5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Boxing’s Christmas Day

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

Will we see a better 24 hours of boxing all year? Buncey and Barry aren’t convinced, as they reflect on a huge weekend in Tokyo, Vegas and Wolverhampton. Plus, reaction from Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn and a look ahead to Wardley v Dubois in Manchester this Saturday.

This is Five Live Boxing. One weekend, three very different cities and three very different fights. Now, it felt like there was about a dozen world title belts at stake in Las Vegas and Tokyo, and then, of course, in Wolverhampton. This was a very special weekend. And next weekend, it's Fabio Wardley against Daniel Dubois. Now, you know that's going to be a great heavyweight fight. What a time, you know the rest of the story.

These weekends are really. relentless. I'm Steve Bunce and this is Five Live Boxing. As I say, it was that type of weekend. Fights all over the place, but not just fights, super fights, super sonic fights, great fights, intriguing fights and venues, Tokyo Dome, 55,000 people. The T-Mobile in Las Vegas, Cinco de Meera. Did someone say Canelo? Forget it. It's not about him anymore. And then one of the great. forgotten venues in Great Britain. One of my favourists.

I remember going there for the first time about 29 years ago covering the British title fight and being petrified. The Civic Hall in Wolverhampton. I watched all three. Barry commentated on two. That's the one with today. I'm with Barry Jones. Barry, first of all, we've had some great weekends

and people think I'm a hype in our business. But can you remember a 36-hour period like this last weekend? No, I've been saying, if you're a boxing fan, this is your Christmas Day. Because it was literally, you've got the pound for pound soup. You've got two people in the top ten pound for one fighting each other. Yeah. To arguably, maybe become the pound for pound number one.

Arguably, in the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history. Yeah. For the 55,000 people indoors, which is just crazy. Yeah. And then you go, then you got Wolverhampton in a guaranteed bang-up, which it turned out to be. We'll talk about a minute, of course. To all of them in a minute.

In a great event. for a great atmosphere because it's like the York with an extra tier on top, is there? And a bit tighter and a bit more compact. I know people

don't fall off that third tier. Oh, it's really... Do you see how low the bar is up there? Yeah, it's mad, isn't it? It's like on people's fires. It's crazy.

And they're all dancing up there with the atmosphere was fantastic and the fight lives up to the hype. And then, of course, two Mexicans on a Mexican holiday in Las Vegas giving us we knew it was going to be a treat,

but an unexpected treat, I would say, we didn't think it was going to play out the way it quite did. We'll go through them in detail. So in Wolverhampton, it was Connor Walker, former British World to Weight Champion, against Sam Eggington,

former British well-to-weight champion. And one was from Wolverhampton. He could walk to the venue. And the other one was from Birmingham. He could get a short drive in a taxi to the venue. Then in Las Vegas, it was Guberto Ramirez against David. Benevides. Benavides coming up in Weight World.

And Ramirez had come up in weight. They both were supermen in Weight. champions 10 or 9 years ago. And then the big one, really the big one, was the Nioi and Nui against Jantanakatini. Is my pronouncing it correctly? Jantanacatani. Nakatani, okay.

That was in Tokyo, and that was for all the belts at Superbantam. In fact, what's interesting is that it didn't really become about the belts. Any of those three, even though there were loads of belts involved, and loads of shenanigans and the pound for pound, all that type of stuff, It just became about three different fights. And in some ways, Barry, they were three very, very different fights. So I'm going to give you... See, three evenly matched fights.

Oh, so on paper... That's unusual that was called. Absolutely, on paper, you could take it... So there's six potential winners of the three fights. Each one can win or draw. And then you start to be a bit smart and there's something I insist on. So is it going to be points? Is it going to be a stoppage?

I'm not sure... I feel like I got all three winners right, but I didn't get the methods of victory completely right. So I'm not claiming some kind of triple. So where do you want to start, I want to leave it to you? Because I mean, an editor might say you've got to start with 55,000. Well, maybe you have. I think we'll do that because I think that in the timeline that works up.

That was the first one we saw. 1140. Yeah, right. And it ended up being a ringwalk for the main fight was delayed by 45 minutes for no reason at all. because it was through the bill, and all of a sudden then, we went to be on air at 1 o'clock, we went on air at 1 o'clock in the afternoon

then for the length of time. But it was great. I mean, I commented on the fight. I did it off tube, but we didn't lie in. No, no, there was no lying in your commentary. You didn't worry about that. It did it off tube,

but it looked like a fantastic atmosphere. The ring walks were amazing. I mean, Adam Smith, in the commentary for the Wolverhampton fight, because their room walks were really entertaining. But very short. But he sort of, yeah, he sort of said, it rivals what we saw this morning and Japan, he never.

He was trying to build it up, bless him. You didn't have to build up Egginton against Walker. It was electric and ridiculous in the start. It might have been the Fowaz fight, or maybe the T-A-18 fight. I'm not quite sure with Stevie Levy. But, I mean, but either way, it was. That was an intro, by the way. You tried to build it up, it was good.

