1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:10,359 The countdown is on to fight time. This is Big Fight Weekend. Now 2 00:00:10,519 --> 00:00:16,120 here is your host, DJ leaves Ah. Yes, we get ready for 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,640 what will be well kind of an interesting weekend, a lighter weekend because we 4 00:00:20,719 --> 00:00:25,920 have tons of college basketball everywhere in the United States for this weekend. March 5 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,879 Madness looming. The American boxing cards of the next couple of weeks aren't as 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,520 big a deal. That's by design. But we are ready to preview the 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,719 Golden Boys Saturday Night main event with William Zapada and Maxi Hughes. It is 8 00:00:39,799 --> 00:00:43,200 a lightweight eliminator for the IBF of the WBA. We're ready to do that 9 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,240 here as part of our Big Fight Weekend preview podcast. I am the somewhat 10 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,920 capable host. He is our insider, Dan Rayfield, a Big Fight Weekend 11 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,079 and his Fight Freaks U Night's substack also on this pod. However, let's 12 00:00:56,079 --> 00:01:00,000 beef it up a little bit. Oscar Valdez, former world champ, getting 13 00:01:00,079 --> 00:01:03,439 ready to headline for Top Rank Boxing on the ESPN Plus card at the end 14 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:07,560 of the month with Liam Wilson. Intriguing fight Oscar Valdez right here on this 15 00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:11,840 podcast with Dan Rayfield in conversation, a little bit, some news, and 16 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:15,239 some nostalgia. Big Dan. Good to be back with you. Full disclosure. 17 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,959 I have been in Indianapolis, Indiana, the heartland of America. I 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,519 have returned from there, and I'm about to head to Vegas. No, 19 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,799 not for fights, but for more college basketball. But in the interim, 20 00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:30,280 I can't get enough on my man Rayfield. So you are fitted in to 21 00:01:30,439 --> 00:01:33,719 the schedule right about now for the big fight. We can preview podcast. 22 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,480 How are things? I'm honored, I guess by your devotion. We got 23 00:01:38,519 --> 00:01:40,560 to get this stuff done. So I'm like with ray Phil, I'm like, 24 00:01:40,599 --> 00:01:42,560 look, I got to slot here, a slot here, we find 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,519 it. We get it worked out. By the way, thank you for 26 00:01:45,599 --> 00:01:49,280 following us and finding us. If you've not done so, make sure that 27 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,439 you are subscribed. You'll get our content automatically. Did you hear Tim Zuo 28 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:57,359 on the most recent podcast on the Recap podcast off of Weekend. Did you 29 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,879 get any kind of a notification? Well, if you're not subscribe, you're 30 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,280 not going to get a notification on what's up, including the Tim Zuo interview. 31 00:02:04,599 --> 00:02:07,959 Good stuff with him, Apple, Spreaker, Spotify, wherever you get 32 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,960 podcasts and it does help us if you rate us and review us. Keep 33 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,560 those five star reviews coming. It helps with more people finding us. We 34 00:02:14,599 --> 00:02:20,000 appreciate those, especially if you enjoy the content you're hearing the interviews, and 35 00:02:20,039 --> 00:02:23,719 again, I see the podcast numbers DAN continuing to be tens of thousands of 36 00:02:23,759 --> 00:02:28,759 fight fans week in and week out that are engaging with us. If you 37 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:30,800 love us, tell more about it, tell more about it, share it 38 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,439 out, rate us and review ers. Okay, so let's get into it 39 00:02:34,439 --> 00:02:38,520 before we get to your conversation with Oscar Valdez in a bit again. Golden 40 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:44,240 Boys Show Las Vegas coming Saturday night, William Zapata, hard hitting lightweight for 41 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:52,199 Oscar dale Hoya's promotion, and Maxy Hughes twelve rounder IBFWBA lightweight eliminator. All 42 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,319 right, tell me more about this as we head towards the weekend. Well, 43 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,439 I mean, William's Apeta. He's one of the guys in the sport 44 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:00,719 right now. That's he's kind of the one guy that a lot of people 45 00:03:00,719 --> 00:03:04,879 don't want to fight. It's very dangerous because he's a tremendous puncher. He's 46 00:03:04,879 --> 00:03:07,639 a southpaw, which makes it even doubly complicated for a lot of guys. 47 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,319 Has had trouble getting the bigger names to fight him in the way class. 48 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,080 But he's a very good fighter twenty nine and oh with twenty five knockouts. 49 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,599 If you're a fan of action fights, he's exciting. He's the kind of 50 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:23,039 fighter it seems to me that you know, win or lose, it's going 51 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,199 to be fun to watch. So he's going to be the kind of guy 52 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,840 eventually when maybe somebody takes that o from him, would be a guy that 53 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,199 can come back because you're still going to want to watch him fight. But 54 00:03:32,319 --> 00:03:37,240 right now, he's trying to hunt down the bigger names in the lightweight division 55 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,159 to get a title shot. To get an opportunity against a bigger name, 56 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,360 Max Hughes is willing to step up to the plate. They did not have 57 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,759 an easy time that Golden Boy trying to find, you know, a quality 58 00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:49,960 opponent for him to fight. And if you take a look at the kind 59 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,680 of fighters he's been fighting, he's not fighting like terrible opponents, but they're 60 00:03:53,879 --> 00:03:58,560 they're the best guys just unwilling to fight him. So in his last fight 61 00:03:58,599 --> 00:04:03,280 that was in September, he absolutely pummeled and destroyed Mercedo Hestah, you know, 62 00:04:03,759 --> 00:04:08,000 Arbolada him the Arba Leita. He blew away in two rounds again like 63 00:04:08,039 --> 00:04:11,680 a fringe contender. Jojo Diaz took him the distance, but it was a 64 00:04:11,719 --> 00:04:15,439 completely one sided fight. The former world champ rene Alvarado, you know, 65 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,959 took him the distance. That was a little bit more competitive, but he 66 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:23,079 beat him pretty handily. You know, is is he just can't get the 67 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,079 biggest names, and so now at least this is going to be the kind 68 00:04:26,079 --> 00:04:29,600 of fight because two organizations are involved in terms of the elimination, it's going 69 00:04:29,639 --> 00:04:31,879 to put him at least in a mandatory position. So at some point someone's 70 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,720 going to be forced to fight him, either a reigning champion or he'll get 71 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:40,399 an opportunity to fight for a vacant title. So is Zepeida's definitely kind of 72 00:04:40,439 --> 00:04:44,560 like you think about all the all the Guyslet's like to look at the Golden 73 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,160 Boy roster. You think you like their bigger name guys. It's Ryan Garcia, 74 00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:51,120 obviously, it's it's a real artiz. They just signed Jose Ramirez. 75 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:56,759 They've got Floyd Schofield who's on this undercard, another you know, top quality 76 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,560 up and comer. You know, they got to they're they're building a good 77 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:01,439 stable. And Zepaida is kind of the guy that you kind of forget about 78 00:05:01,439 --> 00:05:04,360 sometimes because no one wants to fight him. He's not big, big and 79 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,480 vocal about it. I'll give Oscar de la Hoya, you know, his 80 00:05:08,639 --> 00:05:11,439 props, because he's trying to drum some interest stuff. So he was making 81 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,800 his social media videos the other day, you know, basically saying sending a 82 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,839 message in this video to Chaquar Stevenson, Hey, you know, we'll fight 83 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,079 you with Williams of pay to give us a chance, you know, and 84 00:05:21,079 --> 00:05:24,920 that's you know, that's an interesting fight just based on the styles. I 85 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,720 mean, you got the great boxer and Shakur Southpaw against south Paw. You 86 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,560 got the brawler and the banger and Williams of Peida. But he's you know, 87 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,680 he's probably not gonna get that fight anyway. This fight's not for the 88 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:39,240 WC eliminade anyway. And look, MAXI Hughes TJ kind of like the little 89 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,040 engine that could. No everybody picks against him. He's not supposed to beat 90 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,480 anybody. You know, he's fashioned together. Prior to his recent loss, 91 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:48,279 I had a really good streat going. He's come over from the from the 92 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:54,160 UK, also a south PA for this fight. His last fight against George 93 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,199 Cambosis, the former lightweight champion. That was a majority decision loss that took 94 00:05:58,199 --> 00:06:00,519 place in July that a lot of people. I was on ESPN, so 95 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,319 it was widely seen a lot of people thought that he won that fight, 96 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:08,079 and he put in the kind of performance where even though he didn't get the 97 00:06:08,639 --> 00:06:12,639 decision, he got a majority of decision loss. It made him viable as 98 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:15,879 an opponent for another one of the better lightweights. And so he's getting this 99 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,800 opportunity now. He's had a little bit of a rough week. He came 100 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,279 to the United States. They immediately put him on the plane and send him 101 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:26,000 back to England because his visa paperwork was not proper and he had to be 102 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,759 at a meander around England and then go to I think to Ireland or all 103 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,279 I know is he was all over the place for like about a week. 104 00:06:32,319 --> 00:06:35,480 He missed he was going to get here two weeks before the fight. He 105 00:06:35,519 --> 00:06:40,040 missed basically an entire week because he had to go all the way back deal 106 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:42,560 with the visa. They finally got it worked out you know, his people 107 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,000 and the team's work around the clock and get it done, got back on 108 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,000 the plane. Could you imagine you fly that long flight from the UK to 109 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,079 Las Vegas. You're in the airport for the tain for like an hour or 110 00:06:50,079 --> 00:06:53,439 two and the whatever, and they stick down another airplane and send you back 111 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:59,120 and just go back to Europe. Yeah, that is a whole lot of 112 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,319 flying, by the way, to come right back where you just were. 113 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,519 Yeah, that's amazing. And then you got to go through the process of 114 00:07:05,519 --> 00:07:11,120 getting the paperwork square away, and you're obviously missing valuable training time even though 115 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,319 you can work out where you are, but you're missing you're not with your 116 00:07:13,319 --> 00:07:15,879 team. You know, you're trying to make the weight. You know, 117 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:17,319 you're obviously got a lot of other things on your mind, like the fight 118 00:07:17,399 --> 00:07:21,519 itself. So you know, we'll see what I'm backing. That's a lot 119 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:27,560 of airplane movies going back and forth from Europe to Las Vegas. I mean 120 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,399 one thing, New York, but you got three more time zones to go 121 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:33,000 out in Las Vegas. Goodness. Meanwhile, zepaidas in Vegas. He's getting, 122 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,000 you know, get ready for the fight, so making his way training 123 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,800 that you know, the shaking out and being relaxed, and you know, 124 00:07:39,839 --> 00:07:42,319 he didn't have to travel very far, given he's from Mexico, so it's 125 00:07:42,319 --> 00:07:45,319 not like a long trip from where he's from. So you know, there's 126 00:07:45,319 --> 00:07:47,639 been a lot of stuff going on for Maxi Hughes this week. We'll see 127 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:51,839 if it if it presents itself as an issue when the fight actually happens, 128 00:07:51,839 --> 00:07:56,720 because it's hard enough to fight against Williams of Peta if everything is tip top 129 00:07:56,759 --> 00:08:00,279 and perfect. If you've had to kind of travel week from hell and and 130 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,120 the and the aggravations of not even knowing if your fight's going to take place 131 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,560 because of the issues, you know, that's a whole different ballgame. So 132 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,720 we'll see how he performs under that kind of situation. In terms of Zapeida, 133 00:08:09,839 --> 00:08:15,600 we always love doing this with you. Let's say he's spectacular and you 134 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,079 just laid it out for us, it's not going to be a title fight. 135 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,439 More than likely in the next fight, maybe it will be. But 136 00:08:20,519 --> 00:08:24,079 could he be in a title fight as soon as late this year or early 137 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,319 next year? Is he on that track? Yeah, I mean it's totally 138 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,839 possible. I mean a lot of it's gonna come down to uh, you 139 00:08:28,879 --> 00:08:31,399 know who's available, you know, which of the which of the titles are 140 00:08:31,399 --> 00:08:35,720 available. I mean, he's this fight that he's fighting on this particular card. 141 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:39,480 As I mentioned, it's it's an elimination in the w BA and the 142 00:08:39,519 --> 00:08:43,720 IBF. Now the IBF they're obviously very sticklers when it comes to their rules 143 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,960 in terms of you know, ordering mandatories and making them actually you know, 144 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,720 forcing fights either happen or vacating whatever. So the WBC Championship course Stevens, 145 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,600 and that's not this eliminator, although Oscar you never know if maybe they'll take 146 00:08:56,639 --> 00:09:00,720 him up on there for who that knows. The w BO time is vacant, 147 00:09:00,759 --> 00:09:03,639 but this is not that fight. That's the Navarette fight that's going to 148 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,759 come up against. You know, they're gonna do that fight against Barentchik in 149 00:09:05,799 --> 00:09:09,720 a you know, in May. So you're talking about the IBF title, 150 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,159 which is vacant presently. So it's a it's a you know, we'll see 151 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,000 how they I forget the fight that that's supposed to be doing to fill that 152 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:20,879 in, and then you have Tank Davis as the WBA champion and at the 153 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,120 very least it won't be Tank's next fight because supposedly, again this hasn't been 154 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,279 announced. It's not like I don't think it's one hundred percent done, But 155 00:09:26,279 --> 00:09:30,759 he's going to be a pay per view fight against Frank Martin that's gonna come 156 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,960 up probably in June time frame. So you know, could he fight at 157 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:35,840 if he wins a paid up by the end of the year in one of 158 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,000 these title bets. Yeah, I think that's possible, particularly in the IBF. 159 00:09:39,279 --> 00:09:43,240 But again, he's got to take care of the business. And you 160 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,200 know, it doesn't even if it's not a title fight, if you can 161 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,559 just get like a top name just to keep himself busy. Obviously, if 162 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,879 he wins and everything's good, no injury, he's gonna fight, you know, 163 00:09:50,919 --> 00:09:52,600 at least at one more time, hopefully two more times in twenty twenty 164 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,279 four. We'll have to wait and see. It's on the right path, 165 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:01,399 sure, and especially he's an action fighter, fast hands, big punch. 