see two guys lay it out like that and the corners do everything 459 00:28:21,559 --> 00:28:25,160 right. Yeah, the judges get it right. It's like boom, boom 460 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,440 boom. It's it's everything that's good about the sport. I agree with you, 461 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,720 and I'd love to see it again. And let's just clarify. On 462 00:28:30,759 --> 00:28:36,279 the card that was a draw. That judge gave Maloney officially the eleventh and 463 00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:40,119 the twelfth round and that pulled it even or he had Sanchez winning the fight. 464 00:28:40,759 --> 00:28:45,279 On the one card, a judge gave the final two rounds to Maloney 465 00:28:45,319 --> 00:28:48,640 to make it one sixteen one twelve, he had Maloney up by two. 466 00:28:49,519 --> 00:28:53,240 On the other card of one sixteen one twelve, he had it much wider. 467 00:28:53,559 --> 00:28:59,839 He gave Sanchez actually three of the last four rounds to narrow it to 468 00:29:00,039 --> 00:29:04,599 eight to four. He had only given Sanchez one round before the ninth round 469 00:29:04,599 --> 00:29:10,039 of the fight, so it narrowed by by his card, but still he 470 00:29:10,119 --> 00:29:12,519 had Maloney comfortably upfront, and I don't think you can argue with the decision. 471 00:29:12,559 --> 00:29:17,480 I think Maloney won enough rounds to be considered the winner of that fight. 472 00:29:17,519 --> 00:29:18,400 I'd love to see it again, just one more time. Yeah, 473 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:22,359 I mean, I totally agree that I thought it was. It was such 474 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:27,039 an enjoyable card because you have Maloney going to going to war with Sanchez. 475 00:29:27,039 --> 00:29:30,039 They put on a hell of a fight. Then the stream of the of 476 00:29:30,079 --> 00:29:33,720 the preliminaries is done with and they go to the main card. Again. 477 00:29:33,759 --> 00:29:37,000 It was it was pretty one sided, but it was a heck of a 478 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,599 fight in terms of abillity. Uh. With with Murdoxy and the way they 479 00:29:40,599 --> 00:29:42,920 were banging each other around the heart that Murdoch showed, the way that it 480 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,640 was appropriately stopped. Everything was good about that. And then the main event 481 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,559 you saw you know, one of the best fighters in boxing, Uh look 482 00:29:51,759 --> 00:29:56,119 look outstanding against you know, a worthy challenger. Uh. It was if 483 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,440 all shows were like that, where you have the right judging, the right 484 00:30:00,519 --> 00:30:07,200 stoppages, the right the words from the trainers, everything about it. The 485 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:08,759 action was good. And here's our thing I love about it. The Canadian 486 00:30:08,799 --> 00:30:11,599 fans are great. I've covered some fights in Montreal, never in Lueback City, 487 00:30:11,599 --> 00:30:15,519 but it's a similar, you know, group of people. Uh, 488 00:30:15,759 --> 00:30:22,680 Andrew Maloney is from Australia, Salo Sanchez is from Southern California. They've never 489 00:30:22,759 --> 00:30:26,119 fought fought in Canada, They've got no relation to that area. And they're 490 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,519 banging it out and the crowd, which doesn't have a particular rooting interest in 491 00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:33,039 the fight, they're all standing up losing their shit like I'm crazy, like 492 00:30:33,359 --> 00:30:37,400 really really showing. These guys love that. When you're in that kind of 493 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,599 you know, tough, tough sort of crucible, love the fight. You 494 00:30:41,599 --> 00:30:45,519 know, it's good to get the plaudits from the crowd that's come to watch 495 00:30:45,519 --> 00:30:47,880 you fights. So that had to make those guys feel good. They're not 496 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,000 they're not fighting in front of their people, and and and the Canadian fans. 497 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,200 They're intelligent and they really know what they're looking at and they see they 498 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,519 see some great shows up there. Hey, I've always said when Australia is 499 00:30:57,519 --> 00:31:00,880 battling Southern California, to do it at Quebec City, Babe, you got 500 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:06,039 to do it there one more, just real quick. Kaya TeV, how 501 00:31:06,039 --> 00:31:11,039 do you say it? Iman Kayatev, the Katiev, the Russian Olympian. 502 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:12,319 You also wanted to say something about him on this car, just to wrap 503 00:31:12,319 --> 00:31:15,960 it up real quick in the recap mode. Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned 504 00:31:15,039 --> 00:31:18,000 him so in the in one of the preliminary fights. This was the the 505 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:25,160 This was the fight prior right before the Maloney and Santez fight. Like, 506 00:31:25,279 --> 00:31:26,799 I've watched him fight a couple of times because you know, he's with I 507 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,599 of the Tiger, which is the promoter that was locally they're putting on the 508 00:31:30,599 --> 00:31:33,920 event. They have an agreement with Top Rank where they take their shows and 509 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,759 they put them on ESPN Plus, and they've got a good relationship where they 510 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,279 work with each other spighters and that sort of stuff. So they have this 511 00:31:41,359 --> 00:31:45,960 fighter. He's twenty nine years old, so he's not a young move quickly 512 00:31:45,279 --> 00:31:49,640 he advanced to six and oh he got a very impressive second round knockout against 513 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:55,240 a journeyman opponent in lud Wizzak. Not it wasn't about the opponent that was 514 00:31:55,279 --> 00:32:00,359 anything spectacular, and just the way he goes about his business. In Thelympics 515 00:32:00,359 --> 00:32:04,519 in twenty twenty which took place in twenty twenty one, he won the bronze 516 00:32:04,559 --> 00:32:08,119 medal. He lost in the in the Metal match to Ben Whittaker from the 517 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:14,640 UK, who is touted as one of their great rising prospects and future champions. 