I mean, it was mega. It felt like a real super fight. You know, you've got that, you're nervous. Yeah. You're nervous, and you're just watching or commentating. Watching safely. You never think, this is going to be so intense.

And so I think that intense feeling for that fight sort of spilled into their minds for the first sort of four or five rounds called Nakatani. When you're up against someone like a, Nakatani is a big puncher. Only three knockouts less than a new way. Both for 32 wins,

he got three less knockouts. So he's not the biggest punch in the room. How does that happen? Yeah, yeah. But in 99% of other rooms, he is the biggest puncher on. And considerably so, yeah. And you can understand the weariness to engage

and wanted to get it right. Can make it a mistake, especially early in the fight, you're in trouble and you're digging yourself out of the whole. You can't go ahead of them. Tiny's mistake is the end of the fight. And it looked like that. They both have respect for each other. But you know, it's like with Canello and bigger names,

your reputation, Golofkin was, certainly, your reputation precedes you. So you almost, you've won a wrong before you got in there. Or maybe more. And it felt like that with Nakatania and Nahu. I knew he didn't do a lot himself, but he did try and press the fight. like cautiously.

With his feet, he was pressing and he was getting into positions. He wasn't letting his hands go, but he was getting into position. And Nakatani, a tall south ball really long, didn't throw that left hand, which would be his back hand,

didn't throw it at all for about three rounds. And that's his weapon. That's his weapon to make you weary. When you're to puncher, you have to make the puncher, you're not going to hit him on the chin, knock him out, make him feel the power early.

I say this, not being a puncher, but having box punches. Once you get hit with a shot anywhere, remember Nash's used to come in, throw a mad shot. Sometimes he'd knock you out with it. Sometimes it just hit you on the arm, but it doesn't matter.

You felt him. You'd miss you, you feel the wind. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it put you on notice. If you make a mistake, boom. And with that notice, it makes you tense

and you're overcautious and you pull at your punches. So, you need to do that. Nakatani didn't do that. And a new way didn't quite do that, but he boxed with a menace like he wanted to do that. Great word, menace.

So after five rounds, six rounds, he's arguably got a big lead. You actually said after four rounds and you said it a second, I said it, you said nothing has happened so far, which punch-wise was true, but they've done a lot of manoeuvre and a lot of eye in. And there's one, I want to bring it to one little point, though, at the end of the, there was a peculiar incident in the eighth round, the slow-mo,

so it was at the end of the eighth. So at the end of the eighth, they both load, they both miss with unbelievable shots, like unbelievable shots, and the crowd, they don't make a lot of noise, the Japanese crowd, they just, they just show appreciation for something. And they oohed, and, ah, as the two punches missed. And then the two boxes smiled at each other. You know this incident. They smiled at each other. And the crowd rapturous applause, the loudest applause.

Because the two fighters had smiled each other. I thought of something. Sorry, I've got to say, do you know what they smiled at each other? Go on. Because they both knew you got away with that. But also, they both knew they got away with that. If I got caught, it was done.

And if I caught you, you were finished. And I made a note then that we had to have those eight rounds of lots and lots of chess, lots of lots of looking, to get the final four rounds, because the final four rounds with the cart and a great Nacatini round, I think a Nacatani round in the ninth round

and then a couple of really good rounds for Inouye. The last four rounds of the fight were I fought exceptional. Well, I'll tell you what, Rudy Hernandez is in the corner of Nacatani. Great line, you're going to use it. Can you remember the quote? I can remember the court at all, but all I can remember is how he turned the fight wrong for him.

Because he was looting and he's like, you've got to throw, you've got to lay your hands with your... What he said is so about, I'll tell you the exact quote, end of the 7th. You've got to let your hands go. Aim for his chest. Yeah.

And we said that all the time. Come for your chest. And me and you speak about this, about the lost heavy, heavys of the 80s, where they were jabbed at the chest to knock you off balance. Because it's a powerful shot,

isn't it? Well, they're powerful people, so they're not heavy weights, but they can punch like that, and they can knock you off balance and square you up for a shot, but you're touching something, and it gives you confidence

when you're touching something with a punch. When you miss, it drains you, it drains your confidence. So, and he can, he needed that belief to let his hands go. And he did. And so those middle rounds, he pulled it back a little bit, like a tan. He thought, hang on a minute. And Anouet, for the first time in his cup, not first in his career,

but noticeably looked tired. You actually said, Bell, so this is the problem when you sit down on water fight at lunchtime, and it's all really relaxed, okay? And you actually said at one point, I think it was in the 10th round. You said, is an Nui feeling the pace? And it looked like that to me, Steve.

It did. Yeah, yeah. Because he always has a second gear. or a third, fourth, fifth, whatever, he always needs, he always has IKEA. If he gets to that stage. Because he's,

an new way, the reason he's such an all-time grade, he's a unique power puncher who has a stamina to go 12 rounds, not just to keep the power to throw lots of punches. And that is,

name me another one. Yeah, no, I can't have flog my head, literally not just, not just sort of keeping, and maintaining the power, to throw lots of punches. He has the energy with the feet as well,

the way he moves his feet, that takes a lot of energy. He has the stamina of a little guy who can't punch. but also has that power of a guy who can punch. I mean, it's a unique ability that he has, but it looked like for the first time that he didn't quite have that.

