5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Rumble on the Riviera

Episode Date: December 7, 2025

Work or pleasure? Whatever the excuse, Buncey found his way to Monte Carlo for a dramatic night of boxing that saw Shabaz Masoud outpoint Peter McGrail to claim the European super-bantamweight title. Joined by Darren Barker, he looks back at that fight and the others on a dramatic night of boxing. We also hear from Conah Walker after his stunning 12th-round knockout of Pat McCormack, and from Johnny Fisher, who overcame an early knockdown to stop Ivan Balaz.

This is Five Live Boxing. Back in Monaco, world title, what should be a British title, not in the casino, in a fancy hotel, lots of lights, lots of glamorous people. I mean absolute top glamour. And some unbelievable boxing. I'm Steve Bunn's, and this is Five Live Boxing on the special coast. So back in Monte Carlo, and that means several things. It means early morning swimming with Jim Bentley.

one of his own producers. It generally means Darren Barker going on a bike ride. It generally means Barry Jones wandering around trying to find a golf course. And it generally means I have about 38 cups of espresso, often in three different countries. Well, all of that kind of happened. But what we've got tonight, if you don't mind me saying so, with just about everything in the fights we had. I'm joined by Darren Barker in a lovely hotel lobby.

He's sitting, in fact, he's lost in a white leather sofa. He's absolutely lost in a white leather sofa. which makes me think if he did fancy going the full, I don't know, if you ever fancied going white leather, you know, like a German on holiday, right, I swear to you, you could pull off the white leather, because I'm just looking at you there. You're just breathing into that white lever.

You look the part, don't I? It's all the sofa, but I'm feeling good right now, Steve. The problem is, if we both lie back, we might end up kipping. I'm not sure where to start. So I know we will start with what should have been the British welterweight. Can I say, you're always giving me stick for having it. You got odd socks on? Have you got odd socks on?

Only just, though. Look. I don't really count. You can't know sock Darren and your odd socks theme. But Darren, when the socks are so close to each other in the blue, right? Yesterday, I had the other two on. Today I got the other two on. This didn't match them up.

So they're nearly matched up, all right? I came through the airport to take my boots off with my old socks, and I know the fella checking me new. Listen, we're going to start with what should. have been the British title fight. Pat McCormack challenging Connor Walker. Now, we all knew this was going to be, it was going to have its moments. At a bit more than its moments, didn't it? Wow. Incredible, Steve. It really was. And it kind of, forget the ending. The way in which the fight played out was, I would say, how many expected it to go. You know, it was a blistering start

from McCormack, you could say, to some degree. A lot of shots landed on the, the gloves of Connor Walker, who I think will be happy with the way it started. He was making McCormack work. Because he's talked constantly about McCormack. He said, because you'll beat me over three rounds. I wasn't made for three rounds. That's your game. You'll be in front after six rounds.

That's what that was his whole thing. Well, he said that to me. He said, look, when I'm still stood in front of you after six rounds, I'm just going to look at you and smile. And that's basically what he's done. He's done it numerous times. And it was a brilliant fight, Steve. you know, it was worthy of a British title.

Obviously, as we just said, it wasn't on the line, but what a fight's thing, what a fight, the drama. Connor Walker is Hollywood. He is blockbuster. Yeah. So Connor Walker, I don't know, the hard way, was overmatched in several fights. He just kept on winning, just kept on hunting people down. Won the British title, I think, an 11th round knockout of Harry Scarford.

When he was way down on all three, I mean, I don't think there was any doubt. I'm not saying he was 10 rounds down. You know, he might have won one of the previous 10. But you just had that inevitable feeling with him. That's the way he was tonight. Did you get that sense tonight after about five or six rounds that we're going to see a repeat, we're going to see a vintage Connor Walker win here?

I wasn't sure. Because the fact, McCormack's great. Exactly. But you could never write Connor Walker off, even, you know, in parts there. You always felt he had a chance because of that Harry Scarven, what we've seen him do in the past, you know. I mean, that defeat, and I put it in Brackas to Lewis Crocker, has aged really well, hasn't it?

I'm forgetting that, I mean, forgetting that, this thing, yeah. Yeah. But I'll tell you what, I don't think I'm the greatest of scorers, if I'm honest. I probably, and for me personally, being a more pure boxer, if you like, more stylistically like Pat McCormack, I quite like the counterpunch. Yes, McCormat did land a lot of shots on the gloves. We do have one view, but I was probably ever so slightly lean. towards the one judge that had it to McCormack by one round.

