1 00:00:02,319 --> 00:00:05,879 All right, off a weekend that has seen the Golden Boys show come and 2 00:00:05,919 --> 00:00:09,240 go in Arlington, Texas and a big KO win for williams Zapeta. We 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,439 are ready to talk about that, some news, some nostalgia and Moore. 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:17,960 Hello, and welcome back to the Fight Freaks Unite Recap for another edition as 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,320 we slide into a new week. Hey, it's Canelo Alvarez week this week, 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,199 and hope you enjoyed on our most recent podcast on this feed, Dan's 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,879 conversation with Canelo. Some interesting stuff that was there. I am merely the 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,439 somewhat capable host. The Dan reference is in reference to this guy, our 9 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,600 insider from his Fight Freaks Unite substack and from Big Fight Weekend dot Com. 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,880 Hello again, Dan, Raphael off the weekend. How are we feeling as 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:47,679 we begin Canello week? Happy Sunday? Yes it is. It is a 12 00:00:47,679 --> 00:00:50,399 happy Sunday for us, and we did at least it was an action packed, 13 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,479 knockout, early knockout field Golden Boy card that we're going to talk about 14 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,759 here in a little bit. Some fight news to go over, am I 15 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,840 correct? You have it here on the rundown that a Lennox Lewis world title 16 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,640 fight is the first one you ever covered ringside and official capacity with USA Today 17 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,680 or and or ESPN. And the nostalgia is that it's this it's now am 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,079 I close to correct on that? It was my first fight as the official 19 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:21,840 USA Today boxing writer. I had covered a previous fight for USA Today a 20 00:01:21,879 --> 00:01:25,599 few years earlier when I was there on a temporary loan from my previous newspaper. 21 00:01:25,879 --> 00:01:30,840 I had covered you know, other abouts prior to that. But as 22 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,439 like my job as a boxing writer, and that's all I did, was 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,879 right out of boxing and got hired like a couple of months before that fight, 24 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,640 And that was my first fight that the paper sent me out to go 25 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:46,480 travel to New York for. And as you mentioned, it was twenty three 26 00:01:46,519 --> 00:01:49,879 years ago Saturday, and it was I don't remember what I did yesterday, 27 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,560 but I have vivid memories of that fight. There's a good tease that's coming 28 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,719 up here in a few moments. All right, again, thank you for 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,079 finding us to make sure you're following or subscribing on this podcast feed and more 30 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:06,599 and more are you of you are doing that, So check us out here, 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,080 not only with the preview going into the weekend like for later this week 32 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:14,800 there will be a big fight weekend preview of Canelo and Writer and all the 33 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,039 action that's usually out overnight Thursday night into Friday. We come off the weekend 34 00:02:19,159 --> 00:02:23,120 Sunday night into Monday with the Fight Freaks Unite recap. But the other reason 35 00:02:23,159 --> 00:02:27,879 you want to be following and subscribing is because there are times in which we 36 00:02:28,039 --> 00:02:30,879 get a guest, a distinguished, special, big name guest, and that 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,560 might go up as its own entity on the podcast feed. You will need 38 00:02:36,759 --> 00:02:39,439 no other prompting from social media or a website or whatever if you're following or 39 00:02:39,479 --> 00:02:43,159 subscribing, So we advise you to do so, and a lot of you 40 00:02:43,199 --> 00:02:46,960 have taken that advice as well. So with that all done and good. 41 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,840 As I mentioned the Golden Boys show in Arlington, Texas that did go on 42 00:02:52,319 --> 00:02:57,599 despite the second postponement of the Ortiz Stanionis fight that's now back on for a 43 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,759 third time, they kept the card together. William Zapeta, unbeaten lightweight was 44 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:07,960 the headlining fighter and he delivered. He delivered a huge knockout in this one, 45 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,840 and it was early in the second round in the main event. So 46 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:15,520 that's primarily what we have to recap. Dan your thoughts on the conclusion of 47 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,599 that Golden Boys show with the ko by Zapeta. I've been watching Zapeta now 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,159 for a little while and he's exciting. He's a great combination puncher. He's 49 00:03:23,199 --> 00:03:29,319 a very heavy duty with his output of punches. He's a hard puncher. 50 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:30,800 You know, most of his wins are by knockout. Now after the knockout 51 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:36,840 against Arbelada on Saturday Night twenty eight with twenty four knockouts. He's a southpaw, 52 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,280 which is never easy for your normal orthodox fighter. You're going twenty six 53 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,599 years old, probably not even in his prime, yet in great condition. 54 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,599 Exciting to watch. I mean, he's a real He's a wild card if 55 00:03:46,599 --> 00:03:47,879 you will, in the division. Because when you tell people a lightweights, 56 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:53,199 they think Jivanti Davis, Devin Haney the undisputed champ. They'll think Loma Chenko 57 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,800 obviously him in. Loma and Haney have a fight coming up in May for 58 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,360 the undisputed title. You know, you might think of George Cambosa's the former 59 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:03,960 champion. Some people might think of Ryan Garcia because he fought at one thirty 60 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,520 six and the last fight, even though he was going up to one forty 61 00:04:06,639 --> 00:04:10,919 to go back there to have another fight in his when he whenever he decides 62 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,800 to return. You know, it's good. It's a good weight division. 63 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,600 Shu. Course, Stevenson is on the prowl. He just moved up to 64 00:04:15,639 --> 00:04:19,160 the weight class. There's a lot of great names and interesting fights, and 65 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,360 Zapeta kind of doesn't get a lot of attention, doesn't get a lot of 66 00:04:23,399 --> 00:04:26,240 love. But let me tell you something, he's gonna be right there in 67 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,879 the thick of things. He's gonna give any of these guys a tough fight. 68 00:04:28,959 --> 00:04:30,480 I mean, he may win against some of those guys. He may 69 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:33,360 lose against some of those guys, but he's gonna be in there throwing heavy, 70 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,000 hard punches, and he's gonna be a dangerous opponent for anybody. I 71 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:41,680 know. Arblada wasn't like the superstar opponent, but he was a competent guy. 72 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,800 He was moving up from one hundred and thirty pounds, but he had 73 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,360 won three fights in a row. You know his he had previously been stopped 74 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,000 by Chris Colbert in an interim title fight back in twenty and twenty. But 75 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,439 he was a pretty solid guy in my estimation. I mean, not a 76 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,399 bum at all, but he just could not take the incredible body attack from 77 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:00,360 Zapeta. You know, he got in some head shots too, and he 78 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,040 took those, okay, but that body that body attack was just brutal. 79 00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:08,639 I mean, second round three knockdowns, pretty much combinations, but that the 80 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,040 actual shots that put him on the mat, the where the body punches, 81 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,519 and you know, by the time the third one was in the liver area, 82 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,040 you know, he just wasn't getting up and it was over and out 83 00:05:17,079 --> 00:05:21,639 two rounds. You know, if you get the opportunity to headline like that. 84 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,879 Remember, he was supposed to be on the Tank Davis Ryan Garcia under 85 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,680 card on pay per view, but as you mentioned, when the Stanionis fight 86 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,399 with Virgil Ortiz was postponed again Golden Boy in an effort to keep that card 87 00:05:33,439 --> 00:05:36,720 on his own alive, they took Zepeta and they moved him into the main 88 00:05:36,759 --> 00:05:40,639 event, and you know, he did his job. But the point is 89 00:05:40,639 --> 00:05:43,560 when you get matched up. I'm not say he was mashed up soft, 90 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,759 but when you get mashed up with a guy that you're a heavy favorite to 91 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,319 beat, go out there and and make it so. You know, as 92 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:53,040 Captain Card would say, make it so. And he did just that. 93 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,920 You know, um, you know, he didn't slide in the Star Trek 94 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,800 