And that's the mental chest. He's only 33, but could he be, you know, he's had an awful lot of fights, an awful lot of massively hard fights, even though he's won them comfortably. Hard fights. You can still win a hard fight comfortably. You know, a hard fight could still be one comfortably,

that's what I mean. But I think in that fight, and quite the mental chess of that fight, where the concentration you need not to make a mistake, and that's why they were, they weren't so aggressive can drain you, the thinking,

people don't realise all thinking, drain your process. Alexander Uzik, the reason all the heavy is gas out and he stops them. Because he's making them look for the target

and they're not used to look and they're looking. When they're looking, they're thinking, they're tired, their brain's engaging. They're not relaxed. And it manifests itself physically into exhaustion.

That's what happens. We see it time and time again. And I think for that fight, that was the case for him. But like all great fighters do, they can find something in the locker, some energy reserves. And he finished like a champion.

And I said when he won the 11th round, I think I said in commentary, that's the run, this rounds won in the fight. And that would be about right. At the end, the three judges, two judges had it the same, 116, 112, that's 8, 4.

I didn't have a big screen with that. But then the other judge had it 1-1-5-1-3. So that makes it a tight fight after 10. It could have been 5-5 after 10, according to that judge. Once you won that 11th round, you won the fight in my card.

So there's talk after us, obviously there was talk about, you know, idiots may be saying that it should have been a better fight. No, it was a brilliant fight. You couldn't take your eyes off it. And then talk about maybe a rematch. Anything could happen. These guys have moved up from flyweight, that won all sorts of world titles, multiple belts. It's almost impossible to keep up of how many belts and world championships, the two of them have won between them.

So Nakatine will lose him for the first time and Newy moving forward. And talk in January, for January of next year, Turkey Alashik was there, the great Saudi Arabian fight fixer, the man that's brought all of these great fights together over the last two of three, two and a half years. He was there talking about getting Ban Rodriguez to Tokyo in January of next year, which obviously just coincides with your annual visit to Japan, every single day.

Which is handy. That's just a little note to disown people. Barry will be there anyway. Don't fly him out. You don't need to. He'll be there. He's going to start swimming. He'll swim to Japan. I'll tell you something. If they don't take me, there'll be problems. I'll be taking someone outside and beat them on points. I cannot know. If they take anybody, if they take an expert who used to fight above 9 stone 10, there's going to be a problem. They'll take Carl Frampton because he was a unified Super Banterbury champion and 2-8 world champion.

He's a superstar and he's a great commentator. I don't care. Don't take him. You'll be there. I'm the Bam guy. Yeah. I'm the Bam man. I love Carl, but I'm going to vote for you on this one.

You got, have you. I mean, but I don't think, I mean, Team Bam. If I'm a goal, because the money would be so big, you have to take it. But I think with Bam, because he's so young and so gifted, and he would have a chance. He's that good. He'll have a chance, yeah. But he's got to take his time embedding into the weight.

He's just moving up the bantor weight. He's just boxing for the title of bantameter. It's a good fight, I guess, which would be next month, May, in June, sorry. And then, see what you're like then. People think, oh, it's only a few pounds. It's not, it's a mountain for some of those three pounds and four pounds. which is like a super middle way he's going to cruiser away.

Absolutely. That's what it's like. Oh, Danny, David Benavis did that. I think we're talking about at the moment, but especially with Bam, because you'll be going up

against a man who's been soddly at Superbantam for a lot of years. And by the way, might have a grown Superbantam. Yeah, well, that was the only, I think that's it.

Then to talk about that he balloons massively. We talked about Fevereweight for 18 months, remember, with Nick Ball, let's get that way. So, Barry, that was what happened in Tokyo, inside of Tokyo,

down, 55,000 people. And a brilliant, a brilliant spectacle, a fantastic fight. A fight for the purists, a fight for the people that really understand and love boxing. And also, you didn't need to understand boxing to get a sense of this was a special event.

And a great job on the comms there. Then you jumped in a car and drove from wherever you were, probably in London. There's more, there's more. And big time, I get driven. Wow. Barry then got in a... It was a BMW 7 series. What is a big fancy black.

You know what? I call them, I call them leather cars. You know we had them at TNT for a year? You don't know because you don't know. You don't know. But at TNT we had them. And Richard Woodland and I, when we used to drive in them all over the country, we used to call them leather cars, because all you could smell was the lever.

Anyway, so you jumped in a fancy, fancy car to go out to Wolverhampton. You want to do this one? You want to do it in sequence? So you want to do Colin Walker down? Definitely. Okay. Just give us a sense. Give people who have not been to the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton.

You mentioned at the top. Just get them a sense of that venue as it started to fill up. The first time I went to Wolverhampton, I took the great Jim Rosenthal out for a meal, me, him and our producer, Jim Bentley. I know this story. And I said, I'll pay.

