Podcast: Previewing Navarrete-Valdez and Joshua-Helenius

Plus: Rodriguez-Lopez; news of week; a classic 130 title fight 20 years later; ode to Ken Norton on what would have been 80th birthday

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.

It’s going to be a busy Saturday with three notable cards and we are here to preview and discuss each of them: heavyweight Anthony Joshua taking on late replacement Robert Helenius in the Matchroom Boxing main event on DAZN; the much-anticipated all-Mexican showdown between WBO junior lightweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete and former two-division titlist Oscar Valdez atop the Top Rank/ESPN card; and Emmanuel Rodriguez versus Melvin Lopez for the vacant IBF bantamweight title headlining the PBC/Showtime card. We also covered several news items from the week, shared memories on the 20th anniversary of an epic junior lightweight title bout and talked about a Hall of Famer on what would have been his 80th birthday.

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

• Preview of Joshua against Helenius in the unexpected matchup, what’s at stake and why AJ decided to go through with facing a new opponent with so much riding on win.

• A look at the top two heavyweight undercard bouts, IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic vs. Demsey McKean and Derek Chisora vs. Gerald Washington in a match of faded former contenders.

• Preview of Navarrete-Valdez, which many expect to be a classic battle and is easily the best fight of the weekend on paper.

• Preview of Rodriguez-Lopez and a look at the two other Showtime bouts, junior welterweight Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Kent Cruz and welterweight Travon Marshall vs. Gabriel Maestre.

• The official announcement of the Sept. 30 Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo fight, the site and ticket info.

• My reporting on a super middleweight showdown between David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade for the fall on Showtime PPV.

• My reporting on the date and site for the excellent flyweight unification fight between Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards.

• Claressa Shields’ new deal with MMA promoter PFL and her plans to continue fighting in both sports.

• Memories on the 20th anniversary of the sensational action battle between then-unified junior lightweight champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas and Jorge Barrios, who put on one of the best fights in Showtime history.

• An ode to Hall of Fame former heavyweight champion Ken Norton on what would have been his 80th birthday.

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

Navarrete-Valdez photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

---

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