next Generation reference there what you gotta do, But he didn't know. He 95 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,240 didn't he didn't mess around. He got the job done. He did what 96 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:08,360 he was supposed to do. He looked good doing it against a competent opponent, 97 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,000 and and I felt like that was, you know, a sort of 98 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,279 a statement like, hey, I got in the main event slot. I'm 99 00:06:15,319 --> 00:06:16,920 gonna make everybody sit up and pay attention to me. I can punch, 100 00:06:17,399 --> 00:06:20,879 I'm in great shape. I'm willing to fight anybody. He and his his 101 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,399 team said that afterwards. Golden Boy has said that they'll match him up with 102 00:06:25,399 --> 00:06:28,920 any of these guys out there, and that's all you can ask for. 103 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,040 I mean, he's he's a guy that injects excitement and depth in a very 104 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,600 very good weight class. And he's a guy I mean we you know, 105 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,560 we we ebb and flow with the rankings, but he's ranked in the top 106 00:06:39,639 --> 00:06:42,839 five by the w BA. He's ranked third by the w BA, or 107 00:06:42,879 --> 00:06:46,680 he was going into this fight maybe ranked higher. Uh and then he's ranked 108 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,839 fifth by the WBC. So he's very relevant, big puncher, and we'll 109 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:56,279 see we'll see what the him. He also, he's putting together like a 110 00:06:56,319 --> 00:07:00,319 decent group of victories. He beat the former title holder at one thirty Alvarado. 111 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,040 He had come off, you know, going into the fight that he 112 00:07:03,079 --> 00:07:06,920 had Saturday, he had. He didn't just beat Joseph Diaz Junior. He 113 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,920 beat him easily in a completely one sided decision, was basically a shutout. 114 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,759 I think one judge might have given Joe Jojo Diaz like one round or something 115 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,360 like that. So he comes off of those two wins in a row and 116 00:07:18,439 --> 00:07:20,920 now takes that Arboletta again. I know, a smaller guy. I'm not. 117 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,879 I don't want to get too carried away about it, but you know, 118 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,439 you keep racking up those wins, he keep doing it impressively. I 119 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,480 mean, if you watch that Jojo Dz fight, he threw like what, 120 00:07:29,519 --> 00:07:31,279 I don't know, fourteen hundred punchers or something like that. I mean, 121 00:07:31,319 --> 00:07:35,079 just wild amounts an output, and uh, you know, it gets the 122 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,959 job done. And I don't know about you, but if you said to 123 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:44,040 me you want to watch williams Epeta match him up with you know, any 124 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,399 number of lightweights, I'm like in because he's he's exciting to watch. That's 125 00:07:46,439 --> 00:07:48,959 the thing. He's very exciting to watch. I mean, one of the 126 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,560 things that I was thinking about. In Sergio Mora, who was the commentator 127 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,279 on the ZN'T also mentioned this, and I'm right there with him because it 128 00:07:56,319 --> 00:07:59,079 was in my mind even before the fight. You know, I don't think 129 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,759 it will happen for many reasons. But would I love to see is a 130 00:08:01,759 --> 00:08:03,920 paid against Isaac pitpol Cruz. How great of a fight would that be? 131 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,639 Yeah? They would, They would obviously trade and look, well we'll see, 132 00:08:09,959 --> 00:08:13,040 as we were saying before, obviously top ranked boxing and their fighters are 133 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:18,040 involved in high level stuff with Hany Lomachenko. What happens if if there's a 134 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:24,240 rematch in that fight Shakour Stevenson is looming. We get that. But in 135 00:08:24,279 --> 00:08:28,759 the next wave, like you're talking about, you know, probably twenty twenty 136 00:08:28,759 --> 00:08:31,639 four is a pay to maybe in that conversation all right, on the co 137 00:08:31,959 --> 00:08:35,960 feature, this was a wild I saw some of this too. This was 138 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:41,039 a wild second round KO by Victor Morales over Diego de la Joya, the 139 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:45,080 cousin of Oscar dal la Joya. A bit of a surprise, I thought, 140 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,679 a bit of a surprise, but Morales scores the knock down and Diego 141 00:08:48,039 --> 00:08:52,559 dal Lajoia was rocked, hurt and could not get up. So Dan, 142 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,080 give me your thoughts in the recap mode on that co feature fight in Texas 143 00:08:56,159 --> 00:08:58,440 Saturday night. Well Morales number one, he stays undefeated. Now he's eighteen 144 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:03,000 o one with nine knockouts. Not known as a big puncher, but he 145 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:07,159 sure looked like a big puncher against Diego de la Hoya. It was I 146 00:09:07,159 --> 00:09:09,919 guess you'd have to consider it an upset Diego del Laya, the cousin of 147 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,519 the Golden Boy president the Hall of Famer. I mean, but to me, 148 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,559 Diego de Lajoy, even though that's a second loss, he's always I 149 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,440 thought when he was coming up, he looked very good against you know, 150 00:09:20,639 --> 00:09:24,639 uh, a middling level of opposition as he stepped up slightly, you know, 151 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,480 ever so slightly slowly but surely. And he had a lot of problems 152 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,879 with making first it was one hundred and twenty two pounds. He had fights 153 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:35,279 canceled and dropped out and people kind of down on him. Then he lost 154 00:09:35,279 --> 00:09:37,639 a fight, still was having some issues with the weight making even featherweight, 155 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,039 and never really progressed in my opinion. I mean part of it. He 156 00:09:41,039 --> 00:09:45,120 was getting the benefit of doubt because of the last name, obviously, and 157 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:46,200 I don't I don't blame him for that. But when you have that last 158 00:09:46,279 --> 00:09:48,559 name, that helps you get in the door. But it's up to you 159 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,600 to take advantage of the opportunities. He has not done that. He has 160 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,600 not done that. But Victor Morales was calling him out and it seemed to 161 00:09:56,639 --> 00:10:00,879 be the right call because he went in there. They had what I considered 162 00:10:00,919 --> 00:10:03,120 like a firefight, you know, for a round and a half, and 163 00:10:03,159 --> 00:10:05,519 he put him out of there. I mean, he really beat him up 164 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,720 that second round. It's a very good victory for him. Uh, Diego 165 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:11,440 de la Joya, you know, to me is a prospect that that became 166 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:16,080 a suspect you know over the last few fights. Um, hard to see 167 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,480 him rebounding. I mean, it's gonna be up to him. He's got 168 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:22,000 the physical and mental wherewithal to try to rebound from that. But that was 169 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,879 a rough, rough loss. And for victim Or Elis, I mean, 170 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,759 you know, he's only twenty five years old. Um, exciting win in 171 00:10:28,919 --> 00:10:31,320 in a nice weight class, I mean, undefeated. You know, I 172 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,639 don't know if he's gonna be like a top level contender necessarily, but you 173 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,960 know, the jury's out. As long as he keeps doing what he's doing, 174 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,200 he's got it. He can't I I never interviewed him before. I 175 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,120 don't know him, but I listened to what he had to say in the 176 00:10:41,159 --> 00:10:43,879 interview. He came off as a very likable guy in the post fight interview, 177 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:46,240 like a guy you'd want to root for and definitely would want to watch 178 00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:50,039 again. So, you know, maybe Golden Boys got themselves another gem in 179 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,440 a in a a good featherweight division, but there's a lot of opportunities possibly 180 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,240 with four different title holders and all with different promoters, and you know, 181 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:01,080 some exciting matchups that that could be out out there. He could fit in 182 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,399 into that picture very nicely after a very impressive victory like that. So, 183 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,559 you know, the two fights in the top of the show, we're both 184 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,240 second round knockouts, but that doesn't make it a bad show. They were 185 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,320 enjoyable fights to watch, even if they were quick, and you've got something 186 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,399 to work with, whether it's the rising career of Zapeta in the main event, 187 00:11:18,519 --> 00:11:22,639 or you know, a nice revelation of what we saw Victor Morales able 188 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,440 to accomplish against De la Joya in the co feature. So a good night 189 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,879 all around for those two guys. All right, good enough on that. 190 00:11:31,919 --> 00:11:35,440 Okay, let's get to some news. Then