Podcast: Extensive interview with Top Rank president Todd duBoef
Plus: Walker-Pattinson slugfest; Prograis-Haney issues; anniversary of the legendary Sanchez-Gomez battle
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There were no major fights over the weekend but we did spend a few minutes recapping the Matchroom Boxing/DAZN prospects card that featured a sensational action slugfest in the co-feature. The main segment on the episode is my extensive interview with Top Rank president Todd duBoef on numerous topics related to the company’s fights, fighters and plans. We covered a ton. There is also some discussion of the latest news and our nostalgia section is on the anniversary of one of my all-time favorite fights, one I have obsessed over for many years.
Here’s what we discussed on this episode (in order):
Recap of the Matchroom card headlined by flyweight Galal Yafai, the 2020 British Olympic gold medalist, who scored an impressive first-round knockout of Tommy Frank, and welterweight Conah Walker’s eighth-round knockout of Cyrus Pattinson in an upset in all-out slugfest that was one of the best British fights of the year.
Discussion of the issues that have so far kept the fight between WBC junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis and unified lightweight champion Devin Haney from being finalized.
My interview with duBoef during which we covered many topics: the tremendous recent battle between WBO junior lightweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete and former titlist Oscar Valdez; getting legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales involved in the promotion; Top Rank’s deep involvement in the heavyweight division with discussion of Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou, the possibility of Fury-Usyk, the upcoming heavyweight tripleheader headlined by Jared Anderson against Andriy Rudenko and what he took away from Anderson’s recent fight with Charles Martin; the possibility of an Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol undisputed light heavyweight title fight in 2024; the making of the middleweight unification bout between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Vincenzo Gualtieri; thoughts on Terence Crawford, who spent most of his career with Top Rank, so easily beating Errol Spence Jr.; the latest on junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and star lightweight Shakur Stevenson; and the future of unified junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue and his place as one of boxing’s modern greats.
Memories on the 42nd anniversary of the legendary battle between then-featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez and junior featherweight champion Wilfredo Gomez, who moved up in weight, in a quintessential Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry fight.
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.
Photo: Todd duBoef/Queensberry Promotions
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anybody know for sure when the fight from Poland with Usyk v Dabois that place. I heard the card starts at five then i saw on line that it takes place at five. Only one place can be right. So if you know for sure post up............
Keep up the good work, Dan. Respectfully from the Boxers Organizing Committee (BOC).