1 00:00:05,599 --> 00:00:09,199 Speaker 1: The countdown is on to fight time. This is Big 2 00:00:09,279 --> 00:00:14,800 Fight Weekend. Now here is your host TJ Leaves back 3 00:00:14,919 --> 00:00:17,879 aboard and rolling here in the month of March, and 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,399 we do have a cruiserweight title fight. What exactly is 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:24,600 the title that's on the line. We're gonna talk about 6 00:00:24,839 --> 00:00:30,359 the Jai Opataiah Brandon Blanton title fight. Titling quotes coming 7 00:00:30,359 --> 00:00:32,799 from ZUFA Boxing on Sunday night in the preview mode. 8 00:00:32,799 --> 00:00:36,039 We've got news. We've got a victory for Oscar Dale 9 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,799 Hooya outside the ring at least for now, against Virgil 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,719 ortiz Oh. There will be lawyers, Raphael, there will be lawyers. 11 00:00:43,399 --> 00:00:44,520 We will talk more about that. 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 2: The lawyers always get their back, Yes they do. 13 00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: We got a WBC lightweight title fight that's been made 14 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,920 because Shakur Stevenson is no longer the champ. We're gonna 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,439 talk about that. Floyd Mayweather's up to five seven thirteen 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,880 exhibition fights before he fights Manni pack Yea. We'll talk 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,320 about that and a lot more. It is the Big 18 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,840 Fight Weekend preview. I've already said hello to Dan Rayfield. 19 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,760 I'm merely TJ. Reeves. Dan's the purveyor of the fight 20 00:01:08,799 --> 00:01:11,079 Freaks Unite Substack. You got to be a board dad. 21 00:01:11,079 --> 00:01:15,400 He's been breaking news left and right. The newsletter, the substack, 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,640 subscribe up, be ready to go, and this yere's the 23 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,840 podcast feed. Find us going into the weekend on Apple, Spreaker, Spotify. 24 00:01:23,159 --> 00:01:26,439 Generally speaking, we preview going into the weekend. We recap 25 00:01:26,519 --> 00:01:28,799 coming off the weekend. That may change some here in 26 00:01:29,239 --> 00:01:32,280 March with the bonkers college basketball going on and everything 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,719 else happening, but we hang in there here on the podfeed. 28 00:01:35,719 --> 00:01:38,480 Also find the YouTube page Big Fight Weekend YouTube page 29 00:01:38,519 --> 00:01:42,760 is there with original content, nostalgia interviews. You and I 30 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:46,799 are live on that channel. That YouTube channel sometimes recap mode, 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,400 preview mode. Go find the YouTube channel. Help us out 32 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,719 there and subscribe. Hit like the whole bit. All right 33 00:01:53,799 --> 00:01:57,079 with that, let's just get right to it. You interview 34 00:01:57,159 --> 00:01:58,959 ji Opatiah. We played it on the pod. We have 35 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,760 it on the podcast feed. Immediately before this pod, the 36 00:02:01,799 --> 00:02:06,239 one on one. It is now Fight Weekend upcoming. Reminder again, 37 00:02:06,319 --> 00:02:10,560 this is a Sunday night title fight from ZUFA Boxing, 38 00:02:10,719 --> 00:02:14,560 not the traditional Saturday or sometimes Friday night. Sunday night. 39 00:02:15,599 --> 00:02:17,879 And I guess the optimum question before we get into 40 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,319 the matchup. What do we know Thursday night into Friday. 41 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,759 Is it an IBF cruiserweight title fight or not? What's up? 42 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: Well, the main thing to me whether it's a IBF 43 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,319 title fighter now the newly created ZUFA title fight. I 44 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,280 were showing off pictures on social media what their new 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,400 belts look like. I know this ji Opa tie is 46 00:02:38,479 --> 00:02:41,879 the lineal champion. He holds the ring belt, which usually 47 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,840 is emblematic of the lineal champion, but not always. That's 48 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,520 a story for another day. He'll defend that belt for sure. 49 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,759 He'll defend the lineal title, which doesn't matter about belts. 50 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,120 He is the number one cruiserweight in boxing, that is 51 00:02:53,159 --> 00:02:56,719 by universal viewpoint I believe, and so he's the number 52 00:02:56,759 --> 00:02:59,280 one guy. So he's the champ of the champs in 53 00:02:59,319 --> 00:03:02,960 that weight class. And uh in terms of these sanctioning bodies, 54 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,840 he is the IBF champion. Now, as we have discussed, 55 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:10,840 there's a unclear situation of whether that title will be 56 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:14,639 at stake or not. I've been asking the IBF for 57 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,840 a long time. I asked them again before this pod. 58 00:03:16,879 --> 00:03:18,919 I asked them earlier in the day and was given 59 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,400 the same comment that I had received before. They're very 60 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,680 polite about it, but they're like, we're still still not 61 00:03:23,719 --> 00:03:29,479 making any uh comments about the stat status of that fight. Obviously, 62 00:03:29,479 --> 00:03:32,000 if they're going to be involved, I mean today is 63 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:34,919 already as we tape this, it's Thursday. The fight's not 64 00:03:35,039 --> 00:03:36,680 till Sunday, so there's still a little bit of time. 65 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,080 But they would be doing, like you know, the supervisor's 66 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,479 gonna have to travel, they'll do rules meetings. They got 67 00:03:41,479 --> 00:03:43,199 to be involved with that. They got to do to 68 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,719 make sure everybody's on board it for a what would 69 00:03:45,719 --> 00:03:48,759 be the their rules call for that morning of the fight. Wait, 70 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,800 check on Sunday morning, So you know, you got to 71 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,599 get your people in place, I guess is the point. 72 00:03:53,039 --> 00:03:56,639 And if they're gonna have any input on anything around 73 00:03:56,719 --> 00:03:58,240 those lines, they got to have to figure it out. 74 00:03:58,479 --> 00:04:02,039 Speaker 1: You and I. You and I will get to the 75 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:03,879 match up with Brandon Glant in a second. But I 76 00:04:03,919 --> 00:04:07,199 think this part is really fascinating, and I honestly, I 77 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,520 think it's going to be a bigger deal than whatever 78 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,639 the outcome of the fight is, unless Glanton pulls the 79 00:04:11,639 --> 00:04:15,280 shocking upset right and he's a decided underdog. This this 80 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:18,399 part of the story is the story as far as 81 00:04:18,439 --> 00:04:21,759 I'm concerned, And what what does your gut tell you? 82 00:04:21,759 --> 00:04:23,639 You've done this for such a long time, What does 83 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,560 your gut tell you? Because I have speculation at a distance, 84 00:04:27,879 --> 00:04:29,600 but the fact that they're not even getting back to 85 00:04:29,639 --> 00:04:31,759 you to give you an answer says a lot to it. 86 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,879 Speaker 2: When they're getting back to me, they're just answering the question. 87 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,600 And by the way, the same goes as ZOO people 88 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:36,800 aren't answering the questions. 89 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: Either, Okay, So which tells you that they are talking 90 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,560 and trying to work something out where they call it 91 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,839 an IBF title fight. What does it tell you that 92 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:44,519 that indication? 93 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: Look, there's definitely issues because if you take Dana White 94 00:04:50,879 --> 00:04:53,439 at what he has said from the moment that zupaboxing 95 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,600 was created and I'm not and maybe he's changed his mind, 96 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,160 or maybe he wasn't being one hundred percent when he 97 00:04:59,199 --> 00:05:02,199 first said it. But you know, knowing the way Dana's 98 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,279 personality is, you got to figure he has no use 99 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,519 or desire if he can avoid working with the sanctioning bodies. 100 00:05:07,519 --> 00:05:10,279 To avoid working with the sanction bodies, this is a person, 101 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,600 keep in mind, who for the better part of the 102 00:05:12,639 --> 00:05:15,680 last three decades, is not dealt with sanctioning bodies in 103 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,199 the UFC. They are the sanctioning body, right. He doesn't 104 00:05:18,199 --> 00:05:21,800 want to change, you know. That's his uh, that's what 105 00:05:21,879 --> 00:05:23,680 he knows, that's what he's comfortable with, and he wants 106 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,360 to bring that same sort of set up to his 107 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,560 boxing business. I get it, and that's why they're doing 108 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,839 what they're trying to do in terms of changing the 109 00:05:32,319 --> 00:05:35,759 Muhammad Ali legislation or as they say, amending the Muhammad 110 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:38,600 Ali legislation. I know this, and I've said this numerous 111 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:40,879 times as we've discussed it, both you and me on 112 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,639 this show. I've done some YouTube interviews with some of 113 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:45,199 my friends and other channels who've asked me the same 114 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,519 kind of questions. Jai Opataiah did not sign with ZUPA 115 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,680 Boxing to give up the title, and if you listen 116 00:05:50,759 --> 00:05:53,680 to the podcast interview I did with him, any interview 117 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,120 that he's done, even when they brought him on Paramount 118 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,199 Plus to announce his signing, and they did an interview 119 00:05:59,199 --> 00:06:01,680 with him on the broadcast of one of their recent shows. 120 00:06:02,199 --> 00:06:05,879 His entire talking point, everything about what he says in 121 00:06:05,959 --> 00:06:08,439 terms of what he wants in the sport of boxing. 