we'll get to some nostalgia here, 191 00:11:35,519 --> 00:11:41,799 and this includes Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions doing a deal as well with 192 00:11:41,879 --> 00:11:46,360 a Prospects series four de Zone that's going to be coming up. So give 193 00:11:46,399 --> 00:11:50,399 me more on this and how soon it's a Friday night series? How soon 194 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:54,360 is all of this going to begin? The most Valuable Prospects is what they're 195 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,759 gonna call the series. How soon are we looking at? Well, it's 196 00:11:58,799 --> 00:12:01,679 gonna be four shows, twenty three from what they announced a few days ago. 197 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,840 The first show kicks off on Nate twenty sixth. It's headlined by the 198 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:11,279 lightweight that was a teenager still that Jake Paul's company signed, named Ashton Silk 199 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:15,639 from Long Beach, California's eight and Oh with eight Knockouts. He was supposed 200 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,919 to box on the undercard when Jake Paul had his fight with Tommy Fury. 201 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,679 I think he was. He got ill and he had to pull off the 202 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,159 show. So he hasn't fought since the last fall, but he'll headline that 203 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:28,480 card. It basically sounds like to me in the way that they positioned it 204 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:35,120 in many ways, like the Zones version of Showbox, but with one promoter, 205 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,320 Jake Paul. But they're gonna have to work with other promoters because Jake's 206 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,200 company doesn't have a whole ton of fighters signed. So, you know, 207 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,440 people want to talk about Jake Paul's a lot of people like to rip on 208 00:12:45,519 --> 00:12:48,039 him, say he's bad for boxing. He fights MMA guys, he lost 209 00:12:48,039 --> 00:12:50,039 to the boxer. That's the boxing part. You can have your opinion about 210 00:12:50,039 --> 00:12:52,240 that. But in terms of the business side of things, I think this 211 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,720 is a good thing because when you get somebody of the name recognition and the 212 00:12:56,799 --> 00:13:01,200 significance of Jake Paul in the business, and he won to not only make 213 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,000 money and do things for his own career in his own self, you know, 214 00:13:03,039 --> 00:13:07,360 whether it's fighting Tommy Fury next up. He's supposed to have another fight 215 00:13:07,399 --> 00:13:11,399 with an MMA fighter in Nadaz this summer, but he's looking to do other 216 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,799 events and help elevate the level of the younger fighters. And with his name 217 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,200 recognition, if you can get behind some young talent and help bring them to 218 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,759 the forefront. I believe that's a great thing. So this series, it's 219 00:13:24,799 --> 00:13:28,559 four shows to start, so they're not going crazy. It's modest start. 220 00:13:28,639 --> 00:13:31,039 All of the bouts, all four of the shows are supposed to take place 221 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,480 at the same location, which will give it some continuity. It's called the 222 00:13:35,519 --> 00:13:39,320 carib Royal Resort in Orlando, Florida, TJ. You can be our beat 223 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,840 writer and head up. You're not too far away. And by the way, 224 00:13:41,919 --> 00:13:46,360 that is a place where Showbox has held a couple of shows recently too, 225 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:52,559 and there definitely is a fan base there, especially a Puerto Rican fan 226 00:13:52,639 --> 00:13:54,960 base there, as you well know. So it's interesting there that that's one 227 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,200 of the places they would go and look to hold the show. And they're 228 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,639 gonna they're gonna work with one of the promoters that it's done a number of 229 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,960 shows in that location called Box Lab Promotions, so they've got other experienced people 230 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,240 there. So again, I think it's a good thing. I mean, 231 00:14:07,279 --> 00:14:11,279 we have to see what the level of the fights are. The sill fight 232 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,840 that's going to headline in the May twenty sixth event is I gotta be honest, 233 00:14:16,879 --> 00:14:20,320 it's not the most earth shaking main event I've ever seen. It's he's 234 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,399 fighting a fighting him Angel Rebel R. Who was a very good amateur. 235 00:14:24,559 --> 00:14:26,279 But he's six and two or three knockouts, so it's an eight rounder. 236 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:30,799 You know. Again, it's going to be growing pains, growing steps, 237 00:14:30,799 --> 00:14:31,960 see how they do. And to tell you the truth, when I saw 238 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,799 the announcement a couple of days ago that they were doing the series for the 239 00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,559 last like probably month or so, I kept hearing that Jake Paul was doing 240 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,840 some kind of deal for a series with the Zone. I wasn't sure what 241 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,759 level of the fights would be. Remember his fight that he's got on pay 242 00:14:45,799 --> 00:14:48,799 per view with Nadas is also in conjunction with the Zone. One would have 243 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:54,080 to assume that this was sort of part of that overall deal to have them 244 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,559 have rights to his next bout. But whatever the business side is, to 245 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,000 me, it's a good thing for the sport of boxing. When the Zone 246 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,840 is making an investment, Jake Paul is spending his time and efforts to try 247 00:15:03,879 --> 00:15:07,000 to raise up the level of these younger fighters. If they have any kind 248 00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:11,799 of success the way a showbox has had then hopefully weren't for some good fights. 249 00:15:13,039 --> 00:15:16,480 And speaking of the Diaz thing. I mean, we've gone over this 250 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,639 so many different ways with arrests and what they might do. Fans may be 251 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:24,879 aware that he has now turned himself in in New Orleans and the video has 252 00:15:24,879 --> 00:15:30,159 been out there on social media of at least part of a brawl in New 253 00:15:30,279 --> 00:15:33,840 Orleans that involves him. He says it was self defense. He was charged 254 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:39,600 with simple assault. Again, this is all fluid. He is supposed to 255 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,639 fight Jake Paul in a couple of months. We'll see if it's any factor 256 00:15:43,679 --> 00:15:46,600 at all in their fight that is supposed to be and helped me off top 257 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:48,000 of my head. Their fights supposed to be in Dallas, right right next 258 00:15:48,039 --> 00:15:52,480 Texas, right next to Louisiana. And one more thing I was thinking when 259 00:15:52,519 --> 00:15:56,600 you were saying this. Jake Paul also announced that he's owning and establishing the 260 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:03,120 Professional Fighters League that he had as with a stable of fighters there doing MMA 261 00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:06,759 fights. And he has openly said, I don't know that he said it 262 00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:10,679 recently that this whole thing with Nate Diaz was to do two fights, the 263 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,279 first one as a boxing match, and then the next one will be some 264 00:16:14,399 --> 00:16:18,120 kind of modified MMA fight. I don't know if it's in a cage or 265 00:16:18,519 --> 00:16:22,799 what they're going to do. But it's part of the Professional Fighters League thing 266 00:16:22,799 --> 00:16:26,799 that he established. But my point with that is he's an ownership of that 267 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:32,639 PFL. He admits that his business partners they're funding it. So you can 268 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:34,759 knock a lot of different things, but they're trying to get a lot of 269 00:16:34,759 --> 00:16:38,159 other people paid. And that's what you're mentioning here, including with this Prospect 270 00:16:38,279 --> 00:16:42,879 series, with developing things and get some fighters paid. That's the point he 271 00:16:44,759 --> 00:16:48,799 did it. I mean, he's gotten paid himself now. He's he's always 272 00:16:48,799 --> 00:16:52,360 been sort of open minded and outspoken about fighter pay. He's he's ragged on 273 00:16:52,399 --> 00:16:56,440 the UFC and Dana White about the way that they handle their fighter pay. 274 00:16:56,519 --> 00:17:00,159 He took some of the women's box like, you know, he promotes a 275 00:17:00,159 --> 00:17:03,720 man to Serranto, who's one of the best women's boxers in the world. 