1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:10,199 The countdown is on to fight time. This is Big Fight Weekend. Now 2 00:00:10,519 --> 00:00:15,599 Here is your host, DJ leaves Well, it is here. The month 3 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,920 of March is here, and we are ready for world championship fights coming up 4 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,559 on a top rank ESPN show out of New York. We're ready for the 5 00:00:23,559 --> 00:00:28,199 return of Jack Paul and Amanda Serrano by the way in Puerto Rico. We've 6 00:00:28,239 --> 00:00:33,520 got fight news including wait a minute, Canelos already divorced from Premiere Boxing Champions. 7 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,159 Yes, we're ready to talk about that. We've got nostalgia and much 8 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,439 more. It is the Big Fight Weekend preview podcast. I am the somewhat 9 00:00:41,439 --> 00:00:46,640 competent host TJ Reeves. He is insider extraordinary. These are times when we 10 00:00:46,679 --> 00:00:48,960 love Dan Rayfield. We love him all the time, but especially times like 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,039 these. Fight Freaks Unit is his substack Big Fightweekend dot Com as well. 12 00:00:54,079 --> 00:00:58,079 Hello, my friend, much to talk about and much to discuss. You 13 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,759 got your track shoes on? You're ready? I mean good, gracious, 14 00:01:00,759 --> 00:01:03,799 We've got a lot going on. How you been Everything good? I'm ready 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,079 to roll, baby, I'm good. News and nostalgia including Roy Jones becoming 16 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,000 heavyweight champion to be talked about on an anniversary. For this week, it 17 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,959 is the month of March. Rayphiel and I love college basketball. We're going 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,560 to be mostly focused on boxing, but we will have eyeballs on the hoops, 19 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,719 including his Duke Blue Devils, including my Memphis Tigers, including all the 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,799 basketball in between for the month of March. So anyway, thank you for 21 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,879 finding us. Make sure that you're following, make sure you're subscribing on all 22 00:01:30,879 --> 00:01:34,239 the podcastlet outlets, Apple Podcasts, Spreakers, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts. 23 00:01:34,359 --> 00:01:40,400 By the way, Google podcast is going away kids next month April twenty 24 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,719 twenty four. Google podcast doesn't exist anymore. They've been warning everybody. Find 25 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,840 a new outlet. Go to Apple, go to Spreaker, go to Spotify, 26 00:01:48,239 --> 00:01:53,079 wherever you get podcasts besides Google podcasts, and make sure you're following subscribing 27 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,480 on this feed. We come your way with a preview show going into the 28 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,239 weekend, a recap show coming off the weekend, and we got tons of 29 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:00,359 it. Are we gonna let them in on what we got, bruin? 30 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,200 I mean, we already got tim Zoo that they're gonna hear from coming up. 31 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,240 Give me who else are they gonna hear? From in coming days and 32 00:02:08,439 --> 00:02:12,960 weeks that you've already gotten in the fold. Give me a couple of names 33 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,680 and then a couple of other possibilities too. Go ahead. So we have 34 00:02:15,719 --> 00:02:20,319 interviews coming up with the young junior middleweight prospect. Excellent young Irish fighter, 35 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,080 was going to headline a Madison Square Garden Theater card. Callum Walsh, very 36 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,080 good interview there, trains with Freddi Roach, very interesting young kid. We 37 00:02:27,199 --> 00:02:30,879 have Oscar Valdez lined up, who's got his fight against Liam Wilson coming up 38 00:02:30,879 --> 00:02:32,960 on March twenty ninth. And we have both combatants in the main event on 39 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,080 the Amazon PBC card between Tim Zoo and Keith Thurmon, both of them already 40 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,960 squared away. They obviously boxed the main event in March thirtieth, and we're 41 00:02:43,039 --> 00:02:45,680 endeavoring to get some more big names. I'm not gonna say yet because we're 42 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,759 not confirmed, but it'll be good. He doesn't want to jinx it, 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,400 but let me just say this, if what you're working on comes through, 44 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,039 they gotta be with us early next week on the podcast. You gotta see 45 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,639 with us anyway, but be with us on the podcast feed early next week 46 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,319 for these interviews. If what you're working on comes through and again follow and 47 00:03:04,439 --> 00:03:07,319 subscribe, rate us, and review us as well. We'll take more five 48 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,240 star ratings and reviews if you love the content that helps us as well. 49 00:03:10,719 --> 00:03:15,840 Here as part of the program, are you made mentioned On March thirtieth, 50 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,039 they will kick off the relationship Premiere Boxing Champions with their new outlet, Amazon 51 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,319 Prime. They were building towards with that pay per view, the Canelo Alvarez 52 00:03:27,159 --> 00:03:30,879 Sinco de Mayo weekend pay per view that was supposed to be part of Premiere 53 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:37,120 Boxing Champions and presumably Amazon Prime pay perview. So before before we ever get 54 00:03:37,159 --> 00:03:40,560 to the preview mode of the fights this weekend, the country music song is 55 00:03:40,639 --> 00:03:51,360 dvo rce divorce. You gotta promise me one thing. Yeah, you're never 56 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,840 ever, ever gonna sing on the podcast. Again, there's sometimes humor involved 57 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,879 in these shows. Just to keep it light. I'm just saying that's the 58 00:03:58,919 --> 00:04:00,479 country song. Look it up, YouTube it. As the kids would say 59 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:06,080 they they are divorced after one fight of a three fight deal. You reported 60 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:11,280 on this a bunch, you wrote about it on your sub stack. All 61 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,479 right, So the first thing that I'm going to say is how did this 62 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,560 unravel? Maybe more to the point, why did it unravel so quickly? 63 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:27,319 Well, I think it comes down to when you make a deal at a 64 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,519 certain time, it may look good and all positive going forward on both sides, 65 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,439 and sometimes as things move along, circumstances change, which leads one party 66 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,879 or the other to want to change the the change the terms, and that 67 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,879 has to be mutually agreed upon, and if one party doesn't agree, then 68 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:47,639 therefore you probably have a breach, or you have a break or you're going 69 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,879 to have a divorce, as you say, and it's not going to work 70 00:04:49,879 --> 00:04:53,160 out, and you go your separate ways. And that is apparently what has 71 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,319 occurred here because you have a scenario where he did sign for three fights or 72 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,120 you know, not the particular bout agreements, but in the contract for three 73 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:05,759 bouts, and in the in that contract were three specific names with dollar figures 74 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:12,480 assigned to those names. And they weren't uh gonna be able to deliver the 75 00:05:12,519 --> 00:05:15,439 way that they or they said they wanted to. So you had the first 76 00:05:15,439 --> 00:05:17,759 fight of that agreement, which was the Jamel Charlow fight that took place in 77 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:23,120 September. By all accounts, it was a money loser, so or they 78 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,160 were not happy with the results. So and then Showtime goes away, and 79 00:05:27,199 --> 00:05:30,959 you have Amazon Prime, which is not paying rights fees for fights, or 80 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,160 at least not at a high high level like Showtime. Maybe there's some money 81 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,040 for the lesser fights, but certainly on a pay per view basis, they're 82 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:42,399 not making huge guarantees. So now the second fight, because Jamel Charlot had 83 00:05:42,399 --> 00:05:46,720 performed so poorly and Jamal Charlot was contemplated as the next opponent, I think 84 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:49,600 the people at PBC, Al Hayman and the people that are around him that 85 00:05:49,639 --> 00:05:53,800 he relies on for uh, you know, their opinions and then their you 86 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,959 know, their views, people like Tom Brown, people like Luis de Koubis 87 00:05:58,079 --> 00:06:00,680 Junior, you know those those folks. You know, these are smart boxing 88 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,639 people who've been in this business for decades. And you don't even have to 89 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:09,920 be a super intelligent boxing person who's been in the business for decades to understand 90 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:15,639 that if you're trying to sell a pay per view putting Jamal Charlotte in a 91 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,600 few months after his brother didn't show up, combined with the fact that Jamal 92 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:25,800 himself has been very very inactive. He's had now one fight in three years, 93 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,639 and in that one fight, that was the recent fight in the end 94 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,120 of lacture in November, he didn't look particularly good. He was fighting David 95 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,560 Benavitez's older brother, really a welterweight you know, in his best days, 96 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,759 really one hundred and forty pounder, frankly in his best days, and just 97 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,199 would look very pedestrian, has his own issues outside the ring, and they 98 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,399 realize that you can't put that on the public for eighty dollars. Nobody's going 99 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,879 to buy it. It's that was just a bad, bad fight. You 100 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:54,160 want to do it for free on you know, showtime or you know in 101 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,079 the old days when they had Fox or whatever. Okay, that's you know, 102 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,439 I don't love the fight, but I watch it if I don't have 103 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:03,399 to pay act sort of get people, particularly when you're on a new platform. 104 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,759 It was just da as they say, dead on arrival. So at 105 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,639 that point they had to look around. And now the third fight that was 106 00:07:11,639 --> 00:07:15,319 contemplated was for Aerol Spence Junior, which would have been a huge fight, 107 00:07:15,399 --> 00:07:17,399 but obviously that is not salable in any way, shape or form, because 108 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:23,680 Errol Spence got outright pummeled and destroyed by Terrence Crawford, and so there's zero 109 00:07:23,759 --> 00:07:27,600 value in a Canelo versus errool Spence fight. That would be an absurd fight. 110 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,319 I mean, I don't think the sanctioning bodies would sanction that for the 111 00:07:30,319 --> 00:07:33,800 title. The guy's never fought above for of course nothing, no chance. 112 00:07:34,519 --> 00:07:41,000 So PBC obviously you know they have some you know, desire not to lose 113 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,560 all their money and get absolutely creamed on these events. So the way it 114 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,879 was explained to me by various soreses who were involved in some capacity with this 115 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:51,319 situation, we're sort of like this. He and I wrote about this extensively 116 00:07:51,319 --> 00:07:55,480 and people can go to the sub stack and read the particulars. But the 117 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:00,560 bottom line was he could get the thirty five million ish he would have been 118 00:08:00,639 --> 00:08:05,720 due to fight Charlo in the second fight in May, but they wanted him 119 00:08:05,759 --> 00:08:09,040 to agree and sign for a fight in September against David Benavide's. Which would 120 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,199 they say? They claim, and this was on the record from Samson Lukowitz, 121 00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:16,959 who was the promoter of record for David Benavide's and others set it off 122 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,360 the record that they had offered Canelo Alberts fifty five million dollars for that fight 123 00:08:22,399 --> 00:08:24,480 now. Eddie Reinoso, who was the trainer and the manager of Canelo, 124 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,199 I saw some of his messaging on social media or some quotes and some articles 125 00:08:28,759 --> 00:08:31,839 that that was not true. So I don't know who to believe there, 126 00:08:31,839 --> 00:08:35,480 But the bottom line was PBC wanted him to agree to fight David, and 127 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,120 Canello's perspective was, I don't have to agree to this. This is not 128 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,879 in our contract. Our contract says you pay me thirty five million for Charlo 129 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,320 and then we figure out the third fight after that. Now, just because 130 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,320 the three names were listed doesn't mean they can't mutually agree on some other opponents. 