Podcast: Jai Opetaia interview; recap of Navarrete-Nunez unification

Plus: Emiliano Vargas tested on undercard; thoughts on Usyk defending heavyweight title vs. kickboxer Verhoeven; more news of the week

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There was one significant card over the weekend, Emanuel Navarrete’s big win over Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez to unify junior lightweight titles, and we recapped it. There is also my interview with lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia ahead of his upcoming defense. We also covered several notable news items of the week. Also, check out and subscribe to the YouTube channel for a variety of content.

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

• Recap of Navarrete’s 11th round knockout of Nunez in a dominating performance to unify the WBO and IBF 130-pound titles in the Matchroom Boxing main event Saturday night on DAZN.

• Junior welterweight and reigning prospect of the year Emiliano Vargas’ ninth-round knockout of Agustin Quintana in the co-feature.

• My interview with Opetaia ahead of his defense against Brandon Glanton that will headline the Zuffa Boxing card on Paramount+ on Sunday night. We discussed his signing with Zuffa Boxing, his take on continuing to fight for sanctioning body titles despite Zuffa’s plans to not work with the organizations; not being able to finalize a unification fight with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez; what he expects from Glanton; an eventual move to heavyweight; and more.

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• Announcement that lineal/unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will fight all-time great kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 (DAZN PPV) at the Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt. Thoughts on the fight, the WBC agreeing to sanction it as a world title bout; and more.

• Ryan Garcia, who is healing from a sprained right hand suffered in his WBC welterweight title win over Mario Barrios last month, and WBO titlist Devin Haney calling each other out for a summer rematch and unification fight.

• Discussions of a super middleweight fight between Edgar Berlanga and Chris Eubank Jr., both of whom are in need of a win as they are both coming off a defeat.

• The continued exodus of talent from Top Rank with former WBO featherweight titlist and two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez’s announcement that his contract has expired.

• The Queensberry Promotions announcement that it will put on a DAZN card in Paris on April 25 headlined by French heavyweight Tony Yoka against Lawrence Okolie and a WBC junior middleweight title eliminator between Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj.

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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.

Opetaia photo: Tasman Fighters