As we approach the end of 2024, we're back once more with our latest look ahead to the weekend, hear from a distinguished "third man in the ring" and more on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack return to go over the latest that includes:


A Preview of Tuesday, New Year's Eve in Tokyo, as Fernando Martinez and. Kazuto Ioka for Martinez’s WBA junior bantamweight title just five months after Martinez won it in a wild battle.

Then, hear from famed U.S. referee Jack Reiss, who announced his retirement recently after 25 years as a referee. Reiss has been one of top referees for many years, worked more than 1,000 fights and more than 100 world title fights, most famously Wilder-Fury 1and the 12th round knockdown dramatics there.
 
There's fight news on Panya Pradabsri winning a majority verdict Carlos Canizales on Thursday to claim vacant WBC junior flyweight title in Bangkok, Thailand, his hometown. A disputed decision against Canizales for sure.
 
We have another fight added to Matchroom/DAZN first-quarter schedule with announcement of Jack Catterall-Arnold Barboza Jr. in a WBO junior welterweight final eliminator on Feb. 15th in Manchester, England   

Dan has reporting on Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, the former pound-for-pound king and four-division champion, being headed to another title shot. Plans are in the works to match him with WBO junior bantamweight titlist Phumelele Cafu on a date to be determined in March in Gonzalez’s hometown of Managua, Nicaragua, All Star Boxing promoter Felix “Tutico” Zabala gave Fight Freaks Unite the info.  

Lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and former IBF titleholder Subriel Matias are in talks to meet in the first half of next year, but Carl Moretti of Top Rank told Big Dan it is not close to being made despite an ESPN report, using unnamed sources, saying it was “being finalized.”  

Plus, Is Tank Davis vs. Lamont Roach canceled? Tank Davis is scheduled to fight Roach March 1 on PBC on Prime PPV but Davis posted on Instagram on Monday “The fight is fucking cancel.” WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?!?
 
And, some Nostalgia to close: It was Dec. 26, 1908 -- 116 years ago Thursday -- the legendary Jack Johnson stopped Tommy Burns in round 14 of a scheduled 20-rounder (they were using 4-oz gloves!) in Sydney, Australia, to become the 1st Black heavyweight champion. The boys go over the massive boxing and social implications of Johnson's win and his reign throughout the next decade.

It's all part of the Big Fight Weekend Preview and make sure to follow/subscribe to this feed on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!