518 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:19,720 Very skillful fighter, but Katiev is a crowd pleaser. He's a puncher 519 00:32:20,559 --> 00:32:22,400 and I thought he looked really, really good. Now he's I said he's 520 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:28,559 from Russia. He actually lives in Australia, but he's been fighting in Canada, 521 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,759 so he is a man of the world. His last three fights have 522 00:32:30,799 --> 00:32:32,599 been in Canada, and just has had the one fight so far in his 523 00:32:32,599 --> 00:32:37,440 career that's taken place in Australia. But he's definitely a light heavyweight to keep 524 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,559 an eye on. And just he didn't have quite enough fights and I hadn't 525 00:32:39,559 --> 00:32:44,000 really seen enough of him when I was doing my prospect list that I do 526 00:32:44,079 --> 00:32:46,880 every year in December. He was like one of my last guys that didn't 527 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:52,400 make the list. But I can absolutely see him being in there, you 528 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:53,759 know, come the end of this year, assuming he's not already fighting, 529 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,200 you know, in major type of eliminators in main events and title fights, 530 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,440 but definitely a young man and a good up and coming guy to keep an 531 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:06,640 eye on. Imam Katie, remember the name Tatiyev. Good enough, Now 532 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:13,440 some news and including back to what's being made in Saudi Arabia and the Fury 533 00:33:13,599 --> 00:33:19,160 Usik undercard. You've got some names, Jai Opataiah, you mentioned Sergey Koboalev 534 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,319 earlier on the show, and also Joe Cordina may be part of this as 535 00:33:22,359 --> 00:33:25,400 well. What have you learned on the on the likely undercard coming in February. 536 00:33:27,119 --> 00:33:30,319 Well, they're they're in the process of doing, uh, these matchups. 537 00:33:30,319 --> 00:33:32,519 Obviously February is coming very quickly. These are the types of fights that 538 00:33:32,559 --> 00:33:36,680 are probably they're looking to get announced, you know, in the in the 539 00:33:36,799 --> 00:33:39,559 very near future. And again while everything is not you know signed, you 540 00:33:39,559 --> 00:33:45,279 know t's cross and eyes dotted, uh the lineup. Obviously, the big 541 00:33:45,319 --> 00:33:49,519 fight is Usik and Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title, but among the other 542 00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:52,440 fights of their work, and you mentioned Opataya, he had a first round 543 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:54,880 knockout on the day of reckoning in December, so he's fresh and has a 544 00:33:55,319 --> 00:33:59,680 multi fight agreement with the Saudi so you can expect him to be on that 545 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,759 show. Now it's a matter of who he's gonna fight. They're they're working 546 00:34:01,799 --> 00:34:05,559 on that, but it'll be great to see him back in action. He 547 00:34:05,839 --> 00:34:07,440 you know, he's staying active after having the long lay up because of the 548 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,920 jaw injury, so it's a good thing to see him back. He's a 549 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:15,920 super exciting fighter and obviously the number one cruiserweight in the world. Sergei Covileb, 550 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:19,440 which I had reported like probably a month ago or six weeks ago, 551 00:34:19,559 --> 00:34:22,800 was going to be on the show, which made sense because he shares the 552 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,960 manager with Usik and Egis Quimus, so they are again. I don't think 553 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,000 the paperwork is signed, but if the likelihood is that he will fight an 554 00:34:30,039 --> 00:34:35,639 undefeated fighter, not a well known guy named Robin Safar, who is undefeated, 555 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:37,480 like I said, but hasn't really ever fought any But this is an 556 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,679 opportunity for him to step up against the covid Leb that's been off for a 557 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:43,719 long time, that's obviously in the twilight of his career, although I still 558 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,519 a big name. They'll fight that fight in the cruiserweight division, and you 559 00:34:46,559 --> 00:34:51,760 mentioned Cordina, who's the IBF Junior Lightweight Champion who just fought not that long 560 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,480 ago in a card that Mattroom Boxing had in Monte Carlo where he was in 561 00:34:54,519 --> 00:35:00,000 the main event and he won and looking to makeup I guess for some loss 562 00:35:00,079 --> 00:35:01,880 time. But they're they're trying to match him up with a fighter named Anthony 563 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,079 Kasachi. Uh. If they can get that squared away and get that done, 564 00:35:06,119 --> 00:35:09,119 that's probably the fight. So you know, these are interesting matchups. 