276 00:17:03,839 --> 00:17:07,839 She's going to be in all of fame someday. She's won world titles in 277 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,000 seven different weight classes, which is more than anybody ever in women's boxing, 278 00:17:11,519 --> 00:17:15,240 but she had never gotten that giant level of payday. And when they were 279 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,160 able to put together the Katie Taylor fight, you know, his team helped 280 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:22,400 Katie get a seven figure pay day, and uh, you know, she's 281 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,640 made good money in her last few fights, and presumably when she fights again, 282 00:17:26,759 --> 00:17:30,119 if she fights a man to Serranto, you know, in the rematch 283 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,640 against Katie Taylor, at some point there'll be another big payday. You know, 284 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,000 we'll see. I think she's gonna be on in a rematch against Heather 285 00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:41,160 Hardy on the Nate Diaz undercard. I'm sure she'll be paid handsomely for that 286 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,960 fight. Also, so listen, people can bust on Jake Paul and say 287 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,960 he's not a real fighter and all the all the negativity that they that they 288 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,160 put on him. All I know is this, the guy goes in there 289 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,039 and he trains hard, he tries to win. You know, he did 290 00:17:55,039 --> 00:17:56,680 finally step up and fight a boxer. He lost a fight, he didn't 291 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,720 make a lot of excuses about it. He's now fighting eight ds. People 292 00:18:00,759 --> 00:18:02,759 want to see it. It's going to make a lot of money. And 293 00:18:02,759 --> 00:18:04,759 on the business side, he's giving other fighters opportunities to go. I'm not 294 00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:07,319 really sure why everybody gets so mad about that. I think it's a good 295 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:12,799 thing. There you go, another piece of news you are reporting because the 296 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:18,480 date has been out there for Jared real big Baby Anderson, the unbeaten heavyweight 297 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,119 in the top rank stable the date of what July first, has been out 298 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:26,039 there. But now you want to talk about the opponent that you've learned, 299 00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:30,319 so go ahead more with that. Well sure, so, Jared of course 300 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,920 has been fighting on these top rank undercard and they're bringing him along extremely well. 301 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,359 I had him as my twenty twenty one Prospect of the year. He's 302 00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:41,119 clearly the best American heavyweight prospect. You can argue he's maybe the best heavyweight 303 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:45,359 prospect in boxing that some might say it's Jola la of the gold medal winner 304 00:18:45,559 --> 00:18:48,000 from the Olympics, and maybe a couple other guys, but certainly he's in 305 00:18:48,039 --> 00:18:51,839 that elite level of up and comer. But now he's got his first main 306 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:53,880 event as a pro and Top Rank has taken him home to Toledo, Ohio 307 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:56,839 on July first, which I reported quite a while ago. But now they 308 00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:00,400 have an opponent for him. He's fighting a fighter, a south Bot out 309 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,480 of Kazakhstan who's nineteen to oh with eighteen knockouts. His name is Zon Kosabutski. 310 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:07,559 You know, I can't say I know a ton about him, but 311 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,759 he looks formidable at least in terms of on paper. But knowing top rank, 312 00:19:11,799 --> 00:19:15,480 they're bringing him, you know, they're not bringing a guy to Toledo 313 00:19:15,519 --> 00:19:18,839 to get beat by, you know, to beat their future cash cow. 314 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:22,960 But you know it is it appears to be a step up, or at 315 00:19:22,039 --> 00:19:26,480 least at least a lateral step. I mean, he did just fight Jerry 316 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,279 Forrest, who was a you know, let's call him a fringe contender who 317 00:19:29,279 --> 00:19:32,720 has been in the ring with a lot of quality guys and handled himself pretty 318 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,920 well. But it's always exciting to me when you take a younger fighter and 319 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,400 you bring him home. There's something to be said about creating a fan base 320 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,359 in the person's hometown where no matter whether it's ups or downs, there's always 321 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,519 a place to go. They've been doing it with Shakoor Stevens New Work, 322 00:19:47,559 --> 00:19:51,119 New Jersey. They did it years ago with four examples as one of many 323 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:55,240 examples. They did it with Terrence Crawford in Omaha, Nebraska. They did 324 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,920 it years before that with Kelly Pavlick in Youngstown, Ohio. They have done 325 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,039 it, you know, all through the course of their existence. This is 326 00:20:02,079 --> 00:20:06,279 another example I fully expected in the in the in the future, probably before 327 00:20:06,279 --> 00:20:07,640 the end of this year, even at the early you know, maybe beginning 328 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,000 of next year, we'll see them do a fight card in Norfolk, Virginia 329 00:20:11,039 --> 00:20:15,480 for example, and bring key Shan Davis to fight in front of the hometown 330 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,079 having had a you know, sort of big fights in Norfolk, Virginia since 331 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,839 the early days of Parnell Whittaker. So they're bringing Jared Anderson home to fight 332 00:20:22,319 --> 00:20:26,079 Kosa Botski. He's you know, his his biggest win. I guess as 333 00:20:26,079 --> 00:20:30,880 a couple of fights ago. He did stop in the fifth round Johan Duhoppish 334 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:36,759 who for those who follow the heavyweight division, you know, whatever you want 335 00:20:36,759 --> 00:20:38,440 to say, he did fight for the heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder, who 336 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,240 stopped them in round eleven in two thousand and fifteen. So there you can 337 00:20:42,279 --> 00:20:45,279 measure it sort of against the kind of guys he's beaten her and been in 338 00:20:45,319 --> 00:20:51,000 the ring with. But the main thing is they're going to create a buzz 339 00:20:51,039 --> 00:20:53,559 for Jared Anderson at home in Toledo, uh, you know where. It's 340 00:20:53,599 --> 00:20:57,240 not exactly like there's tons of big league sports, are huge things going on 341 00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:02,759 in Toledo in the middle of the time. So I would be willing to 342 00:21:02,759 --> 00:21:06,079 say to you that July first, one of the biggest things going on in 343 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,480 Toledo, Ohio. Toledo, Ohio is going to be the homecoming nationally televised 344 00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:14,680 boxing match of their favorite heavyweights on Jared Anderson. So I think that's a 345 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:15,720 really cool thing when they can bring them all in and we'll see, if 346 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,039 you know, if you can keep on keep it on. He's fourteen oh 347 00:21:19,079 --> 00:21:23,000 with fourteen knockouts. The money's probably on fifteen to oh with fifteen knockouts, 348 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,759 so we'll see what happens. The conversation continues in a moment. First, 349 00:21:26,839 --> 00:21:32,839 a word for our friends at PPV dot com. Coming up on Saturday night, 350 00:21:32,839 --> 00:21:38,400 it's the return of Canelo Alvarez defending his World super middleweight undisputed championship against 351 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,200 England's John Ryder. The return to Mexico for Canelo, and you need to 352 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,960 watch it through PPV dot com. Why because there's no obligation. There's no 353 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,279 subscription needed with PPV dot Com. No, a one off purchase can be 354 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:52,799 made. Don't have to make a six month commitment, don't have to make 355 00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:56,759 a one year commitment. You just want to watch the event, do it 356 00:21:56,799 --> 00:21:59,680 with them, and there's even more reason to do it. That's because they've 357 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:06,200 got great interactive features, obviously in English or in Spanish. The chat live 358 00:22:06,319 --> 00:22:08,799 video host that'll be part of it. It's all with PPV dot com. 359 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,720 Check it out, purchase the pay per view right through their service. It 360 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:18,000 is quick, it is easy, the stream is effective. It's in Crystal 361 00:22:18,039 --> 00:22:22,079 Clear ten eighty and Greater HD. You don't have to worry about a subscription, 362 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:26,680 hassle or anything with PPV dot Com. Again, Canello returns on Saturday 363 00:22:27,039 --> 00:22:30,960 against John Ryder of England. We want you to watch it with our friends 364 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:36,279 at PPV dot com. Okay, good news on that and again, yes, 365 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,319 that's I mean, I think it's fair to say he is the most 366 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:45,799 recognizable heavyweight name right now in the US because he's been active again. We 367 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,720 keep hearing things about when Deontay Wilder might fight again, But Deontay Wilder is 368 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:53,799 basically fought part of one round over the course of the last going on a 369 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,640 year and a half or more, and we don't know when he's fighting again. 