Podcast: Danny Garcia interview ahead of 160 title shot vs. Lara

Plus: Preview of Mbilli-Derevyanchenko card; news of the week; Salvador Sanchez tribute on anniversary of his death; more

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There is just one notable card on Saturday, the Top Rank show on ESPN headlined by the super middleweight contender Christian Mbilli against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and we previewed it. There is also my interview with Danny Garcia ahead of his fight with middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara in an attempt to win a belt in a third weight class on the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga PPV card on Sept. 14; plenty of news of the week; and our usual nostalgia segments.

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

• Preview of the Top Rank card that features what could be a very good fight between Mbilli and Derevyanchenko as well as a heavyweight fight between Arslanbek Makhmudov and Guido Vianello and an appearance by lightweight Abdullah Mason, who is one of boxing’s elite prospects.

• My interview with Garcia and we covered plenty: ending a two-year layoff and why he’s been out for so long; getting his new promotional company off the ground with two recent events; moving up in weight; getting the opportunity to fight for a middleweight title despite a two-year layoff and having never fought in the division; thoughts on Lara; Garcia discusses his favorite fights of his career; thoughts on whether he wants to continue to box after the upcoming bout; and Garcia tells me a story about a conversation we had many years ago after one of his weigh-ins that I only vaguely remember.

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• My reporting on a deal being made for IBF junior middleweight titlist Bakhram Murtazaliev and mandatory challenger Tim Tszyu to fight on Oct. 19 in the main event of a PBC on Prime card.

• Terence Crawford’s decision to vacate the WBO welterweight title to remain, as expected, at junior middleweight and what might be next.

• Former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez shooting down talk that he may fight fellow future Hall of Fame four-division champion Nonito Donaire later this year.

• Announcement that Nick Ball will have a Liverpool, England, homecoming fight for his first WBA featherweight title defense.

• British heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke agreeing to a rematch of their epic slugfest in March that ended in a draw and when and where it may take place.

• A tribute to the all-time great Salvador Sanchez on the 42nd anniversary of his untimely death in a car accident at age 23.

• Memories on the 23rd anniversary of when Chris Byrd outpointed David Tua in a title eliminator between two of the top heavyweights of the late 1990s/early 2000s.

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

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.

Garcia photo: Nabeel Ahmad/PBC

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