131 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,120 So my understanding is Hayman would have taken Mongia, you know, they 132 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,320 would have been able to do that. But the bottom line was he wasn't 133 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:01,039 going to budge and be forced to sign for David without you know, knowing 134 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,879 he's got the thirty five for the Charlotte fight. So okay, again, 135 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,799 my understanding hold one second, was that they would have accepted a loss if 136 00:09:09,799 --> 00:09:11,679 you signed for David or right he could, right, he could have signed 137 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:16,399 the fight for Charlot, but as long as he agreed to take less money, 138 00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:20,120 and he wasn't going to go for that either. So it's a deal 139 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,759 break in your reporting because this is out there and I've talked to a couple 140 00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:26,759 of TV industry people over the last couple of months and so that we are 141 00:09:26,879 --> 00:09:33,600 clear on this. The dynamic is different in that Premiere Boxing Champions is now 142 00:09:33,639 --> 00:09:37,159 responsible for the production for that, for that part of the cost, as 143 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,200 well as coming up with the money of the fighters and help me if any 144 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:46,720 of this is wrong. So obviously last year Showtime Paramount was involved in paying 145 00:09:46,799 --> 00:09:50,000 Canelo. Now it is up to Premiere And so exactly what you were saying, 146 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,200 you would be willing to go along with losing some money in May if 147 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,720 you knew the September fight was going to make it all back because it's a 148 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:03,440 much better fight. There is a lot of talk they didn't really have a 149 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,679 whole lot of money to put up here and do this if it was a 150 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:11,759 standalone and that it was Premieer Boxing Champions who basically said to Canelo, we're 151 00:10:11,799 --> 00:10:16,320 done. I talked to a TV person that basically was saying that was saying, 152 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,799 we can't put up thirty five forty million dollars for something that is going 153 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:22,919 to obviously lose us money, and like you said, where you won't commit 154 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,879 to the better fight for later on in September. So in a lot of 155 00:10:26,879 --> 00:10:28,320 ways in there while I'm talking through this, in a lot of ways, 156 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,440 it's kind of like Dezonne with Canelo back three or four years ago, which 157 00:10:31,519 --> 00:10:35,639 is, we have certain opponents that are going to definitely make money, and 158 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,000 if you're not going to cooperate and fight whoever it is, then what are 159 00:10:39,039 --> 00:10:43,559 we doing here? People with an eleven fight deal on that one? The 160 00:10:43,639 --> 00:10:46,679 problem was they're the ones that signed the agreement. I mean, nobody forced 161 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,559 anybody to sign that and I can't. I mean, I think one thing 162 00:10:50,639 --> 00:10:54,360 that people have to understand here is there's two things that play. One there's 163 00:10:54,399 --> 00:10:56,080 what does the deal say? What is the agreement? And true there's the 164 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:01,399 emotional response that we as fans, we as media people in the business, 165 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,759 we are disappointed that he's not fighting benavides That's a separate issue. We all 166 00:11:05,759 --> 00:11:09,960 want to see him fight David Benavidez and I don't even believe that he's unwilling 167 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,279 to fight David Benavid's but he's not going to have a gun held to his 168 00:11:13,399 --> 00:11:16,600 head in the month of March and may to be signed for the fight in 169 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,919 Februar in September or you know, when he doesn't have any obligation to do 170 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,919 so under the paperwork that he agreed to, and so, uh, you 171 00:11:22,919 --> 00:11:28,480 know, PBC, I actually I don't blame them here there. Their perspective 172 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,120 was, look, we'll we'll lose money on the first fight, which we 173 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,120 did in September last year. We'll even lose some money on the second fight 174 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,480 coming up in May. But if we're going to have the payoff fight, 175 00:11:37,519 --> 00:11:41,559 we got to get the real big name, and the best name they can 176 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:46,039 make would have been in terms of financial obviously Benavidie's, and then maybe they 177 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,720 could have made the Crawford fight, but that didn't work out either for various 178 00:11:48,799 --> 00:11:52,440 reasons. So they're out of situation where, you know what, we can't 179 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,879 we cannot go forward. So I don't think it was them that said get 180 00:11:54,919 --> 00:11:58,440 out or leave. It was sort of like, hey, you know, 181 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,279 if you're not going to pay me on that here, and they're like, 182 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:01,279 well, we're not going to pay you, so you know that's what I 183 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,759 mean. They weren't going to put up thirty five or forty million dollars for 184 00:12:05,799 --> 00:12:09,000 him, to pick Jamoral Charlow. At this point they saw it lose money. 185 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,360 My impression was this was not done in a like you know, nobody 186 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,679 nft each other on the way out the door. I think it was like 187 00:12:13,759 --> 00:12:16,759 they understood, like this was not going to work for either side. And 188 00:12:16,879 --> 00:12:20,480 uh, you know that was that. Two more things on this then we 189 00:12:20,519 --> 00:12:24,039 got to move on to the previews, the other news, et cetera. 190 00:12:24,039 --> 00:12:28,039 But this is this is important. The first thing is do you believe from 191 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,720 your reporting that right because there's talk right now that de Zone and whomever else 192 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:37,759 isn't going to put up this kind of money either. And Canelo now may 193 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,200 I mean we're now within about eight weeks of May the fourth. Uh, 194 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:45,519 you know, this may be a struggle to do a deal with somebody to 195 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,799 get that kind of money. He may have to take less money. Respond 196 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:50,000 to that, real quick, go ahead. I'll respond to that by saying 197 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,440 the following the Zone will put up the money. The issue that as at 198 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,519 HND and I reported this. I know a lot of people have been talking 199 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,759 about this. One of the things I reported in that in that piece is 200 00:12:58,799 --> 00:13:05,120 that the Zone's preference is to do the the the HEIMI Mongia fight in May. 201 00:13:05,639 --> 00:13:09,360 That's a fight that Golden Boy wants. That's a fight that Monkey wants. 202 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,840 My understanding is that they have already an agreement in place for Mongia if 203 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,200 that fight moves forward, so that part of it is kind of buttoned up, 204 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,440 even if it's not signed. But they have come to some sort of 205 00:13:18,639 --> 00:13:24,639 resolution on the Mongia side. But that they so they want. They want 206 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:26,639 Mongia from May fourth, and they be willing to do Berlanga in September. 207 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:33,679 Canelo's perspective is that his preference is a due the Berlanga fight in May and 208 00:13:33,759 --> 00:13:37,200 do uh the other fight with Monkey in September. Now, I don't know 209 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,399 why that is, or I've not spoken to Canelo about that. I have 210 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,159 reached out to Eddie Renols, so I have not her pack. So they're 211 00:13:43,159 --> 00:13:46,600 at a little bit of a logger heads in that sense. And the one 212 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:50,600 thing is I think that perspective from the Zone is well, if he's no 213 00:13:50,639 --> 00:13:52,960 longer with PBC, where else is he going. Well, I'm gonna tell 214 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:58,080 you right now, there's another suitor out there that's a very strong possibility for 215 00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:03,679 Canilo. I know they're talking about besides his own I mean at the moment, 216 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,000 I can't talk about it for a lot of different reasons. Trust I 217 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,399 think my track record speaks for itself. When I tell you there's another possible 218 00:14:11,399 --> 00:14:15,080 player, I'm not joking. I would never think that you're joking on this, 219 00:14:15,159 --> 00:14:18,480 all right. So one more point while we wait for whatever the fight 220 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:22,600 is for May fourth and whatever outlet it's on for pay perview, is what 221 00:14:22,639 --> 00:14:28,120 do we make of this for Premiere Boxing Champions Because this was supposed to be, 222 00:14:28,159 --> 00:14:31,519 as they ramped up, really the big kickoff. This is kind of 223 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:35,840 a softer open, if you will, a softer pay per view with zoo 224 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,559 and and Thermon that everybody's poking holes in and making fun of. But as 225 00:14:39,559 --> 00:14:43,159 you explained previously, and this is why you got to listen to these podcasts, 226 00:14:43,159 --> 00:14:46,679 and it's a valid point. They are using that one as a test 227 00:14:46,759 --> 00:14:50,039 run on making sure everything works for Amazon pay per view and building this out 228 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,720 and who's the broadcast crew and what does it look like and what does it 229 00:14:52,759 --> 00:14:58,279 sound like as the test run. But now without that fight coming roughly six 230 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:03,879 weeks later, there is great debate as to whether or not the Amazon deal 231 00:15:05,039 --> 00:15:09,320 and or the relationship with Premiere Boxing Champions is eighty six is dead on arrival 232 00:15:09,799 --> 00:15:11,480 and won't last much longer anyway. All right, what do you say to 233 00:15:11,519 --> 00:15:13,440 that? What are you hearing? What do you say to that? I 234 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,039 mean, I think the rumors of the demise are a little premature. And 235 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:20,399 I say that because number one, Amazon is a top notch company, obviously, 236 00:15:20,679 --> 00:15:24,480 and number two not from day one that I first met Al Hayman over 237 00:15:24,519 --> 00:15:26,559 twenty years ago when he was the manager for Vernon Forrest, and got to 238 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:28,919 know him quite well at one point. Even though we don't really talk to 239 00:15:28,919 --> 00:15:33,320 anymore, I've never, in a million years whatever underestimate him. So anybody 240 00:15:33,399 --> 00:15:37,600 that does that does so at their own peril. You said that, you've 241 00:15:37,639 --> 00:15:39,559 said that before. But okay, that's great, So let's get back to 242 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,759 reality. But about finish my thought about that. Hold on, but hold 243 00:15:43,799 --> 00:15:48,720 on, Let's get back to the reality of do they have another outlet if 244 00:15:48,799 --> 00:15:52,600 this pay per view thing is fizzling out before it ever gets going. That's 245 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,480 the real question. I can't answer that. But they do have a deal 246 00:15:56,559 --> 00:15:58,399 in place where you know, I know, they don't have any non pay 247 00:15:58,399 --> 00:16:03,039 per view fights at the moment. Now, For whatever it's worth, I 248 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:07,320 am told that the plan, and it's not from Premier Boxing Champions side, 249 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,600 they would prefer to do some of the non pay per view fights more quickly 250 00:16:10,799 --> 00:16:15,279 then for whatever reason, Amazon's perspective is no non pay per view fights till 251 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,080 at least June. But there are plans to do non pay per view fights 252 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:22,360 at what level in terms of the costs and the magnitude That I cannot answer 253 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,960 because we haven't seen it. But one thing is quite telling is that you 254 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,480 don't took a couple of things. Number One, you don't hear a lot 255 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,039 of rumors about fights. Normally when people are ramping up to do fights. 256 00:16:33,039 --> 00:16:37,799 You know, I hear from TV people, other fighters, managers, promoters, 257 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,720 you know, get you hear stuff about what's being worked on, you 258 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:42,519 know, from sanctioning bodies, all that kind of business. There hasn't really 259 00:16:42,559 --> 00:16:45,879 been any peep about that. The second thing, and this is this is 260 00:16:45,919 --> 00:16:51,120 more like drip, drip drip. They're not losing like the huge stars. 