370 00:22:57,079 --> 00:23:00,880 So this guy's of interest, at least if you're a US fan in 371 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,480 the heavyweight division. Speaking of the heavyweights, why don't we get into the 372 00:23:04,519 --> 00:23:08,720 nostalgia. You just wetted our appetite a little while ago that you covered Lennox 373 00:23:08,839 --> 00:23:15,839 Lewis's knockout win over Michael Grant a ringside, and that is now twenty three 374 00:23:17,279 --> 00:23:19,960 years ago, So give me more on the nostalgia. Twenty three years ago. 375 00:23:21,039 --> 00:23:23,359 Saturday is the anniversary of you covering that, So give me some more 376 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,880 on the nostalgia and what you remember in the big event of of a world 377 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,720 heavyweight title fight. I mean, obviously, at this stage of my career, 378 00:23:29,759 --> 00:23:32,000 I've covered, you know, huge amounts of fights over the years, 379 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,599 but there's something to be said for your first one. As you know, 380 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,759 the official boxing writer for USA today. That was I don't know if it 381 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,599 still is, but at the time it was the number one newspaper in the 382 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:47,079 United States. I had started my job there in I'd gotten hired in February 383 00:23:47,079 --> 00:23:49,319 of two thousand. I started in mid March of two thousand, you know, 384 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,920 moved from where I was living in upstate New York at the paper i 385 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,680 worked there, and moved to Virginia to begin my work there, you know, 386 00:23:56,759 --> 00:24:00,279 kind of get to lay of the land. There really wasn't big fights 387 00:24:00,319 --> 00:24:03,559 going on at that moment in time. I think the biggest fight that occurred 388 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,480 prior to my covering Lewis Grant after I had gotten to USA today, there 389 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,119 was a fight between Fernando Vargas and I Quarte, which was a pretty big 390 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:15,160 deal. I didn't actually travel to Vegas for that fight. There was, 391 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,640 you know, still like handling things in the office and sort of you know, 392 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,480 getting used to the to the to the to the new surroundings, if 393 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,440 you will. But when it came time for the heavyweight championship between Lewis and 394 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,759 Michael Grant. Michael Grant was an undefeated number one contender. He had had 395 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,079 a tremendous build up by HBO, a tremendous athlete. A lot of people 396 00:24:33,079 --> 00:24:37,319 gave him a good chance to win that fight. I got sent to New 397 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,880 York City to cover that fight, and you know, as I said earlier, 398 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:41,359 I couldn't tell you what I did like four or five days ago, 399 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,160 but I just have so many vivid memories that because I was so excited. 400 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,440 It's Madison Square Garden, It's my first you know, I didn't start off 401 00:24:48,519 --> 00:24:51,599 with like you know, people joke with me at the time, like they 402 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,720 couldn't start you off with like, you know, you know, some super 403 00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,160 featherweight title fight in Biloxi, Mississippi. You know, I started with the 404 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:02,079 heavyweight Championship of the World. That New York Madison Square Garden like hallowed ground 405 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,440 for boxing history. I can still remember going into the They had like the 406 00:25:07,319 --> 00:25:11,519 workouts during the fight week. They held them inside the Madison Square Garden Theater, 407 00:25:11,559 --> 00:25:15,559 which is the smaller arena that's on ground level at at you know where 408 00:25:15,559 --> 00:25:18,039 the big arenas upstairs where the New York Knicks playing all that, but the 409 00:25:18,079 --> 00:25:19,839 small arena where I've covered tons of fights now, they had a ring set 410 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,160 up and that's where they did the workouts. But I went in there and 411 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,400 I met a lot of people for the first time, including who became you 412 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,319 know, my dear friend Emmanuel Stewart, who was Lennox's trainer at the time, 413 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:36,519 and have those memories. And you know, Lennox looked awesome that night. 414 00:25:36,559 --> 00:25:38,480 I mean he stopped Michael Grant in two rounds with the massive uppercut. 415 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:45,039 Lennox was just a dominating figure. Michael Grant looked absolutely patrified and was like 416 00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:48,279 you just kind of ran into the the propeller of the helicopter to get it 417 00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:49,920 over with, and uh, you know, he was never the same after 418 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,160 that. They mean, he never he never really recovered from that loss. 419 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,960 He you know, he fought some other significant fights stuff, you know, 420 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:57,960 over the next few years, but not even close to what he had been 421 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,160 going into that. I am curious. So this was HBO right in those 422 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,400 the fight was on though, this fight was actually an HBO pay per view. 423 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:07,839 F HBO pay per view. But that's Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant. 424 00:26:08,279 --> 00:26:11,079 So this is the first time that you're around all this at the Garden. 425 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:15,599 How wide eyed was a young reporter, Dan Rayfield to just be standing there 426 00:26:15,599 --> 00:26:19,160 goal on, Holy crap, that's HBO pay per view right there, this 427 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,920 was Garden. Here comes Lennox Lewis. You had to be a little bit. 428 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,680 I was super excited. I mean, it was it was back then. 429 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,200 It wasn't even called HBO pay per view. It was still called tv 430 00:26:29,319 --> 00:26:34,079 KO. Now back up to October thirty, first Halloween Night of nineteen ninety 431 00:26:34,079 --> 00:26:38,480 eight, I had been on this temporary assignment at USA Today for four months 432 00:26:38,519 --> 00:26:41,720 through a program that had within the Gennette company, and I had worked for 433 00:26:41,759 --> 00:26:45,119 another Genette paper, so I did get sent to USA today work to work 434 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,319 there for four months, which is how I ended up winding back there as 435 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:52,960 a full time person. So I had covered one fight while I was on 436 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,359 that loan, which was Prince Nasim Hamed versus Wayne McCullough. So on that 437 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,039 night in Atlantic City, I did briefly meet people like Jim Lampley and and 438 00:27:00,079 --> 00:27:03,039 Larry Merchant and some of the other folks there, but to go back and 439 00:27:03,079 --> 00:27:04,920 to cover Lewis Grant as now, it's like, I'm it's my full time 440 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,720 job. I'm not gonna have to leave after a few months and go back 441 00:27:07,759 --> 00:27:11,519 to bring him to New York. Um, I was super excited. So 442 00:27:11,559 --> 00:27:15,119 it wasn't so much about seeing or meeting those folks again because I hadn't met 443 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,480 them before. But yeah, I was wide eyed. I mean, I'm 444 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,240 sitting in the front row at Madison Square Garden for the Heavyweight Championship of the 445 00:27:19,279 --> 00:27:22,000 World. It was a thrill of a I mean, I mean, I'm 446 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,920 I don't want to like get a sappy and emotional and all that, but 447 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,480 it was like the thrill of a lifetime. I mean, I've never I've 448 00:27:27,559 --> 00:27:33,119 never once in the twenty three years that have taken place after that, ever 449 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,960 taken for granted the ability to go cover these fights and sit ringside and get 450 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,799 a chance to do what I do. But that was the first one. 451 00:27:40,839 --> 00:27:45,200 And not only was it seeing uh you know that type of uh event, 452 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,160 you know, with with Lennox. I mean, it wasn't a memorable fight 453 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:49,920 for most people, but for me, it's like one of the most memorable 454 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,640 because you know, he he just blew the guy out in two rounds. 455 00:27:53,079 --> 00:27:56,039 But you have to think about what else was on that card. You have 456 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:02,200 the Vladimir Klitchko fought on the underc hard who became one of the all time 457 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,119 great heavy h who I have now known for a very long time. We're 458 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,799 had to talk more about an anniversary with him in a minute too, but 459 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,640 keep going. Yes, a matter of fact, you know, Vladimir Klitchko 460 00:28:10,799 --> 00:28:15,559 just this past weekend for Ukraine political reasons, spent some time in Washington, 461 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,839 DC, which is not too far from Marlett, and Vladimir and I were 462 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,160 texting back and forth with each other. The point is, even after all 463 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,759 these years, I still do keep we still do keep in touch. With 464 00:28:25,759 --> 00:28:27,920 one another. So that week was the first time I ever met Vladimir Klitchko. 