166 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,639 Let's see, he's gotta be Maxi Hughes who you know, never even when 167 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,720 Maxi, even when Maxi is lose, has lost fights. Guys are not 168 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,039 in easy fights. To cam Boss fight was the majority decision, however you 169 00:10:11,039 --> 00:10:13,480 thought it went out it was still very close. He had a long winning 170 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:18,480 streak before that. He lost a decision to Liam wash Back in twenty nineteen, 171 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:20,480 again gave him a tough fight that night. You know, he did 172 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,639 get stopped in a fight, you know, a couple of fights before that. 173 00:10:24,639 --> 00:10:28,039 But he's a guy that's generally gone the route with guys and given them 174 00:10:28,039 --> 00:10:31,960 competition even when he's lost fights. So he's a true vet all right. 175 00:10:31,039 --> 00:10:35,759 On the undercard, Floyd Schofield's name is there? What else of note tell 176 00:10:35,759 --> 00:10:39,000 me about Schofield? And what else of note on the Golden Boys show? 177 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,320 Well, you know that the Schofield's a guy that I've been pretty high on 178 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,960 that I've been I've watched him, you know, for the last several fights, 179 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,960 and you know, been been enamored by his potential. He's only twenty 180 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,600 one years old, fights out of Austin, Texas, and he's with Golden 181 00:10:52,639 --> 00:10:56,840 Boy now sixteen to zero with twelve knockouts, and he's another guy, you 182 00:10:56,879 --> 00:11:00,840 know, in the lightweight division that's making a name for himself. You know, 183 00:11:00,879 --> 00:11:03,440 I don't think Golden Boy is gonna take an opportunity to put him in 184 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,879 the ring against the Paydi if they both win, they're not, they're both 185 00:11:05,879 --> 00:11:09,480 at different stages of their career. But he's fighting a fighter at Sterry Sireo 186 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,840 on this guy who's not very well known. To be quite honest, I 187 00:11:13,879 --> 00:11:16,080 think they're kind of having a little bit a hard time match in scorefield, 188 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,320 to be honest. This is the guy who's from the Dominican thirteen and one 189 00:11:18,759 --> 00:11:22,559 with ten knockouts by far and away, if you look at his resume, 190 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,480 this is by far the biggest step up that he's ever had. And Schofield 191 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,039 is one of these guys where depending on who he's fighting, you know, 192 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:31,960 I've seen him look lights out where he's just destroyed a guy like in his 193 00:11:33,039 --> 00:11:35,840 last fight, by the way, against Ricardo Lopez, he blew the guy 194 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,679 away in the first round. He dropped him four times. And then you 195 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,480 put him in with the veteran like a Haskell Rhodes in the fight before that, 196 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,679 and even though he scored some knockdowns that went ten rounds and he just 197 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,720 beat him up for ten rounds. So you know, you don't know if 198 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,639 Floyd's gonna be able to knock the guy out or it's going to go to 199 00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,360 the route. But he's been dominating in his fights pretty much so far. 200 00:11:52,279 --> 00:11:54,720 And so that's the co feature. You know, this has been a kind 201 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,960 of a snake bit card. They lost an elimination fight on the undercard, 202 00:11:58,519 --> 00:12:03,399 the the women's title fight that was supposed to be there because well, they 203 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,799 had visa issues with Alanez, who was supposed to have the rematch with the 204 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:11,320 Sparza who they had fought previously to unify three the women's titles I believe in 205 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:15,600 the flyweight division. So that fight has been postponed. It will be rescheduled 206 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:22,960 for a future Golden Boy card. So the card was better on paper before. 207 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:28,159 By losing the women's fight and the Victor Morales elimination fight, you know, 208 00:12:28,279 --> 00:12:31,200 kind of put a dent in it, but we still got to paid 209 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,559 it in the main event, who I said is always exciting. Still have 210 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:37,039 the out standing prospect in Schofield on the show. And on top of that, 211 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,279 you also have, which was just announced officially a few days I think 212 00:12:41,399 --> 00:12:46,879 a couple of days ago, you have a fighter that Golden Boy signed who 213 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:52,559 a fighter named Joel Arte who was a Mexican American superb amateur credentials. A 214 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:56,840 lot of people have a huge amount of hope for this kid, seventeen time 215 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,480 national amateur champion, just you know, one of the one of the best 216 00:13:00,639 --> 00:13:03,720 United States amateurs that there's been over the last couple of years from Bakersfield, 217 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,799 you know, Team USA member. You know, if he had stayed amateur, 218 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,960 probably could have worked his way towards the Olympics. But he's going pro 219 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,159 and he's making his debut on this undercard. And because I don't know if 220 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,360 they were going to originally put it on the main card, but because the 221 00:13:16,399 --> 00:13:20,639 card took a couple of hits with the fights I mentioned being called off, 222 00:13:20,639 --> 00:13:22,759 I think it's all five of the fights that are left on the show, 223 00:13:22,759 --> 00:13:26,399 we're all going to be part of the main design broadcast, so you'll see 224 00:13:26,399 --> 00:13:31,799 the kid's pro debut. All good stuff here with this and that again is 225 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:37,240 the Golden Boy Desonne Show, Las Vegas on Saturday evening. All right, 226 00:13:37,279 --> 00:13:43,039 as mentioned, we have a former world champ on the podcast, Oscar Valdez 227 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:46,879 two division World champ will face Liam Wilson. That is headlining the top rank 228 00:13:48,159 --> 00:13:52,519 ESPN Plus card coming up on March twenty nine from Glendale, Arizona. You 229 00:13:52,639 --> 00:13:56,919 don't have to wait until March twenty nine for Oscar Valdez because you got him 230 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:01,480 right now. As part of the big Fight we came preview with Big Dan. 231 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,159 I would like to welcome back to the podcast none other than one of 232 00:14:05,159 --> 00:14:09,320 my favorite fighters. I'm not ashamed to admit that the two divisional world champion, 233 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:13,720 former federweight and junior lightweight champion, two time Olympian, Oscar Valdez. 234 00:14:13,799 --> 00:14:16,759 Oscar, thank you very much for joining me today. I appreciate it. 235 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,759 There's always a pleasure Dad. You know, it's always good talk with you, 236 00:14:18,879 --> 00:14:22,399 and you have good to be back. Well, we'll tell the people 237 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,919 what you've got coming up. It's yet another Oscar Valdez fight, which I 238 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,759 think that means people are probably in for a very entertaining fight. You're taking 239 00:14:30,799 --> 00:14:35,399 on Australia's Leam Wilson March twenty ninth in the top rank on ESPN Plus main 240 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:41,720 event at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Obviously an important fight. 241 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:43,639 Both of you guys are in the title hunt at one hundred and thirty 242 00:14:43,679 --> 00:14:48,919 pounds. You have a common opponent in Emmanuel Navarette. You know we both 243 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:52,799 suffered losses to but this opportunity for both of you guys to get back in 244 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,679 business. So I want to start off. I mentioned Naverette Oscar your fight 245 00:14:56,759 --> 00:15:01,159 with him in August was was a tremendous fight. You lost the decision that 246 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,039 fight. Uh, I just wonder, how how hard is it to put 247 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,600 that kind of uh loss behind you. I know how much you had invested 248 00:15:07,639 --> 00:15:11,960 in that, how excited you were to fight for the title again, and 249 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,360 uh, you know it didn't go your way. Well it was hard, 250 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,159 it was. It was definitely one of the hardest things that I have put 251 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,080 up for because I was so focused on that fight, so well trained, 252 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,360 everything was, camp had had gone perfectly well, and I was almost sure 253 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,840 I was gonna win the fight, you know I was. There wasn't a 254 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,240 doubt in my mind. It didn't go It didn't go my way. So 255 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,840 it crushed me, crushing me, uh morally, physically everything. You know. 256 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,559 It was just down as I've ever been. But you know does in 257 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,279 the past now. And I just said, you know what, well, 258 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,960 I feel blessed that I get another opportunity. You know, we know Boxton 259 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,759 is a cruel sport. You know, when you lose, you're almost out 260 00:15:50,799 --> 00:15:54,639 of the window. So me being uh yeah, having another shot what means 261 00:15:54,639 --> 00:15:58,840 everything to me because I know it's it's all or nothing for me. Yeah, 262 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,559 we know, whoever Wisdess fights is a step closer for for for a 263 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,279 World Tide to fight, and who we lose is takes a couple of steps 264 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,240 back, you know, three steps back, so it will be very hard 265 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,120 to come back from that loss. So right now I'm very focused on this 266 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:15,960 fight. You know, like I said, it was hard to accept the 267 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:22,960 fact that you know, lost against but I always I've always taught, I've 268 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,559 always thought that I'm a I'm a positive fighter, positive thinker, and you 269 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,200 know, I'm very positive right now physically mentally ready for this, for this 270 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,159 fight. Always felt that every time I you know, my back is against 271 00:16:34,159 --> 00:16:38,639 the ropes, against you know, against the wall in these tough positions basically 272 00:16:38,759 --> 00:16:41,440 basically bring out the better of me, the better ask all there. So 273 00:16:42,759 --> 00:16:45,960 it's all or nothing for me. This fight me is the world to me. 274 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,720 When you had that fight with him last summer, there was so much 275 00:16:48,759 --> 00:16:52,879 hype around that fight, so much expectations it was going to be like Barrera 276 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,279 Morales. That's how Top Rank promoted it to the point where they even had, 277 00:16:56,559 --> 00:16:59,879 you know, Marco and Eric there to to be ringside to and be 278 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,720 involved in the promotion. I know both of you. I never at they 279 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:04,440 both you know, admired those two fighters. I know you're a fan of 280 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,640 both guys for sure. And the fight, you know, maybe it didn't 281 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,400 live up to burn Ross, but was one hell of a fight. I 282 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,359 mean, a lot of people had on their fight of the year type lists 283 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,400 at the end of twenty twenty three, and it was a really exciting, 284 00:17:15,559 --> 00:17:21,319 entertaining fight. So even though you lost, I know how it's important always 285 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:22,960 has been to you to please the fans that at least take like a silver 286 00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:26,279 lining that you know, maybe I didn't get my hand raised, but we 287 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,839 gave the fans a memorable fight that they're not going to forget. You know 288 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,119 what. At first, I didn't think about it like that, but because 289 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:34,759 you know, you know, I take my losses very hard. I was 290 00:17:34,839 --> 00:17:37,519 very hard on myself. You know, went back home, just stay in 291 00:17:37,559 --> 00:17:41,559 my house. They want to go off. Every time I will step out, 292 00:17:41,599 --> 00:17:45,720 you know, go off to the streets or something, to grosseries or 293 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:51,079 whatever. I will see people as people will congratulate me and tell me they 294 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,039 saw the effort that I put that kind of helped me, helped me a 295 00:17:53,079 --> 00:17:59,000 lot. Knowing the fans, we're we're grateful for for me trying to put 296 00:17:59,079 --> 00:18:02,880 up a good fight. So that that that that day helped me bring up 297 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:07,119 my my my spirit back into a sport. So so yeah, I mean, 298 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,680 like I said, I wasn't I wasn't happy for my performance. I 299 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,160 think one of the biggest mistakes also is trying to knock out my opponent in 300 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,359 front of a crowd. And that's a big mistake you do in boxing, 301 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,839 you know, looking for the knockouts like looking looking looking to hit the home 302 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:27,000 run with the pictures is he So I made that mistake, So you know, 303 00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:32,599 we got to go back to study on that, to stay on the 304 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,119 game plan to win the fight. And you're back in the same arena. 305 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,640 So on the one hand, it's like maybe it's got some bad memories, 306 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,039 but on the other end, you can maybe erase them by getting a win, 307 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,359 is it is it like a yeah, well, at least the world 308 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:45,880 to me to be back, and like I said, I truly feel blessed 309 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,200 to be a position in this position again, you know, fighting the same 310 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,200 arena or my same crowd. I guess a tough opponent for Leal Wilson, 311 00:18:53,279 --> 00:18:59,480 who we share like the com was close to winning that fight. Yeah, 312 00:19:00,319 --> 00:19:02,960 I'm on the canvash I long. It's not even gonna be easy fight. 313 00:19:03,279 --> 00:19:06,359 But I'm not looking for an easy fights. I'm looking for an opportunity, 314 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,599 this opportunity for me to step back into the position that I want to be, 315 00:19:11,839 --> 00:19:15,279 which is those title fights. Right, So you went, You went 316 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,400 to twelve round distance in your fight with never Atte didn't get the decision. 317 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,000 He got stopped by never at in the ninth round, but he did score 318 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,759 a knockdown against him, kind of coming out of nowhere. He was from 319 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,200 Australia, not known here at all. I'm not even sure he was that 320 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:30,279 well known in Australia, to be quite honest with you. He was a 321 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:33,359 fourteen to one underdog and surprised a lot of people. Matter of fact, 322 00:19:33,519 --> 00:19:37,319 you know, people should know he was in the fight because you had an 323 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,400 injury that forced you to delay your chance to fight never at Day. So 324 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,519 he stepped in and they made it into a Fight of the Year candidate, 325 00:19:42,559 --> 00:19:45,039 the same way that you and never at Ay you're fighting into a fight of 326 00:19:45,039 --> 00:19:49,240 the your candidate, but he's not coming in taking anybody by surprise anymore. 327 00:19:49,279 --> 00:19:53,720 I mean, you obviously know how he performed against Navarete. When you did 328 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:56,240 you see you watch that fight? I know you were, You were their 329 00:19:56,319 --> 00:20:00,279 ringside, knowing you're going to get the shot against him if you wi uh, 330 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,400 you know, if he won. So what's your take on William Wilson 331 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,440 as a fighter in that performance? Always there in that fight. You know, 332 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,920 I know he's a he doesn't give up, and he carries a punch 333 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:18,559 he he uses, we reach advantage and that's why he clipped. And you 334 00:20:18,599 --> 00:20:21,720 know I hear everything. I got to the ghetto. I didn't feel like 335 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,640 I didn't feel like I moved him as much as Leo Wilson did. So 336 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:26,920 you know, we're keeping on eyeing that. We'll keep an eye on that 337 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,039 left hook. Dig's walk to the body. This is well his jab is 338 00:20:30,079 --> 00:20:36,440 one two distance. So we're studying everything, you know, charline from my 339 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:41,000 own mistakes as well. You know that I getto I didn't watch a lot 340 00:20:41,039 --> 00:20:42,599 of film on him. I thought I watched a couple of times. I 341 00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:47,839 said, okay, I know just enough. But this time I'm studying my 342 00:20:47,839 --> 00:20:52,160 opponent more. I'm focusing the same focus on the game plan, so I 343 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,240 don't make those mistakes again in the fight. But those are things you just 344 00:20:55,319 --> 00:20:59,480 learned over time when you're fighting. You know, I am considered a veteran 345 00:20:59,519 --> 00:21:02,319 down the sport, got more than ten years professional boxer, Yeah, boxing, 346 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,480 So I do got that experience on my side. So I'm gonna give 347 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:08,359 my best. Like I said, I take it. I take each of 348 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,359 very fight very seriously. I'm definitely taking this fight very seriously because I know 349 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,519 it's a career to fighting. Fight. Well, I was gonna answer about 350 00:21:15,519 --> 00:21:18,279 that. I mean, I was gonna ask you, like, what is 351 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:22,880 your greatest advantage? You mentioned your experience. He's only got I think fifteen 352 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,119 professional fights. You obviously, like you said, a probe more than ten 353 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:30,200 years, uh thirty plus fights, two time world champion, You're gonna be 354 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,519 in front of a very friendly crowd. You're you grew up in Arizona. 355 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,799 It's gonna be a big Mexican crowd, obviously you're from Mexico. Uh, 356 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:41,119 what do you think is your best advantage? Then? Among all those different 357 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:45,400 things, I experienced a two time Olympius, like you mentioned it, I've 358 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,519 been in. I've been in several fights. You know, there's there is 359 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:52,400 some some talk out there, you know, I hear I hear people saying 360 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,759 that I've been through some wars and that that take a toll, but I 361 00:21:55,759 --> 00:21:57,119 don't. I don't feel it. You know, I feel good. I've 362 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:03,640 been fart of some good amateur fighters, twenty year olds and good prospects here 363 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,960 in San Diego, and I feel on the levels for speed, agility and 364 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,799 everything. So I do feel I do feel good. Still, I still 365 00:22:11,799 --> 00:22:15,920 feel good. So which I just showing that that day. You know, 366 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:19,759 I got the experience, I got the whole package. So the one big 367 00:22:19,799 --> 00:22:22,839 thing that is, you know, I ain't fighting him. I'm pretty much 368 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,799 a hometown Arizona. That that's a big plus. There's a big plus. 369 00:22:26,799 --> 00:22:29,920 But at the same time, it could help me sometimes, you know, 370 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,759 I get excited there. I get excited in the people, the people getting 371 00:22:33,799 --> 00:22:37,359 hyped up and they want to see a good fight. But this time I'm 372 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,039 very focused on the game plan, game plan and waiting to fight. See, 373 00:22:41,079 --> 00:22:42,799 that's the thing I've watched your entire career, Oscar. I know you 374 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,000 love to mix it up, and that's one of the things that's made you 375 00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:49,119 a fan favorite, But you're also a very capable boxer if you can stick 376 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,640 to that plan. How hard is that to do when you get into the 377 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,759 battle. I mean, Lee and Wilson got into a battle with Neverretta. 378 00:22:56,839 --> 00:22:59,440 We know what he can do. We've seen you in plenty of those types 379 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,160 of fights. It's almost easier to get into a brawl than it is to 380 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,680 stay more in a boxing mindset. Is am I wrong about that? How 381 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,359 do you go about making sure that you don't get crazy with the war? 382 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,400 You know, well, it's one of those things that are easier said than 383 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:15,680 done. And you would think, you know, I have so much experience 384 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,839 in it. I walk on the streets of Mexico and walks in the streets 385 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,799 and wherever I go, and one of them I'll put an example my grandpa. 386 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,839 I'll talk to me, and my grandpa tells me, Miko, you 387 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,279 have to fight. Don't fight for the fans, don't give on, just 388 00:23:30,279 --> 00:23:33,599 just win to fight. Choose the technique. And in my mind I'm telling 389 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,720 I'm thinking to myself, Grandpa, you don't think I know that. I 390 00:23:36,799 --> 00:23:40,799 know that it's easier say than done. Once I'm in the ring, it 391 00:23:41,039 --> 00:23:42,680 sometimes. Yeah, guys, guys, just a little focus because of the 392 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,599 crowd and everything. I want to give them a fight, fans what they 393 00:23:45,599 --> 00:23:48,119 want. That's one of the things that helped me out. When COVID was 394 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:52,799 around. There wasn't no fans, and I was listening to each and everything 395 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,799 I put. My corner was telling me. And you know, it's one 396 00:23:56,799 --> 00:24:00,640 of those things Easier said that, don't you have the burch olt Win was 397 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,240 in the in the bubble. That's maybe your greatest victory. And you were 398 00:24:04,279 --> 00:24:07,160 an underdog in that fight. You knocked him out and you focused. You 399 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,559 didn't get into a crazy battle. And you think that was because there was 400 00:24:11,559 --> 00:24:14,319 no now, no big crowd. I want to just blame it one hundred 401 00:24:14,319 --> 00:24:15,839 percent of the crowd. You know. It was a game time the part 402 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:18,519 that's part of it, That was part of it. Yeah, every time 403 00:24:18,599 --> 00:24:22,559 I will because there was a point when Boshe he told me this got I 404 00:24:22,599 --> 00:24:25,559 told myself. I looked at it. I said, all right, his 405 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,799 goat and I was gonna go forward. And Carrie, I heard my father 406 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:32,799 and my training ended and I was don't do it, go back, you 407 00:24:32,839 --> 00:24:34,359 know, and they were and it refreshed my mind I said, nope, 408 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:38,599 okay, going back, going back. In that round, I dropped him 409 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,680 for the second time. So I was like, Okay, sticking to the 410 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:47,240 game plan was working. But I could have easily fell for that trap if 411 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:49,559 the people maybe hyped up that they want to see a fight. Because he 412 00:24:49,599 --> 00:24:52,000 told me let's go, I said, all right, let's go. So 413 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,480 you know, if Liam Wilson's about to drag you into that sort of battle 414 00:24:56,799 --> 00:25:00,880 like you're talking about Burchelton and we're talking talking about can you is it? 415 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,559 Do you have enough in you to remember this conversation all the things you just 416 00:25:04,599 --> 00:25:07,839 said to me about don't do it? Yeah, box be smart. Well, 417 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,720 it depends, It depends on all the situations. And you know, 418 00:25:11,279 --> 00:25:15,160 you know, if it's if it's working and the incide it's the fight to 419 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:21,119 go and and giving the failies they want what they want and he's still winning 420 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:23,160 the fight. Well that's a plus for me. But if I have to 421 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,759 box to win the rounds, and that's something else that I'm looking forward to. 422 00:25:27,799 --> 00:25:32,799 But you know what Leo Wilson's style, I can see it, you 423 00:25:32,839 --> 00:25:36,759 know, I can see him me and him going going to a great style 424 00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:38,400 of of of a fight because you know, if you know, we need 425 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,960 a dacy partner. And I thought it was gonna be a ghetto you know. 426 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,359 I thought the Star was gonna adapt for something better, and it wasn't 427 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,880 you know it, Star was too awkward. Maybe I couldn't. I couldn't 428 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,319 figured them out. By the time I kind of figured him out, it 429 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:56,400 was too late in the rounds. So now Leon Wilson, maybe his style 430 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,519 and my style will adapt for a better fight. Well never at also through 431 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:03,279 like over a thousand punches, which can definitely be a part of that you 432 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,960 mentioned about, you know, hearing whispers of people saying, you know, 433 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,759 maybe you've been in too many wars and you know, maybe you're not what 434 00:26:10,799 --> 00:26:12,519 you were at your best. But you say you feel good even though you 435 00:26:12,519 --> 00:26:15,839 know you like you mentioned before, you've been a pro ten years and all 436 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,359 those amateur fights. You're thirty three. This is gonna be your thirty fourth 437 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:22,279 professional fight. How much longer do you see yourself doing this? I know 438 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,119 you say you feel good now, but is this a long term thing? 439 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:27,440 Are you taking it fight by fight? Like what's in your back of your 440 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:32,319 minds by fight? Because I know one thing I know, I know one 441 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,359 thing for sure, I think the fighter is the last person to realize it's 442 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,119 time to hang up the gloves. By me knowing that I lived, I 443 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:42,920 would leave to the decision always my father, because my father is the one 444 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:48,319 person who will always tell me the truth. It will tell me all right, 445 00:26:48,519 --> 00:26:51,519 son, it's time to hang up the gloves because maybe it's not working. 446 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,599 Maybe you're taking too mich shots. If he feels All'm okay, I'm 447 00:26:53,599 --> 00:26:57,200 okay because I feel good. And I know also some fighters who say they 448 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:02,799 feel good and they're not doing so good. So I'm just thinking to fight 449 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:04,200 by fight, day by day. You know, I've been joining every single 450 00:27:04,279 --> 00:27:07,599 day of the camp. You know, I've been joined the work. I 451 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,160 hasn't been doing them. Like I said before several times, in boxing is 452 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,960 my life. I love doing this. But if it's time hanging up the 453 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:18,839 gloves, when it's time, then I will obey my father. One person 454 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,039 will tell me the truth. Well, and I'll just I'll wrap up with 455 00:27:22,079 --> 00:27:26,480 this. Then are there other goals that you have and you want to win 456 00:27:26,559 --> 00:27:30,599 this fight? I mean, maybe this fight will include an interim title possibility, 457 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,839 maybe there'll be another world title fight for you. But is there another 458 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,960 goal? Top Rank has O Shaky Foster, who is the WBC champion. 459 00:27:37,319 --> 00:27:41,319 That's uh, you know that that's your old title. Uh. You know 460 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:42,680 what's in the back of your mind as far as what you'd like to do 461 00:27:42,759 --> 00:27:47,279 going forward, If you're going to continue to do this world championship, that's 462 00:27:47,319 --> 00:27:49,279 my mind, that's my mind. You know. I think if you're a 463 00:27:49,279 --> 00:27:53,480 professional boxer and being a world champion isn't your goal, then what are you 464 00:27:53,559 --> 00:27:56,720 doing in the sport? You know? Right now? You know, my 465 00:27:56,799 --> 00:28:00,440 main focus right now is Neil Wilson because I know that's a step for a 466 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,759 world type shot. So you know, first things first, will fight back, 467 00:28:03,799 --> 00:28:10,079 fight Leo Wilson, then who knows, maybe a remass with who knows. 468 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,079 Maybe they meant Bosher Foster now that he's from top rank. But I 469 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,319 don't like mentioning these names because I'm very focused on this guy right here that 470 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:18,559 I got in front of you, because I don't think. I don't think 471 00:28:18,559 --> 00:28:22,119 it's easy fighter, but I'm gonna do it whatever it takes to eliminated. 