565 00:35:09,159 --> 00:35:12,840 I mean, you know, I don't you know, We'll see who Opataia 566 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:17,320 gets matched up with. Uh. But they're they're making another what apparently seems 567 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,159 to be like a deep card, which you don't even really have to do 568 00:35:21,199 --> 00:35:23,519 that when the main event is the undisputed heavyweight championship. So you know, 569 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:30,280 again this is the work of his excellency doing uh these big deep shows. 570 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:34,079 Okay, So I'm looking at my trusty Dan Rayfield rundown and you just uttered 571 00:35:34,119 --> 00:35:37,440 the phrase let's see who Opataia gets matched up with. And now the next 572 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:43,840 thing on the rundown is that the breatest Zerdo Ramirez fight that's being ordered by 573 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,480 the IBF after Opataia had to give up the IBF belt. May not be 574 00:35:47,639 --> 00:35:51,800 happening. It's not happening, all right. So if it's not happening, 575 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,639 then why isn't Opataia fighting Braidest anyway for the IBF belt. What are we 576 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,360 doing here? Well, hold on clayify for me. What's going on. 577 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:02,159 It's not that he is not fighting him, that's not the case. It's 578 00:36:02,199 --> 00:36:07,239 the fact that they have to listen. Everybody wants things to happen like right 579 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,760 this minute. I've been doing this long enough to know things take certain amount 580 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:15,280 of time to do. You got to work through the particulars. So they 581 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:21,719 have ordered a purse bid for Zerto against Greatest for the vacant IBF title that 582 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:27,000 that Opataia was essentially forced to vacate before he fought the de Summer twenty third 583 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,679 card because he was getting paid so much money that he wasn't gonna sit that 584 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:35,000 out and for a fight that wasn't happening until the early part of next year 585 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,119 anyway. So then they ordered the zero fight. Now, when I wrote 586 00:36:37,119 --> 00:36:40,400 about the order of the zero fight, if you go back and read exactly 587 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:44,400 what I wrote, I did write that there was a good chance that they 588 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:49,360 would not happen because Golden Boy and zero were looking potentially towards him going towards 589 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,599 the WBO the WBA champion, which is Arson Gula Marian from France. That 590 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:58,960 is now a fight that the WBA has put out paperwork on saying they've allowed 591 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,280 that, and I think the special permit for Gulamarian to do the match instead 592 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:07,599 of the mandatory point is there's a very good likelihood that come March on the 593 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:13,719 own you will see a main event fight between the WBA champion, Gula Marian 594 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,199 against Zerdo Ramirez. So that again would mean that Bradis would be ordered to 595 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:22,400 fight somebody else for the vacant title. That could be Opataiah. Again, 596 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:27,079 as we sit here as we tape this on Sunday, that ain't done. 597 00:37:27,199 --> 00:37:30,719 There's things that need to take place. You have to communicate between the fighters 598 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:34,480 and the organizations and their teams and all that. So when you say what 599 00:37:34,519 --> 00:37:37,519 are we doing here, talk to me in like two weeks and we'll see 600 00:37:37,519 --> 00:37:38,960 what's up. But the reason I'm saying that is you and I covered this 601 00:37:39,119 --> 00:37:45,320 before Day of Reckoning that why was the IBF doing this in the first place 602 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:51,639 when Bradis was injured and could not have fought Opataiah anyway and will be healthy 603 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:58,159 people. Yeah. Always always stipulated that he would be back in that February 604 00:37:58,159 --> 00:38:01,159 March timeframe and be willing to fight. So we'll see. Listen, you 605 00:38:01,159 --> 00:38:06,480 asked about the IBF. I want to get everybody in boxing T shirts that 606 00:38:06,599 --> 00:38:10,719 says the IBF does IBF things. It's just what they do doesn't make them 607 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:15,960 bad people. They just they they sometimes do things that are detrimental to themselves 608 00:38:16,199 --> 00:38:20,360 and literally make no sense. It would make no sense for me to walk 609 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,039 out of my front door and pick up a globo of the dirt and grass 610 00:38:23,039 --> 00:38:25,920 and eat it. Right, It doesn't make any sense. But you know, 611 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,960 if you are a three year old, you might do that. Are 612 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,119 you saying that young Rayphael maybe did that at some point? I'm just saying 613 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:37,000 it's just you know, you ask why. But okay, so maybe that 614 00:38:37,039 --> 00:38:40,559 fight will still happen despite all the silliness and stupidity of what the IBF. 615 00:38:40,639 --> 00:38:45,559 I'll say that what the IBF did before on behalf of a fighter that said, 616 00:38:45,599 --> 00:38:49,320 hey, hand up, I'm injured. I can't fight anyway until the 617 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,599 March timeframet, and neither side was giving them right, was making any demands. 