1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:10,359 The countdown is on to fight time. This is Big Fight Weekend. Now 2 00:00:10,519 --> 00:00:15,400 here is your host, DJ Leaves. Well, we get ready for the 3 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:20,199 final weekend in October, and that already be the case. We have Tyson 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,320 Fury making a twenty twenty three appearance with whatever this is about to be in 5 00:00:24,359 --> 00:00:27,839 Saudi Arabia. We have another world title fight that's going to be going on 6 00:00:27,879 --> 00:00:31,000 in Cancun, Mexico that we're ready to talk about. It is all part 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,600 of the Big Fight Weekend preview podcast. I am merely the somewhat capable host. 8 00:00:35,759 --> 00:00:40,000 He is our insider. Fight Freaks Unit is a substack Big Fight Weekend 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:46,159 dot Com as well. Hello Dan Raphael as I come to you from Buffalo, 10 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,399 New York. We do this and the full disclosure, we're doing this 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:55,960 in the afternoon from Buffalo because later tonight as we're taping this and releasing this 12 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,799 on Friday, later tonight Thursday night. I am part of the Tampa Bay 13 00:00:59,799 --> 00:01:03,439 Boneers radio broadcast Buccaneers playing the Buffalo Bills. So I'm in Western New York, 14 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,280 your old stomping ground upstate New York, in this whole region. I'm 15 00:01:08,359 --> 00:01:11,400 here. We're getting this done. It doesn't matter where we are. I 16 00:01:11,439 --> 00:01:14,799 can be in New York, you can be in Vegas, we can be 17 00:01:14,879 --> 00:01:17,920 on Pluto. We're gonna get the podcast done. How are you feeling and 18 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,079 are you ready to preview the weekend and go over some news and more. 19 00:01:22,599 --> 00:01:26,480 I am as always. Why do you even ask? I know, It's 20 00:01:26,519 --> 00:01:29,879 why we have you here. I have been at Niagara Falls a little while 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,519 ago, and I did not contemplate leaping. It is some sight to see 22 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,840 for those that have not seen it. We don't get those kind of views 23 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:40,319 in Florida as well. So it's been a morning here and now we're into 24 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,040 the afternoon, and now we're ready to get into the preview mode. First 25 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,319 of all, thank you for finding us. Make sure that you're following subscribing 26 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,760 to the Big Fight Weekend podcast feed. Tremendous content on here all the time, 27 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:55,159 preview mode, going into the weekend, recap mode coming off the weekend 28 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,959 usually Sunday night into Monday, as will be the case this week. You 29 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,120 also get different content maybe during the week. For example, I put your 30 00:02:04,159 --> 00:02:08,039 interview one Dan Raphael with Oscar de la Joya up midweek, and if you 31 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,759 are following or subscribing, you got that interview as a standalone interview this week 32 00:02:13,039 --> 00:02:16,639 where he is talking on the subjects of Ryan Garcias Orgo Ramirez, Virgil Ortiz 33 00:02:16,879 --> 00:02:21,280 and others. So if you're following or subscribing, you get that without any 34 00:02:21,319 --> 00:02:25,439 other reminder, any other social media tap any of that. Also rate us 35 00:02:25,439 --> 00:02:30,120 in review US five star ratings and reviews do help us with the algorithms, 36 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:31,759 etc. For more people to find it. And again in October, I 37 00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:37,280 can already see our numbers are tremendous with the tens of thousands of you that 38 00:02:37,319 --> 00:02:39,599 have been finding us. If you love this stuff, rate us and review 39 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,840 us and say so more we'll find it that way. All right. With 40 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,240 that being said, I do have to say in Buffalo last night at dinner, 41 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,520 the people we were with, there's some Buffalo people, there's some Tampa 42 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,879 Bay buccaneer travel people. We were all together. We were all together, 43 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,159 and two or three of them knew I do boxing stuff, and they brought 44 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,280 up Tyson Fury and France and Ganu so Dan whatever this is going to be, 45 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:07,199 it's about to take place Saturday afternoon in US time, Saturday night in 46 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:12,039 Saudi Arabia, where Fury is not defending the WBC heavyweight O. We gott 47 00:03:12,039 --> 00:03:15,479 to clear some stuff up. This is not a heavyweight title defense, Dan 48 00:03:15,599 --> 00:03:17,520 preaching on it? What is? What is this? Go ahead? We 49 00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:21,360 don't know what the hell this is? Is a trick or is it treat? 50 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,360 You are first? Are you gonna say it first? Five minutes into 51 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:29,199 the podcast? Say it? Say it with emphasis? What are we doing 52 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:34,719 here? What are we doing here? All right? So we've discussed this 53 00:03:34,759 --> 00:03:37,560 fight a little bit because of course it is Tyson Fury. They made the 54 00:03:37,639 --> 00:03:40,120 match, and you know, there are people that like it, and I'm 55 00:03:40,199 --> 00:03:46,479 I'm less annoyed by it because I know that everything goes well for Fury. 56 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,199 There's no injuries and all that. The deal is sign He's gonna next fight 57 00:03:51,319 --> 00:03:54,439 Alexander Usik for the undisputed heavyweight title, which is what we've wanted to see. 58 00:03:54,479 --> 00:03:58,319 So if he wants to slip this in, I can't get too upset. 59 00:03:58,639 --> 00:04:00,639 If he was doing this in lua a Nusik fight, that's a different 60 00:04:00,639 --> 00:04:04,960 story. But because Busik is already signed, then at least it makes this 61 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,360 more palatable. And for this event that's taking place on Saturday, they have 62 00:04:09,479 --> 00:04:12,520 put together. In my opinion, a pretty good undercard. I don't love 63 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,240 that it's eighty dollars. It seems a bit overpriced to me, particularly because, 64 00:04:15,279 --> 00:04:18,360 and this is where we're gonna get into a little bit. I can't 65 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:20,879 get a straight answer, and no one else seems to be asking the question. 66 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,639 Maybe some people don't care. Call me old school. I like to 67 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,560 know what I'm getting. Just be transparent, say the truth. Is this 68 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,959 an official boxing match that will go on their records if Fury wins, If 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,160 he loses, he'll add a win or get his first loss, and same 70 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:40,519 with Nagan who would win his pro debut? Or is this not a official 71 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,720 fight? And no one seems to want to answer that question. I actually 72 00:04:43,759 --> 00:04:46,680 have asked several people that are involved with the event, and either they don't 73 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,120 respond or they say stuff like what's the matter? I saw an interview with 74 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,360 my boy Frank Warren, you know, trying to deflect the question when it 75 00:04:55,439 --> 00:04:59,439 was asked why this match and this event? Not even the undercard is listed 76 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,120 yet on box and Frank, of course, like he always does, has 77 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,800 a smart ass answer that doesn't actually answer the question. I asked the person 78 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:10,519 who I have a lot of trust in in this business, and half for 79 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,759 many years asked that question who was involved with this event? And the response 80 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,800 to me was, and I quote, it is a boxing contest that is 81 00:05:17,879 --> 00:05:21,839 regulated and fought under the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control. How's 82 00:05:21,879 --> 00:05:26,800 that for a non answer? In other words, yes, there is a 83 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,560 regulatory agency that's going to oversee the event of they have an undercard and all 84 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,480 that, but won't say if the main event is an official fight. So 85 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:39,439 do we know if there are judges, If there are judges that are going 86 00:05:39,519 --> 00:05:41,639 to score the fight at the end of the fight, that seems to me 87 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:46,160 that's a legitimate fight. Call me too simplistic. That seems to me it's 88 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:47,759 a fight. Then that they're going to judge the fight, maybe there's a 89 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,519 knockout, or maybe there's a decision. That's a good question because there's This 90 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,160 is not like if you're in like a fight in Nevada where they have a 91 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,879 commission meeting, you know, a week or two before the event and they 92 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,120 and they appoint the judges and the referee for the for the for the main 93 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,879 fights. I have not seen actually any judges mentioned for this fight. So 94 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,480 I actually I wish I could answer the question. Uh that, yes, 95 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:13,639 there are judges. I don't know the answer. I know there'll be a 96 00:06:13,639 --> 00:06:19,519 referee obviously. Uh So to me, it's it's just it's typical of boxing 97 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:25,079 that you can't get the most basic answer. Is this an actual official fight 98 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:27,800 or is an exhibition? And by the way, no problem either way. 99 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,319 You want to make this an exhibition, Okay, fine, We've seen Mike 100 00:06:30,399 --> 00:06:32,600 Tyson and do it with Roy Jones. We've seen plenty of those types of 101 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:40,040 fightscently and whether it's done a bunch of them. But at least you know, 102 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:43,959 when Floyd came out of retirement and had the crossover fight with Connor McGregor, 103 00:06:44,199 --> 00:06:47,240 whether you said it was good that he was making it an official fight 104 00:06:47,319 --> 00:06:51,759 or was farcical because Connor McGregor was in his pro pro debut against the best 105 00:06:51,759 --> 00:06:57,519 fighter of his generation. Uh that's a story that's our discussion for another day. 106 00:06:57,639 --> 00:07:00,639 But that was an official fight. Pero. No one wants to say 107 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,800 what the real answer is on this, and it's a little bit more difficult 108 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:08,560 to get the answers because it's taken place in Saudi Arabia, so we're not 109 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,920 near there and they have a different way of doing things. And by the 110 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,480 way, as another reference point, I thought of this while you were bringing 111 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,680 it up. When Floyd fought Logan Paul in the summer of twenty twenty one 112 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,360 in Miami, they made it a point to say, this is an exhibition 113 00:07:21,639 --> 00:07:27,160 and there's not going to be official scoring and it's not going on Floyd's official 114 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:30,439 record as an official fight they or Logan Paul or Logan Paul. This is 115 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,399 in the United States, this is in the state of Florida with the Florida 116 00:07:33,399 --> 00:07:39,680 Commission. But they said we're not gonna have actual judging on this either. 