Podcast: Canelo interview & big PPV, gate for Davis-Garcia
Plus: DAZN's PPV issues; Zepeda-Arboleda preview; news of the week; 20th anniversary of epic Toney-Jirov battle
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It’s a light weekend but we have a packed show for you. We got into the details of the huge pay-per-view and gate numbers from the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight and the massive issues so many had with getting the PPV via DAZN. There is also my interview with undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez ahead of his title defense next week against John Ryder. Plus: We previewed Saturday’s lightweight main event on DAZN between contender William Zepeda and Jaime Arboleda, go over some news of the week and chat on the 20th anniversary of James Toney-Vassiliy Jirov, which is in the discussion for greatest cruiserweight fight ever.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
A deep dive discussion on the tremendous Davis-Garcia PPV total (1.2 million buys) and giant gate ($22.8 million) and where it fits in historically.
Discussion of the absolutely awful experience so many had trying to buy the PPV via DAZN, which charged many people multiple times and still could not deliver the event not to mention other misrepresentations about the PPV. Just an absolute mess for which we doled out the punishment they deserve.
My interview with Canelo ahead of his May 6 fight. We discussed several topics, including his satisfaction of being the undisputed champion; his excitement about having a homecoming fight, which will be his first fight in Mexico in a decade, and the nerves he expects to have; his thoughts on Ryder; his desire for a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September and at what weight he wants to face him at; and what he thinks about facing David Benavidez.
Previewing the Zepeda-Arboleda lightweight fight that headlines the Golden Boy card on DAZN on Saturday night.
The discussions for unified heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk to make his WBA mandatory defense against “regular” titlist Daniel Dubois this summer in Poland.
WBO featherweight titlist Robeisy Ramirez’s first defense being set against Satoshi Shimizu on the Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue card July 25.
Announcement that flyweight titlist Sunny Edwards will have the first fight of his Matchroom Boxing deal in a defense against Andres Campos on June 10 (DAZN) and the possibility that a win will lead to a unification fight.
Yet another Floyd Mayweather exhibition being set, this one against novice John Gotti III — the grandson of the late notorious mobster John Gotti.
Memories on the 20th anniversary of when Toney outslugged Jirov to win the IBF cruiserweight title in an HBO main event I was ringside to cover. It was a sensational fight that was honored as the Boxing Writers Association of America fight of the year and a big reason why Toney was the 2003 fighter of the year.
Listen, rate, review, subscribe and enjoy!
Canelo photo: Meg Oliphant/Matchroom Boxing
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Toney vs Jirov was a lovely clash of styles to watch and just a bloody good fight.