465 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,559 And also anybody that knows me, or follows me, or has ever 466 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:33,640 read me no is my all time favorite fighter. Ever as our Taro Gotti, 467 00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:37,119 well, our Taro Gotti was on that pay per view also, so 468 00:28:37,319 --> 00:28:41,240 I got a chance in my first This is coincidental that two of the fighters 469 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:45,279 that I grew to become huge fans of and respect and love our Taro Gotti 470 00:28:45,279 --> 00:28:48,039 and Vladimir Klitchko and Lennox Lewis by the way, who my cat is named 471 00:28:48,079 --> 00:28:51,720 after. Lennox the cat, I mean, all of them on the same 472 00:28:51,759 --> 00:28:55,960 show, my first one. So I mean it was a huge deal in 473 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,920 my life, what can I say? And by the way, we keep 474 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:02,279 making jokes about this, the nostalgia and what we do here on the podcast 475 00:29:02,319 --> 00:29:04,039 Speed. Yeah, they actually used to have pay per views with three two 476 00:29:04,119 --> 00:29:08,240 three world title fights and huge names. That's how it was done back in 477 00:29:08,279 --> 00:29:11,200 the day and even in this in this day in two thousand, Okay, 478 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:17,559 so move forward to twenty seventeen. You've told the story before, but just 479 00:29:17,599 --> 00:29:21,279 reiterate a little bit of it here. You were there at Wembley Stadium for 480 00:29:21,359 --> 00:29:26,400 Anthony Joshua and Vladimir Klitschko, which again the anniversary was Saturday, as we 481 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,839 released this podcast off the weekend the same twenty ninth go ahead. Yes, 482 00:29:30,519 --> 00:29:33,200 yeah, well, I mean the Lewis Grant and Klitzko on that undercard April 483 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:38,160 twenty ninth, two thousand. Joshua versus Klichko haveavy weight championship fight at the 484 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,920 end of Ladimir's career April twenty ninth, twenty seventeen. Look, it was 485 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:45,920 the fight of the year, but that was a huge deal. Ninety thousand 486 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,519 people at Wembley Stadium at the time, the biggest crowd they had had for 487 00:29:48,519 --> 00:29:52,799 a fight there. I mean, it was eclipsed a few years later when 488 00:29:52,839 --> 00:29:56,319 Tyson Fury had the fight with Dylan White. That was because the promoters, 489 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,920 you know, got an ability, you know, they were given a variance, 490 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,160 if you will, to allow even more people into the stadium to watch 491 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,839 the fight. So they ended up having ninety four thousand. But I would 492 00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:11,319 say to anybody ninety ninety four thousand, it's all the same because the atmosphere 493 00:30:11,359 --> 00:30:15,079 is just incredible. I've covered a lot of fights over the years, and 494 00:30:15,119 --> 00:30:18,599 I have to say that that fight, that that whole fight week, and 495 00:30:18,839 --> 00:30:22,559 I give credit to Matchroom Boxing and to Eddie Hearn and the boxers. I 496 00:30:22,559 --> 00:30:26,200 mean, it was just an absolutely incredible fight week. It turned out to 497 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:27,880 be the fight of the year in twenty seventeen. But I have a lot 498 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,599 of great memories. You know, there was actually, believe it or not, 499 00:30:32,039 --> 00:30:34,000 there was a number of American boxing media that traveled to the UK for 500 00:30:34,039 --> 00:30:37,480 that fight. There was probably i'd say about a half a dozen of us 501 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,400 that were there. But I got there, I want to say, like 502 00:30:40,519 --> 00:30:45,920 on Tuesday morning of the fight week, I believe, and they had at 503 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,039 the Wembley Arena, which is across the street from the Wembley Stadium, which 504 00:30:48,039 --> 00:30:52,200 there's been lots of fights there. Sort of like I just mentioned about how 505 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,640 they had to workout for Michael Grant and Lennox Lewis and the Madison Square Guard 506 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,400 Theater, whereas the full the full card in the fight took place in the 507 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:03,440 Big Arena upstairs. The fight week for Joshua versus Kletchko. Yeah, obviously 508 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,720 the fight was taking place at the Big Stadium, but across the street to 509 00:31:06,759 --> 00:31:10,000 Wembley Arena. That's where they had things like the workout in the way in 510 00:31:10,079 --> 00:31:12,519 and some of the other stuff. So I had gone to the workout in 511 00:31:12,559 --> 00:31:17,519 my good buddy Lance Pugmier, who at the time was working for the Los 512 00:31:17,559 --> 00:31:19,400 Angeles Times. We were the two American guys that had gotten there earlier. 513 00:31:19,839 --> 00:31:26,440 And it's a weird thing the way the British fighters work with the media. 514 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:32,960 They'll do a media like a you know, an availability where they only let 515 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,839 the British press in and the Americans or anybody else not allowed. But then 516 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:38,839 they'll do a separate one for the other guys. The Yanks, as were 517 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,759 known, the Yanks not allowed and you don't mean New York Yankees, but 518 00:31:41,759 --> 00:31:45,359 the Yanks were not allowed, Okay, yes, So they would do that 519 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,000 with Lennox, They did it with Ricky Hatton, they did it with Joe 520 00:31:48,079 --> 00:31:51,160 Calzaggie, they did it with Prince Nasim. It was just like a thing. 521 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:52,920 And as I come to find out, and the reason why, because 522 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,720 the Americans would never put up with this shit is the Brits basically would decide 523 00:31:56,759 --> 00:32:00,240 what we're gonna write on a given day, and all the newspaper was would 524 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,160 write the same sort of version of the story, whatever the topic was. 525 00:32:02,319 --> 00:32:05,799 On this day we're writing about the trainer. On this day we're writing about 526 00:32:05,799 --> 00:32:07,759 this, and this day were writing about that. You couldn't get two American 527 00:32:07,799 --> 00:32:10,559 writers to agree, much less six or eight or ten to agrant that we 528 00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:14,079 all do our own thing. But the point was they kept us out of 529 00:32:14,079 --> 00:32:19,279 those sessions so we wouldn't use the quotes or whatever in our stories that would 530 00:32:19,319 --> 00:32:22,240 go before a British writer might write the piece. That's the way they did 531 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:27,039 it. But the point was, so they're running late for the workouts, 532 00:32:27,079 --> 00:32:30,119 which is not unusual, and Anthony is in the locker, you know, 533 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:35,000 in the back room they're doing his media availability with the British press and me 534 00:32:35,079 --> 00:32:37,960 and Lance are waiting, and they told us, you know, the match 535 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,599 room pr folks, my man Anthony lever props then for taking care of this, 536 00:32:42,359 --> 00:32:44,680 that we would definitely get our time with Joshua. But the time is 537 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,000 ticking and the workouts ring lane. We're sort of like we're the only two 538 00:32:46,039 --> 00:32:51,319 Americans. There was nobody else there. He's gonna take all the time with 539 00:32:51,319 --> 00:32:52,319 the Brits. He's gonna come and do the workout. We're gonna kind of 540 00:32:52,319 --> 00:32:54,880 get screwed in at that point, really we had nothing, and you know, 541 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:59,039 our companies that spent a lot of money to send us to cover this 542 00:32:59,079 --> 00:33:02,319 event, and you know we kind of need Joshua. All the Brits come 543 00:33:02,319 --> 00:33:07,519 out and they sent me in Lance in just the two of us, So 544 00:33:07,599 --> 00:33:10,759 it was Lance, Pugmyer, Raypheel, Joshua, Eddie Hearn and I want 545 00:33:10,759 --> 00:33:15,200 to say it was like either maybe like Anthony's brother or a buddy or somebody 546 00:33:15,359 --> 00:33:21,079 just sort of sitting in the back hanging out and h it was absolutely fantastic. 547 00:33:21,119 --> 00:33:24,279 It was the two of us had Joshua for like he had to give 548 00:33:24,359 --> 00:33:28,720 us a half an hour. It was phenomenal. He I never forget this. 549 00:33:28,799 --> 00:33:31,680 He was mimicking punches and like kind of like shadow boxing as we're sitting 550 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:35,039 there, and he went to throw a punch and when I tell you, 551 00:33:35,039 --> 00:33:37,920 we missed my chin by about a half an inch. He missed my chin 552 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:38,799 buy about half an inch. And you know, there are a lot of 553 00:33:38,839 --> 00:33:44,759 people throughout your career that have hoped and had fantasies about the opportunity to connect 554 00:33:44,759 --> 00:33:46,880 on that punch. But you're saying, Joshua, he wasn't. Yeah, 555 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,839 he wasn't hoping to connect. He was actually very good natured and really cool. 556 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,039 But so that was just a great memory of that particular event. And 557 00:33:54,079 --> 00:33:57,200 then of course, you know, with Klitchko being on the card, I 558 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,359 mean I become you know, not with Clitchco, but I had known him 559 00:34:00,359 --> 00:34:04,400 a long time, had written hundreds of thousands of words about him, had 560 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,800 covered his career for many many years in very great detail. And his brother 561 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,039 and Vitality was there also, who I had a chance to talk to. 562 00:34:10,559 --> 00:34:15,039 It was just a fantastic The whole week was great. And then the fight 563 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:16,480 night, what can you say, the fight of the year, And I 564 00:34:16,519 --> 00:34:20,440 mean, I don't think Anthony Joshua peeked quite honest. We've discussed this has 565 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,239 never been the same since that you had life that moment. We've covered this 566 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:28,079 before, but I've never asked you this part. When Joshua got knocked down, 567 00:34:28,519 --> 00:34:30,840 which he did, did you, as you recollect, did you have 568 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:35,679 a moment where you thought Klitchko's gonna knock him out? Yeah, flash to 569 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,679 you, clich goes going to do this coming out of a lengthy two or 570 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:44,440 three years out of the ring, did you have that flash moment ringside Wimbley 571 00:34:44,679 --> 00:34:46,639 six years ago. Well, he hadn't been out of there in quite that 572 00:34:46,679 --> 00:34:50,760 long, but he had not fought since the loss the Tyson fury, which 573 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,159 was a loss, but it was such a horrible fight, and it was 574 00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:57,519 a decision that it was like it almost I'm not saying he doesn't count. 