117 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:42,560 It's not and that was one of those fights, so they at least I'm 118 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,360 going to escaped that one because Mayweather and Logan Paul had a wait difference of 119 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:49,199 like thirty thirty five pounds. Logan Paul, it walks around probably like one 120 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:53,639 hundred ninety hundred and eighty pounds Mayweather, you know, soaking wet, it's 121 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,879 like one hundred and fifty five pounds, So that was an obvious thing. 122 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,079 But yes, so again I'm not I've said this one thousand times. I'm 123 00:08:01,079 --> 00:08:03,959 not mad about the event. And if it was an exhibition, fine, 124 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,920 If it was a real fight. I guess, fine, but don't we 125 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:11,439 as consumers, So you're asking us to spend eighty dollars to know if it's 126 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,480 an actual event, and also not that it's necessarily the concern of the promoters, 127 00:08:15,519 --> 00:08:18,319 but just for the sake of transparency and for doing a solid by their 128 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,959 customers. For those of us who want to wager around the event once, 129 00:08:22,959 --> 00:08:24,480 you want to know if it's an actual fight or not an actual fight if 130 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:30,199 you want to bet money. So that's the only negative I see about the 131 00:08:30,199 --> 00:08:33,080 whole situation. You know, I've watched some of the videos and seen some 132 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,600 of the stuff that's been put out by the promotion in Saudi Arabia and Riad, 133 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,679 and it's obviously a huge deal there. The folks in Saudi Arabia who 134 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,360 are overseeing this event, you know, who have paid to bring the fight 135 00:08:45,399 --> 00:08:52,039 to Saudi Arabia read season, the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. They're 136 00:08:52,039 --> 00:08:56,360 bringing in all the top, you know, huge names. Mike Tyson is 137 00:08:56,399 --> 00:08:58,080 already there, as Nagan, who's supposed a trainer. They paid for that. 138 00:08:58,399 --> 00:09:03,559 But I just saw stuff on social media that that Ricky hadn't and Joe 139 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,080 Kalzaggi, two of the great British fighters of all time. They're they're going 140 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,759 together traveling to read. They're obviously they're being brought in, you know. 141 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,639 I I think Eric Morales and and uh and some of the greats uh Roy 142 00:09:16,759 --> 00:09:20,240 Jones. I think there was like a whole slew of greats that are going 143 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,679 to be there on hand at the invitation and the expense account of the Saudist 144 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,480 who are making this into a very big event. So uh, you know, 145 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,279 it's it's a it's a cool thing, I guess, but I just 146 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,840 it's just like it sticks like a little like a splintering. So here's a 147 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:37,399 real Here's a couple of things points of emphasis. We do have a bet 148 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,440 Us boxing show, which God Willing. After the NFL game that I'm involved 149 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,320 in tonight with Buffalo, I'm flying back to Florida to my home in West 150 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,039 Central Florida in the middle of the night, God willing you and I are 151 00:09:48,039 --> 00:09:50,720 going to knock it out of the park at one o'clock tomorrow. Bet Us 152 00:09:50,759 --> 00:09:54,759 platforms live there. There is a line. The bet Us line has Fury 153 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,679 favored fifteen to one. It has France. I just looked right before we 154 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,919 started taping this. It has it's that low. Actually fifteen to one. 155 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,080 Francis and Ganu is plus eight hundred eight to one. As the underdog, 156 00:10:05,159 --> 00:10:07,759 they have an over under a five and a half rounds. Again, it's 157 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:13,159 a ten round fight, and again I continue to talk to some UFC people 158 00:10:13,159 --> 00:10:16,960 that have said, look, there's no disputing in Ghanu was the heavyweight champion 159 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,039 in UFC. He's got a lot of knockouts on his UFC resume. He's 160 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,480 got twelve of them. Number one, this is not a UFC fight, 161 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,000 So that's the first thing. The second thing is he basically hasn't fought for 162 00:10:28,039 --> 00:10:30,879 a couple of years, has had a serious knee injury. He's thirty seven 163 00:10:30,919 --> 00:10:33,960 years old. There are more question marks next to in Ghanu than the Riddler 164 00:10:35,279 --> 00:10:39,159 right now about what we're gonna see in Saudi Arabia. Dan Rayfield. When 165 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,679 this was first made, I sort of thought to myself that we're looking at 166 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,960 a scenario similar to what happened when Floyd fought McGregor, which is that there's 167 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,759 no chance that the MMA fighter is gonna win, but that Floyd will try 168 00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:56,080 to make it look good, and he did to his credit like he knew 169 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,480 that from the first minute of the fight that he couldn't that mcgree wouldn't be 170 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,639 able to do anything with him, and so Floyd I believe, I think 171 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:09,960 many many people believe in the business fans, et cetera, that Floyd Mayweather 172 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:13,200 did indeed carry Connor McGregor for several rounds, made a good show of it, 173 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,120 and then knocked them the fuck out. Now, when this match was 174 00:11:18,159 --> 00:11:20,279 made between Fury and Nigan, who I kind of suspected we might see something 175 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,200 similar because I've always felt like Tyson Fury is the best heavyweight in boxing, 176 00:11:24,759 --> 00:11:28,600 and France and Nigan who has never been a boxer, even though he's maybe 177 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,799 been a tremendous uh you know, a mixed martial arts fighter fair enough in 178 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,320 different sports. So maybe he would care for a lit while put on a 179 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,600 little bit of a show, if you know. Fury's got that sort of 180 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,440 uh, you know, he likes to put on a show and and and 181 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,799 show off to the crowd and and and do his systeronics and all his nonsense 182 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,120 and you know, make it kind of fun and all that. Uh. 183 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:50,200 But then when they signed the Yusic bite, my thought was absolutely not You're 184 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,200 not risking you know, a nine figure payday. Uh, get and not 185 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,600 forget about lose, I mean losing. Yes, I guess that's a possibility, 186 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,679 uh, you know, in a in a you know, even if 187 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,600 it's a small percent, but the risk of a cut, of any kind 188 00:12:03,639 --> 00:12:07,759 of hand injury, of any kind of any injury. So in my mind, 189 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,559 if I'm Tyson Fury fuck putting on a show, the money's already in 190 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,960 my pocket. I got the other fight signed. I'm gonna go out there 191 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,360 and just get rid of this dude as quickly as possible. So I've always 192 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,360 had, you know, ever since that fight was made. Uh, and 193 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,440 now more particular that the USAK fight has signed. You know, I joke 194 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,679 around it's Tyson by w E whenever. You know, he's gonna get rid 195 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:28,720 of him as quickly as possible. Now. You know, look, I'm 196 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:33,120 not I'm not totally discounting the the desire, the bulk, the power, 197 00:12:33,799 --> 00:12:37,159 uh and and all that about Naganu. I mean you have to give him 198 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,279 respect as an athlete and for the effort he's gonna make. It's not like 199 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,519 he's just you know, gonna be standing there and you know this is not 200 00:12:43,759 --> 00:12:50,080 Mike Tyson versus Peter McNeely. Okay, Francis de Ganho is a superior athlete. 