Okay. But that makes the drama, that dramatic ending, even more amazing. So basically they're both cut, they've both been warned about their head. They've, it's savage, it's hard, it's brutal. There was points when I thought that McCormack had found it with some body shots. Then there were other times when I thought McCormack looked a bit lost. He was gasping for air. Really bad signs, like a bad poker player.

They weren't subtle. literally taking a step back and gasping, gasping. But going into the 12th, I had Walker a couple up going into the 12th. And I couldn't argue with that, Steve. Again, but, you know, I'll listen to what you're saying there, and you're saying you could have had it close going into the 12th. And what happened in the 12th? It just seemed like all of the energy, all of the air, all of the everything,

all of the desire just got sucked out of Pat McCormack, and he got trapped in his own corner. did out the ring. Badly out of the ring as well. I don't think there's any controversy here. Some people say, is it 20 seconds he's allowed? He wasn't fully out of the ring. The legs were still on the ropes. I mean, yeah, if you haven't seen it, you've got to

watch him back. He wasn't on the floor. He was being pushed in as well, which was illegal. Yeah. One of the security guards on the left-hand side, to your left was pushing him back. Yeah. But just, he's box office. Conor Walker is box office. It was a stunning

finish and it was a fantastic fight, a fight that we knew wouldn't disappoint and it didn't. I'm going to hear from both Connor Walker and Jamie Moore because I managed to track them down. But after that, I'm going to ask you a question about British titles overseas, especially with the sort of global capabilities

of the zone and how maybe we can address it going forward. So afterwards, I rushed up, left ringside. I was sitting just two seats behind down. Left ringside, found my way, via some satsumas and a couple of oranges and a couple of bananas. A pop of fruit salad I went in

Monaco, up the stairs, walk through into the medical room, and there's Connor Walker in there, in tears, just had his gloves taken off, he's in tears, he's laughing and crying at the same time talking to Jamie Moore. So, now, this is a bit confused, it's a bit noisy, but that's what it's like when you're backstage in the medical room. He was getting some butterfly stitches on a cut above his left. Now, here I am with Connor Walker and then with Jamie Moore. I've already seen that.

I swear, honestly, believe it or not. I went over that a million times before. Yeah. We're working very closely with a hypnotherapist and a visualisation specialist. And, yeah, I was putting myself into a trance every week. So alongside the excellent work that my coaches are putting to me, you know, I put a lot of work in as well on my own.

You know, I don't just turn up and punch a bag. Do you know what I do? This is what everyone thinks? I do a lot of studying. You know, I haven't took my foot off the gas. It's 18 years old. Because I had a vision. I need to get a house in the country.

Yeah, I need a courtyard. I need all the animals that you can think of. And I'm making it happen. And nothing's going to stop me. That last round will be remembered by everybody here and everybody watching it. And people will talk about it when they weren't there. You do realize you were part of something historic tonight, don't you? Yeah, I always knew that as a fighter that could do special things

because I'm so determined. And I just don't believe a man. Do you know what I believe? I believe every man can be beaten. You know, and I always think, you know, if he can do it, I can do it. Yeah, and there's nothing I can't do. And if it's been done, I can do it. And that is just how I see life.

And it's not just in the boxing, you know. There's more to life than boxing, you know what I mean? I wake up happy, I go sleep happy. You know what I mean? I've got a good family. I've got a brilliant team. That's all I can say. I'm just happy, man.

Listen, you're hearing, you're in tears, you're going to have your left eye stitched, but I've got to ask you, throwing it forward. You want a world title, no. You've done enough now, Connor. They can't keep on putting you into losing, not, you're smashing up everybody, and not get a world title, can you? Do you believe it? Of course I believe it.

There you go. You're a boxing, man. You know your stuff? Big, Brucey, but... You know what I mean? Good-looking. You might as well say big, good-looking geese of as well, you know? Yeah, listen.

You've got it, man. You've got it. Yeah? Yeah, you got it, man. You got it. Conner, that was sensational tonight. Absolutely brilliant. Two judges had you up, one judge had you down,

which I didn't agree with. But hey-ho, you settled it in that 12th. We didn't need him anyway. Listen, it was a bit of bad blood before. And last question, Fulks for McCormack. He tried everything. He seemed to run out of others.

He tried everything. I knew I had it from the start. Just that, literally from the start, I knew that he hasn't got the ability to adapt. To be honest, I let myself I got a bit of laxie dais in one of the rounds

and he did catch him to the body and I thought oh I better tighten that up but no listen I'm the toughest man you never meet in your life nothing will drop me, nothing will stop me that rhymed yeah listen I'm just I'm that guy

I'm that guy I find a way every time and Jamie Connor thank you Jamie you know you you take it personally with your fire and you're always proud of them but that seemed a bit special tonight than me that seemed a little bit

more personal, normal for Jamie Moore and Nigel Travers. Do you know what, Bunce? This kid, I love him like a son. And we've created such a strong bond in a short period of time. But I'm going to be honest, the whole gym is like a family. And he's slotted in perfectly,

like a duck to order. And he's right on my street. He's one of the... He's up your street on the year. He's one of the first fighters what I've trained, where he's got a lot of the same sort of properties who hired as a fighter.

and I just love training him. He's a nice kid. He's a diamond. And when he sees, he's going to do something, I believe him, because he's that much of a determined character. I don't know. I've never have any doubts with him.

Listen, I'm going to leave you two. You've got your, but you're going to get a butterfly's dishes. Enjoy your night, Connie. You deserve it. You were brilliant tonight. It was a pleasure covering you this evening. You could hear the emotion in his voice.

And that's understandable, Darren. You cry after victories. You cry after defeats. Yeah, I mean, he's the bogey man. He really is. you know, he's realized his dream. He is a real contender now. He's put himself right in that shop window now.

And with that way he manifests victory, the way he trains, the way he approaches fights, you couldn't rule him out. You know, even when you, like if he was down in the cards, as he was against Scarford,

he picked out, you know he's always got a chance. And he tells you. Because he invests in the later rounds, but he makes sure he puts a dent in you early. Oh, no, no, no. He's working you all the time. And do you know what?

I'll say another thing. Not that this wins your fights, but he's a great man. He's a lovely, lovely man. I'm thrilled for him. I'm thrilled for him. He's a great talker. He's a great fighter and he's great value for money.

Yeah, Connor Walker. Anyway, so he might, listen, Lewis Crocker makes a lot of sense. It makes an awful lot of sense. You know, he's a world champion now. Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan in their rematch, beat him handily, if you don't mind me saying. So, no, that was meant to be tight. I didn't think it was tight on the night.

I really didn't. I thought Donovan got it all wrong. and I thought Crocker got it all right. Crocker against Connor Walker. Let's have a couple of them, please. One in Belfast, one in Birmingham, thank you. Yeah, it'd be bonkers, wouldn't it? Absolutely bonkers.

Yeah, I'm all over it. No, I know Conner Ben's at ringside, but Conner Ben's got other bits and pieces. He's going to do so. I'm not even going to get in a discussion about whether Connor Ben should be an opponent. Conor Walker's not going to fight Conor Ben. He's going to fight Lewis Quarker or he's going to fight Jack Catwell.

That's my opinion, because Conor Ben's going to go down. Yeah, whatever the Ryan Garcia, Marius, Barrett. That makes sense. That's just the way that's going to work, and we both know that's how it works. So let me just refer back. Before we bang our way through a few of the other fights, and there was enough drama, blood and guts and thunder in all of those. Before we talk about them, my point about the British title, though,

and imagine this. This is the scenario. I don't know. AJ fights Deonti Wilder at the MGM Grand in September. On the undercard, on the undercard, there could be a British heavyweight title fight on the undercard. Because loads of Brits are going to be there.

It gives a bit of British flavour and love. Well, the way it works, that couldn't happen. Obviously, that's why we haven't got a British title fight here. But we did have them in Saudi Arabia briefly. We're in the British boxing border in control. And I just wonder if there's a way we can make a bit halfway ground because we could have had two British title tonight. Sabaz Massoud and Peter McGraw could have been for the British title.

And Connor Walker could have been defending his British title. I wonder if there's a way we could do it. I know we can't have three judges and a referee. free and loads of fish. I just wondered if there's a way if they can find a way to do it. Yeah, I'd like to see it, if I'm honest. It makes sense.

Yeah, it does. You know, the British Boxing Border Control, they've received their fee. They're not going to go without, you know, a purse, if you like, or whatever you want to call it, a percentage. They're going to earn their money.

And I think even, you know, here, what a great spectacle. If you're to use that fight or certainly the Conner Walker and McCormack fight as an example it just does the British the Lonsdale belt it gives it a lot of clout a lot of prestige and that's what's what I'm thinking I'm just thinking that would be unbelievable if we could do that that belt is so well suited in Monaco oh is it ever I mean it looked like half a dozen of the grand dames some of the women at Rinks So were their poodles it looked like they were wearing

lonsdale belts anyway to be honest of you now we will talk about Shabaz Masood in a bit of detail we will also talk about the incredible stunning ending of the women's world title fight with Beatrice Ferreira from Brazil getting, well, she got Tommy Morrison like Ray Mercer did at Tommy Morrison in it. We'll talk about that in the moment, but I want to talk about the return to the ring of Johnny Fisher, a new team in his corner,

Tony Sims in his corner, against Ivan Belazza or Balazza. It ended in the fourth round. Fisher dropped him three times, and it was rolled off with good shots, but that wasn't the story in the first round. I mean, it was absolute. Talk about, talking about,

making everyone a bit jumpy. Big Johnny took it to the limit in that first round, didn't he? It was nuts, weren't it? What a start from Balaz? I mean, he come out the traps, didn't he? He mixed fire with fire. I think Johnny Fisher was just desperate to put on a show, put on a performance.

He had a lot of travelling fans over here. Really wanted to impress them. And most importantly, I think there was a lot of nervous energy there, really desperate to get back to winning ways with a new team. Get rid of the demons and the Dave Allen fight. But in doing that, with the lack of experience that he has, everything went out of the window. And he ended up walking on to a shot,

and he was badly hurt, wasn't he? Really, really hurt. And then the second round, I think he had a point. Did he have a point off? It was, it was... He dropped the Luzza with a left or a right to the body that was low. And I think if he didn't have a point off, he probably could have got...

But it was carnage anyway, it was carnage. But it helped him. The break actually gave him another 30 or 40 seconds. Yeah, it did. And he regrouped. He got back to Tony. Tony Sand, look, keep things sharp and compact. Don't telegram.

after shots. And when he'd done that, you started to see Belar's really sort of fade his fight left him. And you can see it was only going to be the youngster and Johnny Fisher who was looking physically strong. And look, Johnny's a work in progress. We know that.

His popularity with his dad and the Bosch Army, Fars who succeeds his boxing pedigree. We need to someone rein our ambitions back. Exactly. Absolutely. So, you know, he's trying to catch up with that popularity with his boxing style.

So look, I think more time in the gym, more round sparring, more fights around this sort of level. And let's try our best to be patient with Johnny Fisher. He's fun to be around, another top guy. And he'll be thrilled with that victory. Not the way he probably visualised it, but he'll be thrilled that he's got his arm raised. I called up with him again going up the stairs, up towards the doctors and up towards his dressing room.

And he wasn't, as we were walking up the steps and going and vanishing the vestment, he wasn't too thrilled. But Derek Tazora arrived there and gave him a proper lecture, said Johnny, your Christmas is over. You've got to get back in the gym straight away, which, you know, I understand Big Dell. Then Dale opened up and said, you know, come and have a couple of sessions with me. Then Dell left, and I managed to then slip in and get a few words from Johnny Fisher. And you can, if you listen carefully, you can hear in this interview how he switches from being a little bit, oh, but, oh, maybe I got caught too easy in the first round to actually celebrate.

Here I am with Johnny Fisher in the dressing. with him. It's frustrating for me because the amount of work that I put in with Tony, listen, we got the win in the end, but once I listen to Tony and got my head round, just getting that mist gone, I think I've got carrying a little bit of baggage from the last fight and you just want to steamroll, but once I listen to what we've been practicing week on, week out, it all took shape. But listen, I've had a scrap in there. I've shown that I'm super fit. I can get back up from a knock down and come and finish it in the fourth round. So at the end of the day, I'm in this game to give people entertainment

and the rest, all the flights, the hotels, the food they've got to spend here. It's about £20 for a coffee over here, make sure that they've got their money's worth. And I'm sure I gave them that. But I know I've got a refined. If I want to win a British title, I've got to refine. So that's the challenge now. Because once you settle down the second, you look better, you recovered your head, third. Fourth, you look brilliant.