122 00:06:09,639 --> 00:06:12,079 You know, besides money, you know, part of his legacy 123 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,279 is he wants to be undisputed, and for better or 124 00:06:16,319 --> 00:06:20,319 for worse, you cannot be considered the undisputed champion of 125 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,639 a weight division if you do not have in the 126 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,959 current formation of this fucked up sport all four of 127 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,199 the major organization belts and then includes the IBF. So 128 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,519 if he has the IBF and now he has to 129 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,519 vacate it, or he does vacate it, or they strip 130 00:06:33,639 --> 00:06:37,000 him or what have you, that is detrimental to what 131 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,800 his goals and dreams are. And I think that he's 132 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,759 going to do everything in his power to maintain that title. Now, unfortunately, 133 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,680 sometimes the fighters are they don't there. Sometimes the pawns 134 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:51,519 like they get caught up in right, he may not 135 00:06:51,639 --> 00:06:53,720 have the absolute say, so okay, what happens? 136 00:06:53,879 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: Okay? So I heard him on with you great job 137 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,160 getting him, and in his own words, he said that 138 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,160 this stuff is above the fighters. The you know, the 139 00:07:04,199 --> 00:07:08,879 fighters want to fight. I'm paraphrasing here, but he was told, 140 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,959 from everything I've been told, this is for the IBF 141 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,639 titles we told you about a week ago. Yes, okay, 142 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,879 So now here we are to the moment this weekend 143 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,040 where all of this has to go down. And I 144 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:22,839 keep coming back to this, and I'm not putting you 145 00:07:22,879 --> 00:07:24,680 on trial, but I keep coming back to this. You 146 00:07:24,759 --> 00:07:27,800 cannot have all sides of the argument. You can't tell 147 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,800 the fighter that, hey, you're going to be able to 148 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,160 defend your IBF title. You can't tell the public we're 149 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,160 not going to deal with the organizations and then have 150 00:07:36,279 --> 00:07:37,800 all of this up in the air, and then it's 151 00:07:37,839 --> 00:07:40,279 going to end up potentially being only for the ZUFA 152 00:07:40,319 --> 00:07:43,199 Boxing title and have this go well, because at that 153 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,680 point the fighter is gonna be irate for everything that 154 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,040 you just described. So I again say to you, I 155 00:07:49,079 --> 00:07:52,120 think it's far more compelling and far more entertaining. Does 156 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,600 he get introduced as the IBF champ, is the IDF 157 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,399 belt in the ring? Hold on? This is just my point. Well, 158 00:07:58,399 --> 00:07:59,920 you're saying now, it's not gonna happen at all. 159 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,839 Speaker 2: So you're you're missing what I'm trying to say. Even 160 00:08:01,879 --> 00:08:05,360 if he's allowed to defend the title, YEP, based on 161 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,600 everything I know about the way it operates, what we've 162 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,759 seen in past iterations of this type of issue between 163 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,720 a promoter and a sanctioning organization. He can go in 164 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,120 the ring and the ring announcer is not obligated to introduce, 165 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,480 you know, and maybe they won't let him hold that 166 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:22,600 the announcer. 167 00:08:22,639 --> 00:08:24,519 Speaker 1: You've talked about that, and the announcers won't mention it. 168 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:26,319 Speaker 2: Well, by the way they did face offs where I 169 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,040 saw the video, they did it this week, you know, 170 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,879 yesterday or whatever, and he was holding the ring magazine title, 171 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,240 but he was not holding the IBF delt so uh huh. 172 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,399 That doesn't mean though that the IDF won't get a 173 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,360 sanction fee and do a second wa check and. 174 00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:40,759 Speaker 1: May and and maybe they will, but this is far 175 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,279 more compelling to me. On does all of this goes 176 00:08:44,399 --> 00:08:47,960 sideways after this fight because the IBF decides to strip 177 00:08:48,039 --> 00:08:50,600 him and now exactly what you laid out his goal 178 00:08:50,639 --> 00:08:54,000 and his plan of unifying and or becoming undisputed is 179 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,519 out the window. Stay tuned. And it's further. It's further 180 00:08:59,039 --> 00:09:00,759 that this would not be the first time, even in 181 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,240 recent history, where a promoter is saying to a fighter 182 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,480 and we'll get to this. With Oscar and with Virgil Ortiz, 183 00:09:06,799 --> 00:09:09,240 I can make this fight happen. I can make this happen. 184 00:09:09,279 --> 00:09:11,399 I can make that happen. I can get you the 185 00:09:11,519 --> 00:09:15,320 unified or the undisputed title shot Terrence Crawford with Aerol Spence. 186 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,240 If you re sign with me top rank and Bob 187 00:09:17,279 --> 00:09:20,240 aarm and that didn't happen, There's example after example. It 188 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,320 wouldn't be the first time that it's happened. It's not 189 00:09:22,399 --> 00:09:25,799 anything unique in that. But there's a reason I'm fascinated. 190 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:27,759 Speaker 2: There's a reason why this is bigger than just what's 191 00:09:27,759 --> 00:09:30,039 gonna happen with the Opataia and the IBF and ZOOFA 192 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,799 on this particular fight. This is the first time Zufas 193 00:09:33,799 --> 00:09:35,440 existed for a few months. They've done a couple of 194 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,159 you know where, they've done three shows. This is the 195 00:09:37,159 --> 00:09:39,320 fourth show, and this is the first time where the 196 00:09:39,399 --> 00:09:41,519 rubber is going to hit the road on what they 197 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,720 mean when they say they don't want to work with 198 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:46,559 the organizations. So this is gonna my opinion, whatever the 199 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,519 result is is going to have ramifications beyond Guy Opa 200 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:50,240 tie because. 201 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,519 Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying. That's what I was just saying. Yes, 202 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:53,720 everybody's wing. 203 00:09:53,919 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 2: But here's the other thing about it. They don't maybe 204 00:09:56,799 --> 00:10:00,000 want to do organizational titles on their paramount plus Zoo 205 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,879 for boxing numbered shows, but they're the promoter of record. 206 00:10:05,279 --> 00:10:08,440 I believe they're going to be anyway, for like when 207 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,480 Tyson Fury fights on the Connor bencard, and you know 208 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,000 that when they do other fights on Netflix, there's gonna 209 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,200 be title fights. That's just inevitable. At some point, they're 210 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,759 gonna have to do fights that they're gonna try to 211 00:10:21,759 --> 00:10:23,799 sign the top talent that are going to have to 212 00:10:23,799 --> 00:10:25,840 involve the sanction bodies. Now, let's go back to the 213 00:10:25,919 --> 00:10:27,799 very first event they were ever involved, and obviously they 214 00:10:27,879 --> 00:10:29,840 were brought in late in the game. They were the 215 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:34,240 official promoter, let's say, of when Canelo fought Crawford. Obviously 216 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,360 that was for all four titles. So they promoted a 217 00:10:37,399 --> 00:10:39,559 fight card with all those belts. That's take not to 218 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,000 mention undercard fights that that other organizational belts involved. So 219 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:45,759 they're willing to do it, but I don't think they 220 00:10:45,759 --> 00:10:47,919 want to do it on those paramount shows. And we'll 221 00:10:47,919 --> 00:10:50,559 have to wait and see. But right now, Opataia is 222 00:10:50,639 --> 00:10:52,879 like the canary in the coal mine, if. 223 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: You that's right, Like the guinea pig, like the test 224 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:58,200 case exactly, and by the way business is business. Everybody 225 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,120 else is watching this. That's smart. Management is watching this, 226 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,440 that's smart. And as soon as this goes sideways, if 227 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,080 it does, they will all say to each other, do 228 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,159 not deal with these people. Look what they did to Gyopataia. 229 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,639 If it happens, watch, watch, and it's happened before watch. 230 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: Well see, well I don't necessarily think they won't deal 231 00:11:16,639 --> 00:11:17,919 with them. I think it's going to be about how 232 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:19,480 much are you going to pay us to not deal 233 00:11:19,519 --> 00:11:20,240 with the organization. 234 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:21,519 Speaker 1: Well, that's true too, because. 235 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:22,519 Speaker 2: The money is always the money. 236 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,679 Speaker 1: But if you have a title, I mean you know this. 237 00:11:25,919 --> 00:11:27,559 If you have a title, and you have a shot 238 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:29,360 at unification, and you have a shot at a seven 239 00:11:29,399 --> 00:11:32,600 figure pay day and a significant payday by going with 240 00:11:32,759 --> 00:11:35,879 other promotions and other systems, why am I going with 241 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,480 you When you misled ji Opataia and he got himself 242 00:11:39,519 --> 00:11:41,759 stripped and he's angry and he's upset. I'm not saying 243 00:11:41,799 --> 00:11:45,360 any of this is gonna happen. I'm saying, if it happens, 244 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,360 this is this is the fascinating part. Okay, so we 245 00:11:48,399 --> 00:11:49,440 covered that thoroughly. 