201 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,440 He's a very good athlete. Uh So, I don't I don't know 202 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:56,039 if it's like one round, but I kind of think as soon as Tyson 203 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,559 Fury figures out even you know, in a in a in a however quickly 204 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:03,360 he can do so, figures out the distance and and and uh and sets 205 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,799 the pace a little bit and and maybe feels a little bit of what what 206 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,519 nigandhu has got coming to him. He's gonna set him up, and he's 207 00:13:09,519 --> 00:13:11,679 he gonna get rid of him. Okay, and again, guy that walked 208 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:16,679 to Deontay Wilder in the second fight and and absolutely destroyed him. And and 209 00:13:16,799 --> 00:13:20,279 you can say what joining about Tiantay Wilder, that's a real professional boxer, 210 00:13:20,519 --> 00:13:26,240 Olympic medalist, had defended the heavyweight belt like you know, ten times, 211 00:13:26,759 --> 00:13:30,519 I mean, and he just destroyed him. Fransannan Ganu, it doesn't have 212 00:13:30,799 --> 00:13:33,240 you know, one percent of what Deontay Wilder's done as a boxer. So 213 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,919 I got a hard time seeing anything other than Tyson than Tyson Fury by easy, 214 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,279 easy victory, all right, that's why we're gonna tune in. If 215 00:13:39,279 --> 00:13:43,799 you're tuning in to see and again on the on the NIGANU knockout point. 216 00:13:43,919 --> 00:13:46,960 I don't know this I've had I've not gone back and analyzed his fights. 217 00:13:48,039 --> 00:13:50,200 Neither of you, and neither do either one of his desire to Some of 218 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,600 those could have been kicks, elbows, knees. They all count in UFC 219 00:13:54,759 --> 00:13:56,399 if you put the guy down and he can't get up, and the fight 220 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,559 stop or the county mout or whatever. So we don't know all of that. 221 00:14:00,759 --> 00:14:01,480 You have it, you jump on top of me, you're beating the 222 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,159 shit out of him in the But I mean, what I'm saying to you 223 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,720 is there will be no knees, kicks or elbows. As you know, 224 00:14:07,919 --> 00:14:09,639 he's got to box by the U, as we always like to say, 225 00:14:09,639 --> 00:14:15,720 Marcus of Queensberry rules upright with the gloves up and throw legitimate punches. And 226 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,279 uh, most believe there's no hope in that. By the way, I 227 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,720 must say, and I'm not saying that that France and the gun who was 228 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,360 like showing everything he might have. But I've watched some of the videos. 229 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,399 They've shown a bunch of videos of him hitting pads, hitting mints, both 230 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,519 before he went to Read, since he's been in Read. They had the 231 00:14:33,559 --> 00:14:37,279 workout, and again I'm not saying he's gonna show everything he's got, but 232 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,120 what I have seen, other than the fact that he looks like he's a 233 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,879 tremendous athlete because the way he's built, I mean, he's obviously he's built 234 00:14:43,879 --> 00:14:45,960 like a you know, like a you know, a house, like a 235 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,279 brick brick house. Uh, he just doesn't look like he's comfortable the way 236 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,639 he throws the punches. I mean, you can throw a punch with a 237 00:14:52,679 --> 00:14:56,679 boxing glove on or an m M a glove, but it's a different it's 238 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,399 a different way to do it, bigger gloves of course in a box match 239 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:05,120 also, And so he just doesn't look really comfortable in the way he's doing 240 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,240 it. And all right, that you would can be concerned about if you 241 00:15:07,279 --> 00:15:11,080 were making your pro debut against just a regular pro debut type opponent, not 242 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:16,120 the heavyweight champ of the world, you know, who is considered the number 243 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,879 one fighter out there, and and still looks like he's going strong. So 244 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:24,120 that is Saturday afternoon in the United States, Saturday night, and say, 245 00:15:24,559 --> 00:15:26,759 pretty good undercard. I want to talk about that. I mean, give 246 00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:28,559 me a quick thought or two on the under card, then we'll move on 247 00:15:28,559 --> 00:15:31,159 to the other title fight. Let's go what else is on that? Say 248 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,559 whatever you want about the main event, I mean, whatever, whatever it 249 00:15:33,679 --> 00:15:37,000 is. What are we doing here with the main event in terms of the 250 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,200 in terms of the undercard, like at least they have put together like a 251 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,320 pretty solid pay per view for the undercard, so they have, you know, 252 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:46,399 in Britain, this is kind of like a grudge match, kind of 253 00:15:46,399 --> 00:15:50,440 a big deal kind of fight and fighting for the British title in the vacant 254 00:15:50,799 --> 00:15:56,279 Fabia Wardley's British title in the vacant Commonwealth title Fabio Wardley against David Adelia. 255 00:15:56,559 --> 00:16:00,399 If you remember back when the press commerce took place in London where they announced 256 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,879 Fury in Naganu, those guys were at the press conference and oh before they 257 00:16:03,919 --> 00:16:06,559 even got into the room, they and their teams got into a brawl on 258 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,720 the red carpet. So that brings a little bit of heat to that. 259 00:16:10,279 --> 00:16:12,440 Theves and ray Field teams show up on the red carpet together. We've got 260 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,200 to keep them all separated, keep the people away from each other. So 261 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,919 these are like, you know, British fighters that are on the rise, 262 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:23,360 both undefeated, fighting for traditional titles in Britain, and so for them it's 263 00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:26,039 it's kind of a big deal. And it's two of the you know, 264 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,559 better younger guys in in the division. So it does it will take the 265 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,639 winner and put him into a better spot and obviously the loser is going to 266 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,440 have to reassess. And then besides that, you know, you got Joseph 267 00:16:36,519 --> 00:16:40,120 Parker for the former WO title holder. He's in the fight with the with 268 00:16:40,159 --> 00:16:44,159 the Canadian Simon Keane. So he's a good buddy of Tyson Furies but still 269 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,279 looking to make uh you know, his return after having a you know, 270 00:16:47,399 --> 00:16:51,960 a couple of losses of a brutal knockout against Joe Joyce. They got the 271 00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:56,000 Canadian based heavyweight that works with top rank and I the Tiger uh arslnd Beck 272 00:16:56,039 --> 00:17:00,519 mak Mudoff who was fighting junior Anthony Wright. Solid match. You got the 273 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:03,319 Frank Larren prospect Moses Atama. That's the pay per view. And then even 274 00:17:03,319 --> 00:17:06,160 not even on the pay per view, at least not in our country, 275 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,240 you got Carlos tack Them against Martin McCauley, which you know, seems like 276 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,759 a pretty good fight on paper. So it's all heavyweights, is what they 277 00:17:12,759 --> 00:17:15,759 did for the pay per view. You got the main event and then the 278 00:17:15,759 --> 00:17:17,799 rest of the fight. The rest of the fights on the show or pay 279 00:17:17,799 --> 00:17:21,039 per view, the best of the pay per view fights are heavyweight bouts. 280 00:17:21,039 --> 00:17:25,559 So you know, if you like heavyweights, this is probably your jam. 281 00:17:25,759 --> 00:17:27,799 There. You go on whatever this is gonna be, and we'll recap it 282 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:33,079 in the recap mode as well. Let's move on for the WBC Junior lightweight 283 00:17:33,519 --> 00:17:38,640 title or what super featherweight, whichever you prefer. WBC prefers to juniors Junior 284 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,759 lightweight championship. Oh Shaky Foster, Eduardo, Rocky Hernandez. All right, 285 00:17:42,759 --> 00:17:47,559 I have to confess I don't know a lot about Rocky Hernandez. So this 286 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:52,559 is why we go to you World title fight Mexico for Saturday on Dezonne. 287 00:17:52,559 --> 00:17:55,160 Give me some more on this in the preview mode, please. Well, 288 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:59,279 first of all, the WBC prefers that their weight classes go by the super 289 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,240 I've always used by the junior. It's not any knock on the WBC. 290 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:04,839 It's sort of like just the habit. But in an event. One hundred 291 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,640 and thirty pounds is what it is. And if you remember Oshaki Foster who 292 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,079 kind of came out of nowhere in February of this year and one a very 293 00:18:14,079 --> 00:18:18,079 impressive, very wide decision over Ray Vargas to win the vacant WBC title. 294 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,559 Remember, Ray Vargas was still is the WBC's featherweight champion. He had moved 295 00:18:22,599 --> 00:18:25,640 up in a wait to fight for this vacant title he lost. He's now 296 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,720 decided he's going to return and continue his reign in the featherweight division. But 297 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,319 what O'shaki Foster, who had been in you know, had been incarcerated and 298 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,799 was kind of going nowhere, talked about how, you know, he saw 299 00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:41,160 a Terrence Crawford fight while he was in jail and it inspired him. You 300 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,279 know, he obviously had been a good amateur before he went away, came 301 00:18:44,279 --> 00:18:47,160 out rededicated himself, and you know what, a few years later he ends 302 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:48,400 up winning a world title. It's just a great story and one of the 303 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,519 few kind of story. It's only in boxing that you see stories like that. 304 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:57,079 So O'shaki Foster is an excellent technician, good boxer. Seems like he's 305 00:18:57,079 --> 00:19:00,839 on the straight and narrow these days, good attitude, good record, only 306 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,759 two losses, twenty wins, two losses, eleven knockouts. Anyway, so 307 00:19:03,759 --> 00:19:07,000 this will be his first title defense and he's going to Mexico, so he's 308 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,200 not taking the easy way out in terms of like I'm getting a hometown defense 309 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,079 against a soft touch. Now he's going to fight Eduardo Rocky Hernandez, you 310 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,079 know in Mexico where Rocky Hernandez is front. Now, Rocky Hernandez is an 311 00:19:18,079 --> 00:19:22,359 interesting kind of cat. When he was coming up, everybody thought this guy 312 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:23,960 was going to be something special, and a lot of promoters wanted to sign 313 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,720 him. He had been briefly with Golden Boy, and when he was with 314 00:19:26,799 --> 00:19:30,200 Golden Boy, in a big shocker in twenty nineteen, he got knocked out 315 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,200 in the first round by Roger Gutierrez, who was a guy that had won, 316 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,720 you know, became a world title holder. But that was a big 317 00:19:36,759 --> 00:19:38,680 shock. He's won all this fights since then, four fights in a row, 318 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,440 all by knockout, and he's a knockout artist. I mean everything is 319 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,880 you know, he's thirty four and one thirty one knockouts. So most of 320 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,799 his guys go to sleep He's never been passed like six rounds to my recollection. 