472 00:28:22,279 --> 00:28:26,599 Once that, then we'll talk as far who who can we fight if that's 473 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:32,839 even but I'm almost positive that is just staying very focused on the one thing, 474 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:34,920 win this fight and then live for the world time fight. All right, 475 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,279 well, you're gonna try to win that fight. March twenty ninth on 476 00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:41,680 ESPN Plus. Oscar as always, thank you very much for your time. 477 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,880 I appreciate it very much and I wish you nothing but the best coming up 478 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:49,279 in a few weeks soon, Thank you very much. Oscar has been kind 479 00:28:49,319 --> 00:28:52,960 of an interesting career, as you've been detailing with us in advance and even 480 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,759 in the conversation there with Oscar definitely on the trail of trying to get a 481 00:28:56,759 --> 00:29:02,279 world title again. We saw a Manuel nab Rat handle him pretty easily, 482 00:29:02,279 --> 00:29:04,440 but Oscar's won some big time fights as well. Oscar Valdez, we're talking 483 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:08,480 about final thoughts after the conversation there is he gets ready to headline here in 484 00:29:08,519 --> 00:29:11,839 about a week and a half. You're a boxing fan and you don't like 485 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,799 watching Oscar Valdez fight, then I don't really consider you a boxing fan. 486 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,319 He's everything you want to see in a fighter. He knows how to fight, 487 00:29:19,359 --> 00:29:22,119 he's got good background, he was a two time Olympian, He's got 488 00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:26,000 skills. He likes to fight, but he's able to box. He's willing 489 00:29:26,039 --> 00:29:29,200 to fight the best guys. He's fought a lot of the best guys. 490 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,240 He's been in some tremendous battle, some extremely dramatic fights, been a champion 491 00:29:33,279 --> 00:29:36,359 at featherweight, been a champion at junior lightweight. You know, was willing 492 00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:38,720 to fight your course Stevenson in a unification when nobody wanted to fight Cha Court. 493 00:29:38,799 --> 00:29:41,279 A lot of people still don't want to fight Shakor. He did it, 494 00:29:42,119 --> 00:29:44,960 and he's the kind of guy winn or lose. He's going to give 495 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,680 your money's worth. You mentioned the Navarete fight. That was the fight that 496 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,640 he lost. His most recent fight that took place in August, a tremendous 497 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:53,440 battle, you know, lost. The decision was you know, competitive at 498 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,880 times, but clearly he lost that fight. So he's fighting Leam Wilson, 499 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:00,119 who also has suffered and knock out. Well, Valdez went the route with 500 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:06,000 Navarette loss a decision. Liam Wilson was stopped in the vacant title fight against 501 00:30:06,039 --> 00:30:08,119 Liam Wilson. That was the fight that happened because Valdez had been injured and 502 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:12,119 he had to get a replacement to fight Naverette. And then now they both 503 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,839 fought Navarrette. Now they're trying to regenerate themselves by fighting each other. One 504 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,160 of the things I always give the credit the top rank for is, you 505 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,440 know, when these guys have lost, they're not just you know, they 506 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,599 don't just immediately get rid of you. If you give an effort or you 507 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:26,799 make a good fight, they bring them back. And they're putting these guys 508 00:30:27,039 --> 00:30:30,720 coming off, you know, those types of situations to climb the mountain again 509 00:30:30,759 --> 00:30:36,240 and fairness, and Valdez obviously knows this. In your conversation, Liam Wilson 510 00:30:36,279 --> 00:30:41,680 had Navarante down and in trouble, and so there is real credibility here with 511 00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:45,240 this fight and with this challenge for Oscar no kidding, yeah, I mean 512 00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:48,920 absolutely, And the winner of the fight is going to take a big step 513 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,839 forward to being in position potentially to fight for one of the belts at one 514 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,000 hundred and thirty, you know, depending on how it goes. And obviously 515 00:30:56,079 --> 00:31:00,640 Navarrete has his own fight coming off the for the title the vacant that lightweight, 516 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,759 so it still remains to be seen. He's going to come back down 517 00:31:03,799 --> 00:31:07,599 in wait. But whether he does or he doesn't, the winner of it's 518 00:31:07,599 --> 00:31:11,480 not enough it's not an official eliminator. By the time the fight takes place 519 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,640 on March twenty ninth, it very well could be a sanction as an eliminator. 520 00:31:15,839 --> 00:31:18,240 It's not out of the realm that, because of Navarrete's schedule that the 521 00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:22,200 wbaa sanction for the interim title, knowing that if he stays at the weight, 522 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,920 the winner will become the actual champion. So there's a lot at stake 523 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,559 in this fight. It may be currently just a twelve round non title fight, 524 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,160 but you know between now, when the time the fight happens, things 525 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,680 could change. So it's an important fight for both of these for both these 526 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:40,200 guys to take that next step. All right, good stuff on that too, 527 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:44,279 So some news here. Then we get to some good nostalgia as well. 528 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:49,160 A Jesse Bam Rodriguez, the current unified flyweight champ of the WBO and 529 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,599 the IBF, is now going to move back up to junior banham Way, 530 00:31:53,680 --> 00:32:00,160 tell me more because he's getting the chance against a huge name moving up up 531 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,799 in weight. Here, tell me more about this situation and what you've learned. 532 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,160 Dan, Okay, So this fight, I'm about to tell you that 533 00:32:06,279 --> 00:32:09,200 it's not one hundred signed sealed and delivered, but it's probably going to become 534 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,720 signed, sealed and delivered. Bam Rodriguez, his side is all set. 535 00:32:14,759 --> 00:32:17,559 So, like you mentioned, he had been the WBC champion in the junior 536 00:32:17,559 --> 00:32:22,039 bantamweight division. He vacated that title. He dropped down and he won a 537 00:32:22,119 --> 00:32:25,759 flyway title and then in his last fight that was a tremendous performance. At 538 00:32:25,799 --> 00:32:29,799 the end of last year, he had the fight against Sonny Edwards and he 539 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,599 dominated and knocked him out to unify two of the titles, the WBO and 540 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,920 the IBF belts in the one hundred and twelve pound division. And he's set 541 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,079 all along, Bam that you know, for the right fight, for the 542 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,200 opportunity, for the money, whatever it is that he can go between the 543 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,920 weight classes. He's going to have the opportunity now to return to the junior 544 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:51,519 bandamweight division and fight for the WBC belt that he once had against the great 545 00:32:51,559 --> 00:32:55,720 Wan Francisco Estrada, who won that vacant title when Bam went down in weight. 546 00:32:55,799 --> 00:33:00,200 He got that when he had the third fight with Chalcotito Gonzalez. But 547 00:33:00,279 --> 00:33:02,359 even before he got that vagant belt, he was already the lineal champion from 548 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:08,680 his controversial second fight victory against Chocolatito Gonza. So this this is a class 549 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:13,119 matchup. This is the young star in Bam Rodriguez, you know, with 550 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:15,960 a with a burgeoning resume at a very young age, when doing a lot 551 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,599 of good things, winning belts, you know, going between weight classes. 552 00:33:19,759 --> 00:33:22,240 You know, Wan Francisco Estrad who's coming off a long layoff, but he's 553 00:33:22,279 --> 00:33:25,279 a future Hall of Famer. You know, he's won titles in multiple weight 554 00:33:25,279 --> 00:33:30,720 classes, unified titles. He's been in that great trilogy with with Chocolatito that 555 00:33:30,759 --> 00:33:32,960 I mentioned that he won two to one despite the controversy in the second fight. 556 00:33:34,359 --> 00:33:37,279 And so they're trying to wrap up this decide on the Strata side. 557 00:33:37,279 --> 00:33:40,119 But you know, I'm assuming they're going to get this done. Remember Strada, 558 00:33:40,119 --> 00:33:43,279 they were moving him towards he was hoping at the end of this past 559 00:33:43,319 --> 00:33:45,960 year in December on New Year's Eve, they were trying to make a fight 560 00:33:45,039 --> 00:33:50,960 a unification between him and your boy Kazuto Ioka in Japan. Oh my boy, 561 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,000 my boy. That deal was not able to get finalized, so it 562 00:33:54,039 --> 00:33:57,759 didn't happen. So Astrada didn't end up fighting in all that year and Ioka 563 00:33:57,839 --> 00:34:00,440 ended up fighting a different opponent and on his normal uh, you know, 564 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,839 he fights on New Year's even Japan, the same way we see somebody like 565 00:34:04,839 --> 00:34:08,360 I say, like Canelo fight on you know, single or the Mexican Independence 566 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,599 weekend in September. So he's gonna keep coming off the layoff. But this 567 00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:14,519 is, this is a good matchup. If it gets squared away, it's 568 00:34:14,559 --> 00:34:16,119 gonna be June twenty ninth, on his own. It'll take place once again 569 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:20,000 at a place we talked about a lot, the Desert Diamond Arena and Glendale, 570 00:34:20,039 --> 00:34:22,039 Arizona. Uh, the same place where we're gonna be talking about the 571 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:28,639 Valdas Liam Smith fight. And this is uh, it's like the this is 572 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:34,440 it's got it's got the feel of like you know, some people will look 573 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,719 at this as like the Estrada Golden parachute. You're getting the big bag at 574 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,000 the end of your career. You know, you're older. Uh, he's 575 00:34:40,039 --> 00:34:43,239 been around. He's only thirty three, but he's you know, that's in 576 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,480 dog years and boxing years for for a fighter in this weight class, that's 577 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,840 pretty ancient. And we'll see what he's got left. He's been in some 578 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,480 hard, tough fights. Bam is a fresh young guy. You know, 579 00:34:52,559 --> 00:34:55,519 coming back up to that weight class is not an issue. He's dominated in 580 00:34:55,559 --> 00:34:59,599 one big fights in that in that weight class, still undefeated, coming off 581 00:34:59,599 --> 00:35:02,480 a great per performance. So but the name value to be able to be 582 00:35:02,559 --> 00:35:06,239 able to get the opportunity to fight a future Hall of Famer like that at 583 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,519 the stage of his career. You know, you might see a beatdown, 584 00:35:08,559 --> 00:35:12,159 but maybe the old man still got something in him and he tames the young 585 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,840 lion. I mean, that's the intrigue of the fight. But one thing 586 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,159 I can guarantee you is that when they do step in, for as long 587 00:35:17,199 --> 00:35:20,679 as it goes, it will be one hundred percent. This will be a 588 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:22,840 good action fight. I have no doubt about it. So they got to 589 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:24,880 get it wrapped up though, but it looks like it's going to take place. 590 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:30,800 And oh, just to clarify, I spoke with Robert Garcia, who 591 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:32,719 is the manager and trainer for Bam Rodriguez, who was telling me that on 592 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:37,079 their side, everything is done, wrapped up, and that they're told that 593 00:35:37,159 --> 00:35:40,199 the Strata side was finalizing their side of the deal. Let's hope that one 594 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:45,679 does get done for Jesse Bam Rodriguez. Exciting, good fight, exciting young 595 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:51,000 fighter. And I had to overcome obviously recently the broken jaw as well to 596 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:54,800 keep pressing on as a world champ. You got more news. I jokingly 597 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:58,840 have put this out there on social media and off the Big Fight Weekend website. 598 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,719 I thought shir Cor Stevenson was tired. No, nobody, nobody believed 599 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:07,239 that, not even for five seconds. Shakur is now apparently going to be 600 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:13,400 back and making his first title defense of his WBC lightweight crown. And this 601 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:15,440 is coming in? When is this coming? And we don't do we know 602 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,800 the opponent. We don't know the opponent yet, So give me the particulars 603 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,280 on what you've been able to find out. Yeah, no, no oppony. 604 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:25,280 And I reported that that the date that's let's call it penciled in dark 605 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:32,440 pencil, July six distinguishing the shades of pencil versus inc on the pods. 606 00:36:32,519 --> 00:36:36,719 Keep going. Yes, the Top Ranks plan is for this fight to take 607 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,199 place July sixth at the Crudential Center in Newark, which is, you know 608 00:36:40,199 --> 00:36:45,400 that Shakur's hometown where he has fought previously. He set the gate record for 609 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:49,960 the Prudential Center for a boxing event back in one of his four recent fights 610 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,360 that took place last year, you know, and that's sort of the old 611 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:54,760 saying. You know, you fish where the fish are. And Shakur is 612 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:59,480 always going to have a constituency in Newark where he's a beloved figure and he's 613 00:36:59,519 --> 00:37:01,360 been a great for the community. He's done a lot of work with the 614 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:06,199 with the the youth in that area and they love him there, and you 615 00:37:06,199 --> 00:37:07,920 know, he'll get a lot of love. And you know what after the 616 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,559 last bomb that he laid in the fart that he laid in the last fight 617 00:37:10,679 --> 00:37:15,119 in November against Edwin de los Santos, which was Chakor's fault and de los 618 00:37:15,119 --> 00:37:19,159 Santos's fault, where they put on one of the worst fights you'll ever see 619 00:37:19,159 --> 00:37:21,239 in the history of your life. That you'll never get that, you know, 620 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,599 fifty to sixty minutes back. But nonetheless he did win. It wasn't 621 00:37:24,599 --> 00:37:28,239 really you know, controversial, right me, If I'm wrong, I am 622 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,400 recalling this. I'm getting older. He hurt his shoulder, one of his 623 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:34,679 shoulders, and was able to say the left was unable to throw the well, 624 00:37:34,679 --> 00:37:36,719 he didn't throw the left, was it left? Correct? He didn't 625 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,559 throw the left like for the last ten rounds of the fight or something, 626 00:37:38,679 --> 00:37:42,800 or tried to beat the guy whatever. I don't want to think about it. 627 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,559 All I know is that Edwin del Los Santos set the record for I 628 00:37:45,559 --> 00:37:50,320 believe it was fewest punches thrown or landed in a round title fight or whatever. 