618 00:38:52,639 --> 00:38:54,800 They were like, we'll do the fight, just let us have this 619 00:38:54,840 --> 00:39:00,960 optional. Here's the bottom line where this all started. The Saudi's and the 620 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:06,840 people involved with theory against Usik are doing a good job of fashioning together an 621 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:12,960 undercard and maybe with Opataiah definitely going to be on that show. Nothing is 622 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,559 done in terms of an opponent, but it would not be out of the 623 00:39:15,559 --> 00:39:19,480 realm of possibility. We could potentially end up seeing that Breateest fight anyway, 624 00:39:19,639 --> 00:39:22,800 based on all the things we just talked about. Because of the other news 625 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:27,320 item, which is that that Zerdo is probably going to fight Gula Marian for 626 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:31,559 the WBA belt, clearing the way to get rid of that IBF scenario against 627 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:38,280 Braidest for him makes sense. Bear enough. One more news item and then 628 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:44,800 some nostalgia, and that is Oscar Valdez Liam Wilson. Now why do we 629 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:50,800 know those names? They both fought and lost convincingly, although Wilson had Emanuel 630 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:54,559 Navarat in trouble more so than Valdez did. But Valdez and Wilson may be 631 00:39:54,639 --> 00:39:59,679 fighting each other. Details please real quickly. They are going to fight each 632 00:39:59,679 --> 00:40:01,480 other. It's not one hundred percent, you know. Signed sealed and delivered. 633 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:06,800 But this is an excellent matchup. This is the two guys that had 634 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,320 fight of the year type fights against Navaretta in WBO one hundred and thirty pound 635 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:15,280 title fights. Both came up short in those fights, and when you put 636 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:19,440 on that type of effort and you give that kind of entertainment, you know 637 00:40:19,599 --> 00:40:22,840 Top rank is looking to bring them both back against each other and create another 638 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,400 opportunity for the winner of that fight. So yeah, this is a fight 639 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:30,280 that's on the drawing board. Contracts are out March twenty ninth, a Friday 640 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:34,760 night, will take place at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendell, Arizona, 641 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:37,480 which, by the way, is the same venue where Navarete fought Liam Wilson 642 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:43,079 and where he fought Oscar Valdez. Remember when he fought Liam Wilson. That 643 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,440 was back in last year, in the early part of the year. That 644 00:40:46,599 --> 00:40:51,800 was a fight that took place because Oscar Valdez was supposed to be in there 645 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:54,880 for the vacant title, but he was injured and so therefore Wilson was the 646 00:40:54,920 --> 00:41:00,039 substitute. Obviously, Navarete won the fight, became the WBO champion, and 647 00:41:00,079 --> 00:41:02,719 then they rescheduled. When Valdez was good to go, he got a comeback 648 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:07,719 fight navarat down in the fight at hadn't heard great great battle with Navarata, 649 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:15,760 Yes, yeah, so so Wilson lost him in February, and when Valdez 650 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,360 came back, he got a tune up fight to come back. He won 651 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:22,079 against Adam Lopez in their rematch, and then they made the match between him 652 00:41:22,119 --> 00:41:24,639 and Valdez for this past August. I got a humenous amount of hype. 653 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:29,599 Remember they brought in Marco Antonio Brera and Eric Morales to help promote the fight. 654 00:41:29,639 --> 00:41:32,280 Everybody thought it would be a fight like worthy of those two guys, 655 00:41:32,639 --> 00:41:37,000 you know, in the promotion they were fighting in one hundred and thirty pound 656 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,400 way class for the belt that they had once held or had fought for. 657 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,360 Anyway, it may not have lived up to that, but it was a 658 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,280 hell of a fight and in the end, and I'm not the only one, 659 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:47,840 but if you took a look at the list of when I did my 660 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,280 fight of the Year story, I picked, you know, Luis Neri against 661 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:55,519 a Zatjovinisian as the number one fight of the year, but in my top 662 00:41:55,559 --> 00:42:00,159 ten list, both Liam Wilson against Navarette and Oscars against never at Theay. 