321 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:55,440 So you've got a clear fight here between the puncher aggressive brawler. You 322 00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:00,599 know, I guess you could say prototypical Mexican fighter against Oshaki Foster, more 323 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,680 of a technician, more of a guy that relies on boxing skills, and 324 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,319 we'll see which one of them can inflict their style on the other. Honestly, 325 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,559 unless Rocky can catch Foster, it's sort of hard to pick against Foster 326 00:20:12,599 --> 00:20:17,359 in this particular spot, but it could be a pretty good fight. We'll 327 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:21,200 see. What if I told you on the bet us line will handicap this 328 00:20:21,279 --> 00:20:23,839 fight one Eastern time Friday. It's a fifty to fifty fight. They have 329 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:30,160 they want equal wagering. They have Oshaki Foster minus one fifty going into Friday. 330 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:37,440 They have Eduardo Hernandez at plus one point thirty and an over under of 331 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,799 ten and a half rounds. They believe this is a fifty to fifty fight. 332 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:42,480 Very interesting. I mean, I'm sure part of that. Part of 333 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:47,039 that is the fact that it's in Mexico, and in looking at his record, 334 00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:51,319 which I was doing while you were talking about that. In twenty fourteen, 335 00:20:51,839 --> 00:20:56,200 Rocky Hernandez won a six round decision against an two to one fighter and 336 00:20:56,279 --> 00:21:00,440 has never been into this past six rounds since most of them much earlier than 337 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:06,079 that. So to me, it seems like the question would be if Foster 338 00:21:06,559 --> 00:21:08,480 can get him deeper into the fight. You know, we'll have to see 339 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,640 what kind of stamena Rocky has since he's never been that deep. That's not 340 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,720 to say he can't do that, we just have never seen it, but 341 00:21:15,079 --> 00:21:18,920 it does it makes you ask the question. So from a style point of 342 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,200 view, they definitely seem like they have contrasting styles. And you know, 343 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,920 that'll be on after the Fury fight, so because that's the the Zone show 344 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,839 later on in the evening, so that's the main event. And I'm actually 345 00:21:29,839 --> 00:21:33,279 interested by the way, you know, besides seeing Foster in his second fight 346 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:34,799 since when you know, after the you know, winning the title, then 347 00:21:34,839 --> 00:21:38,920 this first defense since then, I'm kind of intrigued by not intrigued, because 348 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,319 I think it's like some kind of great matchup. But the co features it's 349 00:21:42,319 --> 00:21:45,119 a seven to zero Australian fighter named Justice Honey, who was supposed to be 350 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,559 like the best young fighter out of Australia in terms of heavyweights. He's only 351 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:52,039 twenty four years old, so he's taking a show on the road and he's 352 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:56,200 fighting Andrew Tabeti, who is by no means would be considered a great fighter. 353 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,960 He's twenty and one. He's one loss came when he got devastated by 354 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:03,400 Janiel Dordikos back in a cruiserweight world title fight. This was in the World 355 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,680 Boxing Super Series in twenty nineteen. Now he's been pretty inactive since then. 356 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,319 He didn't fight in twenty twenty, only had three fights since losing that fight. 357 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,400 But he's a real guy, and you know, he's been fighting as 358 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,240 a heavyweight since twenty twenty two. He's had the one fight that was, 359 00:22:18,279 --> 00:22:22,000 you know, at two hundred and sixteen pounds. So I'm kind of interested. 360 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,319 You've got the seven to oh guy that's supposed to be the truth that 361 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,680 we'll see if he can live up to the hype that he's gotten from the 362 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,359 Australian boxing fans and media and taken on like a very reputable American even if 363 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,720 it's a little bit smaller, and we'll see what he can do. So 364 00:22:33,759 --> 00:22:37,680 from my perspective, I'm sort of very interested to see Honey and what he 365 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,319 can do against a known commodity in Ta Bedi. And I did look at 366 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:45,799 my trustee, Dan Rayfield's schedule that's always out on the sub stack on the 367 00:22:45,799 --> 00:22:48,319 Facebook page. And Honey is not like honey that we like to eat or 368 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,759 I call my wife honey all the time. It's Huni pronounced honey the Australian 369 00:22:53,079 --> 00:22:56,880 and only Rayfield is going in the weeds on the opponent and the opponent's opponent 370 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,519 in the preview mode. This is why we love you, This is why 371 00:23:00,519 --> 00:23:04,920 we love I love that Tabidi was in the world boxing super serious. He 372 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,720 did fight for the world title, uh the vacant IBF title against Dordikos, 373 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,440 who was a great puncher and scored a sensational knockout. I think a lot 374 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,920 of people in that fight was overthought, you know. With Dabdia ever even 375 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,960 fight again. He took a long playoff and he's come back with three wins, 376 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,400 including one at heavyweight, and so we'll see what he can do. 377 00:23:22,839 --> 00:23:26,359 But it certainly seems like a reasonable test for Honey, who's only seven to 378 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,319 zero. So you know, see, we get some value for our time 379 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:33,039 when we watch these Dezone shows or any show for that man, we like 380 00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:34,799 it. I like to think that this podcast is decent value for our time. 381 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,720 You question that sometimes, All right, let's move on. By the 382 00:23:37,759 --> 00:23:41,599 way, we have played it up a bunch. Amanda Serrano's title fight is 383 00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:49,880 Friday Night Fight Fans in Orlando against Danilia Ramos for her featherweight championships. We've 384 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:56,240 been over the intrigue of the twelve scheduled rounds three minute rounds, which there's 385 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:57,880 not been a women's title fight. What did you say, since seven is 386 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,960 the only record that we can think, We think that's the last that it 387 00:24:02,039 --> 00:24:06,079 was scheduled for that scheduled for twelve with three minute rounds. And I like 388 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:07,680 what she said to you on the podcast. We had her on the podcast. 389 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,599 You previewed it with her. You went over one on one. That 390 00:24:10,599 --> 00:24:12,559 doesn't mean I have to go twelve rounds and it may go less. It 391 00:24:12,599 --> 00:24:18,960 may it may go a lot less Friday Night. She's an overwhelming favorite, 392 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,599 obviously Dan on the bet Us line. So I don't know how much time 393 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:23,359 when you to spend on this, on this podcast or on the show. 394 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,759 She's twenty to one to win. The only question would be, are you 395 00:24:26,799 --> 00:24:32,119 looking at knockout here? Which she has some knockouts that would be kind of 396 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:33,519 juicy, as we like to say, if you're looking to wager. But 397 00:24:33,599 --> 00:24:37,119 there you go. Any quick final thought before that happens Friday night? Is 398 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,240 we I mean the one thing on Friday? I mean Ramos is not? 399 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,880 Does I mean she's not got the experience level of Amanda cerel a few women's 400 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,519 boxers do? I mean? Toronto has you know, a long track record. 