246 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 2: Well, I want to say one more thing about that. 247 00:11:51,759 --> 00:11:55,480 DJ Yeah, and Anybody that has known me, or followed 248 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,080 me or read me for any number of years, or 249 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,440 even for five minutes knows that I certainly have had 250 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,200 my issues with the sanction bodies a lot through the years, 251 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,159 all of them at one time or another. And as 252 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,320 I like to say oftentimes on this show, the IBF 253 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,919 does IVF. Thanks all that said, for the sake of 254 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,639 ji Opataia, who wants to have the IBF title, I 255 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:13,240 hope that they can work it out and he's able 256 00:12:13,279 --> 00:12:14,960 to defend the belt that he worked hard to get. 257 00:12:16,399 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: I would hope so too, But Opataiah made his decision 258 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,320 to go with ZUFA and if they have misled him 259 00:12:21,759 --> 00:12:23,720 I'm using that word, if they've misled him and it 260 00:12:23,759 --> 00:12:26,960 can't be worked out, then it will be fascinating. On 261 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,399 does he have a multi fight deal anymore after this 262 00:12:29,519 --> 00:12:31,919 fight and what happens? And do we have more lawyers? 263 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 2: He definitely has a multi fight deal, but there. 264 00:12:33,879 --> 00:12:35,639 Speaker 1: Are the lawyers. More on the lawyers coming up if 265 00:12:35,639 --> 00:12:37,000 he tries to get out of his deal. Who knows? 266 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,840 More on the lawyers coming up later in his podcast 267 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:44,399 as well. All right to the fight itself, Yes, realistically, 268 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,240 what kind of chance does Brandon Glanton have to hang 269 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,120 in here in this? Because Opataia has been scoring a 270 00:12:51,159 --> 00:12:54,639 bunch of knockouts, granted the last couple of title defenses 271 00:12:54,759 --> 00:12:58,159 not exactly household names either. What do you make of 272 00:12:58,200 --> 00:12:59,320 the fight itself? 273 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 2: Go Ji Opataia is a devastating puncher. Number one, He 274 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,919 has sent something like I don't know five of his 275 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,200 last seven opponents or something like that that the hospital. 276 00:13:08,759 --> 00:13:10,799 Even in non knockout situations, guys have had to go 277 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,919 to the hospital. I mean, he's a devastating puncher. The 278 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,600 knockout he had in December against Henryson Karra is one 279 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,799 of the sickest knockouts you'll see. He was a top 280 00:13:18,279 --> 00:13:20,840 regarded knock of a Deer contender by most people. The 281 00:13:20,879 --> 00:13:23,320 knockout he had against Claudio Squao in the previous fight 282 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,879 before that was devastating. A knockout before that he had 283 00:13:25,919 --> 00:13:28,600 against David Nika of the Olympian who was undefeated, was 284 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,679 a devastating knockout. I mean, he's a bona fide puncher 285 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,120 in that two hundred pound weight class, so he hurts 286 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,679 man badly. Brandon lann has got a nice record. He's 287 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,759 twenty one and three with eighteen knockouts. He is coming 288 00:13:41,799 --> 00:13:45,039 off a very impressive knockout victory against Marcus Brown, who 289 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,960 was a former light heavyweight title challenger who had moved 290 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,480 up to cruiser weety. It never reached his potential, I 291 00:13:50,519 --> 00:13:53,120 think to most people's view, was the United States Olympian 292 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,919 that came with a lot of hype, got beat up 293 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:57,679 and knocked out by Arthur Better. Biev. It is only 294 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:03,559 other loss is this loss to Brandon Land. And he 295 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:05,320 also had a loss one other loss, but this was 296 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,919 the Those are the two knockout losses that he had 297 00:14:08,519 --> 00:14:11,399 in his three losses overall. Does he have a chance 298 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,799 against Opataia? I mean Opatai is fresh, he's been active, 299 00:14:14,919 --> 00:14:17,639 he's strong as a bull, and Glenn, you know, he 300 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,840 kind of got beat up a bit, uh and lost 301 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:21,639 a decision to Chris Bill and Smith in April of 302 00:14:21,679 --> 00:14:24,200 twenty twenty five. I mean he's a good professional and 303 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,639 he's got good power. His resume is is not anything 304 00:14:27,639 --> 00:14:29,799 to speak of. I mean he even the other fights 305 00:14:29,799 --> 00:14:31,559 that he's lost, he lost to a guy that was 306 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:33,480 three and oh, I mean back in twenty twenty three. 307 00:14:33,799 --> 00:14:35,360 He is lost or not. The guys that you would 308 00:14:35,399 --> 00:14:38,960 necessarily have heard of ken he land on the chin 309 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,039 and do damage. I've never seen Opataia hurt in his 310 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:43,080 in his uh well once he was buzzed for like 311 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,000 a quick second I think actually against Sinkara, who then 312 00:14:46,039 --> 00:14:50,080 took the brunt of a does destruction after that. Look, 313 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,320 there's a reason why he is the big underdog. I 314 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,559 believe he was picked because he fit the bill for 315 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,120 the IBF even whatever may come with that belt. He 316 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,240 is in their top fifteen, so we qualified for an 317 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,600 IVF title shot because certainly when they were making this 318 00:15:02,679 --> 00:15:04,759 match for JII, they were looking for somebody that will 319 00:15:04,799 --> 00:15:10,080 qualify the challenge for the IBF title. Listen, I expect 320 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,759 it to be an entertaining fight and in the end 321 00:15:12,799 --> 00:15:15,200 for Opataia to do his damage. That's how I look 322 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:15,440 at it. 323 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: That wouldn't shock you if Opataia blasts him out of 324 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,639 there in the first or second round, would nothing that 325 00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:21,679 you would not shock. 326 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,679 Speaker 2: You Opatai, And knocking anybody out in rounds one through 327 00:15:24,679 --> 00:15:26,080 twelve would not be as surprise him. 328 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:26,759 Speaker 1: No, I mean early. 329 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: I mean I'm saying anywhere in the fight, if you 330 00:15:29,279 --> 00:15:30,919 knock him out in one, I'm not surprised if you 331 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,679 knocked him out in the twelfth I wouldn't be surprised. 332 00:15:32,799 --> 00:15:35,360 He's got power up and down the first round through 333 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,360 the twelfth round, he can knock you out. So if 334 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,799 he did so, to one shock me. I mean, and 335 00:15:40,039 --> 00:15:41,799 some guys they come with a reputation of being a 336 00:15:41,799 --> 00:15:44,080 slow starter, you know, may take a few rounds, so 337 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:45,960 like see what they got in front of them, or 338 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,720 before they really get rolling or work up a sweat 339 00:15:47,799 --> 00:15:50,759 or whatever. Opatai has scored some knockouts in the earlier 340 00:15:50,799 --> 00:15:52,840 parts of the fight, certainly with the first half, fourth round, 341 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,639 sixth round, first round against Alazorro, that was a fight 342 00:15:55,679 --> 00:15:57,519 that was in riality. Bulitz him in the first round. 343 00:15:58,639 --> 00:16:01,080 So he's knocked guys out in the in the early 344 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,120 part of the fight, he's knocked guys out in the 345 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,080 middle part of the fight in his career, and he's 346 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,639 knocked guys out in the later part of the fight. 347 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,919 So unless Brandon Lanton can do something to get his 348 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:14,080 respect early, yeah, that to me is what to look for. 349 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:16,720 Can he can he do something in that without if 350 00:16:16,759 --> 00:16:18,559 he doesn't get clipped in the first couple of rounds, 351 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,639 they at least give Opataia something to think about, like, 352 00:16:20,639 --> 00:16:22,720 oh shit, I gotta watch out for this. The guy 353 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,480 can punch maybe better than I gave him credit for 354 00:16:24,559 --> 00:16:26,759 or whatever, and it's gonna maybe take a little longer. 355 00:16:26,799 --> 00:16:30,679 But in the end I believe that this is you know, 356 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:32,919 Opataia is a man in his prime. He's the best 357 00:16:32,919 --> 00:16:34,240 in the world right now in the weight class, and 358 00:16:34,279 --> 00:16:36,480 Glanton is not all right. 359 00:16:36,559 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: That is again Sunday Night, Paramount plus ZUFA boxing card 360 00:16:41,399 --> 00:16:44,600 and stay tuned. Rayfield will also be reporting throughout the 361 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,759 weekend on what's the deal with the IBF. Now I'm 362 00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:49,759 sounded like Jerry Seinfeld all of a sudden, what's the 363 00:16:49,919 --> 00:16:54,480 deal with them? Uh? Stay tuned. Uh, let's get to 364 00:16:54,519 --> 00:16:57,200 some fight news, shall we. And speaking of there will 365 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,480 be lawyers. We did get a ruling earlier this week. 366 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:02,679 Speaker 2: Justice delayed? 367 00:17:02,799 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: Is justice not delayed anymore? Question as to whether it's denied. 368 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,279 Oscar de la Hoya doesn't think it's denied. He thinks 369 00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:13,880 it was justice that was done. Judge Christina Silva in 370 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,839 Nevada says, Golden Boy, I agree with you. This should 371 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:24,160 be arbitrated with an arbitrator. And furthermore, your temporary injunction 372 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:28,960 stays because Virgil Ortiz and his management can't make a 373 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,960 deal without the blessing of an arbitrator saying you're free 374 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,640 to go, so she leaves the restraining order intact. Okay, 375 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,640 I got a couple more thoughts on this, but your 376 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,000 initial thoughts, and you did some reporting on this. I 377 00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:44,680 read you, I read several others on this legal victory 378 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,799 for now pending an appeal to the Nevada Court of 379 00:17:47,839 --> 00:17:51,079 Appeals and pending the arbitrator. The victory for now for 380 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:52,039 Golden Boy go ahead. 