Podcast: Canelo-Charlo media tour; Raul Marquez interview

Plus: Baumgardner's dirty drug test; tons more news; a big Mike Tyson anniversary

A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.

There is no major boxing this weekend so make sure to call your family. But there is plenty of boxing news and we covered a ton of it, including the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo two-city media tour. There is also TJ’s interview with Showtime’s Raul Marquez on the big fight. And, of course, we look back on the anniversary of a huge event.

Here is what’s on the show (in order):

• Banter!

• Thoughts on the Canelo-Charlo media tour to New York and Los Angeles this week.

• My reporting on two of the undercard bouts that will be on the pay-per-view that have not yet been officially announced.

• TJ’s interview with Marquez, who gives his take on Terence Crawford’s huge win over Errol Spence Jr.; thoughts on the Canelo-Charlo press tour, which he worked for Showtime; his relationship with the Charlo brothers, who he has known since they were kids; his son Giovanni Marquez’s recent win and burgeoning career; and more.

• Details and thoughts on undisputed women’s junior lightweight world champion Alycia Baumgardner failing a drug test related to her July 15 defense against Christina Linardatou.

• My reporting on a deal being finalized for an October fight between former world titleholders Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Joe Smith Jr., who will be in the cruiserweight division.

• My reporting on a middleweight unification fight between WBO titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly and IBF titleholder Vincenzo Gualtieri being agreed to for an Oct. 14 Top Rank card.

• My reporting on an October bout being finalized between WBO welterweight mandatory Alexis Rocha and unbeaten Giovani Santillan to headline a Golden Boy card on DAZN.

• An update on Vergil Ortiz Jr., who is eyeing a December return.

• My reporting on Top Rank releasing three fighters from its roster after losses last month.

• Memories on the 28th anniversary of the circus of Mike Tyson facing club fighter Peter McNeeley in a huge pay-per-view event that was Tyson’s first fight in four years because of his prison sentence.

Please give it a listen! Also: rate, review, subscribe and enjoy!

Canelo-Charlo photo: Esther Lin/Showtime

---

Please upgrade your subscription here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing