Podcast: Recapping dominant KO wins for Dalton Smith, Sandy Ryan
Plus plenty of news of the week on 5-on-5 divisions, Prime Video broadcast team, more; anniversary memories of two big fights and a massive cultural event
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.
There was just one notable fight card over the weekend, the Matchroom Boxing show Saturday on DAZN headlined by junior welterweight Dalton Smith’s impressive knockout of Jose Zepeda. We recapped and discussed the card. We also discussed several news items of the week and looked back on the three significant anniversaries.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
Recap of Smith’s big body-shot KO of veteran contender Zepeda in the fifth round as well Sandy Ryan’s very impressive beat down of Terri Harper in a fourth-round knockout to retain the WBO women’s welterweight title and James Flint’s 10-round decision win over Campbell Hatton, Ricky’s son, who took his first loss a terrific action battle.
Help me celebrate the start of my 25th year of full-time boxing coverage by upgrading to a paid subscription for full access to the rest of this post and all posts and comments — and also support independent journalism.
The announcement of the five divisions that will comprise the 5-on-5 fights matching Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Boxing fighters on the June 1 undercard in Saudi Arabia.
My reporting on the broadcast team that will call the PBC on Prime Video card headlined by Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora on Saturday.
My reporting that Keyshawn Davis will fight on Top Rank’s July 6 card headlined by WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson’s hometown defense in Newark, New Jersey.
My reporting on the Xander Zayas-Patrick Teixeira junior middleweight fight being rescheduled to headline in New York on June 8, the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade.
My reporting that one of the fights on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia PPV card likely will be WBC interim featherweight titlist Brandon Figueroa defending against former junior featherweight titlist Jessie Magdaleno.
Ringside memories on the 12th anniversary of when Danny Garcia dropped Erik Morales and won a clear decision to claim his first world title, the vacant WBC junior welterweight belt, which was vacant because Morales had been stripped the day before for missing weight.
Memories on the 28th anniversary of the greatest Arturo Gatti fight that did not involve Micky Ward — when he staged a massive comeback with a closed eye to drill Wilson Rodriguez in the sixth round of a wild action fight to retain his junior lightweight title for the first time in the bout that launched his legend.
It’s not boxing but memories on the 40th anniversary of when five high school kids from different cliques — a criminal, a princes, a brain, an athlete, and a basket case — were forced to spend a Saturday together in detention in the seminal movie of my childhood: “The Breakfast Club.”
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.
Smith-Zepeda photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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