No, no, no, I'll pay. Don't know, I'll pay. It was a Witherspoon. It cost me like six quits for the three meals. And I mean, you get the next one. The next show was in London. Jim, Jim, we all, how much we all, respect him.

He was a great guy he was. and it was for Frankie Gavin versus Leonard Bundu what a fight that was what a fight that was what I fight that we got off the floor he lost in the end on points of Gavin

but he got it with a body size mad 12 round it was and then oh actually did we go actually oh it was oh no might

anyway it was one of them yeah it was one of it but it was great and I knew what atmospheric it can be when it's packed

and we know kind of walking could sell we know Egan there's still got a lot of fans you know longer than I have and they've put so you know a lot There are a lot of people on the undercard bought an awful lot of tickets.

You know that, don't you? So this kid took 300. Even Stevie Levy, you mentioned earlier, too. She took somewhere like 40. And that's that 18. Did about 70 proper tickets. Yeah, I know. And so basically people couldn't get tickets.

There was about 3,000 in there, 2,600. There's some sort of figure like that. You couldn't move. Low, money. There was not, there was loud, but not just it was it loud. There wasn't, I was talking to John Hill for Matroham. And when at one point, I stood at the ringside before Conor Walker. We were looking around along with Mattie Lawless,

so you know he's in charge of comms over there. And we were saying, you know, this is a rare thing. There's not a seat. There was not a seat, a space on a wall. There was the people, some of the people in your team, your zone team, you were doubling up on chairs. I mean, it was that type of fight, that type of night. And then we had a, we talked about the undercard.

In fact, I'll hear from Eddie Hearn in a minute. He'll tell us about the rest of the undercard. But then it came time, or whatever time it was, about half nine at nine. It was early, right? Oh, and I tell you what about, that was a special hour. privilege to watch. I got to be honest, I did pick,

so I picked all the winners for all these fights and I just had, I had the, they had the, the victories. Yeah. Wrong, actually.

And I thought this one was going to go to the distance. Even though they, they were bangers, I just thought they, like, I can't see anyone stopping Connor Walker. And I thought Eggington.

I do know, I thought Conno Walker would win, but I thought, the closer to the fight got, I fancy, I have fancied Eggington. Wow, and then there's a few people back in.

And I felt justified for most of the fights. Were you, no, no, Sam was in front. It ended in the 10th round, and Sam was in front on two of the four cards.

And that's perfectly justifiable. He was dropped in the eighth, but we used cliches, toe-to-to-great fight, throwback fight. Well, none of those cliches do what we witnessed at the Civic Hall justice.

It generally was a through-your-fingers-watch. It was Egan's box. Egan-on-the-boxed. We forget about his jab. He's known for his walls and toughness, but he can jab. and he did that.

And Connor Walker is not the hardest target to find. No. He moved his head quite well against McCormack in the last fight

but he neglected that today Saturday. He absolutely neglected and that's a point to Eddie Mike and moving up in wait I thought

will he have the same intimidation factor? Yeah, yeah. And he did and he just walks through walls that kid. I mean,

there's no longevity in that you would feel I gotta be honest no, no, no. But it's so much fun to watch. Yeah. It really is.

I mean and he loves it. He lives and breathes There's a kid here who I saw him in Bolton football ground, the little seating underneath the ground there, on an undercard, he wasn't shown live, he commented on it, maybe it was on for Channel 5. One about Channel 5 gigs?

Yeah, but it was before I got a job. No, you were there working for Channel 5, before you turned up. Oh, no. Well, I was there, but I was just upstairs in my face, or something in makeup or something. Yeah, something like that. I was in makeup.

They didn't carry you down then. No, no. I'll get thrown to ringside, generally about 10 to 10. And he lost, can you gather? A good fight, but I mean, you just thought, oh, that kid there, to this kid, no. Well, the Conner Walker story is incredible. The fight was relentless. It was absolutely savage.

It was brutal. All of those expressions. There was a lot on it that was unbelievable. And then at the end, at the end, Sam just got, dropped to say in the 8, he just got caught in a 10th and his body sagged. And Steve Graves, the referee, had no option. There was a little five shot in right down the burn. Absolutely.

I mean, I was stunned at how fast, how quick Connor Walker was sensing that and how accurate he was. Anyway, when it was all over, I spoke to Eddie Hearn about the night and the ferocity of the Eggington and Walker fight. He was the much bigger man in there. You could see that from the first bell. Conner has no business being up 154 pounds, but it was the fight that he wanted to make for Wolverhampton

and for the region. And the atmosphere was just incredible. And until Walker dropped him to the body, I thought he was miles behind. And even the round after that, I thought Egington might have won. And going into the 10th, I still had Sam just up, but the finish was incredible. I didn't know at times whether Conner had enough in him to hurt Sam Eggington,

because Egington was just walking through him for a large period of the fight. But just incredible, the finish, the stoppage on the feet, the atmosphere, just a fight at the year contender. I wasn't sure that Connor absolutely knew him. He's talking boldly there, but there were moments of what looked like a bit of doubt in the corner with Jamie and Connor, not shocked, I think, out. It just didn't move his head. I mean, look, I think Conner Walker's actually improved so much.

