Jai Opetaia’s quest for ‘undisputed’ recognition hit a snag

We catch up on the ongoing developments with Vergil Ortiz,

Alex and Matt were this week at the BBBoC annual awards and

And finally, we look ahead to this weekend’s showdown

Thanks, as always, for listening.

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Another mad week in the boxing business saw temperatures rise, battle lines drawn and shots fired. What, or who, will be left standing? There was the billion-dollar Queensberry lawsuit, the WBC fighting for relevancy by sanctioning a fight between their heavyweight champion and a boxing novice from martial arts while Conor Benn's next opponent wasn't as promised. There is appreciation for the unusual and effective Emanuel Navarrete while looking ahead to Jai Opetaia launching the Zuffa belt plus in This Week we remember the raw 2000 version of Manny Pacquiao.

If you like the work of Matt and Alex please show your support by for the pod by subscribing via Patreon or Apple +. Cheers.

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BENN LEAVES EDDIE - MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO II - GARCIA BEATS BARRIOS - WOOD WALLOPS WARRINGTON

Zuffa Boxing made an astonishing play when they swooped to steal Conor Benn away from long-time promoter Eddie Hearn. Will Benn be proved right to leave, or will he regret walking away from Matchroom?

In another unexpected development, the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was confirmed for September. A welcome sequel or another daft pantomime?

Leigh Wood got the better of a faded Josh Warrington but the star of the weekend was Ryan Garcia who claimed a welterweight belt against Mario Barrios.

In This Week, we take a gentle stroll back to 1996 and Oliver McCall making short work of Oleg Maskaev.

Thanks for the support and keep listening, folks.

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Powerful people think they know what Boxing needs and are preparing to mould it to their own wants and beliefs. But are they right?

In this special bonus pod, Alex and Matt explore the latest moves from Dana White and TKO/Zuffa while wondering what this means for the future of the Sport and those around it.

Including the latest fight news with analysis and opinion.

This bonus pod is and early release as part of the Patreon and Apple + subscription for which we are truly grateful.

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THE POND, THE ATLANTIC AND TYSON FURY | WARRINGTON-WOOD II I SMOKIN’ BERT COOPER

Tyson Fury is back with promises of domination and soundbites aplenty. But will Arslanbek Makhmudov really find competing with him as difficult as swimming the Atlantic in bad weather? And is Fury really planning to do his fighting without a trainer? And when will John Fury just grow up?

Elsewhere at heavyweight, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois have agreed to collide in a sumptuous matchup with huge consequences.

This weekend, there’s Leigh Wood-Josh Warrington to look forward to in the UK and Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia in the US.

Best of all, however, is the chance to go back to 1987 and witness a young ‘Smokin’ Bert Cooper in blistering form. Willie de Witt never stood a chance….

Thanks for the sport, comrades. Keep listening and spread the word.

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Nick Ball is the latest fighter to understand what makes Brandon Figueroa so effective following last gasp drama in Liverpool.

Elsewhere, the WBC is again under fire over sanctioning fees. Is the industry about to turn its back on the alphabet groups?

Floyd Mayweather, meanwhile, is chasing money again as he files a lawsuit designed to earn him north of $300m.

We also catch up on the hairline of Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller before zipping back to 2003 to relive Rafael Marquez’s dramatic victory over Tim Austin.

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BALANCE OF POWER | SUPREME SHAKUR | JOSH KELLY | TYSON FURY | BALL vs FIGUEROA

As 2026 gathers pace in the boxing world, figures like Dana White, Eddie Hearn, Turki Alalshikh and Oscar De La Hoya are jostling for power. Will those sizeable egos be able to work together or are we facing a new battle: Zuffa vs DAZN?

Shakur Stevenson turned on the style to dominate Teofimo Lopez and signal his arrival amongst the pound-for-pound elite.

In the UK, Josh Kelly surprised plenty when he boxed the perfect fight to win a world title in Newcastle and, bracing for his return, Tyson Fury prepares to become the new face of Netflix.

Our trip back in time lands in 1974, in a talent-rich Paris no less, for a battle between Carlos Monzon and Jose Napoles.

Read the Thomas Hauser piece on Zuffa Boxing here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/28/zuffa-boxing-contract-dana-white-reform?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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TEOFIMO LOPEZ vs SHAKUR STEVENSON | DEONTAY WILDER vs DEREK CHISORA | BAKHRAM MURTAZALIEV vs JOSH KELLY

It’s a Teofimo Lopez fight week which can mean only one thing: We have no idea which Teofimo Lopez is going to turn up.

As well as studying the form for his showdown with Shakur Stevenson, we look ahead to Josh Kelly’s date with destiny and wonder if now is the time for those bags of potential to be fulfilled.

We also put ourselves in the brace position for the heavyweight showdown between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora and head back to 1994 for the first loss of Julio Cesar Chavez’s career.

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TANK GOES MISSING | ORTIZ vs OSCAR | CRUZ vs MURATELLA | ZUFFA MAKE MOVES

The career of Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is surely over following the latest charges placed against his name… That he’s nowhere to be found won’t help, either.

Zuffa prepare to show the boxing world what they’ve made of but is the signing of Jai Opetaia a more accurate indicator of their long-term plans?

Vergil Ortiz made his own plans clear when he filed a lawsuit against Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy. Whether the world’s appetite is really there for a Boots Ennis showdown remains to be seen.

Elsewhere there’s more grandiose plans to break attendance records and we look ahead to this weekend’s terrific Cruz-Muratella showdown.

And, in this week, it’s back to 1981 for a cultured exhibition from a peak Alexis Arguello.

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DYNAMITE DALTON SMITH | TYSON FURY RETURNS | ANTHONY JOSHUA | INOUE vs NAKATANI

Reflections on the inspirational performance from Dalton Smith out in Brooklyn where he stood tall to upset Subriel Matias in five violent rounds.

The almost inevitable comeback of Tyson Fury was all but confirmed over Christmas but what do his predictions about future brain damage tell us about the lure of fighting?

Japan awaits the Inoue-Nakatani showdown but have their most recent performances dampened the appeal?

Finally, let us take you back to New Orleans in 1972 when Joe Frazier dismantled an honest but overmatched Terry Daniels in four rounds.

Keep listening, folks!

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