And the shots that did him, the three times you dropped him, they were all good shots. You know, they weren't just big, heavyweight lunges. It just went the most wild I've probably ever been. In that first round? Ever, yeah. Most wild I've ever been. Secretly, John, did you think that might happen? You never know.

I think I'm going to go in there and be cold and calculated, but probably, yeah, looking back. You're honest, kid. Yeah, cool, yeah. There was a lot of pressure on me. But that's, I put a quote up on Instagram the day before, saying that no one cares about the storm, they just care if you bring the ship in.

And I did bring the ship in, but it had a couple of icebergs on the way. Put the ship back out, though, a little bit of a pair, can't we? Yeah, we can put the shit back out and listen. See, that's after Derek has given you the lecture, you see. He's changed the tongue.

Derek's been there and done it more time than I've had school dinner, so he can say what he wants. I've got respect for that man. But I've got a lot to work on. There's no secret about that. There's no secret whatsoever. But to be able to work on it, I've got to apply it when I get in the ring, and the first round I didn't apply it.

John, enjoy the rest in Monte Carlo's Day and buy a drink for every single one of those people that have spent a lot of money at Christmas to be here with me. Thank you for everyone who supported me and not only travelled here. but the people at home who've come out and the people that watch at home and they go to the pubs and bars

and get the custom of Bromford going as well and all over the UK. So thank you very much, everyone who's supporting me. John Boy, thanks, hon. Thank you very much. Pleasure. Great stuff. Yeah, brilliant. Tom, thank you. So Johnny Fisher there, as you say, he's still only a baby, he's still only a kid and just our working progress

but Johnny Fisher in a British title fight. That's a Bosch Army call out on it. That would be unbelievable. Massive. And it's something for him to aim for, but not quite yet. No, not quite yet indeed. I want to deal with the last fight, and then we're going to deal with the fight that was on last, then we're going to go back to the women's fight

because it was so brutal and savage. Peter McGrow, in with Shabazz Massoud, it was always going to be a technical fight, it was always going to be a smart fight, it was always going to be a clever fight. After 12 rounds, the Massoud got the decision, and I didn't really have a big, I didn't really have a big problem with that,

116, 1-111, 114, 113 and 1-1-1-1-2. I thought the 11-4-1-1-3 was fair about right. I thought it was a tight fight. Yeah, I did. It really did. It was never a five-round fight. Absolutely. Never a fight.

No pull of him winning, but not a five-rounder. Look, do you know what? It was a brilliant, brilliant fight. It really was. It was one for me, look, one for the purest it was. It was a fight that flew by it. I mean, before we knew it, for me anyway, because I love those technical affairs.

Yeah. It was like, you know, in the championship rounds. I thought Peter McGrath started the fight really well. He was very, very positive. But then Massoud had big chunks of the middle part of the contest for me. And I think that was decisive. I thought 11 and 12th, 11 certainly was a Peter McGrath round and could have been 12 as well. I loved it.

I loved it. The exhibition of speed and footwork and defense and timing. everything you need to know, the fundamentals of boxing, were on display in that fight. It was great, Steve. There's a couple of moments in the first and second round when McGrow, who we forget, McGraw, when he won the European amateur title,

he was under the third English boxer to do it in just over 50 years. So that's a rare old event. Runs every two years. He was under the third one. Frankie Taylor did it back in Belgrade. Luke Campbell did it in Liverpool, 2008. And then Peter McGraw did it in about 2000. what, 21 or something?

I mean, it's the 20, rather. So it's quite sensational. There's a couple times when he countered Masood's both south-pours and he counted with his own left. Drew the shot for Massoud and countered against the longer arms and rangerie fighter

whose entire game is countering you with his left and he did it perfectly. I'll tell you what, just smashing stuff, man. Those fights for me, whenever I thought someone who was technically sound

there was a lot of the jerky movements, a lot of faints, etc. I remember Tony Bellew, great example, when he thought Ussick, he just said, I was absolutely spent. And you're not fighting in a bout that is higher tempo. No, it's not a sluice next. I mean, don't get me wrong, Shabazz Mousou, Pete McGraw.