But all that went out of the window tonight. And I genuinely, I said to him after, I said, mate, you've got to move your head. He's like, yeah, but I wanted a tear up. These people love it. I'm like, I know, that you are a real throwback fight. I mean, we did, like I said in the ring, we got our gattie ward tonight.

That's exactly what that was. I mean, that was all up there with that kind of stuff. And, you know, the finish was just incredible. And, you know, Conner's our fight. I'm gutted for Sam in a way because I thought he boxed so, so well. And, you know, it was over 10 years. ago Sam made his debut in Prizefighter. Do you remember? I was there. And he was like, he started boxing because he heard that he could be a journeyman, but he went down to the gym and basically

just had non-stop tear-ups and they're like, you can't be a journeyman. Your career is going to go about 10 fights. And he went into Prizefire. He won it. And he just went on an amazing run. He's won British. He's won European. He's won IBO world titles. You know, he's made a lot of money. And listen, I hope that's probably the lot now. I mean, he always want to fight on. But John Pegg said to me, it'd be a good way to. to bow out and it was a great performance from him.

He didn't actually during the fight show signs that he was deteriorating as a fighter. He fought exactly how he has always fought since he was 22 years old.

In a moment when he looked sharp at night and he asked for a long time. He's stronger and more experience in the clinch and up close and everything.

Now Ed just just just run through the bill thanks for your time Bill Alfaaz is I mean I hear you up there appealing for the passball he's a wonder fire

he's a ridiculous fight and he's actually really good as well like it's very awkward I said to him going in tonight I said you can actually punch

you've got to believe in your power. You can hit hard. You know, he hurt Kelly repeatedly. I thought box really well. That was another great fight, by the way. By the way, yeah. It's just that, you know, Bilafo Wads is in a situation.

I want to go on about it, but he's been in this country for over 20 years. He was trafficked here as a child. Yeah. He's a mad story. He's represented England. He's paid all his taxes. He's lived here for over 20 years. And he's the British champion,

but he can't get a British passport. And he can't leave the country, Bunchley. So we can't take him anywhere? No, but this is the big part. He's not been able to leave the country. since he came in, right? Well over 20 years ago. He's 38 years old.

And it's denying him an opportunity. Right now, with his personality and with his performances and his world ranking, I can get him a big fight. You know, in America. I can get him a big fight in Saudi Arabia. Listen, he's developing a nice name here. So he's going to be okay.

But you're taking the opportunities away from him to change his life and actually set himself up financially in his family for the rest of his life. So it's really frustrating because he's got a small window. And that wind is probably two years. Yeah, he's talking five, but it's more like two. It probably is, because right now I can get it, but he can't leave the country.

And it's really frustrating. He's doing amazing. And look, he's going to defend his British title here, but the big fights are there to it. And he's a character in his self. And just quickly, a little tier Aiton. There is something sensational about it, especially with the extra few pounds.

Yes. I think that's important. You know, she come into the school at just 18. She's only 19 now. But just saw on the sky, like the last few fights, she's been depleting herself a little bit. Firstly, making 1-18, then making 1-22,

she's still growing up at 126, look really spiteful, against a very experienced fighter in Stevie Levy. Go, Tia's a different kind of fighter in the female code. She's got extremely heavy hands, big combination puncher, and she's a superstar, you know, and Shannon Ryan as well tonight.

That's what Shannon should have been doing a while ago. Exactly, and, you know, a real good card tonight, topped off by a fight at a year. Just pity the atmosphere let her down. I know, exactly. Hey, thanks, boy. See, sir.

So, Barry, that's Eddie Hearn there, summing up to TMA Aiton's victory over Stevie Leavie was a good victory. Bill Al-Fa-Fouaz over Ryan Kelly. That fight on its own had it at its moments. Let's get it, right. I don't want to dwell too much on that, because I want to push on. But Conner Walker was calling out people.

The first thing I've got to ask you, is we should have mentioned this at the top. It was made at 153. So basically, it was made at light middleweight or super well-to-weight. Assuming his well-to-weight days are over, he is a little bit short and he might not get caught as often in other fights

because I think there was a little there wasn't necessarily a fear factor with Egington but he's, is he stuck between weights? Not a crisis but is he stuck between weights? I don't think he struggles to make well to him though, does he? I don't think so.

I think he enjoyed not having to make well to make well to work which is not the same thing. But I tell you, well, he looks strong, he's still strong and he'd say, oh, he's past itself out of days and he may be, maybe not, I don't know, but he's a big, Eganon's a big lump who's box the middle. the week, let's not forget.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been a big light middle for seven years, yeah. What about walking Fawaz? Yeah, that's the first thing I was. Can you imagine the atmosphere? Because Fawaz, I mean, Bill Al-Fa-Waz, if you've not seen Bill Al-Foaz, he's a classic wrestling good guy, bad guy.