261 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:52,879 I mean, well, Canelo, yes, but beyond that, you have 262 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,480 a Ray Vargas who has been with them, going over to fight in Saudi 263 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,039 Arabia against Nick Ball. He was supposed to fight a mandatory against brand and 264 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,120 then figure out not happening. He's no longer at least his next fight not 265 00:17:03,159 --> 00:17:07,559 with PBC. You take a look at other fighters that have been with them. 266 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,119 You know what's his name. There's the rumored I mean, this is 267 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,200 not happening, but one of the guys that was rumored to be the opponent 268 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,240 for Sabrilla Mattias, who was one of the guys that did leave. That's 269 00:17:18,279 --> 00:17:22,559 another example. There was also the example of the fighter in that same way 270 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:25,400 class named Elvis Rodriguez, who's been with them for the last couple of years. 271 00:17:26,039 --> 00:17:27,359 There's been a lot of rumors that he will be the next opponent for 272 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,160 Serbralla. Mattias. I am told that's not happening, but be that as 273 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,200 a may he's another fighter that is apparently leaving PBC. In other words, 274 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:37,039 it's a drip drip drip of a lot of their talent, whether it's a 275 00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:41,880 championship level guy like a Vargas or Mattias, or it's a contender like a 276 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:47,359 Rodriguez, that they don't have the activity. If you're a professional box or 277 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,200 your career is only so long, and if you know if you're not going 278 00:17:49,279 --> 00:17:52,920 to get in a fight till June at the earliest, because you're not on 279 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:56,359 the card on March thirtieth, then what are you doing? And a lot 280 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,400 of these guys haven't fought since the late part of last fall, so by 281 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,200 the time they get back in the ring, if they hadn't fought at the 282 00:18:03,559 --> 00:18:06,480 like, say they fought in September, you know, you're looking at quite 283 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:07,880 a long layoff for you know, and these guys got family. These are 284 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,480 not necessarily all fighters that are making me right. You don't get paid if 285 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,880 you don't fight right. And everybody's Canelo, everybody's Tyson fury Right, got 286 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,400 bills to pay, so you know, it's not easy. Now. The 287 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,279 one guy that there's been the conversation, we know because we've it's been out 288 00:18:22,279 --> 00:18:23,839 there publicly. I wrote about it, They've been quoted about it, is 289 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:30,279 the prospect of this David Benavide's fight against Alexander Vodzick for June. That might 290 00:18:30,319 --> 00:18:32,480 be the pay per view, Although to be quite honest, how they could 291 00:18:32,559 --> 00:18:36,000 sell that as a pay per view I find to be bizarre. You know, 292 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,480 I'm just gonna say it would not surprise me. It would not surprise 293 00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:41,400 me. In the least if it's one and done on Amazon pay per view, 294 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,799 that they now go to try to find another deal and do something else 295 00:18:45,839 --> 00:18:51,119 with somebody paying them something and or fights on I don't know. I'm just 296 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,039 saying this. I don't know why they don't go back to somebody like Fox 297 00:18:53,079 --> 00:18:56,960 who they had a relationship with before, that has a sports channel FS one 298 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,720 that needs summertime content and go do a here here I am playing amateur network 299 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,519 executive, go do a once a month fight series with FS one. It's 300 00:19:04,759 --> 00:19:07,720 a lot easier said, because they were on Fox and they got kicked to 301 00:19:07,759 --> 00:19:11,400 the curb, and part of that was because the fights weren't very good, 302 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,400 weren't drawing audience, et cetera, et cetera. So this has kind of 303 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,440 been a problem where it's the one thing unwinding and unraveling the one thing about 304 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,240 their Fox did when they were live on Fox on Saturday nights on primetime, 305 00:19:22,279 --> 00:19:25,680 as well as the some of the lesser standalone shows with the younger fighters on. 306 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:27,079 At this one, at least in terms of the bigger names, the 307 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:32,920 primetime Saturday night cards virtually all featured a good name in the main event, 308 00:19:33,039 --> 00:19:36,480 A Sean porter A, Caleb plant I mean that quality guys that were fighting 309 00:19:36,519 --> 00:19:38,519 in those shows. The problem was it was like cowboys and Indians fights. 310 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:41,960 It was not competitive. They were there was one guy against a nobody, 311 00:19:42,519 --> 00:19:45,599 and you can't you know, you can do that every now and again, 312 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,599 and sometimes that's just part of the nature of this sport and matchmaking and everything, 313 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,039 but you cannot do that time and again. So the number of events 314 00:19:51,039 --> 00:19:53,880 they did on Fox, if you let's say they did twenty events, you 315 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,839 know there was probably you know, fifteen or sixteen of them that were the 316 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,440 kind of matchups reasons that results going in, and there were some good ones. 317 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,599 I can't I can't knock every one of them. I'm not a hater 318 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,039 by any means. So it's not just as easy as going back and saying, 319 00:20:07,079 --> 00:20:08,279 hey, would you do more of our fights and pay us a number 320 00:20:08,319 --> 00:20:12,599 of dollars. So I would say at the moment, why I said before, 321 00:20:12,599 --> 00:20:15,640 I'm not counting out Hayman in any way, shape or for him. 322 00:20:15,839 --> 00:20:18,440 You don't have to be a rocket scientist to look at it and see they've 323 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,960 got some issues because they're losing talent, they don't have any non pay per 324 00:20:22,039 --> 00:20:25,480 view fights, coming up. The pay per view that is coming up. 325 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,200 It's not a bad show in terms of the matchups, but as a pay 326 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,279 per view it's a little bit sketchy. And they just lost the number one 327 00:20:30,279 --> 00:20:33,519 superstar in the sport because they couldn't deliver on the promise of what they signed. 328 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,920 And you know, again I'm not trying to dump on them, but 329 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,759 if you make the list, you know the as you know, I like 330 00:20:40,759 --> 00:20:42,680 to say, the preponderance of the evidence does not make it look good. 331 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,359 Yes, your honor, I agree with you, because bear in mind, 332 00:20:47,559 --> 00:20:51,240 like in the late twenty tens, when you had Deontay Wilder with the WBC 333 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:53,480 heavyweight title, you had the charlos, both unbeaten who by the way, 334 00:20:53,519 --> 00:20:59,200 were fighting on Fox on over the year Fox in title defenses and title fights. 335 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,000 You had Keith, you had Aerol Spinch, you had the welterweight division. 336 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,920 You don't have really the charlos don't fight anymore. Deontay Wilder's basically at 337 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,759 the end, it looks like you don't have that anymore. Abner Marris and 338 00:21:11,799 --> 00:21:17,759 Leo Santa Cruz and that you know, other other other top top guys, 339 00:21:17,759 --> 00:21:19,599 I mean, don't they don't really have that stable of it, and so 340 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:25,160 it would not I'm saying it on the record, I don't. I don't 341 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,279 wish ill we liked some of the you know, the people that we deal 342 00:21:27,319 --> 00:21:32,359 with with premier boxing champions. I get it, but I said to you, 343 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,319 I was skeptical last fall about all of this, and so now it 344 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,200 looks like it's unraveling, and it's incumbent on them to demonstrate that it's not 345 00:21:40,279 --> 00:21:44,839 unraveling with the Amazon pay per view idea and go find something somewhere else. 346 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,559 And I think I think a very valid point that a lot of people that 347 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:55,599 are slinging arrows at them are saying they are responsible for having inactive fighters that 348 00:21:55,799 --> 00:22:00,480 lost value, that lost interest for the public, for the buying public, 349 00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:04,559 and the chickens have come to roost now on that too. So Wilson argue 350 00:22:04,559 --> 00:22:07,920 with that. I mean, that's that's but the most telling thing is this. 351 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,319 It's one thing to lose a Ray Vargas, a Sabrial Mattias. It's 352 00:22:11,319 --> 00:22:14,880 another thing to lose that Elvis Rodriguez, you know, who's not at the 353 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,119 top level, or or you know you haven't scheduled an on pay per view 354 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:22,000 fight even though they claim when they made their announcement there was going to be 355 00:22:22,039 --> 00:22:23,400 a bunch of them and that the first one won't be told June's what I 356 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,200 was told, or at least not till June. The most telling thing is 357 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,920 when you have signed a three fight deal with the number one attraction in the 358 00:22:30,039 --> 00:22:33,880 entire sport and he walks after one fight because you can't deliver. That's where 359 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,880 it becomes a big time problem. And they do have Jervonte Davis. We 360 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,400 should say that, and that could be looming as the June pay per view. 361 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,559 We don't know. We're waiting. We're waiting well the June though the 362 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,839 June, the June event is probably been Avidius. Tank Davis would most likely 363 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,920 not be till July, potentially even August, summertime in the summer. Do 364 00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:56,720 you think that the world is going to be a gog and all excited and 365 00:22:56,799 --> 00:23:00,599 pumped up to spend eighty bucks on Tank Davis against Frank Martin. No, 366 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,480 the answer is no, no. All right, So if you hold on, 367 00:23:04,559 --> 00:23:07,400 let me just say this, Yeah, if Tank Davis even post Ryan 368 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:14,799 Garcia, which did obviously humongous numbers before he fought against Ryan Garcia, your 369 00:23:14,839 --> 00:23:18,880 normal and Tank had been on pay per view several times against varying degrees of 370 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,680 opponents. He was on with Pitbull and Santa Cruz and UH and UH, 371 00:23:22,839 --> 00:23:27,119 Hector, Luis Garcia and others. Those fights were doing generally in the two 372 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:32,119 fifties reigns, maybe a high of two seventy five or maybe even touched close 373 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,640 to three. And some that were maybe started with a one, you know, 374 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:40,519 in that two hundred somewhere range. Now you're and that was with Showtime 375 00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:44,799 behind you and then emotionally right yeah, and everybody knew if you were a 376 00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:47,599 boxing fan, you know, so heritage, heritage, you knew to go 377 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,119 there, right right? They like they what's they say? They over indexed 378 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:55,039 on boxing because people understood that's where you saw the big fights. So here's 379 00:23:55,079 --> 00:23:57,839 the point. Now you come off the win over Tank, but you're fighting 380 00:23:57,839 --> 00:24:02,960 a Ryan I mean a Frank Martin who's a good boxer but has literally zero 381 00:24:03,079 --> 00:24:06,319 profile. He's never been in a big fight, was on Showtime a couple 382 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,519 of times, has been inactive because he turned down the Sharp Court fight last 383 00:24:08,519 --> 00:24:15,400 fall. Is that gonna do more than Hector least Garcia with Showtime? I 384 00:24:15,839 --> 00:24:18,200 don't think so, I mean so, I don't think you know, if 385 00:24:18,319 --> 00:24:22,480 if you're talking about suddenly Amazon Prime is gonna do a block quote unquote blockbuster, 386 00:24:22,839 --> 00:24:26,079 I'm still thinking. You know, Tank off the Ryan Garcia fight. 