629 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,920 We've already talked about that fight much more than it deserves, but hopefully 630 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,039 the bottom line was hopefully Shaqueur's got it straightened out here coming in July. 631 00:37:55,440 --> 00:38:00,519 So Shakur won the fight. The fight netted him the WBC vacant I remember 632 00:38:00,519 --> 00:38:05,239 when Devin Hainey vacated the undisputed title, all the belts became vacant and uh 633 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,039 and and Shakor foss Delo Santos for that belt. That was when your boy 634 00:38:09,079 --> 00:38:13,559 Frank Martin declined the fight after agreeing to the fight. His team anyway agreed 635 00:38:13,599 --> 00:38:15,920 to it, and so he won that belt. So this will be the 636 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,920 first defense who the opponent is still to be determined. Uh And, as 637 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,559 I mentioned you before, you've got Oscar del Loway out there saying, you 638 00:38:22,599 --> 00:38:24,360 know, come on fight me, you fight you fight my boy as a 639 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:28,239 paida you know, listen as the pieda goes in the ring on Saturday and 640 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,159 just Blitz is the guy and has no issues. There's no reason why he 641 00:38:30,159 --> 00:38:34,360 couldn't come back and fight in July whatsoever. That's definitely not a big deal. 642 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,639 I doubt what happened, but we can put the pressure on and talk 643 00:38:37,679 --> 00:38:40,280 about it. I would like to see that, of course. Yeah, 644 00:38:43,559 --> 00:38:46,400 that was complete bullshit all along. Yeah, it's boxing. We don't ever 645 00:38:46,559 --> 00:38:51,639 get to enjoy good things for very long. So shakur back. You know, 646 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:53,000 I was just choking because my twins when they were a little younger, 647 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,840 they used to love the colored pencils. So are we talking a lot like 648 00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:00,119 purple on the colored pencil. It's not ink we're talking. I blew. 649 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:05,000 My only point was it's not one hundred percent, but it's probable. That's 650 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,559 the fun with you. And by the way, the other thing about I'm 651 00:39:07,559 --> 00:39:10,880 not in the mood for fun today. The deal the deal with this thing 652 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:14,639 also, and this is gonna be a part of the promotion or not. 653 00:39:14,679 --> 00:39:17,079 I'm not on top ranks desire, but people that like me, that write 654 00:39:17,079 --> 00:39:20,719 about it, you can't ignore it. This is the last fight on of 655 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,239 course, Stevenson's Top Rank contract. He's already turned down a lucrative extension. 656 00:39:24,679 --> 00:39:28,119 We'll see if you know, if he's gonna stay with Top Rank, if 657 00:39:28,119 --> 00:39:30,800 they're gonna make a new deal before this fight, if they gonna just do 658 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:31,760 the fight and then maybe try to make a new deal after the fight. 659 00:39:32,039 --> 00:39:35,800 Is he gonna go for agent and talk to everybody else and then come back 660 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,360 to Top Rank sign with somebody else. I mean, we'll see. I 661 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,039 mean, he's been with Top Rank his entire career. Seems to me that 662 00:39:40,119 --> 00:39:44,400 the relationship has been fruitful on both sides. But you never know. I 663 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:46,280 mean, he's gonna go probably one was definitely where the best deal is, 664 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:50,039 and we'll have to wait and see. So but that's going to be something 665 00:39:50,079 --> 00:39:52,519 that's gonna be interesting during the build up to the fight. Let me be 666 00:39:52,599 --> 00:39:55,039 profound. Can I be profound on the podcast? Not trying to make her 667 00:39:55,119 --> 00:39:58,719 laugh? But he better look a whole lot better than the last fight in 668 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:00,280 this fight. If he's trying to a free agent to be and turning down 669 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:04,599 a multi fight offer from Top Rank to stay, I'm going to look a 670 00:40:04,639 --> 00:40:08,719 whole lot better for the marketability that's obvious at this point, a little more 671 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:13,920 news. What is this? MMA guys are on the rundown. Nate Diaz 672 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:21,079 and uh George Masvadal are our MM, a UFC legendary fighters. They're now 673 00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:27,679 going to fight in a light heavyweight boxing match. Uh the uh the fight 674 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:31,719 will be in Los Angeles on June the first. They do have a background 675 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:37,239 in UFC as well. How intrigued are you this is on the list? 676 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:39,559 How intrigued are you that these these guys? I mean, we saw Diaz 677 00:40:39,599 --> 00:40:44,519 go the distance with Jake Paul. He didn't come close to winning. He 678 00:40:44,679 --> 00:40:47,239 survived for a lot of the fight. Uh. But what what are your 679 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:52,920 thoughts here on this is It's a it's a legit light heavyweight. This is 680 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,039 not an exhibition. This is an actual bout. You know, as you 681 00:40:55,079 --> 00:40:59,480 mentioned, uh, Nate Diaz, you know, one of the most famous 682 00:40:59,599 --> 00:41:02,599 UFC fighters in the history of that company, made his professional boxing debut. 683 00:41:02,599 --> 00:41:06,320 It took place last August. That was the fight you mentioned where he lost 684 00:41:06,599 --> 00:41:10,400 a ten round decision to Jake Paul. Wasn't particularly competitive or close, you 685 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,960 know, Jake dropped him in the fifth round and ended up winning the fight. 686 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:17,480 And then you have so he's he's oh and one as a professional boxer 687 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,000 for Hey Masvedal, who's another guy that's known for big time UFC fights. 688 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,599 He's actually one and oho is a professional boxer, which I didn't actually realize 689 00:41:25,599 --> 00:41:29,480 he'd had a professional fight when I looked it up on box wreck. He's 690 00:41:29,519 --> 00:41:32,920 actually listed as having had an official boxing match in two thousand and five and 691 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,000 he won a four round decision in that doubt that took place in Miami. 692 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,800 Obviously he's now you know, it's nineteen years between professional fights, so you 693 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:44,639 know, it might as well be his professional debut. They're fighting, as 694 00:41:44,679 --> 00:41:47,400 you mentioned, at the Forum in Inglewood, California. It's a pay per 695 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,960 view, and the thing about it that a lot of people this is probably 696 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:52,559 being targeted. You know, we'll see what they put on the undercard. 697 00:41:52,599 --> 00:41:55,800 I know they're looking to do some legit boxing matches on that undercard, even 698 00:41:55,800 --> 00:42:00,320 though they didn't announce anything and don't have anything one hundred percent set, but 699 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:04,199 this is sort of the This will be targeted, I'm sure to the MMA 700 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:07,639 fan base because Diaz and Masvedal had you know, a huge, huge, 701 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:12,679 huge fight in UFC that what they call it the BMF title the you know, 702 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,119 the whatever it was. It wasn't like an official world title, but 703 00:42:15,119 --> 00:42:19,800 it was sort of like a made up thing. Uh, and use your 704 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:22,880 imagination to fill in the other two blanks. Yes, so that happened in 705 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:27,079 uh was it? Uh? I forget the year that was, but it 706 00:42:27,119 --> 00:42:31,679 was nineteen okay, And so uh, this is the rematch of of of 707 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,719 that situation. So I think there'll probably be a lot of you know, 708 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:37,480 I mean, you asked me if I'm in my interest. I mean, 709 00:42:37,519 --> 00:42:39,079 I'm mildly interested, you know what I mean. But you know, let's 710 00:42:39,079 --> 00:42:40,960 see what they put on the undercard. I don't know if I want to, 711 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,239 you know, buy a pay per view of this. I spent enough 712 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:46,559 money on pay per view. It's not something I have to see. But 713 00:42:47,079 --> 00:42:52,320 I'm not a mixed martial arts you know, devote I don't watch it regularly. 714 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:54,719 I haven't. I never watched when they had their pay per view fight 715 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:59,280 the first time around. Uh. But they are certainly big names, I 716 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:02,159 mean in the sport of m m A. And if you're coming into boxing, 717 00:43:02,199 --> 00:43:06,119 I just find it kind of funny because you got all these MMA guys 718 00:43:06,119 --> 00:43:09,719 who want to rush to boxing to make a big bag against a boxer. 719 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:14,360 Now you've got the MMA guys coming at boxing and for each other for whatever 720 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:19,440 money they can make. So you just don't hear very much or very rare, 721 00:43:19,679 --> 00:43:22,519 very rare about the boxer going to fight in MMA. It's just not 722 00:43:22,599 --> 00:43:27,159 a thing that that goes on too often. So, uh, you know, 723 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,599 we'll see if they can make it work. I assume they'll have a 724 00:43:29,599 --> 00:43:31,119 good crowd there. I mean it's a lot a lot of fans. I 725 00:43:31,159 --> 00:43:35,400 don't know. I forgive me if you said it. Who's the promotional element 726 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:37,159 that's behind this, that's behind the pay per view? What do we know 727 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:40,360 about that? For June? First part of it is the is the Game 728 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,480 Breed Promotions, which is maz de Dell's company, but it's also the pay 729 00:43:44,519 --> 00:43:46,800 per view outfit called fan Meo, which has been involved with some of these 730 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:51,599 sort of you know, kind of offbeat kind of events. They were involved, 731 00:43:51,599 --> 00:43:53,880 I think in one of the Mayweather exhibitions and and and that sort of 732 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:58,000 thing. I'm still not sure if they're gonna it'll it'll be available on their 733 00:43:58,039 --> 00:44:01,599 platform, but whether they all make it available like on a whatever it is 734 00:44:01,639 --> 00:44:05,719 on like in demand, your satellite or cable or a PPV dot com which 735 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,239 is their digital arm that they know our great sponsor wherever. I'm not sure 736 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,599 what that. I don't know if they've even figured all that out yet. 737 00:44:10,599 --> 00:44:15,480 But the fight is happening and you know that is what it is. Figure 738 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:17,159 we out to tell the peeps about it. You know. There you go, 739 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:20,719 you gave him the good news. Update. One more item here. 740 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,760 Top Rank Boxing, speaking of them, does have an interesting signing here as 741 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:29,400 a super middleweight. And we've talked about this guy, including on the bet 742 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:36,480 Us Handicapping show Christian Nobili tell me more about him now and inking this deal 743 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:38,440 it's a co promotional deal, right, yeah, it is. I mean 744 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:43,920 he's been promoted by I of the Tiger, which is the outfit in you 745 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:46,239 know, based out of Montreal. But because they have an affiliation with Top 746 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:50,480 Rank, because their shows, they have a deal with Top Rank to have 747 00:44:50,599 --> 00:44:53,880 their events that take place in Montreal to stream in the United States on ESPN 748 00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:58,719 Plus. And the Billy is one of their main guys right now. We've 749 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:01,719 seen him on ESPN Plus several times and he's been very impressive. He's very 750 00:45:01,719 --> 00:45:07,599 exciting, very entertaining, great puncher comes you know in the you know, 751 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:12,199 incredible, incredible condition, and you know Bob Aaron from Top Rank you know, 752 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,679 has seen him fight in person and liked him. They work closely with 753 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:19,639 the Tiger on different events and they need some help kind of trying to move 754 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,840 him. Top Rank was willing to put up, you know, their resources 755 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:24,159 to try to bring him into the fold. You know, they don't have 756 00:45:24,199 --> 00:45:27,239 a lot of super middle weights that they work with. But you know what 757 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,880 the one thing is, he's exciting and he'll get activity. We'll see him 758 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:32,079 featured. He you know, and he's not he doesn't come out of nowhere. 759 00:45:32,079 --> 00:45:36,400 I mean he's he's he's entering his prime. He's twenty eight years old. 760 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:38,400 As I mentioned, he's undefeated twenty six and oh with twenty two knockouts. 761 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:43,800 He is born in Cameroon, but he lived and began his career as 762 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:46,840 a boxer and bought out of France, which he represented in the twenty sixteen 763 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:52,639 Olympics. Now he fights out of Montreal because that's where I the Tiger is 764 00:45:52,679 --> 00:45:54,960 based and also where his trainer, Mark Ramsey was one of the more renowned 765 00:45:54,960 --> 00:46:00,360 trainers in Canadian history. That's where he's based at him so he's making a 766 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:04,880 fan base and a home in Montreal, and he's, like I said, 767 00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:07,639 he's uh, he's a legit guy. I mean he's highly ranked and all 768 00:46:07,679 --> 00:46:09,880 the organizations. Uh, you know, there's no reason why he can't. 769 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:13,840 I mean, look that getting a title shot at super Middleway is very hard 770 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,880 now because you know, for all, it's one thing when the when the 771 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:19,480 belts you're all sped around, there's you can go a lot of different directions. 772 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:22,719 You know. The downside if you're a fighter or a fan that wants 773 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:23,960 the different title fight says, you know what, you got one guy named 774 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,960 Canelo Alvarez who's got all the belts. But you know, you got to 775 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,519 figure at some point, either they'll be stripped or he'll lose or whatever will 776 00:46:30,519 --> 00:46:34,119 happen or whatever, and they'll be opportunity. In the meantime, he's with 777 00:46:34,199 --> 00:46:36,800 a top notch promoter. They'll keep him active, they'll keep feature him, 778 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:38,599 the'll help build his name up and uh, we'll see him do his thing. 