He milks the crowd. He milks the crowd. They hate him, they hiss him, they boo him, and then he tries to win them over. And he did win them over with his post-flight speech the other day, by the way. And they're both fighters who come on late. Yeah, great. point, yeah.

In different methods, but they come on late in the fight, and neither one's a massive punch. They go out, they both punch, obviously, but neither one's a massive puncher, but they're both extremely strong. You think Walker fights more,

but uses more of his strength than Fowazda, as far as awkward. He leans back on that back foot, turns that shoulder. And he's, in his long, ranges, yeah. So it'd be harder for Walker

to hit the target clean. It'd take him longer. I mean, that's a good fight, that is, but at Welterweight, he's got loads of options. I mean, the Crocker fight,

and the Crocker's not champion of the world, by the way. I mean, there was an argument that you could have won that. I think I thought he just nicked it because it was close fights. So, you know...

I thought he won that on the night, yeah. Yeah, but I mean, I mean, well, Crocker's become and be better since then, but I mean, who knows? You never know, do you? You know what, Ben, we've done about, I know, 25 minutes and we've already got two fights to look forward to that you've named.

And I don't mean Crocker and Walker. I mean Bill Al-Faraz and McConnell Walker. That's incredibly fun. And then Van Rodriguez against Nairui Nui. Now, when we talk about this next fight, we've got a super fight to look forward to after that. What a bumper edition. Barry, okay, with a third fight we're going to do.

We'll do a little bit of Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, but not much, not much. We don't need to. We're with them. This week's a heavyweight week. Tomorrow, Tuesday, it's going to be a Fabio exclusive. I went and sat with him. And then it's going to be a Daniel Dubois exclusive on Wednesday.

And then on Thursday we'll sit with Frank Ward. Then on Friday we'll preview the fights that take place at the co-op this weekend with Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois fight in need for the WBO heavyweight title. and it's the ninth all-British World Heavyweight Championship fight of all time and I'll let you into a secret. Seven of the previous eight have finished inside the distance and this one will also finish inside the distance. I can guarantee you there.

Barry, take me to the T-Mobile. Sinka de Mayo. It's not Sol Canelo Alvarez in the ring and it's been his weekend for about seven of the last 10 years or nine years. Talked me through. This was the ending that I got completely, I got the winner right, but I got the ending, the nature of victory, completely wrong. Yeah, so did I. I mean, David Benavide has been around hunting people, not just Canello, the biggest starting boxing, but everybody.

Just give me a fight, give me a fight, give me a fight, what weight do you? It doesn't matter what weight you. I'll have come to you and I'll fight you. He was a supermanele. He was a supermane off. Offering a heavyweight out. He's like heavyweight offering cruiserweight out. And Ramirez, who's moved up in weights more conventionally, slowly. Steadyer. But grown into a really solid cruise weight. I think, I think Ramirez at cruise weight was at his best. I mean, that fight against Bill and Smith,

he kept the energy that he had as a light heavy, kept the movement as a light heavy that he had, but looked stronger. Because Ramirez's problems along the time were lack of discipline. And that's usually making the weight then. You're struggling to make the weight. The way he lives. With having that luxury of having to put on lots of more weight,

it gave him a bit of leeway. He could train hard, but still eat well. I think that made the difference with him. So I thought, I thought Benavides could beat him. But the reason I think he could stop him because I thought Benavides would be in a place he's never been before where someone fires back after you thrown, not looking to the move.

Which is the Ramirez's wife, yeah. But I thought you'd walk him down. But Benavides, who doesn't look like a good boxer, is a very intelligent fighter. Oh, his skills, underestimate. Yeah, absolutely are. Again, because he doesn't look pretty. Nothing looks nice or clean about his work.

I mean, the punch is landing at clean, but nothing looks conventionally clean about his work. He is such a clever fighter, because he finds the range for big shots up close and far away. I mean, and it looks like the same punch he's throwing, which is mad. You can see the difference in the angle of a shot sometimes

for your close. He has the same angle, but he gets that turn from the body, and that's because he'd been sparring, when he was little, good fighters. Everyone, yeah. When he was a baby, yeah. He was like 14 sparring Kelly Pavrick

who was the king of the middlewings at the time and a big puncher. I've seen all the stuff. He's learned so much from that. And he's physically strong, has a good chin. He's been dropped, he has a good chin. He's physically strong. His accuracy is immense.

And he just bullied him. That's what I didn't see. That's what I didn't. In all the scenarios and all of the weekends fights, I didn't see, I didn't see Benevides able to bully Ramirez. Because Ramirez's quite, quite like, quite like in the year.

I think they're finishing the eighth round, if I'm not mistaken. But he was he dropped in the six, Ramirez. Yeah, he was down. So he was dropped twice or he went down twice. He had a problem with his eye. That's what he owned his eye.

