Podcast: Donaire interview; review of Ennis' brilliant performance

Plus: Schofield, Pacheco wins; news of the week; nostalgia time

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.

We recapped and discussed the weekend action, including Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ superb performance in a 10th-round knockout of Roiman Villa to retain the IBF interim welterweight title; lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield’s rout of Haskell Rhodes; and super middleweight up-and-comer Diego Pacheco’s impressive fourth-round destruction of Manuel Gallegos. There is also my interview with four-division champion and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire, who seeks to win another bantamweight title on Saturday, notable news items of the week, and anniversary memories.

Here’s what we discussed on this episode (in order):

• Recap of Ennis’ brilliant beatdown of Villa, what was so impressive and where does he go now as a force to be reckoned with?

• Recap of Showtime’s undercard, including middleweight Marquis Taylor’s big upset of Yoelvis Gomez and the unwatchable lightweight bout in which Edwin De Los Santos routed Joseph Adorno.

• Recap of Schofield’s one-sided, knockdown-filled win over the veteran Rhodes, who showed a big heart, and what to make of Schofield’s future and who he wants to fight.

• Recap of Pacheco’s exciting knockout of Gallegos and thoughts on his continued development.

• My interview with Donaire ahead of his fight vacant WBC bantamweight title fight with Alexandro Santiago on Showtime. We covered many topics, including his longevity; deciding to continue at age 40 after a knockout loss to Naoya Inoue in their rematch a year ago; what else he still wants to do; his thoughts on his inevitable Hall of Fame election; and more.

• The WBA’s decision to drop Vergil Ortiz Jr. as the welterweight mandatory following another cancellation of his fight with “regular” titlist Eimantas Stanionis and Stanionis now being allowed to pursue an optional defense and what fight’s we’d like to see him in.

• My reporting on details of a Showtime tripleheader on Aug. 12 that has not yet been announced.

• The depressing announcement that Thompson Boxing, which has for decades put on the best club show series in the country, will cease operations following its July 21 event.

• Memories of the late, great Emanuel Steward on what would have been his 79th birthday.

• Memories on the 27th anniversary of the brutal first heavyweight fight between former champion Riddick Bowe and Andrew Golota and the wild riot that was sparked inside Madison Square Garden when Golota was disqualified.

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

We will be bringing you the weekend recap each Monday. Let me know what you think of the podcast by leaving your comments.

Donaire 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