Podcast: Joshua-Ngannou card preview; Jake Paul-Mike Tyson deal
Plus: Callum Walsh, Mark Boccardi interviews; Pacquiao-Benn on deck?; more news; anniversary memories of significant fights
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There is just one notable card this weekend and it’s a big one, the “Knockout Chaos” show on Friday in Saudi Arabia headlined by the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou heavyweight fight. We previewed the card and discussed several fights on it. There are also some huge news items to discuss, interviews with junior middleweight prospect Callum Walsh and PPV.com head Mark Boccardi, and we also looked back on the anniversaries of some major fights.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
The huge news that Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will fight July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live on Netflix.
Preview of the “Knockout Chaos” card, including Joshua-Ngannou, Zhilei Zhang’s WBO interim heavyweight title defense against Joseph Parker; Israil Madrimov-Magomed Kurbanov for the vacant WBA junior middleweight title; and Rey Vargas’s WBC featherweight title defense against Nick Ball.
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My interview with the Freddie Roach-trained Irish prospect Walsh, who headlines a 360 Promotions card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York against Dauren Yeleussinov on March 15. We discussed fighting in New York on St. Patrick’s Day as an Irishman; his development; working with Roach; being featured on UFC Fight Pass and his relationship with Dana White; and much more.
My reporting on Canelo Alvarez and PBC finalizing a one-fight deal for him to fight Jamie Munguia on May 4 on a pay-per-view that will be carried by Amazon Prime Video and DAZN.
TJ’s interview with Boccardi discussing PPV.com’s upcoming schedule of major fights.
The discussions in Saudi Arabia between Manny Pacquiao, Conor Benn and the Saudis for them to meet in a welterweight fight.
Official announcement of undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue’s defense against Luis Nery on May 6 and a loaded undercard featuring three additional world title bouts.
Memories on the 39th anniversary of when Tyson made his professional debut with, what else, an early KO.
Memories on the 13th anniversary of when a 20-year-old Canelo outpointed Matthew Hatton to win the WBC junior middleweight title, the first world title of his legendary career.
Memories on the 26th anniversary of an excellent Don King card on Showtime PPV, when the HOFer Julio Cesar Chavez and Mexican countryman Miguel Angel Gonzalez fought to a draw, leaving the WBC junior welterweight title vacant, and Ricardo Lopez and Rosendo Alvarez met for the first time and fought to a technical draw in a WBC/WBA strawweight unification fight.
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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.
Joshua-Ngannou photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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