381 00:17:52,599 --> 00:17:54,599 Speaker 2: Well, they're going to go to arbitration. That's what their 382 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:58,599 judge said. Most promotional contracts, I don't remember the exact language, 383 00:17:58,599 --> 00:18:02,200 but I'm fairly certain that in in the promotional agreement 384 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,599 between Golden Boy and Virtual Arties, which I'm have become 385 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,319 familiar with because it's attached to the original lawsuit as 386 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,359 an exhibit, I'm pretty sure there's language for if you 387 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,599 have certain issues, you can't work this out, they make 388 00:18:15,039 --> 00:18:18,200 terms that it needs to go before an arbitrator. They'll 389 00:18:18,279 --> 00:18:21,599 use the the the outfit called JAMS, I forget what 390 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,799 it stands for, but they're they're a group that does arbitrations. 391 00:18:24,839 --> 00:18:27,599 I've covered several of them over my time in boxing. 392 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,759 They're the ones that did the arbitration when Deontay Wilder 393 00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:33,440 and Tyson Ferior were knocking heads over the terms of 394 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,519 their if they were going to do their I forget 395 00:18:35,559 --> 00:18:37,720 it was the remap. I guess it was the third fight. 396 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,799 They're the ones that arbitrated between Top Rank and Golden 397 00:18:41,799 --> 00:18:43,559 Boy when they were trying to work out their issues 398 00:18:43,599 --> 00:18:46,839 over many Pacio's contract. In other words, they have experience, 399 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,359 not only obviously in arbitration because that's their business, but 400 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,119 they've got people there that have worked on boxing cases, 401 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,960 which is a little bit more you know, niche and nuanced, 402 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,160 and they know their shit. So they're gonna have to 403 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,799 go to that. And at the moment, everything, as you said, 404 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,960 is on hold. There will be no I mean not 405 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,759 to say they couldn't theoretically get on the phone tonight, 406 00:19:06,799 --> 00:19:09,759 tomorrow or whenever instead of this immediately. I doubt that's happening. 407 00:19:09,799 --> 00:19:14,000 So barring some kind of miraculous pre arbitration settlement, there 408 00:19:14,039 --> 00:19:15,559 will be no drawn Dowitzenna's fight. 409 00:19:15,599 --> 00:19:18,839 Speaker 1: This sprint, Virgil Ortiz took to social media, was just 410 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,240 going to get to that and said I'm done with 411 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,799 Golden Boy. So I don't know that there's going to 412 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,720 be a phone call with he, with Oscar or anybody 413 00:19:27,759 --> 00:19:31,079 on his behalf. I know you got you wrote, you 414 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:33,200 wrote up a little bit about it, and you were 415 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,200 putting it out there on social media. That was on 416 00:19:35,279 --> 00:19:40,480 Wednesday night, that that Virgil Ortiz said I'm done with 417 00:19:40,519 --> 00:19:41,759 Golden Boy. We're gonna tell that. 418 00:19:41,759 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 2: That's all well and good that Virgil says that, but 419 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,920 the arbitrator may have something different to say. And what 420 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,279 the judge said in her ruling on the original case 421 00:19:49,319 --> 00:19:52,200 is that the two sides have to report back to 422 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,880 her by September two, which is obviously several months after 423 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,000 right or within five days after the arbitration is said, 424 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:01,759 whichever comes first. 425 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: Okay, so this is an important distinction, and we don't 426 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:05,839 have to go for fifteen minutes. But again, you know, 427 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:07,400 I love this and you love this, and we go 428 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,359 running around with the lawyers. I read you, I read 429 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,559 Jake Donovan who wrote about this. I read somebody else 430 00:20:12,599 --> 00:20:14,720 in Nevada that wrote about this. I don't know if 431 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,119 it was Last Vegas Review Journal or or what it was. 432 00:20:17,559 --> 00:20:21,720 This is important, just on this distinction. What she ruled 433 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,759 is you have to go to the arbitrator. She didn't 434 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:28,240 say who was right, who wasn't right. She said follow 435 00:20:28,279 --> 00:20:34,079 the contract. And so the argument still exists for now. 436 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,039 From Whortez's side, we don't believe that we have a 437 00:20:38,079 --> 00:20:42,519 promotional agreement. Go ahead and address that. But the judge 438 00:20:42,559 --> 00:20:45,119 did not rule who's right who's wrong on that point. 439 00:20:45,279 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 2: The deans to go tell it. 440 00:20:46,759 --> 00:20:48,559 Speaker 1: The judge said, go tell it to the arbitrator. 441 00:20:48,599 --> 00:20:50,759 Speaker 2: Go ahead. The nuance is that the judge was not 442 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,440 ruling on the merit of the case. 443 00:20:52,559 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: That's right. 444 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 2: The judge was ruling that the contract that Virgil has 445 00:20:56,279 --> 00:21:00,319 with Golden Boy called for in these instances you must 446 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,039 go to arbitration. So she was not assessing if his 447 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,240 case is correct, if Golden Boy is correct. She was saying, 448 00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:09,519 according to the legal and I'm not a lawyer, but 449 00:21:09,559 --> 00:21:12,519 what the contract says of your promotion, that you are 450 00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:15,680 required to go to arbitration to figure this thing out. 451 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,759 Even though he claims I'm free, and Golden Boy obviously 452 00:21:18,799 --> 00:21:21,559 says you are not. So Virgil made his statement about 453 00:21:21,599 --> 00:21:23,759 that his time with Golden Boy is done, that he's 454 00:21:23,759 --> 00:21:26,119 confident things are going to go in his direction, and 455 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,240 he's always in the gym staying ready and anyone fifty 456 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:29,960 four of the once again it can get it. And 457 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,799 then Oscar did his clap back Thursday, you know, a 458 00:21:32,799 --> 00:21:35,440 few hours before we started the tape tonight's show, and 459 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,519 you know he basically he actually tried to make nice 460 00:21:39,559 --> 00:21:42,640 with Virgil, but he ripped the shit out of Virgil's manager, 461 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,559 Rick Marigian. That to me, that's the issue here. The 462 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,759 other people involved in Eric Gomez, Virgil Ortiz, if you 463 00:21:49,839 --> 00:21:52,279 know them, I know all of them involved. They're pretty 464 00:21:52,279 --> 00:21:54,359 mild mannered people. Virgil's an animal in the ring, but 465 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,720 a pretty chill guy outside the ring. You know Eric 466 00:21:56,799 --> 00:21:58,759 similar he works for Oscar as the president. He's been 467 00:21:58,759 --> 00:22:01,799 Oscar's best friend since there. But he's not a stand 468 00:22:01,799 --> 00:22:03,519 offish guy. He's not looking to mixed up. He just 469 00:22:03,559 --> 00:22:05,559 wants to, you know, try to do the job and 470 00:22:05,599 --> 00:22:08,880 get everything done. But then you take a little more 471 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,640 high high, highly strong, more individuals like Oscar and Rick 472 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,240 who's who? And I get along boat with both of 473 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,359 those guys, but their personalities with each other is like 474 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,960 loyal and water. Unfortunately, so they got to figure that out, 475 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,359 and I hope that this does not cause VIRTUALI sit 476 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,359 for months and months that the example I have seen 477 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,759 others suggest and I wrote about it and covered the 478 00:22:30,799 --> 00:22:34,799 whole thing, was when Mikey Garcia got got caught up 479 00:22:34,839 --> 00:22:37,279 in a in a lawsuit with that he filed against 480 00:22:37,279 --> 00:22:41,079 Top Rank under similar kind of circumstances. In the end, 481 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,480 Mikey Garcia lost two and a half years of his 482 00:22:43,519 --> 00:22:47,079 prime sitting it out, and that's unfortunate, and it costs 483 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,039 him big fights. It costs him a lot of money, 484 00:22:49,079 --> 00:22:49,640 et cetera. 485 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:51,799 Speaker 1: Two more points. You laid it out. We don't know 486 00:22:51,799 --> 00:22:54,599 when the arbitration can happen, how soon. It's apparently not 487 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:55,440 going to be very soon. 488 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:57,759 Speaker 2: So why he said that it could happen and starting 489 00:22:57,759 --> 00:22:58,480 next week for all you. 490 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: Know, it could, but it's not. It's not likely to 491 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,400 happen next week now, it's not going to be. It's 492 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,119 not gonna be July before they start. The other thing 493 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,279 that's important to emphasize, the legal wrangling is not over yet, 494 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,839 because if either side had been unhappy with the ruling 495 00:23:12,839 --> 00:23:14,680 and they want to go to the Nevada Court of Appeals, 496 00:23:14,759 --> 00:23:17,480 they can do that. And let's see if that's what 497 00:23:17,599 --> 00:23:20,759 Ortiz's side does to try to expedite things and say, 498 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,200 we want to make this lucrative fight with Jeron Ennis. 499 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,200 We believe we are free agents. 