He went to hospital. He's been cleared of that. There's no damage. But I just think he beat the fight out of him, Steve. and he beat the fight and then he got hurt you couldn't see it and he took and he went and he stayed out six unbelievable shots

and we go back that argument you know he quit he stayed on his knee but he got but he took a hiding before that so it is what it is and I think the referee probably would have stopped it anyway after that but he lacked Ramirez allowed Benavides to bully him

he didn't fire about it like he used to I mean that's another fight that I've seen recently that is literally for some unknown reason his firepower has disappeared, his ability to want to fire back. So you're trying to be smart, and that might be, again,

another case, like I thought about, I knew earlier on, where your reputation precedes you, and he's waiting to get hurt. That can be caused by changing, by changing the training system, changing the way you train,

people around your surrounding you. I say it all the time. Trying to fight like you're not, like you're not really comfortable fighting. Adding things to your locker is very important, but if it takes a bit what you're good at, you've got to bin it. You've got to bin it.

You've got where you're, you are for what you do and you can add to it but if you lose anything of what's made you what you are it's not worth it so just a just a little bit of a sort of sort of semi recap here in benavides was moving up 22 was 22 pounds heavily was when to be anthony yard last uh November he's been on a great run Barry sort of mentioned that in the last sort of two less than two years uh he beat um Alexander Gavodzik uh David Morel great win then yard and now this that's a that's a decent four sequence you know I'm not saying it's the greatest sequence of wins by a man in a series of world title fights, but it's a good one.

In this era, in this year where people have options. No, no, absolutely. So that's impressive. Ramirez himself had only lost once and that was to Dmitri Bival, by the way. So, and he had great wins. So when it's over, and I say he was behind, I think was he behind on two, sorry, Romero's a massive time. No, the massive was, Ramirez was completely shut out. Yeah, yeah. It's a complete shout out. Yeah, excuse me. I'm thinking about the Sam Eggington, Connor Walker fight was behind on two. Yes, it's a, he's a busy weekend. There's fights everywhere for Galtzake. Once it was over, Benavides, Ramirez went to hospital, we got an all-clear on the orbital, what was potentially orbital damage. Once it was

over, just as I said to him, but we've had two fights come out of the two victories, two potential great fights. Now we've got this one. It won't happen. I don't think it'll happen. Jay Oppetite, unbeaten, once the IBF Cruiserweight World Champion, once the man who we thought was going to become the undisputed Cruiserweight champion. Of course, then he goes off to Dana White and he's now the Zufa belt champion, which is that Toys R Us belt that they give away in the Zufu, and Zufu business. But Benevede's an Opeti, there was talk, there was exchanges.

I mean, who knows? Just the perfect fight, isn't it? Oh, Bal, what a fight. It is a fire. I mean, because Uppertaya is a fantastic, few things that are destroyer. He's a fantastic fighter. If you wonder why we're laughing,

I tell you why we're laughing, okay? We're in a studio at the BBC, and I had to get great permission to get Barry's two kids in, And they've sat still, as I told them it would be 30 minutes. They've sat still for 29 minutes on two seconds. And suddenly, Barry's son has got a rugby's found a rugby ball in a bag. So we're in a studio at the beep. The kids are edgy to go.

The rugby ball's out. Barry's daughter, Avelin, has just said to Teddy, throw the ball at Steve's head. I know she has. So they're laughing down there. Barry and I have still got a fight to talk about. So what I said, I said to them, I said, if I mentioned Ted and Avelin's name, that I've got to split the wages with it. So the wages are going to.

three ways now. That's two pound each. We'll only be a couple of minutes. So that's the weekend. I've got to ask you to do something impossible. I know you were at Connor Walker and Sam Egington. But when the three of, the free fights have happened, did you still do the right one live? It's near enough an impossible question. Beforehand, you would, beforehand, you would, beforehand, I mean, it's the first choice.

It's still on the personal preference. Yeah. Go into Japan's I've never been, and that would be a trip of a lifetime. Yeah, okay, good. But I still miss Vegas, as you do. That feeling Vegas. We missed that.

We missed that for Vegas. All these big forces over the years, and Saudi Arabia's been fantastic, and we have a great time then. It's been brilliant place. Sporting. Yeah. It really has.

But to go to Vegas. Bear in mind, me and Darren Barker were going to Vegas anyway, because we could get a free hotel room. We were going to share the flight. We got this companion voucher. And then I think, thought I could nick a bit of work for me

because he's on, he's on contract with his own, I'm still freelance, and then I've just, whatever I earned, we would share for spending money. I was so tempted to go to that way. I know, I'm talking about you should come along and all that.

I was hoping you could come so I could nick some work for BBC. And then the Conner Walker fight was announced, and I was like, oh, I was like, imagine it, I was upset that such a great fight was announced. Yeah, at least it was a great fire, yeah.

For the atmosphere, yeah. They all would have been great. Yeah. And I don't think I lost in any sense, but I think I'm with a pick Vegas first. That's a degree of diplomacy. But let's just do a couple of minutes on this weekend.