387 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,640 Maybe he does get a little bit of a bump because he grew his audience 388 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:30,960 a bit on that kind of great Nah, you know, victory for him 389 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:37,160 in a nice knockout. Does it do two fifty? I don't think so. 390 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,200 And that's not some mega, mega blockbuster that makes everybody huge amounts of 391 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,319 money. Tank will make good money on the fight, but that's not the 392 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,160 kind of thing you can use to make your company, you know, go 393 00:24:47,279 --> 00:24:49,160 for the year. In the old days, you know, Don King or 394 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,759 Top Rank or whoever would put on some big, mega fight and it would 395 00:24:52,759 --> 00:24:56,279 do a huge number a million, one, a million, this, nine 396 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,680 hundred thousand, and they would make huge money. And the money they reaped 397 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,240 on that one event was enough to keep them in business for the whole freaking 398 00:25:02,279 --> 00:25:04,039 year. Right, put on other events, right, Yeah, you do 399 00:25:04,079 --> 00:25:07,039 two fifty on a Tank fight, You're gonna make some money, obviously, 400 00:25:07,519 --> 00:25:10,640 but it is not going to keep your own business for the rest of the 401 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,720 year. So, like you said, they got some problems. They got 402 00:25:12,759 --> 00:25:15,279 to figure him out, and I hope they do figure him out. We 403 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,960 will find out. We spent a lot of time on that. Let's get 404 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:26,640 into the previews now. Yes, and this is obviously a large story in 405 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,440 particular if and we're we're living through it in real time, if it is 406 00:25:30,519 --> 00:25:33,119 going to unravel and we don't know if it's gonna unravel here in the next 407 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:37,920 few weeks, a couple of months, then there's then there's a real concern 408 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,799 for the fighters that are still aligned with premier boxing champions. We'll find out. 409 00:25:40,799 --> 00:25:42,559 We don't know that answer right now. All right, ESPN Top Rank 410 00:25:42,599 --> 00:25:47,240 Show, Verona, New York, you interviewed Raymond Ford. Ray Ford, 411 00:25:47,279 --> 00:25:52,880 Camden, New Jersey. He is challenging the the fighter Colmatov for the vacant 412 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,359 WBA featherweight title. That is the main event. The IBF featherweight title defense 413 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:02,000 of Luis Alberto Lopez against the Japanese opponent is the co feature fight. We 414 00:26:02,079 --> 00:26:06,880 got championship doubleheader coming Saturday night on the ESPN Top Rank Show. So tell 415 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,799 me a little bit more about these two fights, because for one and twenty 416 00:26:10,799 --> 00:26:14,759 six pounds, this is a big deal. With two title fights in the 417 00:26:14,799 --> 00:26:18,480 same night in the same building. Yeah, listen, I really really like 418 00:26:18,599 --> 00:26:21,279 this card. I mean, I mean, I know it's not Canelo Alvarez 419 00:26:21,279 --> 00:26:23,799 and in the top top you know, mainstream level, but if you are 420 00:26:23,839 --> 00:26:27,920 a boxing fan, this is a damn good card. Now, this is 421 00:26:29,519 --> 00:26:32,880 this is as you mentioned, it's it's two of the titles in the featherweight 422 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,559 division, and it's like a big deal because they're top for top rank anyway, 423 00:26:36,839 --> 00:26:38,880 you have the fact that they're so involved in that division. I mean, 424 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,079 not only that, but obviously they're going to be doing the fight between 425 00:26:41,279 --> 00:26:47,039 the rematch between Rafael Espinoza and Robasi Ramirez. That's definitely something that is going 426 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:48,480 to also have an impact on this weight class. But a lot of things 427 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,160 are going to change based on what's going to occur on Saturday. Now keep 428 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,559 in mihind Also, this is an ESPN Plus only card, not on the 429 00:26:55,599 --> 00:26:59,160 network, so you have to go on your trustee app to watch this particular 430 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:03,279 show. The two main fights are very intriguing. Kolmatov ode Beck Kolmatov, 431 00:27:03,799 --> 00:27:06,640 you know, is a is a not a young fighter. I mean, 432 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:08,240 it's not like he's just starting out at twenty one years old. He's had 433 00:27:08,279 --> 00:27:11,279 a big time amateur background, one of the top amateurs. So he's already 434 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:15,160 twenty five not old, but you know, this is his first really notable 435 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,880 fight. He's only twelve and zero. He's coming off a win that was 436 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,559 just a sort of a stay busy fight that took place in December. It 437 00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:25,960 was really the Thomas Patrick Ward fight before that in March of last year, 438 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:30,519 when he scored a very impressive destruction in five rounds and just destroyed the guy 439 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,640 who at the time was thirty three zero to one. And I watched that 440 00:27:33,759 --> 00:27:37,559 fight TJ, and let me tell you, I had images of when I 441 00:27:37,559 --> 00:27:40,680 saw a Triple G come to the United States. He was I'll use this 442 00:27:40,759 --> 00:27:41,920 and I'm not saying he's going to be Triple G. Let's not get carried 443 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:47,119 away. He was Triple G ish, you know what I mean. So 444 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,559 he had that ferocity, just go get you gunslinger, good punching power. 445 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:53,839 You know, he is twelve and zero with eleven knockouts. And it's an 446 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,240 interesting style matchup because in Raymond Ford, you know, a guy who's about 447 00:27:57,279 --> 00:28:00,400 the same age also had a good backround that you know, he's twenty four, 448 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,359 the other guy's twenty five, so they have a lot of the metrics 449 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,599 are the same in terms of their pro experience level because ray is fourteen and 450 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,559 oh with a draw, and like I said, Komotov has only got you 451 00:28:10,599 --> 00:28:12,680 know, twelve fights, so it's very similar in that respect. But ray 452 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:18,559 Ford it's like Ode Beck. Kolmotov is a great puncher brawler, but he 453 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,359 can box, and ray Ford is a guy that prefers to box but can 454 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:26,799 also stand and fight. So it's actually a pretty interesting style fight for me. 455 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,559 This is a fight that's on this card because Top Rank is the promoter 456 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:33,720 of Kolmotov and they want to pur spit over Eddie Hearn, who is the 457 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:38,720 promoter for Raymond Ford. So style wise it's an interesting fight. It's an 458 00:28:38,759 --> 00:28:41,720 even match up in terms of their experience level as professionals. They also were 459 00:28:41,759 --> 00:28:45,839 good amateurs. Like I said, so do you like the banger and the 460 00:28:45,839 --> 00:28:48,839 puncher and the guy that's gonna come get you like a Komotov, or do 461 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,839 you want to go with the guy who's probably the bitter, a little bit 462 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,079 of a better technical boxer, perhaps a bit quicker with his hands and his 463 00:28:56,119 --> 00:29:00,640 feet. You know, with good technical skills, but also is is capable 464 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:03,759 of standing in there you know that you have to make that decision. But 465 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,720 one thing about ray Ford is when I saw him, I've I've literally like, 466 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,000 I've only seen a couple of came up povs fights, even though I 467 00:29:08,039 --> 00:29:11,240 was very impressed. I think I've seen basically every single ray Ford fight of 468 00:29:11,279 --> 00:29:15,839 his entire career because he turned pro with Mattro and every single fight he's ever 469 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,559 had has either been on the main card or been on the before the belt. 470 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,440 And because I'm a degenerate, I watch all that stuff. So I've 471 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,519 seen all the fights, and I watched almost often, like to use the 472 00:29:25,559 --> 00:29:27,839 other adjectives. Besides, just so he was one of these guys when I 473 00:29:27,839 --> 00:29:30,920 watched, and him and I talked about it in an interview. You reference 474 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,920 it's on the last podcast where he would look great one fight and then be 475 00:29:36,039 --> 00:29:37,480 like, you know, leave you kind of thinking there's a little more there 476 00:29:37,759 --> 00:29:40,680 in the next fight. And then he had a draw in one fight that 477 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:41,880 he didn't really perform that well. Then he scored a you know, a 478 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,440 tremendously dominating win over Reese Bilatte, who was a solid British fighter and fought 479 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,680 you know, Edward Vasquez, who was an undefeated guy, but not at 480 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,319 that same level in my opinion, he has to you know, struggle for 481 00:29:53,359 --> 00:29:57,079 a split decision in that fight, so there was like some inconsistency. Finally, 482 00:29:57,119 --> 00:30:00,480 in his last fight that took place in April last year, he's coming 483 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,960 off an eleven month layoff. He goes in there with Jesse Magdaleno, who 484 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,799 was a former title holder at one hundred and twenty two pounds and looked really 485 00:30:07,799 --> 00:30:11,759 really good, really sharp, and winning the decision against you know, a 486 00:30:11,839 --> 00:30:15,519 very experienced, solid professional fighter, only came into that fight with just the 487 00:30:15,559 --> 00:30:19,440 one defeat. He scored knockdowns against Magdaleno, uh, two knockdowns in that 488 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,160 fight and look really good. So, you know, my thing about about 489 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:26,000 ray Ford is which guy is going to show up? So if the guy 490 00:30:26,039 --> 00:30:29,920 that beat up on Jesse Magdaleno shows up, he's got a very good chance 491 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,920 to win this fight. If it's a guy that showed up against Edward Dasquezer 492 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,400 the fight where he got the draw, you know, then you might want 493 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,480 to look at Comotov as the guy that you think is going to win. 494 00:30:37,599 --> 00:30:40,440 And maybe you think Komotov is gonna win anyway because he's got the good power 495 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,160 and and uh and and that that fierce kind of fighting style. That that 496 00:30:44,279 --> 00:30:47,839 did give me a little bit of a of a little tingling sensation about the 497 00:30:47,839 --> 00:30:51,680 early days of Triple G in America. So that's a good interesting matchup. 498 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:53,440 And in terms of that feature, yeah, you know, it's I'm very 499 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,759 interested in this fight. In terms of the co feature. Uh In Luis 500 00:30:56,799 --> 00:31:00,240 Alberta Lopez, you know, he's another guy that's looked pretty good. He's 501 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,799 been a road warrior, he's not he's not feared anybody. He's gone overseas. 502 00:31:03,799 --> 00:31:07,480 When he won his title, uh, you know, in Josh Warrington's 503 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:11,039 hometown. He then fought Michael Conlin in a title defense that was on the 504 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:12,480 road. You know. You know, this guy didn't get a chance to 505 00:31:12,519 --> 00:31:15,200 go home and celebrate instaid. No, what did he do? Hej he 506 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,279 went to freaking Belfast for his first defense. I mean that take a lot 507 00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:21,799 of guys would just stay, would just win, dude. So he comes 508 00:31:21,799 --> 00:31:25,200 into this fight against Abe uh, you know, and it's not like it's 509 00:31:25,279 --> 00:31:29,119 his hometown, it's in upstate New York. But at least it's uh uh 510 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:33,160 you know, neutral territory if you will, and certainly it's somewhere it's uh. 511 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:34,200 You know, he's not gonna be worried about where the fight is. 512 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,799 Abe, you know, gim him Credi's coming over from Japan. If you're 513 00:31:37,799 --> 00:31:41,119 not familiar with with Raya Abbe, if you're if you're again a degenerate like 514 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:45,640 I, I mean, you're watching the top rank UH boxing events that they 515 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,039 bring in from Germany, I mean from Japan rather uh. He beat and 516 00:31:49,039 --> 00:31:52,920 and retired Kiko Martinez in the eliminator on one of the undercards of a card 517 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,960 that featured uh taraj and uh Niakuma in a way, and he fought in 518 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:02,079 that fight, and he won against Eco and now he's here to get his 519 00:32:02,119 --> 00:32:05,759 title shot, and so you know it's a big moment for him also, 520 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,200 but he's you know, it's hard to think he's going to travel that well. 521 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:13,599 He's not. Look, he defeated Keiko Martinez, who was, you 522 00:32:13,599 --> 00:32:16,279 know, an older fighter, a little bit worn down at that point, 523 00:32:16,799 --> 00:32:22,279 and that's the only win even remote consequence on his record that you'd recognize as 524 00:32:22,279 --> 00:32:28,240 a name. Lopez has been fighting extremely well and doing damage in guys out. 525 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,440 I mean, yeah, he took he went the distance against Joek Gonzalez 526 00:32:30,759 --> 00:32:34,559 in the last fight. He did win the clear