500 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 2: Or any fight for that matter, right but the most. 501 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: Lucrative one that's on the table is about to expire. 502 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:33,880 Because Eddie Hearn has already been saying, and we understand this, 503 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,000 she wrote about it. They'll Ennis will go fight somebody 504 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:38,799 else for sure. That's that's what's at stake. 505 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 2: I'm telling you right now. Whatever happens in this case, 506 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,680 it is my belief that there's zero chance basically that 507 00:23:46,799 --> 00:23:50,160 Ennis and Ortiz happens next unless there's a very very 508 00:23:50,319 --> 00:23:54,359 very quick resolution. That most likely not because he's ducking 509 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,319 him at this point, but because, like you said, Eddie 510 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,720 and John Boots Ennis, they got their own business to 511 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,440 worry about if they can't get the guy in the ring. 512 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:02,519 The one hundred and fifty four pound weight division is 513 00:24:02,599 --> 00:24:04,599 very rich, and he made the point that he has 514 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,559 another champion in that weight class, which is Josh Kelly. 515 00:24:08,319 --> 00:24:11,599 They may maybe they'll give him another defense before he 516 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,000 fights Ennis, but that's something that could happen to be 517 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:15,839 at the end of the year. They were saying, let's 518 00:24:15,839 --> 00:24:18,480 try and do a fight with with Xander Zayas, who's 519 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,039 got two of the titles. I mean, there's other fighters 520 00:24:21,079 --> 00:24:22,599 in the weight class. We'll see what happens with the 521 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,720 result of what happens at the end of March with 522 00:24:24,759 --> 00:24:28,519 Sebastian Fondora against Keith Thurman. I mean, there's a lot 523 00:24:28,519 --> 00:24:30,880 of good names in the division that are out there 524 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:32,880 that are going to look for marquee type of fights, 525 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,240 and Naturroom Boxing is certainly a promotion company that is 526 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,400 capable of delivering marquis fights. So the only one in 527 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,559 the end if there's a long layoff. I mean, certainly 528 00:24:40,559 --> 00:24:42,880 Golden Boy would like to do a fights with Virgil 529 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,839 and make the money that goes along with that, but 530 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,200 the one that it ends up hurting is going to 531 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,000 be Virtual Artise. He's the one with the career that 532 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:50,319 the clock is taking, and if he has to sit 533 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,279 out for any period of time, it's gonna you're never 534 00:24:52,319 --> 00:24:54,279 gonna get that time back. You don't get that money back. 535 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,279 So hopefully they can work their shit out. 536 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 1: Stay tuned, all right, other news, I saw you writing 537 00:25:00,759 --> 00:25:03,920 about this midweek. God, we're not going to go on 538 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,279 for fifteen minutes. But no, you always say that the 539 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,640 WBC is going to have a vacant lightweight title fight 540 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,480 after stripping Shakur Stevenson, and it's William Zepeda and Lamont Roach, 541 00:25:14,519 --> 00:25:17,920 which on the surface that's number one against number two 542 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:23,799 in their rankings. The one dangling participle, as you like, 543 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:26,759 how I just come up with a metaphor is they 544 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,920 have an interim champion at the moment who's not involved 545 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,559 in the title fight. So get in here and explain 546 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:37,079 what's going on. Because Herrera YadA, hear Herrera has their 547 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,720 vacant interim title, but he's not involved in this fight. 548 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 2: So Shakor got stripped, as we know, soon after he 549 00:25:44,559 --> 00:25:48,240 defeated Tafimo Lopez based on their beef over the sanctioning fees, 550 00:25:48,559 --> 00:25:51,880 so that title became vacant. And so then normally, and 551 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,680 this has happened numerous times in the WBC as well 552 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,359 as other organizations, if there's an interim title holder, then 553 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,319 that fighter is automatically elevated to the full champion. The 554 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,839 WBC has in recent times not always done that, which 555 00:26:03,839 --> 00:26:06,000 I'm okay with. I guess, make the guy fight for it. 556 00:26:06,039 --> 00:26:07,359 I don't quite get why you'd want to be the 557 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,599 interim champion if you don't get upgraded, but whatever, so 558 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,079 they'll make them fight for that title's we saw that 559 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,680 just recently with Bruce Shu Shu Carrington, for example, he 560 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,799 was the interim featherweight champion. He ended up when it 561 00:26:21,799 --> 00:26:25,759 became when that title became vacant, he fought cash show 562 00:26:25,759 --> 00:26:27,559 for the vacant title, Okay, and he won the fight. 563 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,599 Now he's the champion. In the case of Yadia Herrera, 564 00:26:31,039 --> 00:26:34,119 who became the interim champion back you know a few 565 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,119 months ago, you would figure if now Shakor has been 566 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,359 stripped of the title or had vacated title or whatever, 567 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,960 that he would be elevated. Okay, that didn't happen, So 568 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,319 they would then go to Plan B, which is the 569 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:46,839 secondary option to have, which is to order that interim 570 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,519 champion to fight the next leading available contender for the 571 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,759 vacant title. In this case, it would have been Williams 572 00:26:51,799 --> 00:26:54,079 of Baina, who was rated number one in the lightweight 573 00:26:54,079 --> 00:26:57,920 division by the WBC. So I was a little surprised 574 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,960 because this is I can't find another Maybe if somebody 575 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,119 can look it up, you can certainly send me a 576 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:06,279 message on social media. I believe this is unprecedented. This 577 00:27:06,319 --> 00:27:08,519 is the first time in any organization a WBC here 578 00:27:08,559 --> 00:27:13,200 otherwise where an interim champion is not one half of 579 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,839 a vacant title fight or at least given the opportunity 580 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:17,839 to be part of that fight that person. Perhaps they 581 00:27:17,839 --> 00:27:20,079 could have said no and vacated the interim title, but 582 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,160 that they weren't even offered the position in that particular fight. 583 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,480 So by based on the rankings, if they were going 584 00:27:26,559 --> 00:27:28,480 to make the interim title be filled by a fight, 585 00:27:28,519 --> 00:27:31,559 it should be Herrera, with the first offer going to 586 00:27:31,559 --> 00:27:33,599 William Zupaida. If he turned it down, then you go 587 00:27:33,599 --> 00:27:35,480 to Lamont Roacher's number two. If he turned it down, 588 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,480 you go number three. You go on down the line, 589 00:27:38,279 --> 00:27:40,400 So he is not involved now. The way Mauricio Soliman 590 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:42,240 explained it to me because I asked him about how 591 00:27:42,279 --> 00:27:45,400 they came up with the fight between Zepeida against Roach, 592 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,400 is that before they were gonna, before they ordered any 593 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,440 kind of fight, they were approached by a variety of 594 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,359 promoters sending them their their thoughts like hey, could you 595 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,039 order this fight for the vacant title? Could you order 596 00:27:56,079 --> 00:27:57,839 that fight for the vacant title, and one of the 597 00:27:57,839 --> 00:28:00,799 ones that they spoke about, I believe it was in 598 00:28:00,839 --> 00:28:03,000 person when they're when a bunch of the people involved 599 00:28:03,319 --> 00:28:06,319 were at the Ryan Garcia Mario Barrios fight and was 600 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,039 suggested to do this fight between one verses two and 601 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,240 they the Mauricio and other members of the WBC liked 602 00:28:14,279 --> 00:28:16,839 that idea, and so they decided to give it a 603 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,880 vote of their board of governors and they did that, 604 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,079 and and are the comments that Mauricio said to me. 605 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,599 They liked that idea. Uh, they said, this was like 606 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,640 a high prestige fight, high interest, and we believe it's 607 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,480 good for the sport. And nothing against Herrara, who I 608 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,160 think is a tremendous young fighter, but Roach and the 609 00:28:33,279 --> 00:28:36,920 Paid are much better known, they have more accomplishment than Herrera, 610 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,720 So I kind of get it from that perspective. But again, 611 00:28:39,799 --> 00:28:43,039 my my thing is this, what is the impetus that 612 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,480 have an interim champion in the first place, And why 613 00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:47,680 would anybody want to win the interim title if you 614 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,640 have no chance to get the title upgraded, if the 615 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,000 guy gets shipped, or to even behalf of the title fight. 616 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,599 Speaker 1: So on the one hand, to onoard I. 617 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,279 Speaker 2: Liked the Paid versus Roach. I think that's a heck 618 00:28:58,279 --> 00:28:58,680 of a fight. 619 00:28:58,839 --> 00:29:01,119 Speaker 1: That's a separate argument, that's a separated. 620 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 2: But Herrera should be involved. So I've got my quarrels 621 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,960 with that. But in the it's weird. It's just weird. 