Fabio Wardley, Daniel Dubois, team mobile, not team mobile, Steve Buns got it on his way, at the co-op, which is good. Could be up to 23,000 or whatever we talked about. Biggest indoor arena in Europe. It's the perfect for big time boxing. So we've got Fabio, we've got Daniel Dubois, we've got the WBO Heavyweight Championship of the world.

And it's a fight that I just can't see any other way that this is an wildly entombed. entertaining, dramatic, spectacular and fun all over. See, from the offset, I've put my stall on and I said I think Fab was going to win. And I do. But I don't think, and I think everyone's thinking, in fact, a lot of most people are thinking Faber was going to win. I think he's the favourite. But when you look at, look on paper and you think, why?

Because some of the wins of Dubois, immense, they are. They are immense. Yeah, yeah, they are. But you're Joshua. Yeah. For one, they, well, that's one. Pergovich was a great win. Big baby, Mila, weren't everyone expecting it in the fold again, yeah.

And, you know, and losing to Uzik twice is no shame. But it's how you lost. Yes. And the manner, you know how, you get stopped by using, that's fine, but the manner in the, certainly the first one. Yeah. But, and Dubois has a great jab. And he can not box, Fabio Wardy.

Yeah. Relatively comfortable, I think. That's what he chooses to do. Well, yeah. but I speak in the shame of Griggan on another podcast and then on another podcast available

and he was saying but he won't listen he'll want to have a fight with him that's what I said which it would choose to do he could have a fight with Ward he and knock his back out because he's still got he's still got loads of power

and he hits had and sometimes with the power you got why wouldn't you go ask somebody like he did with Joshua I'm going right at him yeah I'm going to be assertive and be positive

dropped him hurt him in 30 seconds but just the point I just two just one thing quickly about Fabio Wardley's last two fights have been unbelievable. He won one in the 10th and one in 11th. He was trailing in both fights. One of the fights he was trailing massively. So we know what he can do.

He can be hurt. He can be trailing. He can look a bit broken. He can look a bit disinterested. And that's a difference, Steve. And he can't get bingo. That's a difference. He won't never lose his confidence or he won't feel sorry of himself

or he won't feel like Joshua was at that time going, what's going on? You know what? He just, and I keep saying it always. he's the headway version of Nigel Ben. Because he's the most instinctive fight that we've had since then. And by that, I mean, he's not as good as Nigel Ben. When he's hurt and tired, his ability to want to fight under pressure and arguably give his best is unrivaled.

Now, I went down to see Fabio Warden. That's going to be part of this week's shows. We'll do pods every day, every day and then the fight live. I'm five live at the weekend. But we've got, when I spoke to him, he admitted to me. me, Barry, that he learns during fights. He said, in the Hooney fight, he was looking for that shot. He sort of saw

it, he said, I saw it at about the 6th on 7th, then I tried it in the 7th, then I tried it in the 8th, and I started to refine it until I got it, the two shots that led to Hulner. I don't believe it. No, I do, because I've seen him, I saw him in the first Fraser Clark fight at the O2 on that brilliant Sunday,

fight in a year, unbelievable fight. And I could see, he made mistakes doing things, and Fray's got a good box in brain to capitalize it. Then he adjusted slightly. I think he does. Listen, we're not going to talk forever about this fight. It's really early in the week.

I put you on the spot with where would you want it to be on Saturday night. What's your gut feeling? If you're just about to sit down and you've got to tell me in ten words, what's going to happen in the next hour? It's ten to ten at night on Saturday. I got a feeling that Dubois is going to go right at him. Yep. I think he might, he might drop Wardy,

but Wardy will drag you into his fight. Du Bois is an on top fighter That's what he is So he's immensely When he's having success I think Ward He stops him Just out of the sheer madness

I do I honestly do For such an articular guy He's a guy with no brain at all I mean That's the truth I mean I mean he's nicking my job

When he's retired It's 110% He's nicking a lot of people's jobs When he retires He can do what he likes I'm up when he has So much money He doesn't want him

But I mean Honestly, I think in the end, it's an absolute bounce on a fight with up and down. You've got to go for the floor to win, but it's not the first time. At a higher level, though, Steve, this is the highest he's been, this is, by far, by a million miles.

But I think he finds a way. Listen, Barry, what a pleasure and a delight sitting with you talking to you. Your kids are ready to go and throw that rugby ball in the park. I'm ready to go with you, walk up to the park. We were in Tokyo.

We were in Wolverhampton. We were at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas, all in the space of 40 minutes. We heard from Eddie Hearn, and then we finish with a preview of what I think's going to be an epic night up in Manchester. He was Barry Jones.

I've been Steve Bans, and this has been Five Live Boxing. Hello, I'm Nicky Campbell, and this could well be the podcast you've been waiting for. We're calling it, don't say a word, but it could be, don't listen to that song, don't read that book, don't watch that film,

don't like that post, don't laugh at that joke. We're here to help you navigate, to make sense of it all, to keep up. People aren't up to speed with all of the latest kind of politically correct lingo. They feel isolated and don't want to engage in the conversation that should retreat into silos. If you sometimes sit on the fence because you're worried about giving offence,

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