decision. It was a 527 00:32:34,599 --> 00:32:37,720 little competitive, but the sensational knockout against Colon was before that. He got 528 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:43,440 the win deservedly so in Josh Warrington's hometown, even though it was a majority 529 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:49,039 decision. I mean, this is a mandatory that is kind of being forced 530 00:32:49,079 --> 00:32:51,880 down his throat to some degree. I think if he's in any kind of 531 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,240 conditioner shape, it should be a pretty routine victory for him. I mean, 532 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,920 obviously you never know for sure, but that's one of the reasons, 533 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,880 frankly why even though he's the more establish champion, that top rank made the 534 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,640 decision to make this the co feature because they felt like the matchup in the 535 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,039 main event was a little more sexy, a little more appealing to undefeated guys. 536 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:10,680 Two guys with like the styles that are similar, like I mentioned and 537 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:15,599 so. But look, in a perfect world, especially if it's the top 538 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:20,880 rank guys that win, which is Lopez and uh and and Kolmatov, maybe 539 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:24,440 they'd make a unification fight us. But even if it's Ford, they're on 540 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:28,839 the same card here. I mean call me crazy, but it's says that 541 00:33:29,119 --> 00:33:30,599 could be, but that would be up to match them because they're the ones 542 00:33:30,599 --> 00:33:36,039 that are the promoter for Ford, make the fight. I'm not saying that 543 00:33:36,079 --> 00:33:37,359 you're I'm not saying that you're saying, don't make the fight. I'm just 544 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:42,000 saying, generally speaking for the on behalf of the fight fans, is it 545 00:33:42,039 --> 00:33:45,640 too much common sense to say if if we got two impressive winners, let's 546 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,720 say Coolmatov and Luis Alberto Lopez, or let's say for it is spectacular and 547 00:33:49,799 --> 00:33:52,519 upsets Kolmotov and it's it's basically a fifty to fifty fight. All I'm saying 548 00:33:52,799 --> 00:33:55,640 is it's easier if it's the two top rank guys that win. That's it, 549 00:33:57,519 --> 00:34:01,000 and they'll also be in the picture for the winner if it comes to 550 00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:05,559 pass. The rematch that they're talking about doing in the summer between Bramirez and 551 00:34:06,759 --> 00:34:10,039 Espinoza. All right, now, first mentioned on the bet Us Boxing show 552 00:34:10,079 --> 00:34:14,840 that we'll do Friday live one Eastern time. Check us out. The Kolmotov 553 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:19,280 Ford fight is basically a fifty to fifty fight. Coolmotov is like a minus 554 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:24,000 one twenty five and Ford is like a plus one fifty, so we'll handicap 555 00:34:24,039 --> 00:34:28,639 that fight, the Luis Alberto Lopez fight, et cetera. So that's the 556 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:30,159 ESPN Top rank card. Anything else from that quarter? Do you want to 557 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:35,360 move on to the Zone Show? All right, the de Zone Show in 558 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,519 Puerto Rico. And it's interesting. Jake Paul obviously attached to it. But 559 00:34:38,559 --> 00:34:45,760 again we've talked about this numerous times, him reaching back and pulling Amanda Serrano 560 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:50,480 publicity wise and dollars wise up with him fighting is like the co feature on 561 00:34:50,559 --> 00:34:53,639 several of his pay per views previously. Well, now she's the headliner returning 562 00:34:53,639 --> 00:35:00,159 to Puerto Rico to defend her three women's featherweight titles. He's gonna fight on 563 00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:06,599 the undercard in the co feature as a cruiserweight fight. So very interesting here. 564 00:35:06,639 --> 00:35:09,360 This is in Puerto Rico, live on his own Saturday night. But 565 00:35:09,519 --> 00:35:15,119 Jake Paul isn't the main main event. It's probably much of the interest, 566 00:35:15,159 --> 00:35:16,639 but it's just fascinating. So go ahead, give me some preview. Well, 567 00:35:16,639 --> 00:35:21,000 I'm gonna give Amanda Surroundo the respect that she deserves since she's the main 568 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,199 event. That's who I'm going to talk about first. She's the unified featherweight 569 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:30,480 champion. She should have been still the undisputed featherweight champion, but because of 570 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:37,159 her issues with the WBC's decision that they won't sanction a women's championship fight to 571 00:35:37,199 --> 00:35:39,679 be for ten I mean for more than ten rounds and for more than two 572 00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:44,360 minutes, and she insists now to do her fights at twelve rounds and three 573 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,119 minutes. She no longer has a WBC title, but she's defending the other 574 00:35:47,159 --> 00:35:51,480 titles this fight against Nina Menke, who is one of her mandatories in the 575 00:35:51,519 --> 00:35:55,000 other organizations. This is a twelve round fight scheduled rounds for three minutes, 576 00:35:55,039 --> 00:35:59,760 so she's getting her way. Obviously, her opponent was okay to do that, 577 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,199 and so she's going to have a homecoming fight. She has not fought 578 00:36:02,199 --> 00:36:07,159 in Puerto Rico for several years, and she's thrilled to go do that. 579 00:36:07,199 --> 00:36:09,480 I mean it's been since twenty I think seventeen or so since she fought in 580 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:13,920 Puerto Rico. You know, she's been based from take that back. She 581 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:17,280 did fight there in twenty twenty one, but it's been few and far between. 582 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,760 It's been a few fights, you know, several fights ago. Because 583 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,199 she's been active, so it's been a number of fights, even though twenty 584 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:25,000 twenty one is not that long ago. But the main thing is that she's 585 00:36:25,039 --> 00:36:29,039 excited to be home. And you know what, I give Jake Paul credit 586 00:36:29,079 --> 00:36:31,559 because he is a star. Because of his name recognition and his popularity, 587 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:36,039 he can be the main event anywhere. But you know what he's looking at 588 00:36:36,039 --> 00:36:38,559 like this, I'm gonna put my fighter who I promote to make her as 589 00:36:38,599 --> 00:36:42,639 big as possible in the main event. It's her island, it's her night. 590 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,599 And I'm the guy that's not taken on a big name or fighting in 591 00:36:45,639 --> 00:36:47,840 the title fighter, not even in the ten rounder. And I'm still trying 592 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:52,719 to build and develop my career the right way, to try to get to 593 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,280 the point where I can, you know, fight for and become a world 594 00:36:55,360 --> 00:37:00,000 champion. So I'll step back from the spotlight to some degree, and Amanda's 595 00:37:00,039 --> 00:37:02,239 rood can get her shine. And I think that's uh, it's cool that 596 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,639 Jake did that. He didn't have to do it, and it's great for 597 00:37:05,679 --> 00:37:07,760 Serrano because she is, you know, one of the best women's fighters of 598 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,440 all time. She's certainly one of the best women's fighters in the game today. 599 00:37:10,679 --> 00:37:14,480 She's a bona fide champion and uh, you know, good for her. 600 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:15,800 Now, whether or not she defeats Menky, we'll see what happens. 601 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,440 I mean, you know, Menky is eighteen and three. It's not like 602 00:37:19,519 --> 00:37:22,360 she's unbeatable. You know, she's been beaten before. It's gonna be hard 603 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,760 to overcome that sort of atmosphere that they'll see there. So and it's a 604 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:29,519 twelve round fight, and Amanda is used to that at this point because of 605 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:30,960 the fact that she's done it as a pro and she trains that way. 606 00:37:31,159 --> 00:37:34,519 I'm sure Menki trained that way, but she's never had a twelve round fight 607 00:37:34,559 --> 00:37:37,440 to my knowledge, in her professional career. And I'm thrilled that the fact 608 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,719 that this is not pay per view, because a lot of the Jake Paul 609 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:43,480 fights are pay per views, but this one, and like the last one, 610 00:37:43,519 --> 00:37:45,400 it's not because again, he's not fighting some big name. I mean, 611 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,239 he's fighting, right, you know, when he's fighting Tommy Fury, 612 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,639 or he's fighting a you know, a MMA fighter with a major name like 613 00:37:52,639 --> 00:37:57,000 an Anderson Silva or Nate diz E is exactly then you can, you know, 614 00:37:57,079 --> 00:38:00,239 you can do that. But this fight is a against somebody that most 615 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:05,760 people have never heard of. And it's smart strategy again because it's just on 616 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:08,440 regular Dezgone here, it's not a pay per view. It showcases her. 617 00:38:08,639 --> 00:38:13,119 They're going to have a rabbit atmosphere because of her being there. And it's 618 00:38:13,159 --> 00:38:19,320 a great fight country as it is anyway in Puerto Rico. So I'm all 619 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,679 for all of that. The real question and here we go again. Another 620 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:25,800 reference to the bet Us Boxing show is the bet Us ads makers have instilled 621 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:30,239 the over under mister Raphael at a round and a half on whether this Borland 622 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:36,000 guy, Ryan Borland can stay upright through the middle of the second round or 623 00:38:36,039 --> 00:38:39,559 not. And this is in particular when Jake Paul dispatched Andre August in the 624 00:38:39,599 --> 00:38:45,760 Cruiserweight fight back in December with one booming uppercut to the shin. He's got 625 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:50,239 numerous other first round knockouts. So the real intrigue, I guess, is 626 00:38:50,639 --> 00:38:52,840 this thing going past the middle of the second round. So I said to 627 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,519 you before, I can't pick a fight with one and a half and take 628 00:38:55,559 --> 00:39:00,519 the under. After seeing the way that he handled his business against August and 629 00:39:00,559 --> 00:39:05,760 knowing that Borland is a guy that's come off a layoff, that is older, 630 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:08,880 that is fighting at a heavier weight than he's you know, generally fought 631 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:14,159 at and who does have two losses, and that one of those losses that 632 00:39:14,199 --> 00:39:16,039 took place in twenty fifteen. Granted it's a long time ago. Was in 633 00:39:16,079 --> 00:39:20,159 the first round. Now I got a round and a half to play with 634 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:22,719 him and might have to go there, bro, I might have to go 635 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,119 there. It's tasty. It's tasty to go under. If that's again and 636 00:39:25,199 --> 00:39:30,360 again, Jake Paul's fights have basically gone one of two ways. It's it's 637 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:35,239 either thunderbolt in the first round with the big right or it basically goes the 638 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,599 distance. The one exception is the Tyron Woodley fight that I was at in 639 00:39:38,679 --> 00:39:45,679 Tampa the Showtime pay per view for the rematch, where again the thunderbolt didn't 640 00:39:45,679 --> 00:39:47,119 come in the first round. It came in like the sixth round. But 641 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:52,880 other than that, these have been distance fights with Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz 642 00:39:52,199 --> 00:39:57,440 and Tommy Fury and then again Boom goes the dynamite with August. It's like 643 00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:59,920 one extreme or the other. If it's not over in the first round with 644 00:40:00,039 --> 00:40:05,800 a big punch, it's probably going the round. So he's but he's fighting 645 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,280 a guy with experience, right, No one's expecting or needing him to fight 646 00:40:08,679 --> 00:40:13,119 the top name. This is the development of the career. He's just done 647 00:40:13,159 --> 00:40:15,400 it backwards because he's fat big names from MMA previously. So I'm just like, 648 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,480 let him do his thing, let him develop, let him get some 649 00:40:17,559 --> 00:40:21,119 rounds and whatever. And you know what, we got Serrano, a bona 650 00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:22,840 fide champion. In the main event. They also have another world title fight 651 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:27,920 in this card. You have Jonathan Gonzalez defending his title against the interim titlelder 652 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:30,079 Renee Santiago. He's been out because he had an illness and an injury, 653 00:40:30,079 --> 00:40:36,000 so he had a fight canceled. But he is defending his his WBO title 654 00:40:36,159 --> 00:40:37,239 in one hundred and eight pounds, you know, the junior flyweight division. 655 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:40,000 He's also a Puerto Rican, so they'll be a lot of fans there cheering 656 00:40:40,039 --> 00:40:44,400 him on also, so you know, to me, it's not a pay 657 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,159 per view. I how do you I don't missing a man the Serrano fight. 658 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:49,719 He got the intrigue of j Paulkin and get a k O one, 659 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,679 you know, plus he got another solid world title fight on the undercard. 