401 00:24:49,559 --> 00:24:52,359 She's been to pro fourteen years, forty five wins, two losses and 402 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:57,640 draw thirty knockouts. Are pretty good puncher by women's standards, world champion and 403 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:03,720 seven different weight classes. And her opponent, although an interim title holder of 404 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,519 the WBO and a mandatory, hasn't had the type of experience level only twelve 405 00:25:07,559 --> 00:25:11,400 and two, only has one knockout, so it doesn't seem like she carries 406 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,599 much power. Thirty eight years old, older than Amanda Serrano by three years, 407 00:25:17,559 --> 00:25:19,599 and Toronto, of course, has proven herself over the years to be 408 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:25,279 not just a quality fighter, but a bona fide future Hall of Famer and 409 00:25:25,319 --> 00:25:30,319 just a tremendous fighter period. So you got to look at it and think, 410 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,480 Okay, Sorono's gonna take our business. To me, it's all about 411 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,839 can she win impressively? And what's after this? I mean, obviously she's 412 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,640 got to focus on the fight at hand. Are we going to get a 413 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,279 Daty Taylor rematch, We're going to get some other fight against one of the 414 00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:45,599 other bigger names in women's boxing. We'll see. I mean, but I 415 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,880 think Alanda's got the right attitude. She's she's her. Her attitude is I've 416 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,160 done everything I ever dreamed about doing in boxing. I mean, she's been 417 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,920 high on the pound for pound list, she's been in the seven division champs, 418 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,480 She's been in the biggest women's money fight that there has ever been in 419 00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:03,119 This which was the great matchup she had with Katie Taylor, turned out to 420 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,559 be one of the if not the greatest women's fight we've ever seen in terms 421 00:26:07,559 --> 00:26:11,440 of the action, putting the commercial aspect aside. So she gets to a 422 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:12,759 point You're like, Okay, what else am I doing? You know, 423 00:26:12,799 --> 00:26:15,920 you want to be motivated, you want to have something else she So Amanda's 424 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:21,279 big thing is she wants to set the standard. She wants to have other 425 00:26:22,319 --> 00:26:25,599 rising fighters, you know, on the female side of the sport look up 426 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,759 to her. To sort of try to set the groundwork of where they should 427 00:26:29,799 --> 00:26:33,640 be, and she believes that one of the ways to do that is to 428 00:26:33,279 --> 00:26:37,599 do the same distance as men, to show yes, we're women fighters, 429 00:26:37,599 --> 00:26:40,079 but we can do the same as the men. So we can go twelve 430 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:41,559 rounds, we can go three minute rounds. I thought she made a great 431 00:26:41,559 --> 00:26:45,640 point to me in the podcast which taken here in the last episode, which 432 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:48,880 was about the fact that when she goes to train at the gym, the 433 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,119 bell the in any boxing gym is standardized and set to three minutes, you 434 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,480 know, when they do a sparring. She's like, I'm not going to 435 00:26:55,519 --> 00:26:56,200 go out there and say, hey, I'm a woman king, you reset 436 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,680 at the two minutes. So she's always sparred three minute rounds and as used 437 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,799 to that, so she wanted to put that into into effect. They were 438 00:27:03,799 --> 00:27:10,880 able to between her manager and trainer, Jordan Maldonado and Nikisa Badarian did Jake 439 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:15,079 Paul's partner at MBB Promotions, along with the cooperation of the Florida Commission, 440 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:21,119 we're able to get this women's fight done for that format and following the footsteps 441 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,799 says the same as if it's were men's championship fight, and so it'll be 442 00:27:23,839 --> 00:27:27,319 interesting to see if it does what the desired effect is, which is a 443 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:33,640 make it more exciting, because she believes that having a longer round gives the 444 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,960 combatants a better chance for a knockout. Obviously, you get to the last 445 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,799 minute of a three minute round, you're a little more tired. Obviously, 446 00:27:40,799 --> 00:27:42,640 you maybe a little more ragged with your punches. Leaves yourselves a little more 447 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,480 open in terms of your defense and might lead to some more chaos. So 448 00:27:45,759 --> 00:27:48,720 we'll see what happens in terms of if that. I'll be interested to see 449 00:27:48,759 --> 00:27:52,319 if she, if either of the women, Ramo score, Serrano score a 450 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,359 knockout, I'll be interested to see does the knockout occur in the third minute 451 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,400 of the march as opposed to in the first, you know, thirty seconds 452 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,799 of the round, a first minute of the round. That's been a long 453 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,640 standing argument the last three or four years for having the longer rounds and more 454 00:28:06,759 --> 00:28:10,680 drama on a past. A fighter's hurt and you can't put them away because 455 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:12,839 it's a two minute round, because they're wobbled like I've never heard. So 456 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,279 we'll see we're gonna I've never really had like a strong opinion one of the 457 00:28:17,319 --> 00:28:18,640 other. My viewpoint has always been if they want to do it two minutes 458 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,759 and the commissions want to do it that way, that's fine. If if 459 00:28:22,799 --> 00:28:26,559 the if they if there's a real movement to make it three minutes and twelve 460 00:28:26,599 --> 00:28:29,640 rounds for title fights, Okay, I guess that's fine too. I never 461 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,519 really I didn't really care one way or the other, so I'm I'm cool 462 00:28:32,559 --> 00:28:34,559 either way. Like if the if they want to, I could see a 463 00:28:34,599 --> 00:28:41,960 scenario where there are some places in this country where the default is two minutes 464 00:28:41,279 --> 00:28:45,920 for a women's match, but if both sides agree to three, they'll go 465 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,720 three. Can't say the same about the term of the number of rounds, 466 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,680 uh, ten or twelve. I think most of them are still women are 467 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:56,079 all are all ten rounders, except they're making this exception. Uh. The 468 00:28:56,119 --> 00:28:57,440 other thing about it is, you know, she is the undisputed champion, 469 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,720 but as as we talked about, it is not for the WBC belt. 470 00:29:00,759 --> 00:29:06,000 The WBC is an organization and as respectfully said, look, we're not going 471 00:29:06,079 --> 00:29:10,400 to sanction women's fights for twelve round fights or three minut rounds. They claim 472 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:14,599 they have medical documentation or research or however you want to describe it, to 473 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,119 say that it because men and women, obviously we are built differently, that 474 00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:22,559 they don't believe that that is conducive to having the best health for a fighter, 475 00:29:22,759 --> 00:29:25,119 and so they're not looking to do that. And Amanda was she was 476 00:29:25,119 --> 00:29:26,960 cool. She's like, look, I respect their decision. I hope that 477 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,400 I can prove that someday they'll change their mind and do the same. But 478 00:29:30,799 --> 00:29:34,640 so the main thing here is for the technical point of view, it's for 479 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,119 the three belts, not for the four belts. Clarification on that and again 480 00:29:38,319 --> 00:29:42,480 Friday night, folks, as we released the podcast, is the Serrano Ramos 481 00:29:42,519 --> 00:29:48,440 fight coming on dizone and so there you go on that as part of the 482 00:29:48,519 --> 00:29:52,440 Championship weekend, some news and some nostalgia before we get out of here. 483 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,680 So they've made it official. The Monster Naola in a way, Marlon Topoulos 484 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,559 will fight for the undisputed junior featherweight titles, all four of them in Tokyo 485 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,920 the day after Christmas. You had been talking about that, It's been out 486 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,200 there, it's now been made official. Quick thoughts. I know we got 487 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,640 a couple of months before it happens. But quick thoughts on them making an 488 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:17,720 official What can you say other than Naya in a way just wants to go 489 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,799 big game Hunting's whoever's got belts is who he wants to fight. He's not 490 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,799 ducking anybody. So happens at the place scored the upset over Akmadalia have won 491 00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:32,200 two of the belts last spring, and so when in a way finished polishing 492 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,599 off Stephen Fulton to win the other two belts, you know, because Fulton 493 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:37,240 was unified, he said, okay, next up, I want to go 494 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:41,240 for undisputed. So if he wins the fight, he'll have become a two 495 00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:45,759 division undisputed champion in the four belt ear in two weight classes in the span 496 00:30:45,799 --> 00:30:48,880 of one year, which is quite impressive. I mean. The only other 497 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,279 mailboxer, as we've talked about before, who's ever been undisputed in two way 498 00:30:52,319 --> 00:30:56,519 classes that was, of course Bud Crawford, who did it as a junior 499 00:30:56,559 --> 00:31:00,400 welterweight in twenty seventeen and did the same as a welterweight when he knocked out 500 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,200 Arrol Spence in the summer back in July. So that's pretty you mean in 501 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,960 the four belt era, in the four said yeah, four belt here, 502 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,880 one hundred. Yeah, this is everybody needs to remember. It's four belts, 503 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,680 not three to two one. In a matter of fact, in terms 504 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:17,119 of the junior featherweight division, which has existed in it's uh since like the 505 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,240 nineteen seventies, roughly, this will be the first time there'll be an undisputed 506 00:31:21,279 --> 00:31:25,240 champion period, whether it's in the multi let's call it the multi belt here, 507 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,640 not a one beltier but two, three or four to win this fight 508 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,759 will be the first one to ever achieve undisputed status in any of the multi 509 00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:37,079 belt eras. So that's another feather in the cap for the guy that wins, 510 00:31:37,079 --> 00:31:40,599 and certainly in a way, he's going to walk into the ring as 511 00:31:40,599 --> 00:31:45,079 a not to use the pun but a monster uh favorite in this fight for 512 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:48,240 obvious reasons. I mean Tapolis is a good fighter, but I mean, 513 00:31:48,359 --> 00:31:52,319 let's be honest, the levels are different. He is, he's a good 514 00:31:52,319 --> 