622 00:29:06,279 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: So again, they will fight at some point soon, and 623 00:29:09,039 --> 00:29:12,200 the WBC did stipulate the winners then gotta fight Herrera 624 00:29:12,759 --> 00:29:15,839 or if Herrera is fighting somebody else, then it becomes 625 00:29:15,839 --> 00:29:16,720 so nebulous. 626 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 2: One of the other fights that was suggested to the 627 00:29:19,079 --> 00:29:22,680 WBC by Queensberry Promotions was to do Herrera as the 628 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,960 interim champion to fight for the vacant title against their 629 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:29,839 another Queensberry fighter, which is Sam Noakes, who had that 630 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,119 tremendous battle in a close loss against Abdul la Mason. 631 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:36,400 He's number five in the WBC rankings. Uh, And that 632 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,640 was I guess a no go. So as again, Maursio said, 633 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,640 the winner of Roach versus the paida should fight Herrera, 634 00:29:42,799 --> 00:29:46,559 or Herrera if he fights another person, be it Noakes 635 00:29:46,599 --> 00:29:49,039 or somebody else, the winner of that particular fight. But 636 00:29:49,079 --> 00:29:51,359 if Noakes knows he's I mean, if Herrera knows he's 637 00:29:51,359 --> 00:29:54,119 getting a title shot, it probably means the Noakes fights 638 00:29:54,119 --> 00:29:55,240 dead in the water. Why is he gonna take the 639 00:29:55,279 --> 00:29:57,160 gamble when he knows that in a few more months 640 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,839 he can get the title shots. It's kind of a 641 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:00,960 no the greatest situation there. 642 00:30:01,079 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: I just that's one way to put it. I'll just 643 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,759 continue to say to you, these organizations do whatever they want, 644 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,920 whatever is in their interest. And here it is again 645 00:30:09,119 --> 00:30:12,680 with the WBC and Mauricio Suliman. No one is arguing 646 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,559 that the Zapada Lamont roach fight commercially and from fan 647 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,759 interests is a bigger fight. We agree, we all agree 648 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,599 on that, but is that the right thing to do 649 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,519 with the right thing to do is to take care 650 00:30:25,519 --> 00:30:28,480 of Herrera who fought for your vacant interim title and 651 00:30:28,519 --> 00:30:28,880 the thing. 652 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:31,799 Speaker 2: That is Zapaida was number one in the ratings even 653 00:30:31,799 --> 00:30:33,359 though it's coming off the pretty one time. 654 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: But he lost also and in a roach. 655 00:30:37,279 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 2: He's got back to back draws, that's right, the very 656 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,359 controversial one against tank uh and as well as the 657 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,480 one that was a draw that was at one hundred 658 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,640 and forty yep against Pitt pull Cruz where he's fighting 659 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,279 for the WBC's interim title. In that way, class, So 660 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,640 it's it's a little bit of an unusual situation. 661 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:57,319 Speaker 1: How about that, so Zapada Roach later in the year, 662 00:30:57,640 --> 00:30:59,839 hopefully not too distant in the year, because both of 663 00:30:59,839 --> 00:31:01,480 those guys want to get back in a ring. They've 664 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,039 both been off well. Roach has fought more recently with 665 00:31:05,119 --> 00:31:09,359 the Pitt Bull cruise draw. All right, other items, We're 666 00:31:09,359 --> 00:31:12,039 back to Floyd Mayweather. What are we up to on 667 00:31:12,079 --> 00:31:16,319 the number of exhibitions He's gonna fight Mike Tyson. He's 668 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:22,240 now fighting someone named Mike Zambidas, a retired Greek kickboxer. 669 00:31:22,759 --> 00:31:26,440 This is legit that he's doing before the many Pacquiao fight. 670 00:31:26,319 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 2: In theoretically. 671 00:31:29,359 --> 00:31:29,839 Speaker 1: Go ahead. 672 00:31:30,519 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 2: Theoretically this is the case. So a few things. Number One, 673 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,799 there were several people not I didn't. I did not 674 00:31:36,839 --> 00:31:40,319 report this, but other other outlets did report in recent 675 00:31:40,359 --> 00:31:44,200 weeks that the Mike Tyson Mayweather exhibition would take place 676 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:48,440 April twenty fifth in Congo. Uh. I never had confirmation 677 00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:50,839 of that on my reporting. I never believe that, to 678 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,440 be quite honest, I never reported that. And now what 679 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,079 I have reported is that that is not happening. That 680 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,960 they're still contracted to fight, for sure, but it will 681 00:32:00,119 --> 00:32:02,559 not happen on April twenty fifth, that will happen. If 682 00:32:02,559 --> 00:32:04,839 it does happen, presumably it's going to be several weeks 683 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:09,240 later into May, and in Congo. While still as a 684 00:32:09,279 --> 00:32:12,599 possible location, is definitely not the only location. There's still 685 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,000 other potential places they could do the fight. Now if 686 00:32:16,039 --> 00:32:20,079 that does move into May, okay, fine Floyd. Then, unrelated 687 00:32:20,119 --> 00:32:23,599 to the to the moving of the Tyson exhibition, Vaut 688 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,079 announced earlier in the week on his social that he 689 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:32,599 would be taken on this Greek former kickboxer Mike Zambidas, who, 690 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:35,319 by the way, his career as a kickboxer ran from 691 00:32:35,319 --> 00:32:38,519 two thousand to twenty fifteen. He did come out of 692 00:32:38,559 --> 00:32:41,680 retirement have one boxing match a few years later where 693 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,680 he did win against you not any particular name, thought 694 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:46,880 to fight in Germany. So he would then take this 695 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,079 exhibition supposedly against Zambidas in Athens, Greece, supposed to be 696 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:55,079 June twenty seventh, and then come September on the nineteenth. 697 00:32:55,079 --> 00:32:58,880 That's the Netflix fight, the official actual match, the one 698 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,200 that would count, that's ancient as a real fight, that 699 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,359 would potentially impact his fifty and oh if he were 700 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,119 to win he'd be fifty one to know if he 701 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,359 loses accounts as a loss fifty and one. And still 702 00:33:10,559 --> 00:33:13,240 pak Yaw theoretically is taking his own exhibition in April 703 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,359 against Ruslan Ervandikov. So all these guys are taking a 704 00:33:16,359 --> 00:33:18,039 ton of fights. I went back and looked this up 705 00:33:18,039 --> 00:33:20,759 because I was like, when the so Mayweather now theoretically 706 00:33:20,839 --> 00:33:22,920 is on the books for three bouts in twenty twenty six, 707 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,839 two exhibitions, and you know May June, or you know 708 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:29,440 April May one, in June in the Greek in the 709 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,640 fight in Greece, and then the real fight in September. 710 00:33:32,359 --> 00:33:33,720 Do you have to go all the way back to 711 00:33:33,759 --> 00:33:36,920 dj when I was a much younger man in two 712 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,200 thousand and five. We both were two thousand and five. 713 00:33:40,359 --> 00:33:42,920 Your son was not born yet, not born, I was, 714 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,599 were not married yet. You weren't married yet. I was married. 715 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: My twins, who were about to graduate from high school, 716 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,160 weren't born yet in two thousand and five. Yeah, and 717 00:33:51,319 --> 00:33:53,640 that's the last time Floyd fought three times in a years. 718 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:54,400 What you're gonna tell me? 719 00:33:54,519 --> 00:33:56,839 Speaker 2: Yeah? So in two thousand and five, he was had 720 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,440 was transitioning from he had moved up fromweight. He scored eight. 721 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:03,720 He actually fought three times that year in official fights, 722 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:07,799 three knockouts. Knocked out the legendary Henry Brucellis. Then had 723 00:34:07,839 --> 00:34:10,440 the big victory that was his pay per view debut 724 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,719 against Artaro Gaddi. He stopped him and won the WBC's 725 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,679 junior welterweight title, he never defended. He moved up later 726 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,519 that year to the welterweight division. He knocked out the 727 00:34:19,559 --> 00:34:22,360 former junior welterweight title holder, scharn Bay Mitchell. So that 728 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,880 was three fights in two thousand and five, and since 729 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:26,719 then he has never had three fights in a year. 730 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,360 And now theoretically he's gonna have two exhibitions plus the 731 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,840 pack Yll rematch. So I'll believe all that if all 732 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,239 three of those bouts actually come off as planned. I mean, 733 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:38,280 nothing really shocks me in boxing, but I'd find that 734 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,679 to be a little surprising. That seems a little aggressive 735 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,159 to me. We'll see, stay tuned. You're gonna go to 736 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:44,960 Greece to check it out. 737 00:34:45,039 --> 00:34:46,760 Speaker 1: No, we're not going to Egypt. We're not going to 738 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,280 Greece is what I thought. We established. 