779 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:43,880 They'll they don't Uh, they didn't announce his next fight specifically when they 780 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:46,840 announced the promotional contract. That'll probably be announced in probably the next you know, 781 00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:50,960 a few weeks where they'll they'll situate him for an event, but uh, 782 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:52,760 it's a good signing and he's got a chance to do some damage in 783 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:58,159 the super middleweight division. We did talk about that Murdoch fight in the preview 784 00:46:58,199 --> 00:47:00,760 mode briefly on this pod, but also on the at US show that he 785 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:07,599 won back in January in Quebec by sixth round stoppage. So yeah, intriguing, 786 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:12,320 intriguing name, intriguing fighter. You always keep us up to speed on 787 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:15,119 who's doing what deal. We love that about you. My goodness, do 788 00:47:15,159 --> 00:47:20,239 we have a lot of things on the nostalgia list. Interesting that Wednesday, 789 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:22,079 March thirteenth, which was just a couple of days ago, as we released 790 00:47:22,119 --> 00:47:25,960 the podcast Thursday night into Friday. Now you're most of your now hearing this 791 00:47:27,039 --> 00:47:31,440 on Friday, March thirteenth, resonates several times with names like Michael Carblehall, 792 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:37,760 Lenox Lewis, Winky Wright, Evander Holyfield, how am I doing so far? 793 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:44,079 Manny Paciow Sugar, Shane Moseley. There's some names that are on this 794 00:47:44,119 --> 00:47:46,920 list. First of all, let's go back in the chronology. March thirteenth, 795 00:47:47,039 --> 00:47:52,199 nineteen ninety three, is Michael Carblehall, scoring a dramatic knockout. You've 796 00:47:52,199 --> 00:47:57,960 made reference to this before to become Unified Junior flightweight flyweight world champion. The 797 00:47:57,960 --> 00:48:02,280 former Olympic gold medalist in nineteen was Carbo Hall eighty eight. Carbol Hall was 798 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:07,480 eighty eight, but he became the Unified Junior flyweight champion on March thirteenth, 799 00:48:07,639 --> 00:48:14,639 nineteen ninety three, in the first of a wild trilogy with Chiquita Gonzales. 800 00:48:15,639 --> 00:48:20,440 I must correct you in terms of his Olympic situation. He was the I 801 00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:22,239 believe he was the He was the silver medalist in the Olympic Games in Seoul, 802 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:25,239 silver medallist in Seul. I caught on the team that it featured. 803 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,559 I mean this was a great team. I mean when you look back at 804 00:48:28,559 --> 00:48:30,199 it, it was Michael Carball who was in the Hall of Fame, Roy 805 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:32,599 Jones who was in the Hall of Fame, Riddick Bow was in the Hall 806 00:48:32,639 --> 00:48:35,800 of Fame. I mean it was a great, a great team that he 807 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:43,320 thought A Ray Mercer was on on that team also. But car greatest tall 808 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:45,760 guys in the history of the sport, without question, in my opinion, 809 00:48:45,519 --> 00:48:50,079 his opponent Humberdo Chiquita Gonzalez, also in the Hall of Fame, and largely 810 00:48:50,119 --> 00:48:52,159 they're in the Hall of Fame because of their rivalry with each other, but 811 00:48:52,199 --> 00:48:54,760 they also had their own accomplishments besides fighting each other. The one cool thing 812 00:48:54,800 --> 00:49:00,000 about Michael Carball that is pretty awesome is that he's one of the few guys. 813 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:02,239 In his final fight of his career in nineteen ninety nine, he knocked 814 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:06,880 out one of my all time favorite fighters, Korte Arse in the eleventh round 815 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:12,199 to win another world title at you know, WBO Junior Flyway title and never 816 00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,679 fought again. I mean, there's very few guys that you know, win 817 00:49:15,039 --> 00:49:17,480 a championship like that in a very dramatic kind of manner in a fight by 818 00:49:17,519 --> 00:49:21,320 the way, that Michael was losing badly. He was down like seven eight 819 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:24,159 points on all three scorecards, and he he and he knocked the RC out 820 00:49:24,679 --> 00:49:29,159 in the last round in the eleventh round to win the title. But if 821 00:49:29,159 --> 00:49:30,800 you got to go back a number of years before that, the first fight 822 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:34,440 he had with Chaquiita Gonzalez is a fucking classic, that's the only way you 823 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:37,800 can put it. I mean, they were the first fighters in the junior 824 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,800 flyweight division to headline, you know, a major pay per view card. 825 00:49:42,159 --> 00:49:45,719 They had fan followings. You know, Michael was a very popular figure from 826 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:49,800 the Phoenix area. Chaquiita Gonzalez had a big following in the La area. 827 00:49:50,119 --> 00:49:52,400 They fought in the Hilton in Las Vegas. Spectacular fight. I mean, 828 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:55,159 you know it actually in my mind, you know, I always think about, 829 00:49:55,159 --> 00:49:59,079 like we talked about Bara Morales and Gaddy Ward and Craus Castillo, and 830 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:02,559 but when holy there's so many great fights we talked about those mentioned I mentioned 831 00:50:02,559 --> 00:50:06,719 happened to be trilogies. He ended up having a trilogy with Chiquita also. 832 00:50:07,599 --> 00:50:09,679 But it's a fight that doesn't get to kind of love it should get because 833 00:50:09,679 --> 00:50:15,599 it's that good carball once again, down on all three scorecards had been knocked 834 00:50:15,639 --> 00:50:20,360 down. In the second round, Gonzalez was cut. I mean, it 835 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:22,920 was a back and forth kind of fight, but Michael was losing and at 836 00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:28,519 the very end of round seven he knocked out Chaquiita Gonzalez to win the fight 837 00:50:28,599 --> 00:50:30,960 in a spectacular fight. They got picked by many people, including the Ring 838 00:50:31,039 --> 00:50:36,599 Magazine as the nineteen ninety three fight of the Year. Obviously, no shock 839 00:50:36,639 --> 00:50:40,480 at all whatsoever that it led to an eventual second fight unfortunately the second fight 840 00:50:40,519 --> 00:50:44,199 that took place. You know, there were some fights in between where because 841 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:47,280 guys were active back in those days, they fought a second fight in nineteen 842 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:52,599 ninety four. That was a fight that Michael lost the titles to Gonzales by 843 00:50:52,599 --> 00:50:55,159 split decision. Then they fought again later in nineteen ninety four, and a 844 00:50:55,199 --> 00:50:59,800 third fight that he lost by a majority decision. But those two fights too, 845 00:51:00,119 --> 00:51:04,000 three were not the memorable kind. This was not a trilogy where there's 846 00:51:04,519 --> 00:51:07,519 anything other than the classic first fight to really kind of hang your hat on. 847 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:12,559 But the first fight is one of the most spectacular fights ever, especially 848 00:51:12,559 --> 00:51:15,679 in the smaller weight classes. So that was just an incredible action battle. 849 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:20,519 And in Carble Hall and Chikeda both in the Hall of Fame, and uh, 850 00:51:20,599 --> 00:51:22,639 you know, I don't I've never I've might I've met Chiket Gonzalez once 851 00:51:22,719 --> 00:51:25,360 or twice through the years at other events, but I've met Michael a few 852 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:29,039 times also and talked to him. You know, we we talked to each 853 00:51:29,079 --> 00:51:31,239 other occasionally on Facebook. Just a cool guy. I'm glad he's doing. 854 00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:35,199 You know, he's had a not the easiest life in the world, a 855 00:51:35,199 --> 00:51:37,960 lot of family issues in this net but doing well and I love to see 856 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:40,280 it. They bring him out. He turns up with some of these fights 857 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:44,320 to take place in the Phoenix area where he's you know, a local celebrity 858 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,559 and a still beloved Rayfield thirty years later. You know this in that area, 859 00:51:47,719 --> 00:51:51,880 no doubt, and you know he's a he It's not I mean people 860 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:53,559 throw around the word great a lot. He is. He was truly a 861 00:51:53,599 --> 00:51:57,400 great fighter. If you were to look at boxing history, let's say from 862 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:00,280 flyweight down, you know, fly weight, and then of course they created 863 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,760 the junior flyweight and the straweight divisions. Later he's he's on that sort of 864 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:07,639 like Mount Rushmore ish type of level of those weight classes. I mean that's 865 00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:09,800 you know, he and he drew fans. He's the first time ever, 866 00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:14,239 I think it was the rematch actually with Schakdah where was the first time guys 867 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:17,079 in those weight classes made a million dollars for a fight That was unheard of. 868 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:22,079 Yeah, before that happened. I mean that was just absolutely crazy. 869 00:52:22,079 --> 00:52:23,920 I mean, both of them made I think it was not just in their 870 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:28,360 weight class, it was the first time ever in the history of boxing that 871 00:52:28,519 --> 00:52:34,239 boxers in a fight the under the featherweight division made a million dollar purse both 872 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:37,440 in the Chida and that was because of the popularity of this incredible first fight 873 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:40,880 that we're talking about and what the two guys meant to the sport. So 874 00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:46,119 you move forward six years and March thirteen, nineteen ninety nine. Wait, 875 00:52:47,079 --> 00:52:54,480 and here we go Lennox Lewis capital r underline rob in beating Evander Holyfield. 876 00:52:54,639 --> 00:52:59,800 Instead, it's a draw Rayfield. Wright's one of the worst decisions ever. 877 00:53:00,639 --> 00:53:04,639 All right, is wrong. No I about saying you're wrong, but it 878 00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:08,599 definitely it's it's a robbery. Lennox Lewis won that night over a Vander Holyfield. 879 00:53:08,639 --> 00:53:13,400 He knows Holyfield knows he didn't win that night. Didn't He got a 880 00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:19,559 draw out of it? All right, So what that's now twenty five years 881 00:53:19,599 --> 00:53:22,280 ago. It's incredible. It is nuts. That's the fight where you have, 882 00:53:23,599 --> 00:53:27,199 you know, kind of rough I mean Chris Stanley, Chris Adulu, 883 00:53:27,239 --> 00:53:30,239 who is a well known judge and refereen for many, many decades. He 884 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:32,679 got it right. He gave the fight one sixteen to one thirteen in favor 885 00:53:34,119 --> 00:53:37,079 of Lennox Lewis. I'm not you know, obviously he hadn't even round in 886 00:53:37,079 --> 00:53:42,960 there somewhere. Then you had the wacky, ridiculous, like unacceptable draw score 887 00:53:43,039 --> 00:53:47,079 card by Larry O'Connell, who was a British British judge who scored the fight 888 00:53:47,239 --> 00:53:52,719 wildly one fifteen to one fifteen, which is a score you do not see 889 00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:55,880 very often under any circumstances. And he was the guy that after the fact 890 00:53:57,199 --> 00:54:00,480 apologized for scoring it the way he did. At least he had some accountability, 891 00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:05,480 even though he could the worst part. But he got cover that night, 892 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:07,480 and Chris Adulo got some cover even though he got the right winner. 893 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:10,840 They got there. They both had not great sporecards, but they got covered 894 00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:15,719 because Eugena Williams had. If you were making like I mentioned about Mount Rushmore 895 00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:20,440 small wait fighters, if you're making the Mount Rushmore of the worst fucking judging 896 00:54:21,159 --> 00:54:23,440 assignments and scorecards for a big fight in the history of boxing, one hundred 897 00:54:23,559 --> 00:54:27,880 million percent, she's on that, on that, on that Mount Rushmore, 898 00:54:28,119 --> 00:54:30,960 she scored the fight one fifteen, one to thirteen in favor of Evander Holyfield, 899 00:54:31,239 --> 00:54:36,280 including one of the rounds that was probably Alanix Lewis's best round of the 900 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:38,960 fight, where he almost knocked Evander Holyfield down and possibly even out, and 901 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:43,719 she scored that round for uh in favor of Evander Holyfield. And it was 902 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:45,079 one of the I mean, if you weren't a round watching at the time, 903 00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:52,239 I know this was as scandalous as controversial as you can imagine. And 904 00:54:52,239 --> 00:54:54,199 because hold on, because it took place in New York City, it was 905 00:54:54,239 --> 00:54:59,559 even that much higher of a scandal because of the the intense spotlight of the 906 00:54:59,599 --> 00:55:02,920 New York And it was absolutely a grotesque decision. I will tell you that 907 00:55:04,079 --> 00:55:06,400 we often talk about this. This goes back to the days when I was 908 00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:08,880 doing five day a week sports radio in the Tampa Bay area before starting to 909 00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:13,559 do national stuff, and this was a topic. I do remember this, 910 00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:17,800 about that draw and about that pay per view and all the continued hammering on 911 00:55:19,039 --> 00:55:22,480 is this stuff fixed? Did they fix it for holy Field so we wouldn't 912 00:55:22,519 --> 00:55:28,199 lose no matter what? Big topic even on Tampa Bay sports radio for a 913 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:30,599 day or two, and the investigations that were, you know, held on, 914 00:55:30,800 --> 00:55:35,320 is this just incompetent? We always question this, right, what is 915 00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:40,639 incompetence versus is their corruption? Was somebody bought there was something? So go 916 00:55:40,679 --> 00:55:45,119 ahead, Yeah, there were suggestions that Eugena Williams was well, you know, 917 00:55:45,199 --> 00:55:50,519 incompetent brass, but that perhaps there was some some corruption going on here 918 00:55:50,639 --> 00:55:55,039 because she had gotten uh you know, uh, I forget how how it 919 00:55:55,119 --> 00:56:00,159 actually how what the what the particulars were, but there was some allegations that 920 00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:02,719 somehow she had received money in some former fashion. Not to say it was 921 00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:07,880 for the scoring, but you know, if you're gonna do that, I 922 00:56:07,920 --> 00:56:10,320 don't think when these things occur, anybody says I'll give you X if you 923 00:56:10,360 --> 00:56:13,840 do why, it's more of like wink wink, you kind of know what 924 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:15,159 they mean. So I'm not saying that she did that, but there was 925 00:56:15,199 --> 00:56:19,360 a lot of people that made that accusation in the wake of this terrible, 926 00:56:19,559 --> 00:56:23,239 terrible situation, and in a true boxing form, they ended up doing a 927 00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:27,400 rematch, and that was the fight where Evander Holyfield did way way better and 928 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:30,360 some people actually thought he won, even though Lennox I thought Lenox won the 929 00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:32,599 rematch, he got the decision and that frowned the undisputed champion. This is 930 00:56:32,599 --> 00:56:37,199 remembered. This is the three belt the era where you still were only required 931 00:56:37,199 --> 00:56:38,880 to have the three belts, even though the WBO existed at the time, 932 00:56:39,079 --> 00:56:44,079 nobody considered that necessary to beat the undisputed champion, and Lenox got that and 933 00:56:44,119 --> 00:56:47,280 he got the three belts. And so when Tyson Fury and Alexander Usk finally 934 00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:51,400 fight on May eighteenth, the winner of that fight will become the first time 935 00:56:51,400 --> 00:56:54,880 they'll be in undisputed champion since Lenox Lewis won the Holy Field rematch. But 936 00:56:54,920 --> 00:57:00,239 he should have gotten that status by winning officially anyway in their first fight. 937 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:02,320 And you have to understand also, by the way, and I try to 938 00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:07,480 as big as people try to make it out that Tyson Fury and Husig is, 939 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:09,239 you know, maybe it is that way in the UK. I don't 940 00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:13,280 feel it here yet. And obviously the fight taking place in Saudi Arabia doesn't 941 00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:15,840 help the magnitude in terms of what you feel like here in America. But 942 00:57:15,880 --> 00:57:21,280 when Lennox Lewis and Evander were getting ready to do their first fight, you 943 00:57:21,320 --> 00:57:23,360 want to talk about a mainstream event, this was as mainstream as I guess. 