Podcast: Zepeda-Prograis, Whyte-Franklin, Parker-Ryder previews
Plus: News of the week: Spence-Thurman, Santa Cruz-Wood, more
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 Thanksgiving weekend but there are still some interesting fights coming up on Saturday with three notable shows headlined by the vacant WBC junior welterweight title fight between Jose Zepeda and Regis Prograis on pay-per-view, the return of heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte in a crossroads battle with Jermaine Franklin on DAZN and Zach Parker against John Ryder for the WBO interim super middleweight belt on ESPN+. We previewed the three fights and also discussed notable news of the week.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
The probability that unified welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. will return in early 2023 to face former unified titlist Keith Thurman now that the WBC has ordered the mandatory fight and the WBA this week approved a special permit for Spence to face him instead of doing his long overdue mandatory.
Once again the WBA has ordered the mandatory between featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz and secondary titlist Leigh Wood and given them two weeks to make a deal or there will be a purse bid — and both fighters will be stripped if the fight doesn’t come off.
The announcement that Chris Eubank Jr., given the cancellation of his fight with Conor Benn due to Benn’s failed drug tests, will face British countryman Liam Smith on Jan. 21.
Hot-shot welterweight up-and-comer Jaron “Boots” Ennis being ticketed for a spot on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia Showtime PPV card on Jan. 7.
We preview Zepeda-Prograis, a match between two of the best 140-pounders in the world in what most figure will be an exciting fight.
Some chat on heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov, the 2020 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist from Uzbekistan, who fights on the Zepeda-Prograis undercard.
Some memories about two fights that hit anniversaries this week — the second fight of the legendary Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy 20 years ago and Mike Tyson’s knockout of Trevor Berbick to become the youngest heavyweight champion 36 years ago.
Listen, rate and subscribe here and enjoy!
Zepeda-Prograis photo: Tom Hogan
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
Thanks for the pod - -> Nothing too exciting the Progrey v. fight should be interesting got Z doing some damage to Progrey on that one...... Heavyweights should be interesting never know who is going to show up with what - ESPN+ ummm once agin not that interesting on paper but never know a fight could break out there or on any other fight card this weekend. Nothing too interesting on news of the week with fights being set up at welterweight like I care about that one or the other so called must see fighter in that division. Gatti v. Ward two how about that Raffy ? On an aniversery of that fight did not take much to get that second third or first fight to happen did it? Now they want us to wait on a so called super fight as they both get older and we could care less, or Progrey maybe that could be interesting but you got to pay PPV dollars or steal it or whatever people are doing these days point being the times have changed and the draw is less then it could be for fight fans and future possible fight fans due to what the fight game has become. Hard to keep an interst anymore. Like I have been saying for a while now, it dont take much to keep the average fight fans content .......we just want good match ups fights leading to fights and that they can not even do for the fan anymore. Spence v. Who again......get real man...... get real. Even Z v. Pro is not worth extra money use it to build up to a real PPV event but no run it as a must see fight and let the masses believe it is just that even tho it is not. Be thankful be greatful we do not have to believe every promoter or his megaphone that these fights being announced or coming up are much above a good Friday Night or Tuesday Night fights that used to be. A notch or two above maybe but outta pocket as a special attraction no at best a lead up to something that may or may not be special........