00:31:56,200 fighter in a way, is a great fighter, and uh, I'm glad 515 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:57,160 the Paulis took the fight. I mean, I'm not sure why he win. 516 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:01,160 It's the biggest money by by gazillions compared to what he would make in 517 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:06,440 a normal defense of his two belts. And for in a way, Look, 518 00:32:06,599 --> 00:32:09,880 it's just another another fight on the way to what I think when it's 519 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,839 all said and done, is going to be the legacies. Maybe the greatest 520 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,799 Japanese fighter of all time, maybe one of the greatest small weight fighters of 521 00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:20,400 all time, a first ballot Hall of Famer, just a truly special fighter, 522 00:32:21,319 --> 00:32:22,599 no doubt about all of that. Okay, So again, as we 523 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:27,799 mentioned, you had Oscar de la Joya on previous podcasts and we put that 524 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,920 up as a standalone this week, and on that podcast you were talking to 525 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:36,480 him about Virgil Ortiz. You now have a little further update on Ortiz's timeline 526 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,119 and return. Tell us more. Well, it's not really an update, 527 00:32:39,119 --> 00:32:42,400 it's what Oscar and I talked about, and I thought it was worth talking 528 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,039 about the fact that there is a plan in place now for the return of 529 00:32:45,079 --> 00:32:50,519 Virgil Artis because anybody that's followed this knows that the trials and tribulations that Virgil 530 00:32:50,519 --> 00:32:53,839 has had that blood disorder, he's had problems making weight and so therefore he 531 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:58,359 has been forced out of various fights. He's only had four fights in four 532 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,960 years. He will not have fought at all in twenty twenty three. Many 533 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:07,880 people were very excited and interested in his mandatory fight against the WBA Regular title 534 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:13,400 Holders titleholder Inmantisanionis that was postponed three different times and then finally canceled. One 535 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,920 of the reasons was because of a Stanionis issue. He had had to have 536 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:21,920 an epidecmy. But Virgil, you know, two times for different reasons. 537 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:23,400 So it's been you know, kind of left his career in a little bit 538 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:27,279 of tatters, I guess. But when I was talking to Oscar, I 539 00:33:27,319 --> 00:33:29,519 was very excited about the fact. He said, look, Virgil is good, 540 00:33:29,559 --> 00:33:31,160 he's been in the gym, he's healthy. They've made the decision. 541 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,559 They're going to go up and wait, he said, one to fifty four, 542 00:33:34,599 --> 00:33:37,079 perhaps even one sixty. But the bottom line is the plan, and 543 00:33:37,119 --> 00:33:39,480 again nothing is set in stone. But the plan you know, in pencil 544 00:33:39,559 --> 00:33:44,319 right now is for Virgil to be back in the ring in January, probably 545 00:33:44,319 --> 00:33:46,720 the second week or third week of January, in a dezonned fight. And 546 00:33:46,759 --> 00:33:51,680 they're working on the opponent. But it's hopefully if he is able to go 547 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,680 through the camp and be healthy not have to pull out, and he can 548 00:33:53,799 --> 00:33:58,400 get it a weight that's comfortable where he can actually make it without crazy, 549 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,559 crazy struggles for even one fifty five or one fifty six. It's not a 550 00:34:01,559 --> 00:34:05,799 title fight, so there's nothing that says he can't fight over one fifty four 551 00:34:07,599 --> 00:34:09,920 to get on a little bit of a on a streak. You know, 552 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:15,079 if he can fight in January, I would think there'd be no reason why 553 00:34:15,119 --> 00:34:16,679 he couldn't fight three times next year. And I wish him good luck. 554 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:21,119 He's still only twenty five years old. He's nineteen and ohero with nineteen knockouts 555 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,559 he has, you know, the kind of potential and the exciting style. 556 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:29,159 You want to see him be successful. And I hope that he can put 557 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:31,480 this rough spot behind him and get back in the get back in gear, 558 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:36,440 all right. And by the way, you also talked to Oscar about the 559 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,960 return of Ryan Garcia and midweek on Wednesday. As a matter of fact, 560 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:45,159 they had the kickoff press conference for his return against Oscar Duarte December second in 561 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:51,480 Houston. Oscar was there with Ryan and with Duarte for the press conference. 562 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,400 And just my thought on this, and we wrote about it on the Big 563 00:34:54,440 --> 00:35:00,159 Fight Weekend dot com website on the conversation about taking a fight again. It's 564 00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:01,960 a guy that's twenty six and one and is one eleven fights in a row. 565 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,280 Ryan put it out there and said I can't take easy fights, and 566 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,679 I think I like that mentality your thoughts here. Again, we got some 567 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:13,000 time before they get in the rating, but they started the hype for this 568 00:35:14,119 --> 00:35:16,079 look. I thought from them as soon as I heard about when they were 569 00:35:16,119 --> 00:35:21,480 trying to set up his fight and they mentioned Duarte and they mentioned Pedro camp 570 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,800 as the other possible opponent. I thought both those guys were perfectly reasonable for 571 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:28,440 this type of fight, coming off with the knockout loss. They picked Duarte. 572 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,239 It's a solid fight in my opinion. I like Ryan's attitude about you 573 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:35,480 know, he's back in the gym training with Derrick James. He's talked about 574 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,280 how like they didn't try to put this fight on pay per view, even 575 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:43,119 though he did huge numbers with Tank Davis. He understands that that it's got 576 00:35:43,159 --> 00:35:45,320 to go both ways. That you can go on non pay per view and 577 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:46,719 then if you want to do a bigger fight that's really something the fans want, 578 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,159 you go on pay per view. The other thing I liked about Ryan's 579 00:35:50,159 --> 00:35:52,800 attitude is this and I had I had a conversation with him in the past 580 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:57,199 about this. Ryan. You know, most fighters, when you talk to 581 00:35:57,199 --> 00:35:59,840 them, especially when they're young and coming up, Yeah, of course they 582 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,280 will to make money, let's not kid our sauce. But they also have 583 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:05,360 a burning desire to be a champion. They want someone to give them a 584 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,360 world title with a big win. They want to wrap that belt around their 585 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,000 waist. They want to show it off to their family, friends and fans. 586 00:36:10,159 --> 00:36:13,039 They want to be able to put it up on the mantle or put 587 00:36:13,079 --> 00:36:15,880 it in a nice glass case in their in their office of their house, 588 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,119 or their their game room or whatever. Ryan was never about that. I 589 00:36:19,519 --> 00:36:22,079 talked to him many times and I would ask him that. He said, 590 00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:23,599 you know, he didn't really care about titles. You know, it just 591 00:36:23,639 --> 00:36:25,840 never seemed like it was important to me. You know, he had an 592 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:30,119 interim lightweight title for you know, a minute there after his Louke Campbell victory. 593 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,840 But now he's talking about Look, he's it's kind of dawned on him 594 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,079 that if you want to really truly create a legacy in boxing, part of 595 00:36:38,119 --> 00:36:43,679 that's being a champion. And so he he has come around and I guess 596 00:36:43,679 --> 00:36:45,800 now is much more outspoken about you know what, Yeah, I do want 597 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:47,800 to be a champion because that's what validates the career. You can make all 598 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:52,360 the money in the world. Of course, to be validated as one of 599 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:55,119 the best in your sport, you have to be a champion, and I'm 600 00:36:55,119 --> 00:36:58,360 glad to see that Ryan's taking that attitude. Now, it's not going to 601 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,280 happen with the victor of our tepe, but it's going to put him on, 602 00:37:00,599 --> 00:37:05,880 you know, the comeback path. I'll have shaken off the loss to 603 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,360 Tank Davis and he'll be in position to fight for a title in the one 604 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,559 hundred and forty pounds way class because, as Oscar said and we talked about 605 00:37:12,639 --> 00:37:15,440 on the podcast, whatever you think about the loss to Tank Davis at one 606 00:37:15,519 --> 00:37:20,000 hundred and forty pounds, Ryan Garcie is the rain maker title or no title. 607 00:37:20,039 --> 00:37:22,920 He's the biggest name who generates the most money, more than t Fimo 608 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,599 Lopez, more than Josh Taylor, you know, more than Regis Progra, 609 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:30,760 more than than than Jose Ramirez, more than a man than any of these 610 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,840 guys, more than you know, anybody you can think of out there. 611 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:37,360 So he's going to be able to, you know, get that opportunity. 