It was, in some degrees, a higher tempo fight. But the concentration that they both had to have in order to win that fight was commendable. It really was, and it was a fantastic display. I was in awe of what I was seeing at times. and I've just caught Massoud as I left the venue there and he's thrilled, he's over the moon and we had a chat before talking about speed, you know, he asked me,

it was a couple of weeks ago, I think. He asked me, what, what do you think elevates you from being kind of a good fighter to a great fighter? And not that I was a great fighter, but speed is the difference. I don't just mean of hands, Steve, your reactions, you know, the way, you know, everything,

your footwork, and that can elevate you through the levels. Yeah, that's a really good point. So Shabazz Masoud, the new European Super Battleweight champion and fantastic for him. Let's hope he cracks on and gets something. He did admit in the ring straight away and he's a giant Massoud, let's get that right.

He did admit that he struggles at that way. He could be a lightweight overnight in my opinion. It may not be the strongest lightweight overnight but he could end up being a lightweight. Okay, Darren, we're going to have to talk a little bit about it. We've got to do it. Beatrice Ferrer, the IBF lightweight champion. Putting it on the line against the relatively inexperience.

Elif Nur Turhan, the Turkish woman, who I think is, I don't know, about 11 and 0 with seven stoppages. So straight away you're in Savannah Marshall Land. And then we've seen a couple of her stoppages. Well, it was savage tonight. And I don't think Beatrice and her people realize quite, just quite how heavy-handed Turhan is. Frightening. Yeah. Absolutely frightening, Steve.

She puts every ounce of her body into those shots. The way in which she just delivers that right, it's almost like a cricket fast bowler. Overhand right, but what she does, and I don't even know if she's doing it. You don't know if she knows she's doing it? She turns her head to the left

and she avoids anything that comes back. But, yeah, the way in which she's delivered the shots are crazy. And I don't think Beatrice Ferreira quite knew what hit her. Yeah, she got dropped in the first. first and the second, third and fourth, she was kind of in it, but she was still under pressure, and then in the fifth, the finish, and I said that to you there, those of you listening to this that are familiar with it, and if you're not, however you watch your old fights, have a look at the way Ray Mercer had one of WBO heavyweight time of fight against Tommy Morrison,

and trust me, I am not over-hegging it. I watched that ending, A, from, you know, 18, 16 feet away, then I watched it again on the big screen. You're watching that through your fingers. she just let her fist go pound for pound without a shadow of a doubt I don't think anyone even comes close she is the biggest female puncher 12 wins no losses

8 by knockout and look at the calibre look at the calibre she's destroyed women she's beating she's just ripped that world title away from Beatrice Freer and do you know what was even more frightening than the finish was the way she didn't even celebrate as if she knew that was going to happen

moving on. She showed a bit of emotion at the decision. But she was just like, yeah, I know what's going to happen. Yeah. And talking to her people today are bumps into him in this lobby.

It looked, they acted like, this is a foregone conclusion. I did speak to Brian Peters today. I had some coffee with him this morning who looks after Beatrice Freeer and looks after Katie Taylor. And Brian,

Brian knew this was a really difficult job tonight. It was all about Beatrice not getting caught, not being too brave and stupid and greedy in the opening round. and I don't really think she was brave and stupid and greedy in the opening, and I think she just got clipped. I don't think she was gung-ho.

She wasn't gung-ho stupid, was she doing? I mean, don't get her, she was trading a little bit, but I think that was her mentality and her experience trying to let her handle. You're not going to bowl me over. You're not going to do what you do to the others. And then there was, after the knockdown in the opening round, she then got back to her boxing.

She started showing her amateur pedigree there and her clerk, her speed. The footwork was brilliant. And then she started to trade a little bit. It was right out, back to her in the corner, and the finish is frightening. It's about five or six shots. I mean, and she's sort of trapped in the ropes. I think it's above her own corner, if I'm not staying.

So they can't see it. They can't throw the towel in. The refereft was maybe a little bit slow. It's not, I don't want to be hypercritical, but, you know, it was savage. To her hand, right, this is going to sound weird to start with. She's lucky in more ways than one that she's won that IBF World title. Because without that title, a title that other fighters are going to be after, who and her would go near her?

Who and her would fight a leaf to her hand? After she's done that to what a fighter called the beast? No. You know what? That's a really good point. Now she's going to have to chase her down. And if she's got any sense, if someone gets hold of her and starts pushing her a little bit,

we can start really naming and shaming. Okay, you know, we've really pushed the women over the last three or four years, saying they all fight each other. In our modern terms, no fight's been avoided between women. They've all been made. Well, let's have a look. see if she goes chasing the other champions. I just want to, before I let you go, two things quickly.

