Podcast: Preview of Fury-Usyk undisputed heavyweight title fight
Plus: The loaded undercard; Navarrete-Berinchyk show; Tyson-Paul media tour & undercard, Canelo's mandatory & more news of week; memories of two big bouts
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This is a huge boxing weekend because of the mega pay-per-view card on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, where Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will meet for the undisputed heavyweight title. It’s a big show and we previewed it as well as the Top Rank card later Saturday on which Emanuel Navarrete and Denys Berinchyk will fight for the vacant WBO lightweight title. We also covered several notable news items of the week and looked back on the anniversary of two historic fights.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
Preview of Fury-Usyk, who will meet to determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years.
Preview of the undercard, which has several fights of note, including Jai Opetaia-Mairis Breidis II for Opetaia’s lineal and the vacant IBF cruiserweight title and IBF junior lightweight titlist Joe Cordina’s defense against Anthony Cacace, and a breakdown for you on the timing of the PPV, how many fights, when the main event is supposed to start, and more.
TJ’s interview with Mark Boccardi of PPV.com, which is one of our sponsors and one of the platforms offering the card but with no subscription required.
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Preview of the Top Rank on ESPN card with Navarrete-Berinchyk in the main event and Giovani Santillan versus Brian Norman for the vacant WBO interim welterweight title in the co-feature.
The IBF ordering Canelo Alvarez to next make a mandatory defense against unknown, untested and unaccomplished William Scull.
Thoughts on the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul kickoff news conference and the announcement of more undercard fights.
Devin Haney’s formal request to the New York commission, via a letter from his lawyer, to have Ryan Garcia’s win overturned to a disqualification loss rather than a no contest based on additional factors besides Garcia’s two failed drug tests for a banned performance-enhancing drug.
UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control winning their appeal in the Conor Benn doping case and what it all means.
Australian ring announcer Lt. Dan Hennessey’s apology and retirement announcement following his horrendous error in announcing the wrong winner of the Nina Hughes-Cherneka Johnson WBA women’s bantamweight title fight.
Memories on the 20th anniversary of the absolutely shocking upset of Antonio Tarver drilling heretofore unbeatable Roy Jones Jr. in the second round of their unified light heavyweight title rematch.
The anniversary isn’t until November but a look back 25 years ago to the last undisputed heavyweight title fight, Lennox Lewis’ decision over Evander Holyfield in their 1999 rematch.
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.
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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I'm a little stunned Wladimir Klitschko never was "Undisputed". Considering how mediocre the Heavyweight division was throughout most of his reign. BTW we have Oscar de la Hoya and his controversial victory over Felix Sturm to blame, for legitimizing the WBO belt as a piece of the modern Undisputed designation. Prior to DLH's Middleweight Championship fight with Bernard Hopkins. Who was already considered "Undisputed" with his WBA, IBF, WBC titles.
I was one of those folks who thought Holyfield did enough to keep his titles in the rematch. Lewis likely won seven rounds in their first bout but I thought the unified champ took the fight to Lennox in the rematch, rocking him several times and earning at the very least a draw.
Considering how much a prime Lewis struggled with a faded Holyfield at the end of his third and final undisputed/unified title reign, I can't imagine Lennox beating Evander earlier in the decade.