575 00:34:57,559 --> 00:35:01,119 It counts obviously, but it wasn't like either guy fought a brilliant fight that 576 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:05,119 night, and neither guy fought extremely well. So it came back for the 577 00:35:05,199 --> 00:35:07,679 Joshua fight, which was such a big fight. By the way, remember 578 00:35:07,119 --> 00:35:09,880 in the United States sky Box Office on pay per view in the UK, 579 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:15,599 but in the United States at that time, Showtime still had rights to Joshua 580 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:19,559 and Vladimir was still under it was under contract to HBO and so yes, 581 00:35:19,639 --> 00:35:23,079 they had teamed up to do the joint pay per view between Tyson and Lewis 582 00:35:24,119 --> 00:35:28,760 Day had teamed up years later to do the obviously the mega pay per view 583 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,840 between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacap, but because they both had rights to Joshua 584 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,440 and to Klitschko, this was not a pay per view in the United States. 585 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:37,920 They worked out where they had to work together on this one too. 586 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:44,039 They both had their broadcast teams at ringside, and my memory serves Showtime showed 587 00:35:44,079 --> 00:35:47,480 the fight live on showtime, like around six o'clock the way, you know, 588 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:52,440 because it was British the local time, and HBO showed it in primetime 589 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,679 on a very brief replay at like nine o'clock at night. So both networks 590 00:35:55,679 --> 00:36:01,400 showed that fight, which is highly unusual in any event. Remember Klitchko got 591 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:05,519 knocked down in the fifth round. Remember that fight. It became the fight 592 00:36:05,519 --> 00:36:08,039 of the year in twenty seventeen. The first like four rounds were just sort 593 00:36:08,079 --> 00:36:12,760 of average, but it was after that that it became like this epic classic. 594 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:15,559 And it started with Joshua putting Klitchko on the mat in round number five. 595 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:21,079 He came back and knocked down very hard Joshua and round number six, 596 00:36:21,079 --> 00:36:23,159 and when he knocked him down in round six, and when he got up 597 00:36:23,159 --> 00:36:27,079 in the round continued, I thought at the moment, and again I was 598 00:36:27,079 --> 00:36:30,760 sitting six feet from the ring, right there in the middle, I thought, 599 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,760 this fight's over. I thought he's gonna go get him, because there's 600 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:37,360 not been in my mind. I mean, there's others maybe on par but 601 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,559 Vladimir Klitschko has you heard he's one of the great finishers of all time. 602 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,000 The two times he couldn't get the job done finishing in my mind, when 603 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:46,840 he had a guy in bad shape was this fight against Anthony Joshua and then 604 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:51,119 if he go way back to his first fight against Laymon Brewster when they were 605 00:36:51,159 --> 00:36:53,199 fighting for the vacant w BO heavyweight title, also a fight that I was 606 00:36:53,199 --> 00:36:57,119 at in Las Vegas. He had him battered around and he couldn't stop me 607 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,000 ended up getting sopped himself. And this was a similar situation in the center 608 00:37:00,199 --> 00:37:02,480 that he ultimately got stopped. But it became this great back and forth battle 609 00:37:04,199 --> 00:37:07,360 until Joshua the younger man, filled with confidence he had gotten off the deck 610 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,719 in round five. Vladimir was over forty years old. I mean, he's 611 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:14,239 still fighting well, but you know, it takes its toll when you get 612 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,320 that deep into a fight, and he stopped. You know, he dropped 613 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,360 the two times in round eleven and end of the fight, and it was 614 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:25,440 just an extraordinarily dramatic, superb fight in an incredibly memorable atmosphere. You know, 615 00:37:25,599 --> 00:37:34,280 ninety thousand people outside a beautiful night in London, and you know it's 616 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,000 up there for me when I think about the great atmospheres at events I've covered, 617 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:43,679 I can't say it's necessarily number one, but it's on the level of 618 00:37:44,199 --> 00:37:51,079 Lewis Tyson and Mayweather Hatton and Mayweather Canello and even Canello Billy Joe Soners with 619 00:37:51,159 --> 00:37:54,480 seventy six thousand or whatever it was in the at and T Stadium, the 620 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:59,199 biggest of the biggest events I have covered in terms of the excitement and the 621 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:05,760 dry in the atmosphere, Joshua versus Plichko in that Fight of the year is 622 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,440 certainly at or near the very top of that list. Love the nostalgian. 623 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:15,719 You did make reference to Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor in a thrilling Madison Square 624 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:21,599 Garden main event. That's arguably it is the most attention getting women's world title 625 00:38:21,639 --> 00:38:24,400 fight that we've ever had. It delivered on all the action. That was 626 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:30,039 a year ago on Sunday. It was April thirtieth of last year at the 627 00:38:30,079 --> 00:38:32,760 Garden, So this is an interesting way to close out Sopril with all the 628 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:37,000 nostalogy. Yeah, that on that Katie Taylor Serranto, that was a great 629 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,199 fight. Of course. I actually that same night I was in Las Vegas 630 00:38:40,639 --> 00:38:46,119 at the unification fight at junior lightweight between sa Cour Stevens and Oscar Valdez. 631 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:51,239 But I remember the way that that show was structured in terms of the timing 632 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,239 of the fights. I had my laptop at you know, in the press 633 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:57,719 area open and we had the zone on, and I was my you know, 634 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,119 there was a little break in the action, and so myself and you 635 00:39:00,159 --> 00:39:04,280 know, four other four or five other of the folks that were there with 636 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,440 me, we watched on my laptop just as fans really super excited to watch 637 00:39:07,519 --> 00:39:10,880 Toronto and Katie do their thing. And then we had Shakourse Stevenson with his 638 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:15,320 brilliant performance against Valdez to unify the titles, you know, on that night 639 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:17,559 in Las Vegas. And the reason I had done that was because I was 640 00:39:17,599 --> 00:39:22,119 staying. I stayed the week. I went to cover the Valdez Shakur fight 641 00:39:22,199 --> 00:39:24,440 on that Saturday, and then I just stayed the entire week because the following 642 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:31,519 Saturday was the Canelo I believe it was was a Canelo Alvarez versus Bevil Canelo 643 00:39:31,599 --> 00:39:37,159 beevil last year, yes, last yeah, yeah, exactly after he had 644 00:39:37,159 --> 00:39:39,679 beaten Plant at November, he fought Beevil for the light heavyweight title. Correct, 645 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:42,800 right, So I just I did the back to back and basically just 646 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,760 lived in the MGM for like nine I remember we kept bothering you us in 647 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:50,559 room service. I kept having you on on the podcast and and all the 648 00:39:50,599 --> 00:39:52,239 stuff that we were doing. So yes, great nostalgia on that. Okay, 649 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:57,320 so perfect segue to end it. Now we're to Canelo week. Canello's 650 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,800 returned to Mexico to fight John Ryder undisputed one hundred and sixty eight pound title. 651 00:40:01,159 --> 00:40:06,159 That's going to be a bulk of this week's discussion. We're looking forward 652 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:09,280 to previewing it obviously later in a week. Again, we encourage everybody go 653 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:14,280 back and listen to Canelo on the previous podcast just before this one. I 654 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:17,239 thought one interesting thing that came out of that that a lot of people are 655 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:22,039 writing and talking about, is he put it out there he wants to go 656 00:40:22,159 --> 00:40:29,119 up to light heavyweight to fight Bivol. And I'm interested in Bivol's response to 657 00:40:29,159 --> 00:40:32,519 that, because, like we have discussed, and you interviewed Dmitri recently too, 658 00:40:34,119 --> 00:40:37,119 what's in it for him in a rematch other than more money? Yes, 659 00:40:37,679 --> 00:40:42,800 except that can I move down? Maybe and beat Canello for all of 660 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,920 his belts at one sixty eight and prove that because if you stay, I 661 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,960 understand Bibo's mentality potentially is if I stay at one seventy five and beat him 662 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:52,320 again, that doesn't really prove anything in the ring that I didn't already prove 663 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:57,519 unless I knock him out. So that's an interesting back and forth that Keelo 664 00:40:57,639 --> 00:41:00,639 said to you, I want to move up and find him at heavyweight for 665 00:41:00,679 --> 00:41:05,400 his title. It's going to be interesting because Canello