663 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:05,119 We're on that list. Now you have the losers of those two fights, 664 00:42:06,119 --> 00:42:08,239 you know, going against each other as they get the deal squared away. 665 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:13,360 So that will be a really interesting fight between guys that make good fights, 666 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:15,920 and we'll put the winner in a great position to move forward because you got 667 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:17,360 to figure, you know, never at Ay at some point is going to 668 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:21,760 go up to one hundred and thirty five pounds and they'll probably be an open 669 00:42:22,079 --> 00:42:24,639 at least one open title for him to go for it to winner. Good 670 00:42:24,679 --> 00:42:30,360 stuff, good stuff, all right? Nostalgia is this truly twenty five years 671 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:35,880 ago that Mike Tyson, off of the ear biting suspension with Evander Holyfield, 672 00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:39,119 fought twenty five years ago Tuesday, January sixteenth, nineteen ninety nine, came 673 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:47,119 back and fought Francois Botha and scored an impressive ko. We love anytime that 674 00:42:47,159 --> 00:42:52,079 we can bring up Mike Tyson, even briefly here. There's not there's not 675 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:54,800 a lot of meat on the bone with both of being an all time opponent. 676 00:42:54,840 --> 00:43:00,119 But the significance is this was the first fight after the entire mess and 677 00:43:00,159 --> 00:43:05,320 his suspension for the holy Field ear Bite in June of ninety seven. That 678 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:08,480 was twenty five years ago. It's amazing. I also look at this match. 679 00:43:08,719 --> 00:43:14,239 If you look at Mike's career, you can break it down into various 680 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,280 sections. It's the rise to the title that was the first part. Then 681 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:22,400 there's Berbick through Buster. You know, when he was the dominating, devastating 682 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,360 champion of the world and you know, made his biggest name and fame and 683 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:29,440 you know, could walk anywhere in the world and people know him. Then 684 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,519 there was what occurred after that, and he ended up going you know, 685 00:43:32,639 --> 00:43:37,800 having moving to showtime, ultimately going to prison. Holy Field fight canceled all 686 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:40,840 that. That's another chapter of his career. Then he came back and he 687 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:45,239 had that series of fights you know, when he when he came back from 688 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:49,760 being in prison. So I consider another era, if you will, of 689 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,960 Mike's career, Peter McNeely, the comeback fight through the ear Byte fight against 690 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:59,119 Evander to me, the last part of Mike's career, you know, the 691 00:43:59,519 --> 00:44:01,440 down the show s wretch, if you will, which would go from the 692 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:06,000 Botha fight in nineteen ninety nine through the end of his career in two thousand 693 00:44:06,039 --> 00:44:12,320 and five, which included you know, some wins against nobody's or lesser guys, 694 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:15,599 that type of thing, but also obviously the big mega fight against lenningx 695 00:44:15,679 --> 00:44:19,800 Lewis, you know, and then the downward trajectory for a few fights after 696 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:23,480 that. But so the Botha fight started what I consider the final chapter of 697 00:44:23,519 --> 00:44:28,559 Tyson's career. He did score the knockout in the fifth round at the MGM 698 00:44:28,599 --> 00:44:32,079 Grand Remember before he got the knocket, it was a really like he was 699 00:44:32,119 --> 00:44:36,960 losing the fight. I mean, he looked terrible and you know, he 700 00:44:37,119 --> 00:44:42,000 was down on the scorecards. I mean, he was just he was losing, 701 00:44:42,079 --> 00:44:44,119 and it gave people a lot of pause, like, Okay, what's 702 00:44:44,159 --> 00:44:47,199 Mike got left after that long layoff? Remember, he was vilified. A 703 00:44:47,199 --> 00:44:50,920 lot of people didn't even think he should be fighting against both because of what 704 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,239 he had done to Avander with the earbiting. So there was some controversy even 705 00:44:53,239 --> 00:44:58,480 before the fight had occurred. So it was sort of like like it was 706 00:44:58,519 --> 00:45:00,760 a big deal fight pet you know, uh, you know, showtime involvement, 707 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:07,199 obviously, big crowd, and in the end, it made you realize 708 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,519 why people loved Mike Tyson so much, because he came up with a massive 709 00:45:10,639 --> 00:45:15,039 one punch knockout to end the night, and that was all she wrote, 710 00:45:15,039 --> 00:45:17,840 and he went on and continued to have, you know, other fights. 711 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:22,679 But that was a very memorable knockout punch, without question, I mean, 712 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:24,920 just a thunderous, thunderous shot. And so many times in his career he 713 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:29,480 would lay people out with a single shot. It obviously happened that night. 714 00:45:29,519 --> 00:45:34,159 And you're right about so many different segments and so much intrigue to to iron 715 00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:37,360 Mike. Also, by the way, he also showed that he was still 716 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:42,519 a bad boy because even though he didn't bite off Francois Botha's ear like he 717 00:45:42,559 --> 00:45:45,800 had done against Evander Rememory, he kept putting his arm in a clinch and 718 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:50,519 he like at one point tried to break his left arm off to shake free. 719 00:45:50,599 --> 00:45:52,639 So you know, he may have escored a great knockout, but he 720 00:45:52,679 --> 00:45:55,280 also showed his pension for fouling all yes, and there was there was so 721 00:45:55,440 --> 00:46:00,519 much surrounding that I still remember that now that you jogged me on it on 722 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:05,480 He's dangerous, Uh, He's fouling the opponents, you know, the unexpected. 