739 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 2: We'll see, so we were gonna think about going on. 740 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: I'm trying to figure out how to pay for the 741 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:57,199 Twins graduation party, the Twins' vacation, final senior thing that 742 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:59,960 they want to take and college and they want to 743 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:04,960 and now you want to go to Egypt in Greece. Uh, 744 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,800 moving on, oing on on the fight news. So Most 745 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,519 Valuable Promotions has a press conference coming Friday. I keep 746 00:35:13,559 --> 00:35:18,199 receiving info from them about press conference, major announcement, Press conference, 747 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,760 major announcement. They're not saying what it is, but Man 748 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,320 Rayfield is on it. You have learned what it is, 749 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:26,920 You've put it out there. What do you have? 750 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,199 Speaker 2: Well, I think this, you know, depending on when you 751 00:35:29,199 --> 00:35:30,519 listen to the show. If you listen to this in 752 00:35:30,559 --> 00:35:33,280 the afternoon on Friday, it will already have been announced. 753 00:35:33,519 --> 00:35:36,559 But my reporting and I've been digging around about this, 754 00:35:36,639 --> 00:35:39,039 and you know, the MVP people are very tight lipped 755 00:35:39,039 --> 00:35:40,280 about it. They don't want to talk about it, which 756 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,239 is their progative, but it is also my progative to 757 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,000 find people who will talk about it and then report 758 00:35:44,039 --> 00:35:46,199 about it. That is my job. They're hosting this press 759 00:35:46,199 --> 00:35:48,639 conference at the Madison Square Garden on Friday, and they 760 00:35:48,679 --> 00:35:51,000 will announce at that press conference a card that will 761 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,199 take place at the Theater on April seventeenth. It is 762 00:35:54,199 --> 00:35:56,000 my understanding that the head they have a date and 763 00:35:56,039 --> 00:35:57,440 if you look and you got the press lease where 764 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,840 at lists a bunch of the participants in the press conference. 765 00:36:00,039 --> 00:36:02,119 One of them is Lisha Bomgarner, who was the unified 766 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,920 three belt women's champion at one hundred and thirty pounds. 767 00:36:05,079 --> 00:36:08,440 She will defend her title against the Korean fighter bo 768 00:36:08,679 --> 00:36:11,239 Me ray Shin, who gave a really good account of 769 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:13,960 herself in a loss a majority decision where she challenged 770 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:17,599 Caroline Dui a few months ago or like sometime last year, 771 00:36:17,639 --> 00:36:20,840 I guess for her lightweight title. She has won one 772 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,800 fight since then, and they'll have a variety of whatever 773 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,760 other bouts they put on the show. I believe Shadejah Green, 774 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,079 for example, is listened on that list. Maybe she'll defend 775 00:36:29,119 --> 00:36:32,159 her super middleweight title. And other of their top female 776 00:36:32,159 --> 00:36:35,800 boxers on there Stephanie Hahn and Holly Holm, and a 777 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,760 variety of different fighters that were listed. So that's one part. 778 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,119 But the other part of it that to me is intriguing. Again, 779 00:36:42,159 --> 00:36:44,639 my reporting says that this will be a fight that 780 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,400 and this I think is the part that's the major 781 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,519 part that they're referring to is that this will be 782 00:36:48,559 --> 00:36:51,519 televised on ESPN and it will be the first fight 783 00:36:51,599 --> 00:36:54,360 of a multi fight agreement they have with ESPN. And 784 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,119 I thought to myself, boy, they have a deal with 785 00:36:56,159 --> 00:36:58,159 the Zonne. And as I come to find out, because 786 00:36:58,199 --> 00:37:00,400 I check with my people at the Zone, I said, hey, 787 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,079 what's going on. Do you guys still have a deal 788 00:37:02,079 --> 00:37:03,440 with the z Oonne Because you know, if you remember, 789 00:37:03,679 --> 00:37:06,159 besides the big shows that they were doing like on Netflix, 790 00:37:06,519 --> 00:37:09,079 there are Prospects series and some other funds that they 791 00:37:09,079 --> 00:37:11,960 have done have been on the Zonne. So the de 792 00:37:12,039 --> 00:37:15,440 Zone folks tell me, no, we don't have a contract 793 00:37:15,519 --> 00:37:19,079 with the MVP any longer. I don't think there was 794 00:37:19,079 --> 00:37:22,519 any kind of falling out from the way I understood it, 795 00:37:22,559 --> 00:37:24,119 and that they would be willing to do events with 796 00:37:24,159 --> 00:37:26,559 them on a one off basis, but they're not obligated 797 00:37:26,599 --> 00:37:29,079 to each other at this point. And so apparently MVP 798 00:37:29,159 --> 00:37:32,719 has gone and made a smaller type of deal with ESPN, 799 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,960 and this card that they're going to do in April 800 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,480 will probably well not probably, this will be the kickoff 801 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,800 of that particular particular endeavor. Now I don't know if 802 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,519 this is part of it. This is just my own. 803 00:37:42,679 --> 00:37:44,760 This part is my conjecture. If you go back a 804 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,679 couple of weeks ago, ESPN announced that in lieu of 805 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,159 some of their baseball coverage and some of their summertime plans, 806 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:54,559 they're going to devote a certain block of their programming 807 00:37:54,559 --> 00:37:57,280 on the weekend to women's sports. I think it was 808 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,519 going to mainly be on Sunday nights in the time. 809 00:37:59,559 --> 00:38:03,760 Speaker 1: Space basketball for example, and other things. 810 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,320 Speaker 2: Yes, but in the time slot where they would normally 811 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,199 have shown what they showed for thirty something years, which 812 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:11,800 was Sunday Night baseball. Now this card that Alisha is 813 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:13,559 going to be on on the seventeenth of April, this 814 00:38:13,639 --> 00:38:15,719 is a Friday night card, not a Sunday card. But 815 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,159 I'm thinking to myself, if they get involved with MVP, 816 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:20,599 that means obviously some of the events are going to 817 00:38:20,599 --> 00:38:23,360 do are going to be heavily female oriented because of 818 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:26,480 the women's boxing that they are so heavily involved in. 819 00:38:26,559 --> 00:38:29,639 So that seemed to be like understandable why they would 820 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:32,320 match up with them in terms of as a broadcast partner. 821 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,480 So that part is my conjecture. But anyway, if it 822 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,920 all pans out the way I've reported, This is a 823 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,159 great thing that ESPN is going to be back paying 824 00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:42,519 the rights feed to put boxing on whatever type of boxing, 825 00:38:42,559 --> 00:38:44,679 as long as that at this type of level, MVP 826 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:46,320 has been known to do a lot of good cards, 827 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,840 so I'm happy about that. It still blows my mind 828 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:50,320 that Top Rank doesn't have a deal at the moment 829 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,920 in time. But MVP if they can grab something on 830 00:38:53,159 --> 00:38:56,800 ESPN and put on some entertaining fights, and you know, 831 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,320 good for them and good for us as fans. 832 00:38:59,079 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: So look for all all of that tomorrow and you'll 833 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,559 be reporting on that on Friday as we do this, 834 00:39:03,679 --> 00:39:07,719 as we release the pod with the MVP show and 835 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,760 the press conference coming from New York. Couple of more things. Okay, 836 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:15,960 the plot thickens on this whole. Dana White ZUFA Boxing 837 00:39:16,119 --> 00:39:19,760 and Connor benn is now part of ZUFA Boxing, except 838 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,320 he's not really part of ZUFA Boxing. It's Turkey Alischk 839 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,760 making the fight for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Nonetheless, there was 840 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:30,639 a big bally who about that about a week and 841 00:39:30,679 --> 00:39:35,159 a half ago. So now we get an intriguing, interesting 842 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:41,159 development involving Eddie hearn and he announced on Thursday that 843 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:46,440 he has agreed with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to 844 00:39:46,599 --> 00:39:51,199 be his manager right and be in his corner if 845 00:39:51,199 --> 00:39:56,280 he so desires for a UFC about a UFC title fight, 846 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:58,320 not in the corner like literally, but I don't know. 847 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,920 But he's at least figuratives part of the team involved 848 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,280 in the team, the management team for Aspenall. 849 00:40:04,039 --> 00:40:06,360 Speaker 2: So he'll keep his own management that he has in place. 850 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,079 So what they did was Eddie has this new company 851 00:40:09,119 --> 00:40:12,519 that's been created called match Room Talent Agency, in which 852 00:40:12,559 --> 00:40:15,880 are going to provide management services and talent services to 853 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,920 their clients, not as a promoter in boxing, but it 854 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,079 could be any athlete I assume if it's tom Asmenal 855 00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:23,119 in UFC, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't 856 00:40:23,119 --> 00:40:25,480 maybe sign a soccer player or you know, some other 857 00:40:25,559 --> 00:40:29,079 athlete that they may be involved with. But the interesting 858 00:40:29,119 --> 00:40:31,079 part is not so much that they're going to branch 859 00:40:31,159 --> 00:40:34,960 out their business into this part of uh the business 860 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:37,480 side of the sports that they're involved in, or even 861 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,800 if they're not involved in like UFC, but that if 862 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,119 they're going to be working with tom Asmenal in particular who. 863 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:44,960 And I'm not a heavy UFC follower, but I certainly 864 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,440 known and heard and read about. 865 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 1: I know, I know of him, yes, yes, But the issues. 