944 00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:27,880 Oh yeah, Mega HBO, pay per view, Madison Square Garden. 945 00:57:28,079 --> 00:57:31,639 It was on all the sports pages, sports News, sports Center, you 946 00:57:31,679 --> 00:57:36,239 know, every newspaper was covering it. The wire services. This was a 947 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:39,519 big, big, big deal. Again in the timeframe he had beaten Mike 948 00:57:39,599 --> 00:57:47,880 Tyson previous to this twice Tko stoppage and then the crazy earbitding disqualification that happened, 949 00:57:47,920 --> 00:57:53,000 and that made holy Field and his second resurgence of his career such an 950 00:57:53,000 --> 00:58:00,920 immensely crossover popular figure. To think about it is though again we keep we 951 00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:06,199 keep conveying this to people that boxing was so much more mainstream and the heavyweight 952 00:58:06,239 --> 00:58:10,519 title, especially with the American champions, made it so much more mainstream, 953 00:58:10,559 --> 00:58:15,320 where the coverage was NonStop of something like this building up to it. And 954 00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:19,440 then you had the controversy of the draw. But you had both both a 955 00:58:19,519 --> 00:58:23,559 Vander and Lenox who had done good things and were on good runs. But 956 00:58:23,679 --> 00:58:27,079 we're running out of there. There was nobody left the fight really, I 957 00:58:27,119 --> 00:58:30,840 mean Vander, I mean rather Lenox had just done like a very decialtory mandatory 958 00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:36,039 defense against Zelko Mavravic that nobody gave a ratsass about. That was in like 959 00:58:36,079 --> 00:58:38,360 a you know, in a in a tent basically at the you know, 960 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:43,159 the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. That was not very well received. Vander, 961 00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:47,440 you know, he had looked good and regained in terms of unifying his rematch 962 00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:51,840 against Michael Moore, but then was in a garbage match against Vaughan Bean that 963 00:58:51,880 --> 00:58:54,239 nobody gave a ratsass amount, and they were they couldn't put those types of 964 00:58:54,239 --> 00:58:58,599 fights on pay per view. They weren't making fun and it got to a 965 00:58:58,599 --> 00:59:00,559 point where they finally just had a And if you know, you talk to 966 00:59:00,559 --> 00:59:07,679 people around back then about the efforts that went into things to get them on 967 00:59:07,800 --> 00:59:10,480 the same page. For HBO to sort of help broker this deal between King 968 00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:15,559 and Main Events, which was Lennox Lewis's promoter at the time. Oh my 969 00:59:15,599 --> 00:59:17,280 goodness, I mean it was a hard you think. You know, we 970 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:20,960 all have social media now we can track of all them, the newsho of 971 00:59:21,039 --> 00:59:23,519 these deals. But back then, you know, if social media had existed, 972 00:59:23,559 --> 00:59:27,559 this would have been like the daily things the way we've seen when they 973 00:59:27,559 --> 00:59:30,199 were trying to make pac Yao and Mayweather or you know, more recently, 974 00:59:30,199 --> 00:59:32,239 when they're trying to do whatever fight may Involva, you know, whoever pick 975 00:59:32,280 --> 00:59:36,239 a start, you know, Ryan Garcia or you know, a Tyson Fury 976 00:59:36,239 --> 00:59:40,840 and all that stuff. It's just been absolute craziness and it was when they 977 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:45,679 finally made the fight. The hype was so enormous and then besides the bad 978 00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:50,119 decision, it was a terrible fight. So it did not live up to 979 00:59:50,159 --> 00:59:52,960 the massive hype. And on top of that, you got kicked in the 980 00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:59,159 face with a garbage decision. Okay, we have talked in the past about 981 00:59:59,159 --> 01:00:04,480 Saint Petersburg, Florida's Ronald Winky Wright twenty years ago on this past Wednesday, 982 01:00:04,480 --> 01:00:08,880 March thirteen, two thousand and four, and his tremendous performance against Sugar Shane 983 01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:15,920 Mosley, winning a twelve round decision. And you were there ringside for that 984 01:00:16,159 --> 01:00:22,599 night where Shane Mosley did not have to put the belts up against Winky, 985 01:00:22,639 --> 01:00:27,599 gave Winky the opportunity. And I know there's a lot of respect from the 986 01:00:27,599 --> 01:00:30,880 Winkie Right camp, etc. That Mosley was willing to do that and Winky 987 01:00:30,880 --> 01:00:35,599 Wright put on a great performance. And you were there that night, and 988 01:00:35,639 --> 01:00:39,079 what is this on the rundown. You also survived your bachelor party as well 989 01:00:39,079 --> 01:00:43,639 that weekend. Two for the price of one on the Nostalgia twenty years ago. 990 01:00:44,559 --> 01:00:47,039 So one thing about Shane he always was willing to fight the best guys. 991 01:00:47,039 --> 01:00:50,679 I mean and whether it was against a tough opponent like a Winky Wright 992 01:00:50,719 --> 01:00:52,199 where he didn't have to do the fight. It wasn't a mandatory. Winky 993 01:00:52,280 --> 01:00:55,679 did have the IBF title and Shane had the WBA and the WBC title, 994 01:00:55,920 --> 01:01:00,000 so again they were meeting for what was considered the undisputed championship at that time, 995 01:01:00,079 --> 01:01:02,519 still where it was three belts to become undisputed. He had come off 996 01:01:02,840 --> 01:01:07,039 of a somewhat controversial victory in the rematch against Oscar de la Hoya, which 997 01:01:07,039 --> 01:01:10,039 I had covered. I thought that Oscar won the rematch, even though Shane 998 01:01:10,079 --> 01:01:13,400 clearly was the winner in my mind in the first fight, which he got 999 01:01:13,480 --> 01:01:15,840 to claim the welterweight title, and they tried to make a De la Hoya 1000 01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:19,960 rematch, and Shane was going to stick to his guns because he felt like 1001 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:22,840 the amount of money was offered, like eight million dollars or something for the 1002 01:01:22,840 --> 01:01:23,880 rematch, which at that time was like, oh wow, you better take 1003 01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:28,119 that. It's a great offer. And Shane thought, because I beat him, 1004 01:01:28,119 --> 01:01:30,280 you know, just because you beat the man, you don't become the 1005 01:01:30,280 --> 01:01:32,360 man. But Shane had different ideas, and I think he thought, well, 1006 01:01:32,400 --> 01:01:37,360 I'll show you Oscar and he turned down the opportunity to have a third 1007 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:39,840 fight with De la Hooya for a huge amount of money, and instead he 1008 01:01:39,880 --> 01:01:45,119 took a much more dangerous fight because he already beat Oscar twice at that point 1009 01:01:45,119 --> 01:01:47,039 officially, and took on Winky Wright, who was, you know, a 1010 01:01:47,039 --> 01:01:51,519 handful for anybody, and took you know, basically half the money four million 1011 01:01:51,599 --> 01:01:53,679 or so maybe a little more to fight Ronald the Winkie right, and Winky 1012 01:01:53,920 --> 01:01:57,000 you know, put on a clinic. He won the fight, you know, 1013 01:01:57,440 --> 01:02:00,719 clear as day. I think two of the judges had at nine to 1014 01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:02,360 three, one of the judges at at eight to four. He ended up 1015 01:02:02,400 --> 01:02:06,880 losing a rematch to Winkie also when they did the immediate rematch. But the 1016 01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:09,440 first fight at the time was promoted as a huge, huge deal because there 1017 01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:14,840 hadn't been an undisputed junior middleweight champion like you know, I like thirty something 1018 01:02:14,880 --> 01:02:16,039 years or maybe longer, whatever it was, so it was a big deal. 1019 01:02:16,280 --> 01:02:19,440 You know, you're talking about two pound for pound guys. Winki's getting 1020 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:22,119 the first time the opportunity against a very big name. Shane was an established 1021 01:02:22,159 --> 01:02:27,039 fighter. You mentioned my bachelor party. So the night before the fight I 1022 01:02:27,119 --> 01:02:30,199 was in Vegas covering the fight, obviously, and friends of mine out there 1023 01:02:30,920 --> 01:02:35,639 threw me a bachelor party at a place that shell be shall remain anoymous. 1024 01:02:37,079 --> 01:02:40,159 That we went and had a nice time, and it was then my My 1025 01:02:40,639 --> 01:02:45,320 wedding was two weeks later. But I obviously was not in Las Vegas the 1026 01:02:45,320 --> 01:02:46,719 week before my wedding, So yes, I had. I had the combination 1027 01:02:46,800 --> 01:02:51,800 of the bachelor party the night before. How much then? How much of 1028 01:02:51,880 --> 01:02:54,199 the bachelor party did you remember the next night at the fight. I know 1029 01:02:54,239 --> 01:02:57,400 it's twenty years later and you may not remember a lot of it. Now, 1030 01:02:57,400 --> 01:03:00,679 did you have some break spots in the recollection from the night I remember? 1031 01:03:01,079 --> 01:03:04,239 I'm not ho listen, I've never been. I'm not I was out 1032 01:03:04,280 --> 01:03:06,800 there getting drunk or anything too much. I'm not. This was not like 1033 01:03:07,239 --> 01:03:13,559 what is it Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms and Zach Galifanikas and the hangover. 1034 01:03:13,679 --> 01:03:15,719 It was not that it was not Doug's bachelor party and we lose Doug on 1035 01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:19,239 the roof. It was not that I did not wake up the next day 1036 01:03:19,239 --> 01:03:22,719 with Mike Tyson and a tiger in my in my hotel room. That's for 1037 01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:29,559 sure, but it was a memorable Tigers are allergic to Centnamon. I remember 1038 01:03:29,559 --> 01:03:32,679 though, the people that ran the media center in the Mandolai day, who 1039 01:03:32,760 --> 01:03:36,679 you know, we're always uh, you know, uh personable and good to 1040 01:03:36,719 --> 01:03:40,119 work with and funny and everything. They had in the media center leading up 1041 01:03:40,159 --> 01:03:43,039 to the fight, like every day you'd walk in on the wall, they 1042 01:03:43,039 --> 01:03:45,679 had a countdown clock for the days, hours, minutes until you know, 1043 01:03:45,719 --> 01:03:50,280 the fight was supposed to start. And when I came in the media room 1044 01:03:50,320 --> 01:03:53,079 after uh, the fight was over for the press covers, they had changed 1045 01:03:53,079 --> 01:03:58,719 the clock and they put like a handwritten sign countdown until Rayfael's wedding, you 1046 01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:01,840 knoween days, you know, X number of hours. So they had a 1047 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:05,039 good time with that. That had a good sense of humor about nuptials. 1048 01:04:05,039 --> 01:04:13,119 You're pending nuptials after Winky Wright did what he did to Shane again, beloved 1049 01:04:13,199 --> 01:04:16,599 figure in this Tampa Bay area even to this day as a world champion and 1050 01:04:16,639 --> 01:04:20,440 a Hall of Fame fighter in the Tampa Saint Pete Clearwater area, Winkie fighting 1051 01:04:20,440 --> 01:04:24,199 out of the Saint Pete Boxing Club, and I just remember here we go 1052 01:04:24,280 --> 01:04:27,480 back again to my sports radio days and I was just about that was the 1053 01:04:27,519 --> 01:04:30,360 timeframe when I was going national on Sirius Exam and I actually talked a lot 1054 01:04:30,360 --> 01:04:34,079 of boxing on the different shows that I did there, and the Wink winning 1055 01:04:34,119 --> 01:04:40,000 these fights, in addition to the Felix Trinidad fight, et cetera, made 1056 01:04:40,119 --> 01:04:43,599 him much more prominent in our area. And good on him, and I 1057 01:04:43,639 --> 01:04:45,719 do again, I do not want to accept that was twenty years ago, 1058 01:04:46,159 --> 01:04:49,519 but that's the fight that put Winky on the Hall of Fame path because if 1059 01:04:49,519 --> 01:04:54,000 Shane Mosey doesn't agree to fight him, it's highly unlikely that he gets in 1060 01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:56,599 there. Not because he wasn't a great talent, but he wouldn't have got 1061 01:04:56,639 --> 01:05:00,039 the rematch. He probably wouldn't have ever gotten the Felix Trinidad fight. He 1062 01:05:00,079 --> 01:05:01,320 knows if he would have gotten some of the other bigger fights he had, 1063 01:05:01,880 --> 01:05:03,880 uh, you know, if you know, he got a fight. He 1064 01:05:03,920 --> 01:05:06,840 got a chance to fight Jermaine Taylor for the middlewhite title, which turned out 1065 01:05:06,840 --> 01:05:10,719 to be a draw. He had a good win against like Quarte, but 1066 01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:13,599 the wins that he hangs his hat on are the you know, and he 1067 01:05:13,639 --> 01:05:16,039 had some solid wins before that, like he had fought Fernando Vargas. But 1068 01:05:16,119 --> 01:05:18,639 the fight that he really hangs the hat on, are those back to back 1069 01:05:18,679 --> 01:05:23,480 runs against you. That's because shame gave him the opportunity. All right, 1070 01:05:23,559 --> 01:05:28,119 quickly, two more, Uh, Manny Pacia. You did mention this when 1071 01:05:28,119 --> 01:05:31,760 we were talking about at and T Stadium, uh and covering fights you were 1072 01:05:31,840 --> 01:05:36,760 ringside now fourteen years ago. This past Wednesday, March thirteenth of twenty ten, 1073 01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:44,199 Manny Pacquial defeats Joshua Claudie and retains the WBO welterweight title. That's the 1074 01:05:44,239 --> 01:05:47,800 first ever big time boxing card at AT and T Stadium. You've been there 1075 01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:51,360 for a bunch. What do you remember about that night with the pac Man? 1076 01:05:53,360 --> 01:05:56,280 Well, I remember, and I'll say it right now. I wonder 1077 01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:59,599 if Joshua Claudia is still if he has still thrown a punch yet, because 1078 01:05:59,599 --> 01:06:02,320 he even throw any punches that entire fight. It was such a disappointing performance 1079 01:06:02,320 --> 01:06:05,960 from Claudie because he was a strong, rugged guy. I mean, I'm 1080 01:06:05,960 --> 01:06:09,480 not saying that you were thinking he was going to defeat Manupac, who at 1081 01:06:09,480 --> 01:06:13,599 that time was pretty much considered by everybody pound for pound number one, but 1082 01:06:13,679 --> 01:06:16,119 he put on such an absolutely horrendous performance, and he just wouldn't throw punches 1083 01:06:16,159 --> 01:06:20,119 at all and got completely you know, alt class. Remember he had had 1084 01:06:20,159 --> 01:06:24,280 in his previous fight before he got the shot at many Pat Well go back 1085 01:06:24,320 --> 01:06:28,159 two fights. He had gotten a nice victory by a technical decision, but 1086 01:06:28,199 --> 01:06:31,599 a well deserved one against zab Jutter that gave him the IBF welterweight title. 1087 01:06:33,000 --> 01:06:36,920 He ended up vacating that and in his next fight, he wasn't defending the 1088 01:06:36,960 --> 01:06:42,280 title. He was fighting in a WBO welterweight title fight against Miguel Coto at 1089 01:06:42,280 --> 01:06:45,800 Madison Square Garden and he lost a split decision, but he gave Miguel Cota 1090 01:06:45,840 --> 01:06:49,440 a really really tough, you know, hard fight. Coto had knocked him 1091 01:06:49,440 --> 01:06:53,960 down early in the fight, but it was not an easy fight for Quoto, 1092 01:06:54,039 --> 01:06:57,400 so he even though he lost, he's now considered like our very top 1093 01:06:57,480 --> 01:07:00,679 level welterweight. He can be in there with anybody. And they matched him 1094 01:07:00,760 --> 01:07:02,400 up with Pacyao Well, like I said, was the king of the world 1095 01:07:02,440 --> 01:07:05,039 at that time, and you're like, this is a rugged dude. He's 1096 01:07:05,079 --> 01:07:09,119 got a good power, you know, he's got a good chin. He's 1097 01:07:09,119 --> 01:07:12,199 going to make this interesting and Pakia ran him out of the ring, partly 1098 01:07:12,239 --> 01:07:15,840 because he did Josh wouldn't throw a single punch. In the end, it 1099 01:07:15,960 --> 01:07:18,199 was eleven to one on two cards and twelve to zero on the other cart. 1100 01:07:18,239 --> 01:07:21,480 It was as disappointing as it gets. But they had a huge crowd 1101 01:07:21,480 --> 01:07:25,920 there. You know, a big part of the promotion was the fact that 1102 01:07:25,960 --> 01:07:29,440 this new building, you know, the you know, the eighth Wonder of 1103 01:07:29,440 --> 01:07:31,079 the World, if you will, in the atem stand, They're going to 1104 01:07:31,119 --> 01:07:33,719 have a big boxing match for Pacyao. You know, in the main events. 