Podcast: Beterbiev-Bivol 2 preview; interview with Lamont Roach Jr.
Plus: A comprehensive look at the Riyadh Season card, late opponent changes for Parker and Stevenson; big fight anniversary memories
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There is one show of note this week and it’s a huge one — the loaded Riyadh Season card headlined by the rematch between undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and former titlist Dmitry Bivol, and we previewed it. There is also my interview with junior lightweight titlist Lamont Roach Jr., who is moving up to lightweight to challenge Gervonta Davis for his title on March 1. Plus: Anniversary memories of a historic fight.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
The news of two short-notice opponents on the Riyadh Season card with Josh Padley taking the place of ill Floyd Schofield to challenge WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson and the next day IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois also falling ill and dropping out of his defense against Joseph Parker, who will instead defend his WBO interim title against dangerous Martin Bakole.
Preview of the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch, which will take place four months after Beterbiev won an extraordinarily close majority decision to unify the division and become the undisputed champion.
Preview of the rest of the bouts on the show: Carlos Adames’ WBC middleweight title defense against Hamzah Sheeraz; WBC interim junior middleweight titlist Vergil Ortiz Jr. against Israil Madrimov; heavyweights Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel meeting for the vacant WBC interim heavyweight title; and WBO interim light heavyweight titlist Joshua Buatsi defending against Callum Smith.
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My interview with Roach ahead of his biggest fight against “Tank” Davis and we covered a number of subjects: his reaction to getting the fight; learning from his first loss, a competitive decision in a 2019 world title fight; winning the WBA junior lightweight title in 2023; fulfilling a dream to have his first title defense at home in Washington, D.C. in 2024; the long time it took to finalize the fight with Davis; his memories of two close losses to Davis when they were amateurs and if it means anything going into their pro fight; having known Davis for many years and them having respect for each other; his thoughts on the fight being in New York instead of their Washington/Baltimore home region; how he plans to deal with Davis’ power; being perhaps the best pure boxer Davis will have faced; being overlooked by many; and more.
Memories on the 32nd anniversary of when the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez pummeled Greg Haugen into a fifth-round knockout to retain WBC junior welterweight title before the all-time biggest boxing crowd of 132,247 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in the headliner of the “Grand Slam of Boxing” PPV.
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We bring you the preview each Friday and the weekend recap each Monday. Let me know what you think of the podcast by leaving your comments.
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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Great fight. its what you like the volume landed like in amateur or the more hurtful punches of Beterbiev. I was fine with Beterbiev getting the W as it was a crazy close fight. A draw would have been fairer but eiither guy winning by a point would be fine by me, a lot of shots were going on gloves and arms. Hopefully Bivol stands and fights a bit more this time, its pro boxing not amateur boxing after all.