660 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,960 Santiago looked good in this fight the last fight when he won the interim title, 661 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:58,519 so you know, it should be a fun night and I love the 662 00:40:58,519 --> 00:41:00,159 top ranked. You know, those two fights should be very interesting. All 663 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:04,280 right. So again we'll be all over those handicapping him on the bet Us 664 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:08,840 Boxing show as well. We'll have the full recap obviously on the recap pod 665 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:12,760 of whatever happens with those. Al right, some news and then some nostalgia. 666 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,159 Quickly with the news, you got clarification from Gilberto Mendoza, the head 667 00:41:16,159 --> 00:41:22,239 of the WBA, about the situation with Edgar Berlanga as it relates to David 668 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,400 Burrell. We were talking about this on the previous podcast. Go ahead, 669 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,519 clarify, all right, So a lot of people thought we joked around him, 670 00:41:29,559 --> 00:41:31,400 how they just made this the eliminator fight on the Friday, and I 671 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,519 was all confused. I had to ask my boy Chris Mannix, what the 672 00:41:35,559 --> 00:41:38,239 heck happened? He told me was Friday. A lot of people made the 673 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:42,159 assumption because Berlanga spoke about it, I believe, and Eddie Herm was talking 674 00:41:42,159 --> 00:41:44,800 about it. Well, now he's the mandatory for Canelo blah blah blah and 675 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:49,079 I'm like, that isn't right because Canelo is the super champion and David Morell 676 00:41:49,199 --> 00:41:52,719 is the mandatory for Canelo as the regular champion. So my thought was, 677 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:58,719 because I've seen this before with these crazy WOWBA extraneous titles, is that when 678 00:41:58,719 --> 00:42:01,079 you win an eliminator fight, you're the mandatory. If there is a regular 679 00:42:01,159 --> 00:42:04,960 champion, you're the mandatory for the regular champion. Now, if there's only 680 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,599 one champion in the weight class, then you're the mandatory for that one champion. 681 00:42:08,079 --> 00:42:12,599 So I got in touch with Gilberto. We had a very lengthy text 682 00:42:12,639 --> 00:42:16,320 exchange about it, and he clarified, No, the victory by Berlanga made 683 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:20,239 him the mandatory for it. David Morrell, who is That's what I thought. 684 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,800 He's the regular champion and Morell is the mandatory for Canelo. Now, 685 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:28,920 neither one of those fights has been ordered yet, so there's that. So 686 00:42:29,079 --> 00:42:34,039 Berlanga was on Twitter or ex or whatever on Thursday's talking about how you know 687 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,079 it was he was given some grief back to somebody. I guess he's been 688 00:42:37,079 --> 00:42:40,119 taking a lot of incoming about the negativity towards the prospect of a Canelo Alvarez 689 00:42:40,159 --> 00:42:42,920 fight, and he's like, look, you know, it's a big fight 690 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:45,719 in Mexico, Puerto Rico. It's going to be huge. I'm the mandatory 691 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:49,199 blah blah blah. And I had to like very politely correct him and say, 692 00:42:49,199 --> 00:42:52,800 well, actually, I spoke to Gilberta Mendoz and you're the mandatory for 693 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:58,840 David Morrell. So there's that and just the bottom line just saying exactly, 694 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,920 I mean nothing against David Morrell, nothing against Canelo, nothing against Berlanga. 695 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,800 As I wrote in my response about that, I'm the guy that reads the 696 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:09,440 box top for the board game, knows the rules. That's right. Figure 697 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:16,000 this stuff out. News on Arnold Barbosa and where he will be fighting next, 698 00:43:16,039 --> 00:43:20,519 where is he going to end up? So I had reported this a 699 00:43:20,519 --> 00:43:22,679 couple of days ago and then they announced it today as we taped this on 700 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:25,920 Thursday, when they did the second press commence for Ryan Garcia and Devin Hainey, 701 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,400 they did the LA leg, they had done the New York leg on 702 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:31,519 Tuesday, and at that press conference it was announced and it was exactly what 703 00:43:31,599 --> 00:43:36,119 I had reported, that Arnold world perform in the co feature of that fight. 704 00:43:36,599 --> 00:43:38,559 This will be a second fight since he parted with Top rank and signed 705 00:43:38,559 --> 00:43:42,320 with Golden Boy. He's twenty nine to zero with eleven knockouts, a very 706 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:45,920 good contender in the junior welterweight division. And by the way it's going to 707 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,639 be, it is no accident they play some on this card because on the 708 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,599 chance that somebody falls out of the fight, maybe he gets pressed into the 709 00:43:52,639 --> 00:43:54,400 service in the main event, so they have another junior welter rate. And 710 00:43:54,880 --> 00:44:00,840 watching the news conference on Thursday of the second show, like Ryan Garcia just 711 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:04,199 did not look good, did not sound good. He talked about you know, 712 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:07,480 they were making accusations on the tank on the rather on the Hainey side, 713 00:44:07,519 --> 00:44:08,719 that he's using cocaine in this net and he didn't say, no, 714 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:12,840 I don't use cocaine. I just drink and smoke weed. Well that's not 715 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,880 that good either for a professional athlete. And he's saying that, right. 716 00:44:15,039 --> 00:44:17,880 He looked a little ragged, And I know from talking to people that were 717 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:22,639 around him in New York that after the press conference on Tuesday, you know, 718 00:44:22,639 --> 00:44:23,599 he didn't just go back to hotel and go to bed and get ready 719 00:44:23,599 --> 00:44:25,920 to five back to LA for this press carvers. You know, he partied 720 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:30,920 hard Tuesday after the press converts, and he put on social media that he 721 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,000 was jogging through the streets of New York. I guess on Wednesday morning, 722 00:44:34,039 --> 00:44:37,360 maybe before he fog to La whatever. But I mean, okay, so 723 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:43,559 it looks like the possibility Barbosa could be there as a backup fight. Oh 724 00:44:43,599 --> 00:44:45,840 my god, am I even uttering that for April Detroy if if need be. 725 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:49,360 And by the way, you know in Barbosa, I mean, it's 726 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:52,719 not the level of Hany versus Ryan Garcia obviously, but he's a good contender. 727 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:54,920 I mean, he's a guy that can absolutely be in a position to 728 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:59,000 challenge for junior welterweight tel And it's not a joke. I mean, he's 729 00:44:59,039 --> 00:45:01,480 a bona fide contend He just signed with Golden Boys, So not only do 730 00:45:01,519 --> 00:45:05,119 they want to feature him on one of their big events. Can we not 731 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:07,760 get I'm just in my own head? Can we not have good things? 732 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:12,960 I mean, if Ryan Garcia doesn't have his head screwed on straight here, 733 00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:16,800 this has the chance to arguably be the best fight maybe of the first half 734 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:22,679 of this year, excluding maybe whatever happens with Fury and Usik the Hani. 735 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:28,159 Would you not agree the haini Garcia on paper has the potential to be the 736 00:45:28,159 --> 00:45:31,800 best fight maybe the first half of the year. So I fights in the 737 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:36,039 first half of the year, but I mean true, but there's a better 738 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:37,440 Boble is gonna be June first? Is that still count of the first that 739 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:39,119 would count in the first half of the year. But I mean, this 740 00:45:39,199 --> 00:45:42,559 has a chance to be a really good fight. Hopefully his head is screwed 741 00:45:42,599 --> 00:45:46,239 on straight. And then Barboza's fighting somebody. But he came away in the 742 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:51,039 concerns Chris Commerce. He needs to be seeing a you know, a therapist 743 00:45:51,159 --> 00:45:53,159 or seeing a you know, somebody to talk about and look, we're not 744 00:45:53,159 --> 00:45:55,760 gonna make light of it, but he's had problems before, and he's talked 745 00:45:55,760 --> 00:46:00,920 about suicidal thoughts and whatever, and this is what's going on again If he's 746 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:07,880 coming unglued again atween having a mental health issue and having a substance abuse issue, 747 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:13,320 all the above, all the above, all right, So Barboza is 748 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:16,000 there on the undercard. What else? We don't have it fully in the 749 00:46:16,039 --> 00:46:21,599 nostalgia part. But Ganadi Glovekin is taking a new role. It may mean 750 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:24,199 that his boxing days are done. You've kind of and I've kind of and 751 00:46:24,199 --> 00:46:27,719 everybody else have been kind of going along with it. Doesn't look like he's 752 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:30,920 fighting anymore. So now you're gonna get nostalgic about Triple G, I know. 753 00:46:30,119 --> 00:46:32,679 So tell me more about the new role and get a little nostalgic. 754 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:36,400 Go ahead, Well, it's not about nostalgia. It's about I've said all 755 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:37,719 along that it felt like he's not going to fight again. He's just you 756 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,360 know, not doing anything with the boxing. There's been no contact with the 757 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:44,360 team about a fight or anything like that. He gave up his world titles 758 00:46:44,679 --> 00:46:46,760 and has been doing his own thing, and so, uh, when the 759 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:50,840 news came and this was something that Ganati posted to his social media, which 760 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:52,599 he does not post a lot of things to social media, whether he did 761 00:46:52,599 --> 00:46:55,199 it himself or one of the people that he works with did it for him. 762 00:46:55,239 --> 00:47:00,039 Nonetheless, you know, he he represented Kazakhstan in the Lands in two 763 00:47:00,079 --> 00:47:04,199 thousand and four. He got a silver medal. He had a phenomenal amateur 764 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,280 career was three hundred and forty five wins and five losses. A revered amateur. 765 00:47:07,559 --> 00:47:12,760 So he knows the Kazakh program very well and he is a former Olympian 766 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:15,239 for his country. He has been appointed as the president of their Olympic committee, 767 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:19,679 the kask Olympic, the National Kazak Olympic Committee, which is going to 768 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:22,079 obviously take up a lot of time as they developed their you know, their 769 00:47:22,119 --> 00:47:28,480 their athletes and and things along that go involved with the Olympic movement and different 770 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:30,079 Olympics that come up. So that's going to take time, and he's going 771 00:47:30,119 --> 00:47:32,840 to do that. So when you take on that kind of role, it 772 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:36,480 would seem to indicate that perhaps he's not going to be boxed anymore, which 773 00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:38,440 I didn't think he would anyway, but this if you think he's retiring, 774 00:47:38,719 --> 00:47:43,280 this might just add another reason to your list of why you think he's definitely 775 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:45,800 done at age forty two and having made huge amounts of money and had a 776 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:50,880 great legacy of a tremendous knockout run and a lot of good names on the 777 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:53,840 record and tied the record into which it will set, tied the Bernard Harpkins 778 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:59,440 record for the most middleweight defenses because he had two reigns, actually broke the 779 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,880 record for the most middleweight defenses overall. So if he's going to go do 780 00:48:02,920 --> 00:48:06,360 this now and work for that Olympic committee, and it just seemed to me 781 00:48:06,440 --> 00:48:08,599 that this was another indication that we're not seeing Triple G lay him up anymore. 782 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:14,079 And again, as you said, you got to start thinking about what's 783 00:48:14,199 --> 00:48:17,119 next for some of these guys and as it marches on, and this appears 784 00:48:17,159 --> 00:48:22,559 to be what's next for him. All Right. One more news item, 785 00:48:22,679 --> 00:48:25,639 and that is something that was you've reported this we talked about on the podcast. 