1105 01:07:33,760 --> 01:07:36,000 It was a huge deal. And the other thing I think about, 1106 01:07:36,079 --> 01:07:39,679 you say, what was it like being at the fight, is that that 1107 01:07:39,800 --> 01:07:44,039 date was supposed to be because the fight with Josh Body was made on kind 1108 01:07:44,039 --> 01:07:47,840 of shortest notice, especially for a pay per view, this was supposed to 1109 01:07:47,880 --> 01:07:51,440 be the date on which Mayweather and pac Yao fought, and they were you 1110 01:07:51,440 --> 01:07:55,840 know, they had gotten to a point where they had agreed on everything except 1111 01:07:55,880 --> 01:08:00,360 then Floyd demanded a certain kind of drug testing. Hakiao was like not opposed 1112 01:08:00,360 --> 01:08:03,760 to drug testing, but he wasn't going to allow him to have it inflicted 1113 01:08:03,800 --> 01:08:06,039 on him. You know, that was a time where, you know, 1114 01:08:06,119 --> 01:08:11,639 if the the general consensus was he'll do whatever the commission in Nevada says they 1115 01:08:11,639 --> 01:08:14,760 should do, and at the time it wasn't a matter of that type of 1116 01:08:14,800 --> 01:08:16,600 testing. So he just didn't want Floyd to be able to run the show. 1117 01:08:16,640 --> 01:08:19,119 Wasn't that he was unwilling to be tested, but he don't, you 1118 01:08:19,119 --> 01:08:21,600 know. But the bottom line was it fell apart over that we ended up 1119 01:08:21,600 --> 01:08:25,800 waiting five more years and like I said, so much short notice, they 1120 01:08:25,800 --> 01:08:29,319 weren't going to give up the pact date. He ended up fighting Joshua Claudiye 1121 01:08:29,319 --> 01:08:32,520 instead in you know, uh an important fight because of what it did in 1122 01:08:32,600 --> 01:08:36,479 terms of opening up this great building for boxing events and very memorable in terms 1123 01:08:36,520 --> 01:08:41,039 of the build up. But the fight itself was a big stinker room and 1124 01:08:41,079 --> 01:08:45,479 you were there, uh ringside for that. So I have to say you 1125 01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:48,199 just mentioned that. I remember walking into the place, uh for the first 1126 01:08:48,239 --> 01:08:53,399 time and just kind of just sort of take your breath away for a quick 1127 01:08:53,439 --> 01:08:57,039 second see the magnitude of how big the place was, the giant screen, 1128 01:08:57,760 --> 01:09:00,680 and then to be there on the night of the fight when you know about 1129 01:09:00,039 --> 01:09:03,039 I want to you know, Cowboys game, what eighty thousand, ninety thousand 1130 01:09:03,079 --> 01:09:05,560 or whatever they have there. Obviously, when I covered a Canelo fight there 1131 01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:10,800 that do seventy six thousand, But at that time I had never been in 1132 01:09:10,880 --> 01:09:14,960 a boxing atmosphere for a fight that was that large. It was like almost 1133 01:09:15,199 --> 01:09:17,039 it was like forty seven thousand or something like that. And as you mentioned, 1134 01:09:17,079 --> 01:09:23,000 they they had just opened it. And you don't realize that most of 1135 01:09:23,039 --> 01:09:27,399 the NFL stadiums that you watch games in can fit inside of AT and T 1136 01:09:27,520 --> 01:09:30,079 Stagium's. That's how big it is and how big those video boards are. 1137 01:09:30,439 --> 01:09:33,039 Dan. We keep talking about that whenever I go there for buccaneer games. 1138 01:09:33,079 --> 01:09:38,640 I've not been to World championship fights like you have those video boards that for 1139 01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:42,119 the cowboy fans in the upper level that are watching the game, they spend 1140 01:09:42,119 --> 01:09:45,640 their time watching the eighty yard wide video boards that were does boxing had to 1141 01:09:45,680 --> 01:09:49,039 be something else. It's amazing to stand and just look at that the first 1142 01:09:49,039 --> 01:09:51,720 time you're in there. We can't convey it enough. I'll tell you a 1143 01:09:51,760 --> 01:09:55,319 funny thing about that. I can't remember if it was the Claudi fight or 1144 01:09:55,399 --> 01:10:00,479 maybe it was when Pachio fought Margarito, but I distinctly remember being for one 1145 01:10:00,520 --> 01:10:03,399 of the Pacquiao fights. I'm at ringside. I'm sitting next to my man, 1146 01:10:03,479 --> 01:10:08,840 Kevin Ioli, and in between rounds, Kevin and I looked up at 1147 01:10:08,880 --> 01:10:11,800 the big board and we were we were so close to the ring you kind 1148 01:10:11,800 --> 01:10:14,920 of had a lean back to crank my neck to catch the video board. 1149 01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:16,960 Otherwise you wouldn't be able to see it because were underneath the edge of the 1150 01:10:17,039 --> 01:10:21,439 video board. And I looked up and I elbow Ioli in the side because 1151 01:10:21,479 --> 01:10:27,640 what's on the fucking screen you showing. They're showing a shot into Pacio's corner 1152 01:10:27,680 --> 01:10:30,000 with Freddie Roach, you know, talking to Paco, and that was our 1153 01:10:30,079 --> 01:10:34,000 side of the ring, and there's fucking Raphael and Ioli's big fucking noggins right 1154 01:10:34,039 --> 01:10:38,920 in the midd That was your big moment at at and T Stadium for everybody 1155 01:10:38,960 --> 01:10:42,800 to see eighty yards wide. I'm not exaggerating. It goes from like the 1156 01:10:42,840 --> 01:10:45,920 fifteen to the fifteen, but walk down there seventy yards it does. It 1157 01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:48,279 did take your breath away a little bit given the score. And by the 1158 01:10:48,319 --> 01:10:53,800 way, if it all happens and comes off disclaimer Jake Paul, Mike Tyson 1159 01:10:53,880 --> 01:10:57,960 at and T stadium later this year, where they're looking to have some kind 1160 01:10:58,000 --> 01:11:00,119 of an attendance record for that because again they got standing room only, et 1161 01:11:00,199 --> 01:11:04,920 cetera, etc. If if sixteen, ifs if that fight comes off. 1162 01:11:05,439 --> 01:11:10,680 One more piece of nostalgia, just briefly. It was three years ago this 1163 01:11:10,760 --> 01:11:14,600 week the passing of Marvin Hagler, Hall of Famer, the legend, the 1164 01:11:14,640 --> 01:11:20,159 marvelous one, at age sixty six, of the of the four Kings. 1165 01:11:20,239 --> 01:11:26,720 That's the only death at the moment. And again, you know, we've 1166 01:11:26,800 --> 01:11:30,319 gone a long time since. Those guys all fought each other back in the 1167 01:11:30,399 --> 01:11:35,239 nineteen eighties and Marvin Hagler again retired by Sugar Ray Leard. You mentioned guys 1168 01:11:35,239 --> 01:11:39,800 that walked away. He lost that Leonard fight and was only what thirty what 1169 01:11:39,840 --> 01:11:42,600 did we say, thirty three, thirty two, thirty three? But I 1170 01:11:42,600 --> 01:11:44,680 look that up and he never fought again. He never fought again. He 1171 01:11:44,800 --> 01:11:46,520 was at night in April of eighty seven. He was an old thirty three, 1172 01:11:46,520 --> 01:11:48,640 though he had already had close to seventy fights, had been in a 1173 01:11:48,680 --> 01:11:51,880 lot of tough fights, came up the hard way. I remember when I 1174 01:11:51,960 --> 01:11:56,600 heard that Marvin had passed, it was, you know, I had only 1175 01:11:56,640 --> 01:11:59,600 met Marvin a few times. I actually had spent some time with him because 1176 01:11:59,800 --> 01:12:02,279 we brought him to ESPN had hired him to be like our guest analyst because 1177 01:12:02,279 --> 01:12:05,520 I was I was working with Brian Kenny and we were covering the Bernard Hopkins 1178 01:12:05,560 --> 01:12:09,520 Winkie Wright fight, and they brought Marvin int to be our analyst with us 1179 01:12:09,680 --> 01:12:12,039 during the course of the week as we were doing some stuff for Sports Center, 1180 01:12:12,199 --> 01:12:13,840 So I got a chance to like hang out with him on like an 1181 01:12:13,880 --> 01:12:15,680 informal basis, sit there and have breakfast, and you know, hear's some 1182 01:12:15,760 --> 01:12:18,399 stories. He was a real cool guy. I can't say I knew him 1183 01:12:18,399 --> 01:12:21,239 well, but that was a very enjoyable One of the most enjoyable experiences of 1184 01:12:21,279 --> 01:12:26,640 my entire career of writing about boxing was to spend that time with Hagler. 1185 01:12:27,600 --> 01:12:31,159 But I mean, I don't know if you can find another fighter in the 1186 01:12:31,279 --> 01:12:36,880 history of boxing that is more universally loved and respected than Marvin Hagler. You 1187 01:12:38,319 --> 01:12:42,680 fight, fans will quibble and quarrel about every little thing about There's their haters 1188 01:12:42,720 --> 01:12:45,439 on this guy. Others obviously will love a certain guy. I don't know, 1189 01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:49,079 I've never heard of fucking crosswork from anybody who had a negative thing to 1190 01:12:49,079 --> 01:12:51,560 say about Marvin Hagler or whatsoever. You know, he took a couple of 1191 01:12:51,640 --> 01:12:56,239 losses against some of those tough Phill League guys, because he beat the crap 1192 01:12:56,279 --> 01:12:59,560 out of most of them from about nineteen seventy eight on until the Sugar Letter 1193 01:13:00,079 --> 01:13:01,880 else and he fought, you know, everybody, and he came to fight, 1194 01:13:01,920 --> 01:13:05,239 and he put on some tremendous battles, and you know, obviously, 1195 01:13:05,279 --> 01:13:08,840 you know, even when he lost against Sugar Ray Leonard in the last fight 1196 01:13:08,880 --> 01:13:11,720 of his career, it was, you know, a lot of controversy there. 1197 01:13:11,760 --> 01:13:15,279 The draw he had the first time he finally, after a long period 1198 01:13:15,279 --> 01:13:17,439 of time to finally, finally finally get a chance to fight for the Middleway 1199 01:13:17,479 --> 01:13:21,560 title against Vito ante Fermo, who was undefeated or not rather undisputed at that 1200 01:13:21,600 --> 01:13:26,199 time. This is nineteen seventy nine. He gets a draw that a lot 1201 01:13:26,199 --> 01:13:29,319 of people were not happy with. Horrible decision, and he didn't just get 1202 01:13:29,319 --> 01:13:30,760 an immediate chance to go. He had to come back and fight like he 1203 01:13:30,840 --> 01:13:33,600 fought three how about this. He fights the fight at the end of seventy 1204 01:13:33,680 --> 01:13:38,000 nine in the draw, and then you know, you talk bos about activity, 1205 01:13:38,880 --> 01:13:41,840 and so that was November sty He comes back, He fights in February 1206 01:13:41,840 --> 01:13:45,600 of eighty, April of eighty, May of eighty gets three wins, and 1207 01:13:45,640 --> 01:13:48,439 finally in September of eighty, ten months later, gets the shot against Alan 1208 01:13:48,479 --> 01:13:51,119 Minter, who had won the title from Antefermo. And he went to the 1209 01:13:51,279 --> 01:13:55,159 UK and he beat the living crap and cut up Alan Minter and won them 1210 01:13:55,199 --> 01:13:58,720 undisputed title. And from there, you know, for the next what seven 1211 01:13:58,800 --> 01:14:00,880 or so years, he held onto that title for like a vice and made 1212 01:14:01,439 --> 01:14:04,640 you know, a dozen defenses and was you know, indomitable as they say, 1213 01:14:04,640 --> 01:14:10,279 and had of course the nassive victory against Tommy Erons and defran and then 1214 01:14:10,279 --> 01:14:13,439 they're nineteen eighty three fight and fought all the top guys, you know, 1215 01:14:13,479 --> 01:14:15,760 whoever it was, whether it was the Four Kings or guys like, you 1216 01:14:15,800 --> 01:14:19,000 know, tough dudes, you know, Juan Domingo, Row, Dan Mustafa 1217 01:14:19,039 --> 01:14:24,239 Ham Show, Skippy on, Tony Sibsons, Obama. He has two times 1218 01:14:24,239 --> 01:14:28,319 Caveman League. He thought, all these top guys and he just kept walking 1219 01:14:28,359 --> 01:14:31,159 through everybody. And by the way, the anniversary of his final win March 1220 01:14:31,720 --> 01:14:35,920 of nineteen eighty six. I believe I have that right. That just happened. 1221 01:14:36,239 --> 01:14:40,800 Great fight with John the Beast Mugabi who fought out of Tampa, Florida, 1222 01:14:40,800 --> 01:14:43,760 even though he's from West Africa by way of England. He fought out 1223 01:14:43,760 --> 01:14:46,399 of Tampa, Florida in the eighties and rose to prominence national TV, et 1224 01:14:46,479 --> 01:14:50,720 cetera. And they fought on pay per view. That was the first Showtime 1225 01:14:50,760 --> 01:14:57,000 pay per view, correct, was Marlon Hagler and on tape delay on tape 1226 01:14:57,039 --> 01:14:59,960 delay of the pay per view, right it was. It was a close 1227 01:15:00,039 --> 01:15:02,279 circuit top ring event that took place on March tenth, and then like four 1228 01:15:02,359 --> 01:15:06,920 or five days later, Showtime, in their very first boxing broadcast, televised 1229 01:15:06,960 --> 01:15:11,640 the replay of that card. Great fight, and that's Marvin Hagler's final win 1230 01:15:11,840 --> 01:15:15,439 is against mcgabi and then eventually fights and losers to Sugar Ray Leonard. And 1231 01:15:15,640 --> 01:15:18,960 it was interesting because he never I mean there was some talk would there be 1232 01:15:19,000 --> 01:15:24,680 a rematch, controversial decision, It never happened. We never got to see 1233 01:15:24,680 --> 01:15:27,239 Marvin in the ring again. As it turns out, in the eighties and 1234 01:15:27,720 --> 01:15:30,520 as I said, one of the most beloved and respected fighters you can imagine 1235 01:15:30,560 --> 01:15:34,880 and that you know, loyal to his team, you know, talk I've 1236 01:15:34,880 --> 01:15:39,279 talked to Bob Aaron about this in the past on a multitude of occasions. 1237 01:15:39,479 --> 01:15:43,279 You know, Bob promoted most of Marvin Hagler's you know, big fights, 1238 01:15:43,319 --> 01:15:45,479 almost all of them in terms of the title fights. They never had like 1239 01:15:45,479 --> 01:15:49,560 a written contract. They they had a handshake. They did the deals, 1240 01:15:49,600 --> 01:15:54,359 you know, fight by fight, you know, and and you know, 1241 01:15:54,600 --> 01:15:57,000 I still would say you should have a contract and that kind of money and 1242 01:15:57,039 --> 01:16:00,640 that kind of level of business. But they had an understanding and and uh, 1243 01:16:00,760 --> 01:16:02,560 they stay loyal to each other from the beginning to the end. I 1244 01:16:02,560 --> 01:16:06,199 mean even even long after Marvin was retired, you know, he still had 1245 01:16:06,199 --> 01:16:10,720 a relationship with Aaron. Uh and uh. And that's good to see. 1246 01:16:10,720 --> 01:16:14,079 I wish it was like that with more promoters and the Petron allies that he 1247 01:16:14,159 --> 01:16:20,119 was. He was supposed to stayed by them all the way through the marvels. 1248 01:16:20,439 --> 01:16:23,479 Then he kept them in. He didn't have to. He could have 1249 01:16:23,479 --> 01:16:25,680 taken more money, and he told them, you're not you know, I'm 1250 01:16:25,720 --> 01:16:27,600 going to pay you what you're supposed to get. And this is at a 1251 01:16:27,600 --> 01:16:30,399 time when he got finally near the end of his career is making really big 1252 01:16:30,439 --> 01:16:32,199 money. But he took care of those people. You know, he came 1253 01:16:32,279 --> 01:16:35,720 up the hard way and uh as and he coined the phrase. I think 1254 01:16:35,760 --> 01:16:38,359 it was him. I don't know if somebody else said it befo him, 1255 01:16:38,399 --> 01:16:41,880 but he would talk about trying to stay hungry later in your career, about 1256 01:16:42,119 --> 01:16:44,920 it's hard to get up and run those miles when you're sleeping in sel pajamas. 1257 01:16:44,920 --> 01:16:47,119 Because for most of Marvin's career he wasn't sleeping in sol pajamas. But 1258 01:16:47,159 --> 01:16:50,479 finally he got to that level and he introduced us in a commercial to the 1259 01:16:50,479 --> 01:16:54,880 word odoriferous. I'd never heard of that before. Right about right, God, 1260 01:16:54,920 --> 01:16:57,880 listen, you talk about the history of HBO Box. One of the 1261 01:16:57,920 --> 01:17:00,680 biggest signings that they ever did when they were established their boxing program was to 1262 01:17:00,720 --> 01:17:04,279 do a multi fight deal with Marvin Hacklin and take them off of the network 1263 01:17:04,319 --> 01:17:09,640 and bring them on to HBO because people signed up by the millions, and 1264 01:17:09,680 --> 01:17:15,359 to watch him brutalize the middleweight division for those early eighties before the big Hearn's 1265 01:17:15,399 --> 01:17:18,760 pay per view closed circuit. Yeah, no doubt on a marvelous one. 1266 01:17:18,800 --> 01:17:21,000 Shout out to him. This has been a busy show. Again. We've 1267 01:17:21,039 --> 01:17:27,680 got one fight card of significance in the United States coming Saturday night with William 1268 01:17:27,760 --> 01:17:33,640 Zapeta and Maxi Hughes in Las Vegas. That is the IBF and WBA Lightweight 1269 01:17:33,680 --> 01:17:38,720 eliminator. We should make mention to the audience. We also had Oscar Valves 1270 01:17:38,760 --> 01:17:43,119 here on the podcast of news and some nostalgia. Due to conflicts beyond our 1271 01:17:43,159 --> 01:17:45,720 control, Dan Rayfield, there is no bet us boxing show this week where 1272 01:17:45,760 --> 01:17:50,720 mayhem with college basketball on bet Us TV. They also have started the Major 1273 01:17:50,760 --> 01:17:55,720 League Baseball program the NBA that's going on. They've got the world sport and 1274 01:17:55,720 --> 01:17:59,319 they have a conflict with the end of this week, so we're not able 1275 01:17:59,319 --> 01:18:01,640 to do the bet ua us TV Boxing show. But typically we're there every 1276 01:18:01,720 --> 01:18:05,199 Friday at one Eastern time. We're just gonna let the audience know that we 1277 01:18:05,239 --> 01:18:11,359 will be back next week. It's just not there this week for the bet 1278 01:18:11,479 --> 01:18:15,039 USTv Boxing show. Other than that, I'm looking forward to whatever happens this 1279 01:18:15,119 --> 01:18:20,199 weekend and recapping it again. If they enjoyed Oscar Valdez hit like, subscribe 1280 01:18:20,199 --> 01:18:25,560 to this podcast and get ready because we've already played the interview with Tim Zoo 1281 01:18:25,560 --> 01:18:28,920 coming up on the Recap podcast because this is a light weekend. You're gonna 1282 01:18:29,119 --> 01:18:33,439 you wanna tease this the other half of that uppiming March thirty two pay per 1283 01:18:33,479 --> 01:18:35,479 view go ahead. Well, well, like you said, we had Tim 1284 01:18:35,560 --> 01:18:39,359 Zoo on the last show we have coming up. We got the Oscar Valdez 1285 01:18:39,840 --> 01:18:42,760 on this one ahead of his March twenty nine fight. And then I also 1286 01:18:42,800 --> 01:18:45,439 have an interview that you'll hear with Keith Thurmant, who is the other fighter 1287 01:18:45,479 --> 01:18:48,479 in the main event of March thirtieth. So we're looking forward to hearing that 1288 01:18:48,720 --> 01:18:53,680 off the weekend here on the Recap podcast, right here on this podcast feed 1289 01:18:54,560 --> 01:18:57,640 for now, my friend, enjoy the fights, have a great weekend. 1290 01:18:57,680 --> 01:19:00,920 It is always great to be with you here as part of the Big Fight 1291 01:19:00,960 --> 01:19:03,319 weekend preview. Thank you Dan Raphael. All right, my man, enjoy 1292 01:19:03,359 --> 01:19:06,439 the weekend. There you go. I am merely TJ. Reeves. Make 1293 01:19:06,439 --> 01:19:10,520 sure you're following, subscribing, Apple, Spreeker, Spotify. You're on the 1294 01:19:10,600 --> 01:19:14,359 right podcast feed. We preview going into the weekend recap coming off the weekend. 1295 01:19:14,399 --> 01:19:17,239 It is the Big Fight Weekend podcast feed. We're good for now. 1296 01:19:17,319 --> 01:19:18,000 Enjoy the fights,