First of all, I don't know, you know we have big weeks in boxing where lots of news happens, right? Have you had a look at this week? Since Monday, I've just going to read out a couple of things now. I'm going to read them out to you. Now, I've got to read them out because don't mention what I'm going to, don't want you to work. So this week alone, Janibek Al-Alim Canuli failed a drug test.

His World Tidal Fight was called off. Caroline Dubois, lightweight world champion, and moved to MVP. Conor Ben was made the WBC mandatory. He'll fight in theory to win with Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia, that fight's not particularly made. WBC have ordered Moses Atama,

who was ringside to fight Lawrence O'Colo. In a final, final eliminate. Terence Crawford was stripped for not paying his WBC sanctioning. He and got in an absolute spat, a foul mouth spat with Mauricio Sula when that was apparently 350 grand. The WBC then ordered

that Hamza Shiraz would fight for the vacant title that was stripped from Terence Crawford. Ben Whittaker and Joshua Baratzi have been ordered to the final eliminator for the WBC title Doughton Smith's fight against Sabria and Matthias on January the 10th even though Mattias has failed a drug test recently

will go on according to the WBC Katie Taylor might fight Ronda Rousey I'm not invented in this and Alexander Oussis going to fight Deonti Woldo and that's not all Nehru he's going to fight Nacquitina or in a massive show down in Japan the biggest ever fight to take place outside of, probably outside of America

and Great Britain in Japan in May. Just a few things that were coming up this year. Is that it? Is that it? Lucky you weren't doing, lucky you weren't doing a review of the year or a preview of the year or anything. I mean, God forbid. Anyway, before I let you go,

because I'm going to Miami next week, I have no idea where you're going. Just give me a couple of minutes of your time, 90 seconds of your time on the AJ and Jake Paul fight. When you heard it was on, what do you think might happen? what do you think about it because you won't be in Miami will you

I won't be there no I'm going to be in Ghana Craig Richards Danesies I'll be over there I'm thoroughly enjoying that's a great great fight by the way live on the zone

but AJ Jake Paul is just going to be complete one way traffic yeah you can't see any you can't can you? I'm on your side

I'm just asking I'm not he's going to get absolutely splattered all over the ring and it would be the other bit it would be the end of it

this Jake Paul phenomenon if you want to call it that. What he's done is remarkable, fair play. What he's doing for women's boxing with MVP is commendable. It really deserves a lot of respect, but he's going to get his head absolutely punched in. Yeah, he is.

You know what? I love when I finish this pod with a technical term. Absolutely punched in, yeah. Darren, it's been an absolute pleasure. I know you've got people here, you've got to go and see. It's been a delight being here with you. It's been delight being back in Monaco. A lot of people criticise Monaco.

it's expensive you can pay, as Johnny Fisher said, 20 euros for a coffee. Absolutely you can, but if you shop around and have a little really good look, someplace you can get it for 19 euros. Trust me. Do you like that? I've been working on that all day. No, quite seriously, I know it's a bit expensive, but visually, when the sun's out, I posted some stuff on Twitter, when the sun's out and the little beach is there and that sky is the bluest sky you've ever seen, and you're wandering around and you're seeing ridiculous F1-style cars wheel spinning. And then you've got people, F1 nutters, just sitting on corners because those are the corners that are in the

Monaco Grand Prix. I quite like this place. I shouldn't even be saying that, but I do like it. So next week it's Miami. Pods all week. All the way through the week. We'll have a live show and then the fight itself on the Friday night. Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua.

I know, I know what you're saying, but we will be there. We will be covering it. I've been Steve Bunce all week, well not all week, for 48 hours in Monaco. And this has been obviously five live boxing. My name's Steve Bradnell, assistant manager of Royal Oak FC.

You may have seen me online with Vinyl. Vinyl sensation. And now the BBC have given me the chance to set the footballing world banter eyes. This could be a great opportunity for us, lads, a podcast for the BBC. Can I just say, what's a podcast? Brilliant.

Great start. Well done, Bob. Brilliant. We can completely show utter transparent. and say to Royal Oak fans, I'll use my charm, gift it gab. Games gone. The Steve Bracknell podcast.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on BBC Sounds.