612 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:40,800 I would think maybe, you know, his undercard is supposed to include the 613 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:46,079 WBA's interim title fight because Roly Romero is sidelined, so Ishmael Barroso and O'Hara 614 00:37:46,119 --> 00:37:50,000 Davies are supposed to fight for that interim belt. Depending on ren Roly comes 615 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,320 back, it wouldn't be out of the realm to see Ryan maybe fight that 616 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,960 winner set himself up possibly for the fight against Rolely Romeiro, which is what 617 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,239 he's wanted. As as Oscar talked about, there's been a lot of conversation 618 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:05,360 between him and Bob Aaron about seeing if they can find a way forward in 619 00:38:05,519 --> 00:38:08,280 twenty twenty four to do a match between t Theemo Lopez, who's the actual 620 00:38:08,519 --> 00:38:14,239 lineal champion and the WBO title holder to fight against Ryan Garcia. How big 621 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:16,199 of a deal would that be? I mean, Tank Davis and Ryan was 622 00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:20,159 a big, huge, million plus selling pay per viewfight. I don't think 623 00:38:20,159 --> 00:38:23,119 that Ta Themo Lopez and Ryan Garcia is on that level necessarily, but that's 624 00:38:23,119 --> 00:38:29,360 still at one hundred and forty pounds Tiathmo Lopez defending the title against Ryan Garcia 625 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:30,559 is as big as it gets, and I think that would be a huge 626 00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:35,719 event. I would love to see that happen, So we'll see to win. 627 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,480 It's got to win come December though, before any of that can be 628 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:43,239 that's really further discussed priority number one on that one one more news item and 629 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:45,800 then let's get to our nostalgia. Chris Billum Smith is going to make the 630 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:52,960 first defense of his WBO cruiserweight title and this is also coming up in December. 631 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:57,800 Tell us more about that, including it's going to be televised in the 632 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,559 US as well on a new deal with with that, So tell us more. 633 00:39:01,519 --> 00:39:04,760 Well, Billin Smith is one of these guys. When he was coming 634 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,880 up, You're like, you weren't really sure can he Can he really get 635 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:09,840 to that next level in the cruiserweight division. I mean, he had a 636 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,679 good style and he seemed like an awfully nice guy when you see him interviews 637 00:39:13,679 --> 00:39:15,320 and that everything. And then he went out there and he beat Lawrence o'coley 638 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:20,280 and he scored several knockdowns, three knockdowns in total, and he won the 639 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,280 WBO title. Remember him and o'coley where good Buddy's going in and o'coley fought 640 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,639 as negative as you could fight, But Bill and Smith overcame that and won 641 00:39:27,679 --> 00:39:30,960 the fight. Further, let us remember, let us remind ourselves who had 642 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,280 Bill Smith on the money line that night at plus three fifty for the win. 643 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,840 I will take credit for that one. I don't get them all right, 644 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:38,440 but I got that one right now. You have said, not in 645 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:42,559 a mean way, but in an analytical way. He is a limited fighter 646 00:39:42,599 --> 00:39:45,360 from what you've seen, But give him credit for guts, give him credit 647 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,639 for scoring big punches. He got the title, and now you're going to 648 00:39:49,679 --> 00:39:52,440 reap the benefit and make a title defense and presily make a little more money. 649 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:55,320 I don't when I say limited, I don't use that as a as 650 00:39:55,320 --> 00:40:00,320 an insult. There's plenty of guys who are kind of limited who I'd rather 651 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,800 watch way more than my guys with super amounts of skills. So it's not 652 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:06,599 a knock on them. You know. I'd rather watch billan Smith any day 653 00:40:06,599 --> 00:40:08,039 of the week than Lawrence o'coley. You might have more technical ability, but 654 00:40:08,039 --> 00:40:12,079 puts everybody to sleep. And I don't mean with his big punch, which 655 00:40:12,079 --> 00:40:14,360 he does have punch. He just puts them asleep because he doesn't really come 656 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,639 to fight. So billan Smith is going to defend. This is gonna be 657 00:40:16,639 --> 00:40:21,840 his first defense since he defeated O'koley is gonna be fighting a coss solid, 658 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,280 very solid Polish fighter, Mettias Masterneck, who's you know, fought some good 659 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:29,760 opponents. They've shared an opponent together that they both knocked out. As you 660 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:31,519 mentioned, it will be on in the United States, which I like it's 661 00:40:31,559 --> 00:40:36,320 part of because it's a Boxer event. As we've talked about, they recently 662 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,599 made a deal where their events are going to be a shown here in the 663 00:40:38,679 --> 00:40:44,440 United States on the Peacock streaming service. They'll have certain events on NBC, 664 00:40:44,599 --> 00:40:46,920 but this one will be on Peacock, so that's to me, that's a 665 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:51,400 great thing. And this is a pretty solid matchup. And in addition to 666 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:57,159 announcing this particular title defense for Chris Billin Smith is that he extended his contract 667 00:40:57,199 --> 00:41:01,400 with Boxer and that means his so he's gonna have this fight coming up on 668 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:05,159 December tenth. It's actually a Sunday, by the way, which is kind 669 00:41:05,159 --> 00:41:07,880 of unusual. Usually these fights are on Saturdays. But apparently, according to 670 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:12,360 the way Boxer said it when they made the announcement, he won because it's 671 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:16,519 taking place in his hometown of Bournemouth, England. They have I guess, 672 00:41:16,559 --> 00:41:22,199 their locals, their football club, their soccer club has an important match on 673 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:24,760 the Saturday. He wanted his people to be able to come to the fight, 674 00:41:25,079 --> 00:41:29,159 so instead of having it on the same day as the soccer match, 675 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,000 they're having it the next day. So that's cool, I guess. But 676 00:41:32,039 --> 00:41:37,440 his year is going to end with that fight, and then his twenty and 677 00:41:37,519 --> 00:41:42,960 twenty four with having signed this new agreement with Boxer, he's looking at very 678 00:41:43,039 --> 00:41:45,599 likely his two fights, a mandatory against Richard Riocopore, who is also a 679 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:51,079 very solid contender also with Boxer, and then unfortunately he's got a mandated rematch 680 00:41:51,119 --> 00:41:53,519 in the contract to do against Lawrence o'cauley. So maybe that's not the greatest 681 00:41:53,519 --> 00:41:58,159 fight we've ever heard of, but at least Bill and Smith's got his ducks 682 00:41:58,159 --> 00:42:00,079 in a row. He's got some good fights to look forward to, at 683 00:42:00,119 --> 00:42:04,920 least in terms of the Master Neeck fight and then Rickapore. We'll see if 684 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:07,719 the if the Okolei rematch comes off, but they're making some moves and in 685 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:12,559 Britain, cruiserway is a much hotter weight class than it is most anyplace else. 686 00:42:12,599 --> 00:42:15,360 In the world and a feel good story for Bill and Smith. As 687 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,039 I remember, and I honestly don't know the update. His mother has been 688 00:42:17,159 --> 00:42:22,119 very sick with breast cancer. She lived to see him get a world title. 689 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,039 He also has like a one year old, like a toddler, and 690 00:42:25,079 --> 00:42:28,239 he said, this is the neatest thing as a dad, and I'm going 691 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:31,360 to get to share a world title belt with my son. So tug at 692 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:35,480 the heartstrings a little bit there. We'll see what that guy can do. 693 00:42:35,599 --> 00:42:40,320 Let's wrap some with some nostalgia. It's unfortunate that this is an anniversary about 694 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:46,239 the passing of a legendary Hall of famer as a trainer, Emmanuel Stewart. 695 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:51,679 You can't think about boxing trainers at least I say this without thinking about this 696 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:53,920 guy in the eighties, the nineties, the Kronk Gym, and I know 697 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:58,840 you were very close to him covering the sport, and this is the anniversary 698 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:04,719 of his passing this week, eleven years ago. I don't know if I'd 699 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:08,639 ever met anybody in boxing my entire time around it, whether it was another 700 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:14,960 media person, a fighter, a manager, a TV person, a promoter, 701 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:20,639 a fan who did not have anything but respect and admiration for Emmanuel Stewart. 702 00:43:21,079 --> 00:43:25,599 To many people he was boxing because they loved him from his HBO commentating 703 00:43:25,639 --> 00:43:30,880 days. Just an absolutely brilliant broadcaster, tremendous on the mic and you could 704 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:35,119 just feel the enthusiasm he had for the sport through the television screen and listening 705 00:43:35,159 --> 00:43:37,920 to him talk. I mean, I watched somebody had posted, you know, 706 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:40,039 because it was the anniversary of his passing this week, and there was 707 00:43:40,039 --> 00:43:45,280 a lot of remembrances on social media, and I saw somebody on put up 708 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,400 a video. It was like a compilation of some of his great calls on 709 00:43:47,639 --> 00:43:51,880 HBO, and you just you get so excited. I can just remember him 710 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:55,079 when he was calling the Mickey Ward Arturo Gaddi fight, and in particular the 711 00:43:55,119 --> 00:44:00,199 way he called round twelve when James Tony knocked down Vasilly Jerov in the all 712 00:44:00,199 --> 00:44:02,880 time great Cruiserway title fight. And what I remember about that specifically is, 713 00:44:04,119 --> 00:44:06,760 yeah, it was a great call. I was ringside for that fight, 714 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:08,559 so I wasn't watching it on television until later, but I heard the call 715 00:44:08,639 --> 00:44:13,440 because I was sitting right behind him Manuel on the HBO broadcasters and the arena. 