786 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:30,239 It appears to be a formality to pave the way for the upcoming opponent 787 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:35,039 for the Monster May the sixth Deoya in a way, and that is Luis 788 00:48:35,159 --> 00:48:40,760 Nary and his Japanese license essentially tell me the latest on that. Well, 789 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:45,039 it's that the pathway has been paved now. I mean, the deal between 790 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:50,199 Neeri and in a way has been agreed to for quite a while and they 791 00:48:50,599 --> 00:48:53,719 it was basically a formality that this would come to the past, but they 792 00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:58,480 still had to actually go through the process and the Japanese Boxing Commission had a 793 00:48:58,519 --> 00:49:02,039 lift the indefinite suspense that nearly has in Japan, which they did finally lift, 794 00:49:02,039 --> 00:49:06,280 and the Japanese Boxing Commission announced that on Monday of this week, so 795 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:10,000 that is now the last hurdle this fight will now be finalized officially signed, 796 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:14,199 they'll start promoting it whatever as it gets a little bit closer. But he 797 00:49:14,320 --> 00:49:17,440 has a checkered history. Nearly does in Japan. He had one fight where 798 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:22,079 he scored a big win over Shinsuki Yamanaka to win a title. He's had 799 00:49:22,079 --> 00:49:27,039 a positive drug test that came back after the fight. So because he claimed 800 00:49:27,039 --> 00:49:31,320 contamination and apparently was able to show evidence whatever, whatever, the WBC didn't 801 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:35,199 strip him, but they ordered a rematch. He went to do the rematch 802 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:39,719 and he came in significantly overweight one hundred and twenty two pound fight. I'm 803 00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:43,000 sorry, one hundred and eighteen pound fight. He weighed one hundred and twenty 804 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:46,119 one pounds. And in Japan a lot different than what happens in the United 805 00:49:46,119 --> 00:49:51,079 States of America. They take missing weight, especially for a title fighter, 806 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:55,679 really really, really seriously. You know, you've offended the nation if you 807 00:49:55,760 --> 00:50:01,880 come in and missing Professoxer, so they to spend time against Japanese humanity has 808 00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:06,960 occurred because he was three rounds overweight. So the fight took place and he 809 00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:12,400 knocked out Yamanaka once again, and he was suspended indefinitely. That was back, 810 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:15,320 you know, twenty eighteen. I wanted to say, so, he's 811 00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:16,960 been banned from Japan for quite a while, not that he was gonna necessarily 812 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:21,280 fight there, but now the suspension is lifted, and I'm gonna tell you 813 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:22,360 right now, when he goes in the ring and they do the promotion for 814 00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:28,039 in a way, you know, Japanese boxing matches, everybody's very respectful towards 815 00:50:28,039 --> 00:50:30,320 each other. That's the culture. If you go to the fight starre, 816 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:32,119 you watch them on television, the people it's almost like they're at the opera. 817 00:50:32,119 --> 00:50:35,840 They clapped nice and polite. There's not a lot of crazy rara, 818 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:39,480 like if you were the British crowd or an Irish crowd or the Mexican crowd. 819 00:50:39,679 --> 00:50:43,320 You know, I have a feeling if there's ever gonna be a rowdy 820 00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:46,280 kind of Japanese crowd, it's going to be anti Louis Neari because of his 821 00:50:46,719 --> 00:50:50,880 notorious past in that country. So I'm a little intrigued by that. And 822 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:52,159 then of course, anyway we'll go out there and knock him the hell out. 823 00:50:53,559 --> 00:50:58,199 There's that. There is that part of it too, all right, 824 00:50:58,239 --> 00:51:00,960 So good news. We had a lot of news and the previews. Now 825 00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:07,719 nostalgia time. Let's get nostalgic on fifteen years ago, Wednesday, February twenty 826 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:12,920 eighth, from this past week two thousand and nine, Juan Manuel Marquez and 827 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:16,000 his knockout of Juan Diaz the two thousand and nine fight of the year, 828 00:51:16,679 --> 00:51:22,079 and ray Field was right there Houston, Texas. Tell me more about this 829 00:51:22,159 --> 00:51:24,360 one that's now fifteen years old. Well, I did go to the Toyota 830 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:29,519 Center with Bernard Hopkins and Shane Moseley and a bunch of other people are associated 831 00:51:29,559 --> 00:51:31,119 with the fight the night before the fight, and I sat in one of 832 00:51:31,159 --> 00:51:37,440 those beautiful suites at this arena and saw my first ever Lebron James game in 833 00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:42,519 person against Yao Ming. So that was how yes, I would pretty love 834 00:51:42,559 --> 00:51:45,000 it. That would be memorable. And I was hanging with Shane Moseley. 835 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:50,199 I was hanging with Shane Mosey Bernard Hopkins talking basketball. But anyway, the 836 00:51:50,239 --> 00:51:53,239 next night, wait, wait, you can't just leave it right there in 837 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:58,360 the I know you can hold your own. But in the debate, did 838 00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:00,679 you get the better of Moseley in the NBA debate or Bernard Hopkins? Does 839 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:04,960 Bernard know more than Shane Mosley about the NBA? In your opinion. You 840 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:08,400 can't leave it there. I've certainly had my debates with both of those men 841 00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:12,880 at times about boxing related material. I don't recall that it was a debate. 842 00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:15,000 We were just having a good time watching the ball game, so there's 843 00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:19,079 that. But the next so they were the host, they so they gave 844 00:52:19,119 --> 00:52:23,559 it. And by the way, this is Lebron uh in the chronology with 845 00:52:23,679 --> 00:52:30,079 the Cavaliers, still all along before the Miami Heat and they're back with the 846 00:52:30,079 --> 00:52:34,519 Cavaliers and now with the Lakers. So this is lebron first tour of duty 847 00:52:34,559 --> 00:52:39,679 with the Calves. Interesting and yao ming. People don't understand how massively, 848 00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:44,760 massively popular he was. And that was that's that's plite a memory. Right 849 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:46,000 now, on to the fight the next night, What about it Fight of 850 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:51,079 the Year? Well, the thing was because the Toyota Center was hosting their 851 00:52:51,119 --> 00:52:53,039 event, they had given them the use of the suite, and you know, 852 00:52:53,239 --> 00:52:57,199 Rayfiel was fortunate enough to be invited and get a chance to hang out 853 00:52:57,199 --> 00:53:00,679 and watch the ball game. Had a good time. But anyway, the 854 00:53:00,679 --> 00:53:04,639 next night, Wan Diaz and one Manuel Marquez produced to the fucking classic. 855 00:53:04,679 --> 00:53:07,360 It was one of the best fights you could ask for it was the definitely 856 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:08,360 the fight of the year in two thousand and nine. I think pretty much 857 00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:12,119 everybody picked it as the fight of the year. Remember, at this time, 858 00:53:12,599 --> 00:53:17,639 you have one Daniel Marquez is the he is the lineal champion, but 859 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:21,960 two of the belts are at stake, is the WBA title that owned by 860 00:53:22,039 --> 00:53:27,159 Jan Diaz as well as the vacant WBA title. So it was for supremacy 861 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:30,440 in that in that weight class. I mean, it wasn't There was no 862 00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:32,800 doubt about it that the winner of this fight is the number one lightweight in 863 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:37,000 the world, end of story. Because here you have, you know, 864 00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:39,760 two I take that back. You have you have two vacant titles, the 865 00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:45,400 WBO and the WBA, and the lineal title at state that that Marque has 866 00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:50,599 had. So he won those belts and retained the lineage. So it was 867 00:53:50,920 --> 00:53:52,760 there's no dispute, like I mean, he didn't maybe have all the sanctioning 868 00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:55,800 body health, but if you ask anybody that knows anything about boxing at that 869 00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:59,280 time, the winner that fight is going to be the consider the number one 870 00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:01,719 lightweight period. And it was a spectacular fight. It was in wan Diez, 871 00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:06,079 his hometown of Houston, so he had tremendous fan support, but he 872 00:54:06,119 --> 00:54:08,519 also had a lot of people there that were rooting for Marquez who were Mexican 873 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:12,840 that were that were more for him, so it was a good split. 874 00:54:13,119 --> 00:54:15,519 It was Mexican nexan American crowd, but the hometown guy was not the only 875 00:54:15,519 --> 00:54:19,800 guy getting support in that crowd. It was a very electric night. You 876 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:23,840 also had the Houston fighter Rocky Warrez on the undercard in a featherweight title fight, 877 00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:25,920 so he had a lot of fans are also. It's made for a 878 00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:31,000 really exciting and fun night. Fought Chris John who was a longtime featherweight champion. 879 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:36,960 The bottom line was they put on as good of a fight as you 880 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:38,400 will see now. The remaps they did after this was kind of a dut 881 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:44,199 It wasn't nearly as good. But this first fight was spectacular competitive and then 882 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:47,199 Juan Manuel Marquez, you know, definitely a better puncher than Jan Diaz who 883 00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:51,559 was a tremendous action fighter but never had a big punch and always was going 884 00:54:51,599 --> 00:54:54,920 to distance. But Marquez was able to take him out very spectacular in the 885 00:54:55,199 --> 00:54:59,079 in the ninth round with a devastating kind of knockout, and it just put 886 00:54:59,079 --> 00:55:01,880 through sort of the you know, the final stamp in exclamation point, if 887 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:05,320 you will, on what had been a sensational fight. You know, you 888 00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:07,159 watch a fight like that and you just think, yourself, I have no 889 00:55:07,199 --> 00:55:09,480 idea how there could be something else this year that's going to beat that. 890 00:55:09,719 --> 00:55:14,119 Sometimes you just kind of know. And like when two thousand and nine ended, 891 00:55:14,639 --> 00:55:16,599 my recollection was like, it wasn't really that complicated to make the best. 892 00:55:16,639 --> 00:55:20,800 I'm going there first, even though it's in February. I'm going there 893 00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:22,880 first, right, Yeah, I mean, but there are times, you 894 00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:27,159 know, I saw I was ringside for Kralis Castillo one in May, and 895 00:55:27,199 --> 00:55:29,679 you see that fight, You're like, there ain't no there's I mean, 896 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:34,320 there's nothing that could possibly cope this. You know, I saw Sam second 897 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:37,800 mantreport that great WBA one twenty two pound tind of. I forget the month 898 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:38,880 that it took place, and I off the top of my head, I 899 00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:42,480 want to see maybe it was in March or whatever it was. But you 900 00:55:42,519 --> 00:55:44,719 see a fight like that, You're like, no fucking ways anything beating that. 901 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:46,199 And this was the one that the one that we all default to is 902 00:55:46,239 --> 00:55:50,800 Hearns and Hagler. Yeah, and obviously when that happened. It wouldn't have 903 00:55:50,800 --> 00:55:52,760 mattered if it was January, if it was May, if it was lead 904 00:55:52,840 --> 00:55:58,400 to day like it is today. So that you know what I was just 905 00:55:58,440 --> 00:56:00,440 thinking. You know what I was just thinking when you were saying that too. 906 00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:04,679 Just one more time back to the Douglas Tyson nostalgia. That fight was 907 00:56:04,719 --> 00:56:07,559 the fight of the decade, the fight of the decade in nineteen ninety in 908 00:56:07,639 --> 00:56:14,079 the second month of the decade out of one hundred and twenty months. Yeah, 909 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:16,199 the decade was Javes versus Taylor. That was a few weeks later. 910 00:56:16,199 --> 00:56:19,280 Well, that was the next month. I thought, I thought that the 911 00:56:19,599 --> 00:56:22,519 Douglas Tyson was the fight of the decade. No, that's if I had 912 00:56:22,559 --> 00:56:23,840 a vote, I would have said, Douglas Tyson's the fight of the decade. 913 00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:27,480 You need to go back and watch Javez and Melder. I know both 914 00:56:27,519 --> 00:56:30,760 fights. I'm just saying. But amazingly, there were still ray Fael one 915 00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:34,519 hundred and seventeen more months in the decade. But the point is the same 916 00:56:34,559 --> 00:56:37,000 one that you're making. When you saw that, you said, that's something's 917 00:56:37,039 --> 00:56:39,320 going to have to go for a while. To see that as the fight 918 00:56:39,360 --> 00:56:42,880 of the year. And nothing did in two thousand and nine. For that 919 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:45,480 one, I picked it as the ESPN Fight of the Year that year. 920 00:56:45,480 --> 00:56:47,400 Obviously I was in the middle of my tenure at ESPN. It was the 921 00:56:47,440 --> 00:56:51,760 BWAA Fight of the Year, which the membership votes on. It was the 922 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:54,079 Ring magazine fight of the year, which is you know, they're small editorial 923 00:56:54,079 --> 00:56:58,639 people. That picket. I mean there was. It was not a complicated 924 00:56:58,679 --> 00:57:00,559 pick. And you know what, markz if you go back and you look 925 00:57:00,599 --> 00:57:04,800 at his career and Marquez obviously is a Hall of Famer, and you look 926 00:57:04,840 --> 00:57:07,519 at at the great fights that he's had. Obviously, if you if you 927 00:57:07,599 --> 00:57:12,039 take the Paquaw rivalry out of the situation, obviously he fought him four times. 