723 00:46:05,519 --> 00:46:07,320 With Mike Tyson, nobody can contain him or control him, not even 724 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,880 his own people. What's gonna happen next? It just kind of added to 725 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:14,440 these and by the way, in the fight because he kept he even said 726 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,960 after the fact that he was trying to break both his arm and back at 727 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:20,840 that time. Richard Steele was the referee who was still, you know, 728 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:24,320 one of the top refs in Vegas. He did doc points from Mike for 729 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:28,599 the infraction, which is one of the reasons why Mike was losing on the 730 00:46:28,599 --> 00:46:32,239 score cards before he scored the big knockout. Matter of fact, as I 731 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:36,519 just looked up the record, I forgot that it was this why Tyson was 732 00:46:36,599 --> 00:46:39,360 had lost every single round on two score cards, not to mention he had 733 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,840 been doc points and then he was still down on the other card also, 734 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:47,800 so saw Botha was giving him a boxing lesson then, but one shot not 735 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:52,760 boxing is different. Boxing is just different. With that. Uh. We 736 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:58,639 got nostalgic on the last podcast about George Foreman and Tito Trinidad birthdays even more 737 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:02,360 all time greats and Hall of Famer birthdays. So this past Friday, January 738 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:07,400 tenth, Joe Fraser would have been eighty coming later this week, as we 739 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:09,920 released the podcast on Wednesday, the seventeenth, Muhammad Ali would have been eighty 740 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:15,360 two. Those two were forever intertwined, obviously with their epic fight of the 741 00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:22,480 century last century we're talking about, and the trilogy that ends with the thriller 742 00:47:22,559 --> 00:47:25,599 in Manila. But heavyweight champions of the whole bit smoking Joe and Muhammad Ali 743 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:30,599 also birthdays five days apart for the late Fraser the late Ali. What else 744 00:47:30,679 --> 00:47:34,679 nostalgic do you want to say about those two five days apart? But you 745 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:38,119 know Joe was two years younger. What is it about January when you have 746 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:43,679 George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Fraser, who were the three leading 747 00:47:43,719 --> 00:47:45,760 heavyweights of the greatest era in the history of boxing in terms of that weight 748 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,840 class, to all be born in the month of January, not the same 749 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,320 year obviously, but something in the water. And then of course, and 750 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:57,480 about ten days apart on the calendar, ten days apart of the January calendars, 751 00:47:57,480 --> 00:47:59,480 it turns out, Yeah, I just I find it interesting. I 752 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,840 mean, you know, you have the two the two heavyweight champions that had 753 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:07,840 three great fights with each other, plus Foreman, who we talked about last 754 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:12,719 week, celeb they're always intertwined with each other. And it's whether it's the 755 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,360 boxing matches that they had with each other, or it's the fact that their 756 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:17,559 birthdays are you know, a few days apart on the calendar. Uh, 757 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:22,719 you know Joe Fraser at you know, it would have been eighty Like you 758 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:24,719 mentioned, you want to talk about it. We were talking about, you 759 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:28,199 know, exciting fighters. We're talking about how exciting Mobilly was, and how 760 00:48:28,199 --> 00:48:31,519 exciting the Maloney fight was against Stanchez and and uh and how you know exciting 761 00:48:31,599 --> 00:48:35,280 Arthur Better BV is Well, you know, if you were making the Mount 762 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,440 Rushmore and boxing of exciting fighters, I dare say there'd be a place on 763 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:44,239 that Mount Rushmore for Joe Fraser because this was a heavyweight that didn't know anything 764 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:47,679 about clinching, taking a step back. That's true, you know, defense 765 00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:52,119 defense optional, Yes, just bomb one of the great sins of all time. 766 00:48:52,679 --> 00:48:57,119 And uh and listen arguably, I mean, I know he lost the 767 00:48:57,199 --> 00:49:00,360 second fight to Ali, which is the least memorable of the three. He 768 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:06,039 obviously was stopped in the thriller in Manila late in that fight on the humanity 769 