716 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,599 For whatever reason, that night at the fox Woods, because you know, 717 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:19,960 was so dead and so like non enthusiastic despite this great fight. I 718 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:22,480 could clearly hear them calling the fight. We're in my press seat, so 719 00:44:22,519 --> 00:44:25,599 I heard the call like sitting, you know, a few feet behind him. 720 00:44:25,679 --> 00:44:29,599 Anyway, Emanuel was a wonderful guy, a great trainer, a great 721 00:44:29,639 --> 00:44:34,320 motivator, a great psychologist, a great manager, a great commentator, beloved 722 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:37,840 by everybody, and he's got the body of work as a trainer to back 723 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:40,360 it up. I mean, here's a guy that was able to take guys 724 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:44,880 from day one and build them into champions. The Tommy Hearns and others in 725 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:46,639 the Cronk Gym. He was a guy that could come on as a hired 726 00:44:46,719 --> 00:44:52,079 gun. You know, he's in the corner with Oliver McCall when he knocked 727 00:44:52,079 --> 00:44:55,599 out Lennox Lewis, and then what happens He's now in the corner with Lennox 728 00:44:55,679 --> 00:44:59,679 Lewis when they have the rematch. I mean, you know, just to 729 00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:02,840 swim which switch spots like that. Uh. He was able to be the 730 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:07,639 guy that was took on Vladimir Klutschko as a reclamation project and brought him back 731 00:45:07,639 --> 00:45:13,360 from the brink of basically being finished to having that long championship brain where he 732 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:15,320 was champion for ten years. Now, the end of that was after Emmanuel 733 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:21,280 passed, but the bulk of that, most of that was with Emmanuel in 734 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,199 the corner. He has a bit of a coach. You know. We 735 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:25,280 talked about in the NFL. You know, because you're an NFL guy, 736 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:30,119 the coaching tree they do it in college basketball, the NBA, NFL. 737 00:45:30,519 --> 00:45:32,880 Well, he's got a training tree from the Kronk. You know guys that 738 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:37,519 that are today. You know sugar Hill Stewart who was Tyson Fury's turner, 739 00:45:37,559 --> 00:45:39,719 that's his nephew. You look at Jonathan Banks, that was his heavyweight. 740 00:45:40,079 --> 00:45:45,039 I mean, there's there's others that that followed that Kronk path that where they 741 00:45:45,119 --> 00:45:49,360 learned the craft from was those days in the gym with Emmanuel Stewart. Uh. 742 00:45:50,039 --> 00:45:52,920 I got a lot of stories about Emmanuel in our time that I spent 743 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:55,000 with him over the years. I mean, and what I miss about him 744 00:45:55,039 --> 00:45:59,760 is that just that random phone call, what's up, brother, What what 745 00:45:59,920 --> 00:46:02,199 you got going on this week? You know? And me, you just 746 00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:05,440 want to talk boxing? He was like, I'm telling you, swear to 747 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:08,559 God, this is to me, he's like the boxing pied piper. Like 748 00:46:08,639 --> 00:46:13,480 you would go to an event and you might I would like run into him, 749 00:46:13,519 --> 00:46:15,719 you know, in the hotel or you know, at a way in 750 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:17,599 or whatever, coming out of a press conference, and you know, we 751 00:46:17,639 --> 00:46:22,719 would stop and we would talk and and and inevitably, within a few minutes 752 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:28,239 there'd be ten people, twenty people, fifty people, and he would just 753 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:32,039 stand there forever, talk to everybody, take the picture with everybody, sign 754 00:46:32,119 --> 00:46:37,599 the autograph for everybody, always with a smile on his face. This man 755 00:46:37,639 --> 00:46:40,760 could talk boxing. You could. You could wake him up out of a 756 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:45,679 dead sleep at four o'clock in the morning and he asked him a boxing question, 757 00:46:45,679 --> 00:46:47,840 he would give you his opinions. I remember being in Montreal, Canada 758 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:52,039 for I think it was for a Bernard Hopkins fight. I think it was 759 00:46:52,079 --> 00:46:57,119 when he defeated Pascal to become the oldest champion, and we were it was 760 00:46:57,199 --> 00:47:00,199 myself and Emmanuel and three or four other people, and we were sitting at 761 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:04,639 a place hotel and h It's like a Thursday afternoon. He's having a beer, 762 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,280 having a lunch, and we could have sat there for fucking five hours 763 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:10,679 and talked about boxing. Because he was so into it. Those are those 764 00:47:10,679 --> 00:47:15,800 are the things I remember about about Emmanuel. Just just a beautiful person and 765 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,800 on this him every day. And it is well known, well documented that 766 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:23,000 he was a father figure and took a lot of these fighters in in Detroit 767 00:47:23,079 --> 00:47:25,960 to live with him, cook for him. They didn't have a place to 768 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:30,800 stay. He was training them out of his house before they got the gym 769 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:35,760 back in the early eighties. So he grew the sport. He grew the 770 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:37,960 sport with world champion after world champion, not just Tommy Hitman. Hearn is 771 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,119 the legend, but others out of that. So he trained a tribute over 772 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:45,639 He trained, like you know, over over two dozen world champions at one 773 00:47:45,679 --> 00:47:47,320 term or another. You know, he was responsible. I mean, we 774 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:52,519 all know about Lennox and Hearn's and Klitschko. Those are like the three I 775 00:47:52,519 --> 00:47:57,599 think most people identify with him, but tons of other fighters. I mean 776 00:47:57,639 --> 00:48:00,440 Michael Moore, uh for exus sample, He's one example. You mentioned my 777 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:05,320 guys would live with him. He took Michael in and Michael lived with him 778 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:07,199 in Detroit in his house. He did it. I've talked you know Andy 779 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:12,719 Lee, who's the former middleweight WBO champion was another guy that he had when 780 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:16,679 when when Andy began his pro career and he came from Ireland and relocated to 781 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:20,719 the United States, he lived with Emmanual. I mean they were like father 782 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,719 and son. I mean I've talked to Andy about that. I mean, 783 00:48:23,039 --> 00:48:25,880 and no, those are just two examples. I think there's probably fifty examples 784 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:28,960 of that. I mean, all those type of guys, you know, 785 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:34,360 whether he worked with Mike McCallum as a manager, worked with you know, 786 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:38,000 just so many great fighters over the years. It's I feel bad because I'm 787 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,840 forgetting some of them, but there's just so many of them. It's just 788 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:45,440 there are few few guys like that. And like I said, guys that 789 00:48:45,519 --> 00:48:49,960 can do it from either bring a guy from O and O into the championship 790 00:48:50,039 --> 00:48:53,400 level, come on as a hired gun light in the guy's career for like, 791 00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:55,480 you know, one fight to try to get them, you know, 792 00:48:55,519 --> 00:48:59,159 back on course, you know, to take that big paycheck and but but 793 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:02,519 do something significant with the fighter. Or bring on a guy as a reclamation 794 00:49:02,599 --> 00:49:07,360 project like I mentioned about Klitchkow and basically turn his entire career around. There 795 00:49:07,400 --> 00:49:10,800 was nothing he couldn't do. What can I say, love it. Great 796 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:15,719 tribute there to Emmanuel Stewart, and we should keep those memories alive, great 797 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:19,599 great figure in boxing. By the way, just real quick before we get 798 00:49:19,639 --> 00:49:22,760 out of here, there are a lot of birthdays in and around here for 799 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,599 Friday. What do I see, Orgey Pie is how about this? Zab 800 00:49:25,719 --> 00:49:30,960 Judah Sean Porter all share the same birthday on Friday, obviously different years. 801 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:35,440 Some are older. Shawn's the youngest one of that group. Happy birthday to 802 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:39,400 all of them. We love being nostalgic here to wrap it up on the 803 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:44,360 Big Fight weekend preview? Anything else in closing before I get on my way 804 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:46,679 again. As we tape this, I have the NFL Football duty Saturday on 805 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:51,199 a Friday night, my days where I messed up on Thursday night for the 806 00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:52,440 Buffalo Bills. We fly back in the middle of the night. You and 807 00:49:52,480 --> 00:49:58,079 I do the bet Us Live show at one Eastern time, and then obviously 808 00:49:58,119 --> 00:50:00,800 whatever is happening with Fury and and Ghana and the O'shaki Foster title fight will 809 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:06,239 recap all of it off the weekend Sunday night into Monday. Anything else before 810 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:09,280 we're good here, I think we're good. I just I'd like if somebody 811 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:12,559 out there is listening and they could tell me if the fury and a gun 812 00:50:12,599 --> 00:50:15,159 it was an actual official fighter dot Please let me know. You've got my 813 00:50:15,239 --> 00:50:16,960 email, my text, you can hit me up on Twitter, Instagram, 814 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:21,039 Facebook. I'm here for you. Somebody let me know. Baby. Well, 815 00:50:21,079 --> 00:50:23,320 we'll find out, hopefully by the bet US Show one Eastern time on 816 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:28,239 their platforms Friday, one Eastern time, live on the bet us YouTube, 817 00:50:28,239 --> 00:50:30,840 Twitter, Twitch, all of it. With that, Dan Rayfield, have 818 00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:35,719 a good Thursday into Friday. We'll talk to you on that bet US show. 819 00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:37,079 We'll come off the weekend with a Fight Preaching Night recap. What do 820 00:50:37,119 --> 00:50:39,239 you say about that? Thank you, my friend? I say that sounds 821 00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:43,719 good to me. There you go. There is the insider Dan Rayfield reading 822 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:46,000 more on his Fight Preaching Night substack at Big Fight Weekend dot com. I'm 823 00:50:46,039 --> 00:50:50,559 merely Tjreeves. You've been listening to the Big Fight Weekend preview