866 00:40:49,559 --> 00:40:52,119 Speaker 2: Have been like that, the one you know, people always 867 00:40:52,119 --> 00:40:53,760 want to say, well, UFC makes all the big fights, 868 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,800 but the reality is they actually don't. And the one 869 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:57,400 fight that has gone on, mate, and I don't know 870 00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:59,440 whose fault it is. I'm not blaming anybody, and I 871 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,159 really don't give a fuck because I don't follow UFCA. 872 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,199 But the fight that's supposed to be the big fight 873 00:41:03,199 --> 00:41:06,880 in UFC is John Jones against aspinall and for whatever reason, 874 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,159 it's gone on made for a long long time. And 875 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:12,039 so uh, now that Eddie Hearn is going to be 876 00:41:12,079 --> 00:41:15,480 working alongside Aspinal with the rest of his team, that 877 00:41:15,559 --> 00:41:20,280 puts him across the table, you know, in metaphorical terms, 878 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:23,719 with with with Bill White. And they've been knocking each 879 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:25,760 other for the last couple of weeks. You know, Eddie 880 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,920 Hearn's been saying what he has to say. Dana White's 881 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,519 been calling Eddie names, uh, and it makes for a 882 00:41:31,639 --> 00:41:33,440 very interesting thing. And what I can see is this 883 00:41:33,519 --> 00:41:36,639 is like a Okay, the point is okay, Dana, you 884 00:41:36,679 --> 00:41:39,239 went and signed Connor. This is my power move. Now 885 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,679 I'm I'm gonna become involved in the management of your 886 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,719 heavyweight champion. And now we'll give Eddie Hearn within the 887 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,840 UFC fan hood and and media echo chamber or whatever 888 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:51,679 you want to call it, where he can now spend 889 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:55,320 a lot of time rallying against Dana about match, about 890 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,840 m m A and UFC fighter pay, which is and 891 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,239 he can say, look, you know, I'm here to get 892 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,519 all you guys better paid in the UFC the way 893 00:42:03,559 --> 00:42:05,719 I get my guys paid in boxing, and that will 894 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,039 drive Dane up a fucking wall. 895 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:12,119 Speaker 1: Stay tuned on the needling and the drama and the 896 00:42:12,199 --> 00:42:15,079 whole bit. So just one more layer to it. 897 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:19,840 Speaker 2: Okay, that'll be interesting to. 898 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 1: Say the least. So one more item as well. Oscar 899 00:42:24,559 --> 00:42:30,239 Duarte is again under the category of somebody that needs 900 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:34,639 to be made whole in the figurative sins here, Oscar 901 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:37,559 Duarte didn't get the title fight with Richardson Hitchins when 902 00:42:37,639 --> 00:42:42,719 Hitchins got sick on the day of their IBF one 903 00:42:43,039 --> 00:42:46,239 and forty pound title fight. All right, so, but Duarte 904 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:49,599 apparently will now also be involved on a future show. 905 00:42:49,679 --> 00:42:51,599 What have we learned what have you found out? 906 00:42:52,079 --> 00:42:55,239 Speaker 2: So when he lost out on that Hitchens fight because 907 00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:57,599 of Hitchins's illness and the fight got canceled after they 908 00:42:57,599 --> 00:43:02,000 had weighed in, he had spent two months or so 909 00:43:02,199 --> 00:43:04,400 training for the fight, had spent money on his training 910 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,760 camp and did not get what I have report. What 911 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:10,159 I am told was a purse of six hundred and 912 00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:15,519 fifty thousand dollars and the folks at Sella are the 913 00:43:15,559 --> 00:43:17,280 ones that were paying the freight on the fight, even 914 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,599 though he's a Golden Boy fighter. Remember Sela and Turkey 915 00:43:20,599 --> 00:43:22,400 and then bought the show for this was on the 916 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:25,280 Barrios Versus Ryan Garcia card. They bought that show from 917 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,119 PBC and Golden Boy, which put them involved in terms 918 00:43:28,159 --> 00:43:33,559 of making Germany got paid. So Duarte didn't get anything. 919 00:43:33,599 --> 00:43:35,000 You know, I don't think he's gotten any money. I 920 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,679 guess Oscar promised he was gonna pay him something. I 921 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:39,280 don't know if he's actually done so yet or not, 922 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:42,360 but he's obviously pissed off because I put all that 923 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,000 time in I didn't get Not only did I get 924 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:47,480 the shot, I didn't get paid my money, right, So, 925 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:49,920 you know, Golden Boy, I think they I mean they 926 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,159 got to feel bad about that. I'm number one. I 927 00:43:52,159 --> 00:43:55,079 know they're trying to get Seala to at least paid 928 00:43:55,119 --> 00:43:57,000 part of the money. I don't he's not. Look, you 929 00:43:57,000 --> 00:43:58,559 don't fight, you don't get your whole first period, even 930 00:43:58,559 --> 00:44:00,000 if it's not your fault. I used to get so 931 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,880 maybe you did right. You did say previously. 932 00:44:03,039 --> 00:44:06,599 Speaker 1: It's not automatic, but it's common that you would get 933 00:44:07,119 --> 00:44:09,760 maybe half, correct, I mean not as much as half. 934 00:44:10,559 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 2: So I know, like in certain places, off the top 935 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:14,079 of my head, like in California, for example, I don't 936 00:44:14,119 --> 00:44:15,920 know the rules for every single place, and honestly, I'm 937 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:17,480 not sure what the rule is into that. I don't 938 00:44:17,519 --> 00:44:21,239 think that anybody's obligated in California, if you make the weight, 939 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:22,960 if you go to the way in and you weigh in, 940 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,559 and then the fight is canceled, you're entitled to a 941 00:44:25,679 --> 00:44:29,360 percentage of your purse, regardless of the fight happens. In 942 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:32,719 any event, So, in addition to Golden Boy claiming they're 943 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:35,119 still trying to help Duarte, they get at least some 944 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:36,840 of the money from the purse that he did not 945 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:39,760 get for the fight that was canceled. Eric Gomez and 946 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,639 I spoke today. He's the president of Golden Boy Promotions. 947 00:44:42,639 --> 00:44:45,400 He said they are gonna add Oscar. He would that 948 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:47,800 he would like to be able to reschedule the Hitchins rematch. 949 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:52,000 That's unlikely, and not because I don't think Hitchens is 950 00:44:52,039 --> 00:44:54,960 ducking d'artet like some people have foolishly suggested, but because 951 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,119 after that fight didn't happen, he was ordered to make 952 00:44:57,159 --> 00:45:00,840 the mandatory which was part of the ruling to allow him. 953 00:45:00,840 --> 00:45:02,519 That the option against the Warte in the first place 954 00:45:02,599 --> 00:45:04,679 is that whether it happens or it doesn't happen, your 955 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:06,840 next fight has to be the mandatory side. He's gonna 956 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:09,440 be kind of stuck with that mandatory fight. So if 957 00:45:09,679 --> 00:45:11,519 they can't work that out and get him the fight 958 00:45:11,559 --> 00:45:13,880 with Hitchens in quick order, they're gonna put him on 959 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:16,480 May second. He'll box on the on the pay per 960 00:45:16,559 --> 00:45:19,639 view in which David Benevitez and Zerdo Ramirez are the 961 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:21,760 main event in Las Vegas. And I'll at least get 962 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:23,679 a chance to be on a big stage and to 963 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:24,599 make a good person. 964 00:45:25,039 --> 00:45:25,199 Speaker 1: Uh. 965 00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:26,719 Speaker 2: You know, I don't think it will be a title fight, 966 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:30,239 but hopefully against a reputable opponent. And uh and and 967 00:45:30,599 --> 00:45:32,440 even though it's gonna have to wait a little longer. 968 00:45:33,039 --> 00:45:35,159 At least, it's not like he's waiting deep into the summer. 969 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:37,719 You know, he misses the rotation completely. It sucks that 970 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,440 he had to missed the fight when he did, But 971 00:45:40,119 --> 00:45:41,639 the end result is if he's if he's got to 972 00:45:41,639 --> 00:45:43,679 put it off by a you know, a couple of months, 973 00:45:43,679 --> 00:45:44,559 that's not the end of the world. 974 00:45:44,599 --> 00:45:47,239 Speaker 1: I guess somebody take care of de Warte exactly what 975 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:48,360 we're saying here on the pod. 976 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:49,840 Speaker 2: And let's so at least they're putting him on the 977 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:53,239 next all right, and he gets and he gets to 978 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:55,440 fight on a prominent card. 979 00:45:56,599 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 1: I believe we have pretty well covered what we need 980 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,280 to come here in the preview mode again the ji 981 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:07,320 Opataiah title fight, I say again quotes for ZUFA Boxing, 982 00:46:08,159 --> 00:46:10,639 which will be taking place in Las Vegas, will be 983 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,960 Sunday night. We will come your way off the weekend 984 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:17,239 on Sunday night to recap that fight, give you the 985 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:20,960 fight news, etc. Other than that, I think we're good 986 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,159 here for a preview edition, are we not. Mister Arthur, 987 00:46:25,639 --> 00:46:28,400 thank you, and we will catch up with you off 988 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:30,960 the weekend in that recap pod. Make sure you're following 989 00:46:31,039 --> 00:46:36,079 subscribing here to this speed Apple Spreaker, Spotify, go find 990 00:46:36,119 --> 00:46:39,639 the Big Fight Weekend YouTube page as well. For now, 991 00:46:39,679 --> 00:46:42,440 there you go, full show on the news and everything else. 992 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:45,800 We get ready for that Opataia fight on Sunday night, 993 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:47,760 and for now we're good on the Big Fight Weekend 994 00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:48,119 preview