00:49:06,079 --> 00:49:12,239 of his trainer Eddie Fodge. But what sometimes people forget is that when Ali 770 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:15,760 and Fraser met the first time that it was Joe Fraser that was the winner 771 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:19,920 of the fight. Scored a knockdown against Ali, which was rare. Mohammad 772 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:23,159 was only down a couple of times in his entire career, but he won 773 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:28,639 what some people would think of as the biggest fight in the history of boxing, 774 00:49:28,639 --> 00:49:31,280 the fight of this century, two undefeated fighters, both with a claim 775 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:36,440 to the title, Madison Square Garden, March eighth, nineteen seventy one, 776 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:42,079 and it was Joe Fraser that retained the belts. Muhammada had been the lineal 777 00:49:42,159 --> 00:49:45,239 champion who had been stripped and put on ice because of his refusal to go 778 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:49,920 into the army due to his religious beliefs, so he had not fought for 779 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:52,599 a few years before a comeback fight and then eventually got to fight with Fraser. 780 00:49:52,639 --> 00:49:55,519 But that was as big an event as ever, and Joe was the 781 00:49:55,519 --> 00:50:00,519 winner. So he's the winner of arguably the biggest fight in the history boxing. 782 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:04,159 And uh, you know, I never got a chance to like like 783 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:07,760 I meant, I got a chance in my life to at least meet Ali, 784 00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:10,079 to meet Fraser. Obviously, I got to know George a little bit 785 00:50:10,119 --> 00:50:13,679 more than that because I spent some time with it. But I do remember 786 00:50:14,360 --> 00:50:16,000 one of my great memories. I think I've told this before. Again I 787 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,440 didn't. I didn't know Fraser well or anything like that. But I was 788 00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:22,800 covering a fight in Atlantic City in the Boardwalk Hall, and uh, they 789 00:50:22,840 --> 00:50:25,800 had a media room that was really not that big that was always kind of 790 00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:30,400 too too crowded for the people that were covering the fights. But one time 791 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:32,360 we were in there before a fight, you know, getting ready to go 792 00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:36,880 out to the ring side area, you know, having you know, getting 793 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:38,920 your stories together, having a little bite to eat whatever, And Joe was 794 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:43,239 in there, you know, regalling us with some stories. And Joe Frasier, 795 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,000 who had, you know, a pension for his love of music and 796 00:50:46,159 --> 00:50:50,000 playing the guitar and that sort of stuff, he broke out into song and 797 00:50:50,039 --> 00:50:52,400 started singing Blueberry Hill to myself and a couple other guys sitting there. I'll 798 00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:55,000 never forget that as long as I live. So happy to stand there, 799 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:58,360 Okay, I love that to clinch it. But did you stand there for 800 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:00,239 a second going is this real life? I would have stood there and say, 801 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:02,480 it's this real life? What's going on here? But that's that's cool. 802 00:51:02,519 --> 00:51:05,280 That's a cool one. I'm thinking of myself, what the fuck is 803 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,920 going on here? I got Joe Frazier, one of the all time greats, 804 00:51:07,159 --> 00:51:13,199 who I'd never met before, is like standing like like basically touching me 805 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:15,639 as we're next to each other, and he's looking at I mean, he's 806 00:51:15,639 --> 00:51:17,639 singing Blueberry Hill. I'm like, what the hell is going on here? 807 00:51:19,360 --> 00:51:22,760 So this thrill moment. And uh, you know, Muhammad Ali, I 808 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:27,199 mean you could you could fill a thousand podcasts about his career in his life. 809 00:51:29,159 --> 00:51:30,599 What can you say? I mean, happy birthday to both those guys, 810 00:51:30,639 --> 00:51:35,039 and and uh and and as we talked about George last week. Also 811 00:51:35,679 --> 00:51:39,280 and one more Bernard Hopkins on Mondays. We released the podcast January the fifteenth, 812 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:43,079 is fifty eight years old. And I know you could go on and 813 00:51:43,119 --> 00:51:45,920 on about him, but say a couple of things real quick, because Bernard's 814 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:49,639 still involved obviously with Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy and the great career 815 00:51:49,679 --> 00:51:52,559 and the Boxing Hall of Famer as well. Well. Bernard was a great 816 00:51:52,599 --> 00:51:54,480 fighter. I mean he uh, he has a ton of good wins, 817 00:51:54,519 --> 00:51:58,679 a ton of big wins. He has multiple upsets, which is the sign 818 00:51:58,719 --> 00:52:00,719 of a great in my mind where nobody gives you a chance and you you 819 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:05,320 win the fights. And those were fights against Trinidad, who he didn't only 820 00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:08,360 beat but dominate and stop. People thought he would be an underdog and lose 821 00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:13,599 to Kelly Pavlick. He beat him handily, like by virtual shutout. He 822 00:52:13,719 --> 00:52:19,440 was an underdog when he challenged the then lineal light heavyweight champion uh uh uh 823 00:52:19,599 --> 00:52:22,880 Antonio Tarver uh and he won that, And now that was a fight. 