wants to fight for the 666 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,039 title at one seventy five, Beevo wants to fight for all the belts at 667 00:41:08,039 --> 00:41:10,920 one sixty eight. He feels that's more of a motivating factor. And people 668 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:15,679 can listen not only to the Cannello interview on the previous podcast episode, but 669 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:17,920 they go back a couple of weeks ago. I had twenty five minutes with 670 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,280 Dmitri Bevo where we discussed, you know, his year, his career, 671 00:41:22,599 --> 00:41:24,800 coming off Fighter of the Year, the prospect of what he's going to be 672 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:29,639 doing this summer or later, you know, his desires to fight better b 673 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,239 of and also Canello, etc. And he made the point and he said 674 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:36,719 this in the interview. His sort of way that he thinks they could maybe 675 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,159 split the baby if they have that sort of disagreement about which way class to 676 00:41:39,159 --> 00:41:43,639 fight in, is they could fight at one hundred and sixty eight pounds and 677 00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:49,119 put both of the titles at stake. Put Cannello's super middleweight titles and Beevo's 678 00:41:49,199 --> 00:41:52,440 light heavyweight titles. Certainly not unprecedented. He can go back and see how 679 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:54,880 they handled Sugar Ray Leonard against Don Lalan. You can go back and take 680 00:41:54,920 --> 00:42:00,760 a look from a couple of years ago how they handled Ervante Davis again Leo 681 00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:04,719 Santa Cruz. It's not I mean, it's it's kind of a I won't 682 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:08,119 call it cheap, but it's it's sort of a way to overcome that aspect 683 00:42:08,119 --> 00:42:12,599 of if you want to put both titles at stake. So theoretically they could 684 00:42:12,639 --> 00:42:15,519 fight at one sixty eight and they could have both the light heavyweight title and 685 00:42:15,559 --> 00:42:20,559 the super middleweight titles at stake. That might be a way to get that 686 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:22,360 part of it done. But look, you know, before any of that, 687 00:42:22,519 --> 00:42:25,400 I mean, we all think that Cannello's gonna beat John Ryder fair enough, 688 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:28,280 but he's got to do it. He's got to go out there and 689 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:32,159 do the got to do the job before you can start getting too much thought 690 00:42:32,199 --> 00:42:35,840 going on as far as how it's going to work for a rematch with Dmitri 691 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,960 Vibo. All right, good enough. So it is Canello week. We're 692 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:42,079 gonna get to that. There are some other fights too, coming, not 693 00:42:42,199 --> 00:42:45,840 just this week, but in May that we're very interested in. Goodbye April 694 00:42:45,039 --> 00:42:49,480 already, we're done. We're done with April as we head into a new 695 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:53,079 week. Great stuff here, Dan Raphael, anything else enclosing? Well, 696 00:42:53,119 --> 00:42:55,880 I was gonna say next week, being that it's the single Demia weekend, 697 00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:59,719 and when it comes time for us to discuss all on nostalgia there we got 698 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,199 about ten thousand fights to pick from, no doubt. And speaking by the 699 00:43:02,199 --> 00:43:06,679 way, I was just thinking, by the way, because Canello's fights in 700 00:43:06,679 --> 00:43:08,920 Guadalajara, and I am not traveling for that fight, and I don't think 701 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,519 most of the American press is traveling. I would have been nice to go 702 00:43:12,559 --> 00:43:15,719 there. I gotta say, this is probably gonna be like the other than 703 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:19,800 during the height of the pandemic in the last twenty something years. This is 704 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:22,360 gonna be the first time I'm home on Singo Demyo weekend. Like in other 705 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:27,960 words, I can watch the Kentucky Derby in my house as opposed to in 706 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:31,079 some other locations somewhere else in the United States. Is a rare thing to 707 00:43:31,079 --> 00:43:37,880 be home on Singo demoting. And don't forget the Gervante Davis sentencing is on 708 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:43,599 Sinco de Mayo on the fifth in Baltimore for the hit and run charges, 709 00:43:43,639 --> 00:43:47,599 the felony hit and run plea agreement charge. So that sentencing, we believe 710 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:52,599 he is going to be to jail time may have just won his pay per 711 00:43:52,679 --> 00:43:54,719 view. Stay tuned. I'm not making any prediction that I just don't know 712 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:58,599 the answer that you never know what's going on behind the scene. And again 713 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:01,119 you know there are no guarantees. But like we have talked about it, 714 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:07,920 like we have said, the previous judge rejected the previous plea deal because it 715 00:44:07,039 --> 00:44:12,119 had no jail time. So now there is a new plea deal. That's 716 00:44:12,119 --> 00:44:15,559 what leads everybody to believe. And this is a different judge the second goal 717 00:44:15,639 --> 00:44:21,119 round. It's another female judge in Baltimore County. But the belief is she 718 00:44:21,199 --> 00:44:24,599 accepted the plea agreement, she set the sentencing date and the belief is she's 719 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:28,840 going to sentence into jail time. So let's just thirtify one thing. To 720 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,719 the best of my nudge, there was no actual plea agreement. He agreed 721 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:36,480 to plead guilty, but not because he knew what the sentence was going to 722 00:44:36,519 --> 00:44:38,800 be. Well, now the plea agreement is to the charges, but not 723 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:43,519 the sentence. You're right, there is no plea agreement on this is your 724 00:44:43,519 --> 00:44:46,480 sentence. And what will happen just one more time touching on this is the 725 00:44:46,519 --> 00:44:52,840 prosecution will make a recommendation. And the prosecution understands the previous judge told us 726 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:57,519 it's got to have jail time. So the prosecutor is more than likely going 727 00:44:57,599 --> 00:45:00,679 to stand up and recommend jail time, and then the offense is going to 728 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:02,679 argue, no, it shouldn't be, and then it's up to the judge. 729 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:07,199 And all of that happens on Friday. And she'll also, by the 730 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:09,559 way, here from the victims in the case, they have a chance to 731 00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:15,159 speak at sentencing. All of that literal courtroom drama, all the use SAPs 732 00:45:15,159 --> 00:45:17,519 out there that watch all these Law and Order and all these other courtroom dramas, 733 00:45:17,679 --> 00:45:23,119 this is real life courtroom drama coming in Baltimore on Friday for this to 734 00:45:23,199 --> 00:45:29,679 happen. And the very real possibility is she bangs the gavel and Jervonte Davis 735 00:45:29,679 --> 00:45:32,679 goes to the Baltimore County jail after this happens, So stand by. We'll 736 00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:36,199 wait to see if that is the case. I mean, you want to 737 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:38,639 talk about a juxtaposition. One week ago, Javanti Davis is on top of 738 00:45:38,679 --> 00:45:42,920 the world. He's knocked out Ryan Garcia in the biggest fight of the year, 739 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:46,559 and you know, the money's pouring into his bank account. And a 740 00:45:46,559 --> 00:45:50,400 week later he's going to stand in front of a judge and has a good 741 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:52,360 chance to have his freedom taken away for a period of time. Welcome, 742 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:57,639 welcome to it all right, So there's plenty, there's plenty off the fight 743 00:45:57,639 --> 00:46:00,559 Freaks Unite recap, my friend. Let's get ready for LLO week. I 744 00:46:00,639 --> 00:46:04,559 appreciate you as always, and we look forward to everything that's going to be 745 00:46:04,599 --> 00:46:07,519 happening in the month of May that starts right now as we release the podcast 746 00:46:07,559 --> 00:46:10,039 into Monday. It's May. And if our people who are listening, if 747 00:46:10,039 --> 00:46:14,000 they enjoy it, please leave a review for us, yes, because that 748 00:46:14,079 --> 00:46:16,719 does help us as well, a five star review helps take thirty seconds to 749 00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:21,000 do that. Under Apple Podcast, more and more people are finding the podcast. 750 00:46:21,199 --> 00:46:23,400 Tell them how wonderful Raypeel is. If you look, if you're enjoying 751 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:28,239 hearing from the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, one on one, 752 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:31,320 etc. Say so, help us out because in the algorithms it helps the 753 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:36,440 podcast move up in the rankings, and we have moved up in the rankings. 754 00:46:36,559 --> 00:46:38,119 So go leave us a rating and review like Dan is saying on Apple 755 00:46:38,159 --> 00:46:42,519 Podcast as well. With that, my friend, have a good week Thank 756 00:46:42,559 --> 00:46:45,280 you Dan, Raypeel. All right, Dan, you have a good rest 757 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:49,440 of your weekends. There we go. There is our insider Fight Freaks Unite 758 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:52,280 substack is where you finding Bigfight Weekend dot Com find this podcast again coming off 759 00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:55,480 the weekends as the recap a big fight we can preview going into the weekend. 760 00:46:55,519 --> 00:47:00,360 We'll be out on Friday. For now, we're good here The Fight 761 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:04,920 Breaks Unite Recap MHM