928 00:57:12,039 --> 00:57:15,000 They were all classic kind of fights. I dare say the most entertaining 929 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:20,320 fight, the most memorable fight that Juan Manuel Marquez had in his career other 930 00:57:20,400 --> 00:57:23,000 than against Manny Paco, would have been the first fight he had with Wandiaz. 931 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:27,480 It's kind of like if you were looking at Arturo Gaddi's career and you 932 00:57:27,559 --> 00:57:30,840 took away the Mickey Ward fights for a minute, you know you could you'd 933 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:32,000 find, you know, what's the next best fight? I actually did a 934 00:57:32,039 --> 00:57:35,840 piece about that for the Ring magazine a few years ago where we did they 935 00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:40,360 were doing an honor or an issue towards the Gaddian Ward relation to the trilogy, 936 00:57:40,440 --> 00:57:44,960 and the piece I wrote was like one of the best Gaddy fights not 937 00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:46,360 against Mickey Ward. It's like if you were doing the best fights of Juan 938 00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:50,800 Man, you will that were not against many Paco. I would dare say 939 00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:53,719 that the first matchup with Juan Diaz as the fight of the air would certainly 940 00:57:54,360 --> 00:57:58,599 take that that that mantle. So that was a tremendous battle, a great 941 00:57:58,719 --> 00:58:01,239 night, and I was it was great to be ringside for just a superb 942 00:58:01,320 --> 00:58:06,400 fight and to see your boy y being against Lebron the night before. Yow, 943 00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:10,320 what about Yogi Bera and Yao being in that commercial my father's idol Yogi 944 00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:20,480 Berra Yoo Yo Yo Yoo Yogi. Check it out on the moving on to 945 00:58:20,519 --> 00:58:23,639 the other nostalgia, it is now been twenty one years ago as a Friday 946 00:58:23,639 --> 00:58:27,679 Friday and March first, as we released the podcast into Friday March first. 947 00:58:27,719 --> 00:58:34,320 Two thousand and three, Roy Jones captured the WBA heavyweight title. Now you 948 00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:39,519 wrote the word masterpiece on the on the rundown here. I you know, 949 00:58:39,960 --> 00:58:45,960 I have to swat at you every now and then, John Ruiz. I 950 00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:49,880 mean, yes, Roy Jones won the fight, but the word masterpiece. 951 00:58:50,599 --> 00:58:55,000 I know Roy won a portion of the heavyweight title that night, but that's 952 00:58:55,039 --> 00:58:58,920 not one of the things that would come to mind for me on boxing masterpiece. 953 00:58:58,960 --> 00:59:00,679 But you were right inside if you were the most give me the nostalgia. 954 00:59:00,679 --> 00:59:02,639 You were close. Here's the bottom line. You can say what you 955 00:59:02,639 --> 00:59:06,360 want. Lennox Lewis was the heavyweight champion at the time, the real champion. 956 00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:09,440 John Ruiz had the WBA belt, but Roy Jones, you know, 957 00:59:09,519 --> 00:59:13,280 no one ever would say he was the real heavyweight champ. But it was 958 00:59:13,320 --> 00:59:16,119 still a huge accomplishment because it had been over one hundred years since anybody that 959 00:59:16,159 --> 00:59:20,800 had been a middleweight had actually gone and won. He coursed on the heavyweight 960 00:59:20,800 --> 00:59:22,199 title. He had to go literally back one hundred years. Think about that. 961 00:59:22,360 --> 00:59:25,920 People say that again, Think about that he was a middleweight and it 962 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:30,639 had been how long, over one hundred years, you know remark, I 963 00:59:30,679 --> 00:59:35,280 mean that's just what it was. So and John Ruiz may not have been 964 00:59:35,360 --> 00:59:39,559 Lennox Lewis, but by everybody's rankings and opinions. Generally speaking, John Ruiz 965 00:59:39,679 --> 00:59:44,159 was like a top four heavyweight at that time, so that's still a good 966 00:59:44,199 --> 00:59:46,280 accomplishment. He was also, by the way, Roy Jones outweighted by over 967 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:52,960 thirty pounds, and there had been a long, long period of time where 968 00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:55,079 he had been so dominant as a light heavyweight, and obviously before that super 969 00:59:55,079 --> 01:00:00,800 middleweight and then away before that. He was the acknowledged universal, without a 970 01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:02,840 doubt about it, number one pound for pound at that time. But everybody 971 01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:05,800 kept saying, you know what, there's nobody for you to fight a light 972 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:07,239 heavyweight. He didn't you know, a cruiserweight there was. You know, 973 01:00:07,239 --> 01:00:09,360 it would have been interesting, I guess for some people, but there wasn't 974 01:00:09,360 --> 01:00:13,000 a big name or you know, as the kids say, a big bag 975 01:00:13,039 --> 01:00:15,039 to go fight that fight. So it was all about Kenroy Jones become a 976 01:00:15,039 --> 01:00:19,760 heavyweight champion and they were able to make the deal. Now, it was 977 01:00:19,800 --> 01:00:22,320 a huge deal at that time. It did big business on pay per view. 978 01:00:22,639 --> 01:00:24,840 Uh you know, I filled up that the the Thomas and knac Center 979 01:00:24,840 --> 01:00:28,840 in Las Vegas. Uh, it was it was a huge, huge event. 980 01:00:29,079 --> 01:00:30,960 Caesar's Palace was the host hotel and it was buzzing' the whole week. 981 01:00:31,039 --> 01:00:34,559 I was there, you know, for several days leading up to that fight. 982 01:00:35,199 --> 01:00:37,480 It was a little craziness at the at the fight week activities because you 983 01:00:37,519 --> 01:00:44,599 had the very stoic and very chill trainer Alton Mrkerson that worked with Roy Jones, 984 01:00:44,840 --> 01:00:46,559 you know, a form but a guy that came from a military background. 985 01:00:46,559 --> 01:00:51,920 And you had the absolute lunatic Norman Stone that worked with as a manager 986 01:00:51,960 --> 01:00:53,880 and was in the corner for John Rouiz even though he wasn't the head trainer, 987 01:00:54,239 --> 01:00:59,360 just an absolute loose cannon. And at the wigh in you have finally 988 01:00:59,400 --> 01:01:01,360 All Murkerson and had just heard enough from Stoney. He'd been chirping the whole 989 01:01:01,599 --> 01:01:05,360 week and all through the promotion, and he got in his face and Alt 990 01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:08,000 Murkison just let loose and hit him with with a big punch and dropped him 991 01:01:08,000 --> 01:01:13,079 like a sack of shit. Where are you in that real? How close 992 01:01:13,800 --> 01:01:16,840 ringside on that a few feet away? I was standing probably four feet from 993 01:01:16,840 --> 01:01:20,840 them when he felt, oh my god, like they had to go get 994 01:01:21,000 --> 01:01:22,960 He got taken out on a stretcher. I mean he turned red. We 995 01:01:22,960 --> 01:01:27,800 thought he fucking died away and then part of you for a half seconds going 996 01:01:27,840 --> 01:01:30,239 is there going to be a fight tomorrow night or not? Yeah, there's 997 01:01:30,239 --> 01:01:31,280 going to be a fight, because it was de with the trainers and there 998 01:01:31,280 --> 01:01:34,679 and then their managers. They weren't going to be the fighters. But anyway, 999 01:01:34,760 --> 01:01:37,920 so Roy Jones went in there against John Ruiz and it was a masterpiece. 1000 01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:40,039 I don't care what you say. It may not have been against Lennox 1001 01:01:40,119 --> 01:01:44,159 Lewis, but he fought a man way, way, way bigger and he 1002 01:01:44,239 --> 01:01:46,840 didn't just go there to to run around and touch him and move. He 1003 01:01:46,920 --> 01:01:51,679 stood there and he boxed them beautifully. He won going away. It was 1004 01:01:51,800 --> 01:01:54,000 like, you know, nine to nine to three on one card. I 1005 01:01:54,119 --> 01:01:57,760 want to say, uh, a little closer on one other card, maybe 1006 01:01:57,800 --> 01:02:00,880 six four, you know eight to four. Rather point is Roy just boxed 1007 01:02:00,920 --> 01:02:05,039 you brilliantly. He won that heavyweight title in the biggest thing that Roy did 1008 01:02:05,159 --> 01:02:07,039 after that was the decision to go back down to light heavyweight, which really 1009 01:02:07,159 --> 01:02:10,800 ruined his career because his body was so fucked up by losing you know, 1010 01:02:10,880 --> 01:02:15,440 twenty five pounds of basically muscle to go down and fight Tarvar. He barely 1011 01:02:15,760 --> 01:02:17,119 won the first fight with Tarvor and then was never the same because he got 1012 01:02:17,239 --> 01:02:21,400 knocked out in the next fight and got knocked out by Glenn Johnson, and 1013 01:02:21,519 --> 01:02:24,559 it was just a wreck. So if Roy Jones had fought Ruiz and retired, 1014 01:02:25,079 --> 01:02:29,360 we'd be talking about him as one of the top three or four or 1015 01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:31,559 five boxers in history of the sport. But then it was a long decline, 1016 01:02:31,599 --> 01:02:35,800 And obviously it doesn't change what he did before that, but you have 1017 01:02:35,920 --> 01:02:39,400 to also include all the fights he had post that John Ruize performance. Now, 1018 01:02:39,400 --> 01:02:42,880 if he had stayed at a heavy he had stayed at heavyweight, and 1019 01:02:42,960 --> 01:02:45,599 we've talked about this and we were able to complete the deal for him to 1020 01:02:45,599 --> 01:02:47,920 fight Evander Holyfield at heavyweight, which would have been another huge fight that was 1021 01:02:47,920 --> 01:02:51,960 almost a done deal. It never got quite done. You know, Tarvar 1022 01:02:52,039 --> 01:02:54,800 had came to the press conference after he beat Ruiz and was calling Roy out. 1023 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:58,880 They had been amateur rivals. They're both from the same area in Florida 1024 01:02:58,960 --> 01:03:00,960 thereabouts, and you know, he ended up taking that fight and it was 1025 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:04,679 probably the worst decision he ever made. But on the night that he beat 1026 01:03:04,760 --> 01:03:07,519 Roy Jones, he's the greatest fighter that ever walked the planet. To a 1027 01:03:07,559 --> 01:03:09,679 lot of people, to what he had accomplished to jump up two weight classes, 1028 01:03:09,840 --> 01:03:14,039 win a heavyweight title against ninety beat Ruiz. You mean Mela Jones, 1029 01:03:14,119 --> 01:03:17,599 the ninety beat Ruiz, right, Ruiz. To accomplish that, that was 1030 01:03:17,599 --> 01:03:21,599 a big accomplishment. There is something, There is something to be said for 1031 01:03:21,679 --> 01:03:24,840 that. There is no doubt, all right. By saying it wasn't a 1032 01:03:24,920 --> 01:03:30,400 masterpiece, I'm just saying to you he won the fight, but it's John 1033 01:03:30,480 --> 01:03:34,840 Ruiz. It was a time in which the heavyweight division was kind of there, 1034 01:03:35,039 --> 01:03:37,280 you know, Lennox Lewis then eventually the Clitch Goes had the titles. 1035 01:03:37,320 --> 01:03:42,760 So but he did move up to heavyweight and beat a heavyweight and outfall the 1036 01:03:42,840 --> 01:03:45,079 heavyweight in that, and there's something to be said for that for sure. 1037 01:03:45,119 --> 01:03:49,000 All Right, good nostalgia. The only other fighter that ever did that, 1038 01:03:49,119 --> 01:03:51,239 I said to you, was like over one hundred fucking years, give me, 1039 01:03:51,559 --> 01:03:53,159 give me the name. Well, first of all, it started with 1040 01:03:53,239 --> 01:04:00,400 a freaking eighteen in the eighteen hundreds. You made Entons, Bob fitz Simmons. 1041 01:04:00,519 --> 01:04:04,239 Yes, so go there you go. You know you're trying to downplay 1042 01:04:04,239 --> 01:04:06,960 it, That's all I'm saying. I'm not trying to downplay it. Just 1043 01:04:08,079 --> 01:04:11,800 the word masterpiece doesn't come to mind when I think of that. It's an 1044 01:04:11,800 --> 01:04:15,960 accomplishment. It was a masterpiece and Rayphael was there, all right, my 1045 01:04:16,119 --> 01:04:21,079 friend. Good stuff on all fronts news previews, A game will have more 1046 01:04:21,199 --> 01:04:25,159 on the featherweight title fights. And also Jake Paul, is it going to 1047 01:04:25,239 --> 01:04:28,719 be over early or not by the way I fought at Puerto Rico on the 1048 01:04:28,760 --> 01:04:31,199 bet Us Boxing Show tomorrow. Yes, anything else, I'm just thinking about 1049 01:04:31,199 --> 01:04:35,360 this. In the whole history of boxing, there's still has never been other 1050 01:04:35,440 --> 01:04:41,440 than Roy Jones and Bob Fitzsimmons, a former middleweight champion that also won a 1051 01:04:41,480 --> 01:04:45,639 heavyweight belt. Right, So I'm going to be saying for that's crazy, 1052 01:04:45,280 --> 01:04:50,639 you know. So I know it's kind of like lost maybe some luster, 1053 01:04:51,079 --> 01:04:55,039 I don't know. I mean kind of like nobody really talks about what Michael 1054 01:04:55,039 --> 01:04:59,280 Sphinx did against Larry Holmes. But it's a big freaking deal what Roy Jones 1055 01:04:59,320 --> 01:05:01,960 did and I'm never going let anybody forget that you just did. It's good 1056 01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:05,840 stuff, all right, bet Us Boxing Show coming tomorrow one Eastern time. 1057 01:05:05,880 --> 01:05:10,840 We'll make some predictions on Friday, depending on when you're hearing this podcast Friday 1058 01:05:10,920 --> 01:05:15,880 one Eastern time. Bet Us platforms, YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, go 1059 01:05:15,079 --> 01:05:18,559 check us out there tomorrow and then whatever happens this weekend with the ESPN Top 1060 01:05:18,679 --> 01:05:23,360 Rank Show, the de Zone Show with Amanda Serranos, Title Defense, Jake 1061 01:05:23,400 --> 01:05:26,880 Paul and the co Feature. We're recapping it on the Fight Preaks U Night 1062 01:05:26,960 --> 01:05:29,960 recap on this podcast feed. Brother Rayphael, I'll talk to you on the 1063 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:33,719 bet US show and let's enjoy the fights. Sounds like good plan. My 1064 01:05:33,800 --> 01:05:36,960 front there is Dan Rayfield. I'm merely TJ Reeves. Follow our subscribe, 1065 01:05:38,000 --> 01:05:41,920 Apple Podcasts, Freaker, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts. For now, 1066 01:05:42,039 --> 01:05:43,920 we are good on the Big Fight Weekend Preview