Podcast: Taylor-Catterall 2 preview; Ryan Garcia's positive B samples

Plus: A look at Mbilli-Heffron; news of the week; 2 fight anniversaries; memories of Marvin Hagler on what would have been his 70th birthday

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We previewed the two notable fights that will take place on Saturday: the long-awaited rematch between former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and bitter rival Jack Catterall and super middleweight contender Christian Mbilli against Mark Heffron. We also covered Ryan Garcia’s B samples coming back positive for the banned substance Ostarine (just like his A samples) and other news items of the week, and we also looked back on the anniversary of two major fights and remembered the great Marvin Hagler on what would have been his 70th anniversary.

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

• Everything you need to know about Garcia’s B samples testing positive and what’s next in the ongoing saga.

• Preview of Taylor-Catterall 2, which has been oft delayed but is here finally after Taylor’s controversial decision in their first fight in February 2022.

• Preview of Mbilli-Heffron as the unbeaten contender Mbilli looks to impress again and punch his way into an August fight with battle-tested three-time middleweight title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

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• Queensberry’s announcement of the heavyweight fight between British countrymen Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora on July 27.

• My reporting on WBA women’s junior featherweight titlist Erika Cruz’s positive drug test following her split draw against Nazarena Romero on May 11.

• Top Rank’s announcement of a June 29 card topped by junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez’s second defense against Steve Claggett.

• WBC cruiserweight titlist Noel Mikaelian suffering a cut over his right eye, forcing him to withdraw from his first defense on the undercard of the June 7 Adrien Broner-Blair Cobbs card.

• Memories on the 31st anniversary of when Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins, before they achieved greatness, met for the first time and Jones outpointed the fellow Hall of Famer to win his first world title, the IBF middleweight belt, in a forgettable fight on the undercard of Riddick Bowe’s heavyweight title defense against Jesse Ferguson.

• Memories on the 14th anniversary of the fourth and final fight of the epic series of bouts between Hall of Famer Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez, although the No. 4 was entirely unnecessary and forgettable even though the first three were epic battles.

• Discussion of the greatness of the late legend Marvin Hagler on what would have been his 70th birthday.

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.

Taylor-Catterall photo: Dave Thompson/Matchroom Boxing

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