824 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:25,360 Now I picked against Bernard in the Trinidad fight and in the Pavlock fight. 825 00:52:25,679 --> 00:52:28,679 Maybe I had learned my lesson, but I picked him. That was one 826 00:52:28,679 --> 00:52:31,639 of the very few that picked him out right to beat Tarvor. But Bernard 827 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:36,159 was a great fighter. We had, We've had some over the years. 828 00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:39,119 I covered a lot of Bernard Hopkins fights. Definitely some down moments. But 829 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:44,639 Bernard and I are cool. He's become a friend of mine. Podcast that 830 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:47,360 Kelly Swanson got the two of you together and kind of played peacemaker and you 831 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:51,719 guys worked it all out. So you're on good terms now with Bernard. 832 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:54,079 And he's still very prevalent and around at a lot of these big events, 833 00:52:54,159 --> 00:52:58,639 especially with Golden Boy with Oscar de la Hoya's promotion, et cetera. Yeah, 834 00:52:58,639 --> 00:53:01,039 I mean Bernard is like like, you know, when you're a journalist 835 00:53:01,079 --> 00:53:05,519 and you're a writer and you cover the fights and the fighters, you obviously 836 00:53:05,519 --> 00:53:07,920 get to know them in some manner. You may not be like a deeply 837 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:12,480 personal manner, but you interact with them. You might get a chance to 838 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:15,760 meet members of their family. You know, I've met wives and daughters and 839 00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:20,840 sons and fathers and mothers of fighters plenty of times. And there are certain 840 00:53:20,920 --> 00:53:23,119 fighters that, through a long period of time, you develop a different kind 841 00:53:23,159 --> 00:53:27,119 of relationship with. I can't tell you Bernard's like my best friend or anything 842 00:53:27,119 --> 00:53:30,360 like that. And we certainly had some of our down moments here and there. 843 00:53:30,519 --> 00:53:31,880 But of all the boxers I have covered, if I was making a 844 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,679 list of like the top few guys who I have what I believe is a 845 00:53:36,719 --> 00:53:40,440 relationship that goes deeper than just being a writer and a fighter, Bernard would 846 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:43,599 be one of those guys on the top of the list, one of the 847 00:53:43,599 --> 00:53:47,079 few guys like he's you know, he met my my, my parents. 848 00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:51,079 You know, I have a picture of him with my baby when my son 849 00:53:51,159 --> 00:53:53,000 was a baby. I have a picture of them like he gave my mom 850 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:55,519 a kiss on the cheek. I've met his family, you know, I 851 00:53:57,480 --> 00:54:00,360 sit there and remember being with him at a dinner after one of his fights, 852 00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:02,679 you know, with his daughter who was a baby like sleeping in his 853 00:54:02,800 --> 00:54:07,199 arms, and now you know she's a grown up young woman, you know, 854 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:13,760 college graduate. I mean the time, you know, you just remember 855 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:16,920 those moments as it moves along, and you know, and I will take 856 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:21,480 the opportunity and the next you know, when it happens. We're taping this 857 00:54:21,519 --> 00:54:23,519 in a couple of days, and I will text Bernard Hopkins happy birthday when 858 00:54:23,519 --> 00:54:28,400 it comes along. And you know, we don't agree on a lot of 859 00:54:28,440 --> 00:54:31,039 stuff, but I have a humongous amount of respect for Berna Hopkins, just 860 00:54:31,079 --> 00:54:35,679 as a man. Love it well said. On all of that, we've 861 00:54:35,679 --> 00:54:38,320 given you a bunch here with the fight recaps, with the news, and 862 00:54:38,360 --> 00:54:43,480 now some nostalgia here to end it up again. If you enjoy this podcast, 863 00:54:43,519 --> 00:54:46,519 feed, help us out, follow, subscribe, spread the word through 864 00:54:46,559 --> 00:54:51,559 social sharing, and also through rating and reviewing. We love bringing it to 865 00:54:51,599 --> 00:54:53,280 you off the weekend. It's the fight for each to night recap. My 866 00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:58,159 friend, I appreciate it as always let's get ready for another week, looking 867 00:54:58,159 --> 00:55:00,239 forward to everything that's gonna happen through the the rest of January. We're also 868 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:04,880 counting down to Fury and Usik that will now be in the month of February 869 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:07,000 as well, and a lot of good stuff in between. Now and then 870 00:55:07,679 --> 00:55:10,559 with that, Dan Rayfield, have a great week, my friend TJU two. 871 00:55:10,679 --> 00:55:13,840 I look forward to another good week, and now we'll be back on 872 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:15,880 the show in a few days. That is absolutely right there, he is, 873 00:55:15,920 --> 00:55:19,920 there, he goes, Dan Rayfield. Follow the Fight Preach Unit substack 874 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:22,119 as well. Sign up, subscribe, be part of that newsletter, and 875 00:55:22,679 --> 00:55:28,280 again follow this podcast feed and subscribe as well in all the podcast outlets for 876 00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:30,880 Dan Rayfield. I'm TJ. Reeves. You've been listening to the Fight Preach Unit recap