The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Teofimo Lopez Talks Upcoming Boxing Match With Shakur Stevenson, Addresses Racial Controversy + More

Episode Date: December 12, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Teofimo Lopez Talks Upcoming Boxing Match With Shakur Stevenson, Addresses Racial Controversy. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late. He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause. Took us under his wing and showed us the game, as they call it.

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Hold on. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. You're all finished or y'all done? Morning, everybody is DJ NV. Just hilarious. Charlamagne de Guy. We are the breakfast club.

Longa Roses here as well. Our brother Akis is here, so you know what that means. We got a box in the building, ladies and gentlemen. From Brooklyn, New York. He's fighting on the 31st of January. He's fighting on the 31st of January. He's fighting your call Stevenson, T.O. Lopez. Welcome. Good morning.

How you feeling, brother? Feeling great, feeling excited, and I'm just pumped for this fight. It's a dream matchup. You know what I'm saying? It's a fight that boxing fans, you know, these are the fights we want to see. What made you want to fight should call right now? How did y'all get it done? I think it's just fate, you know?

It just lined up. I think that, you know, he's been talking a big, big game since the Williams that paid a fight that happened over here at the Armstrong Stadium. So I think that there's nobody else at 135 that he's trying to aim for. So he wants to come for the top dog, and that's me at 140. So it just lines up, you know, and I'm always willing to fight the best, and I felt like, why not? You know, people talk highly of Shakur as they should, and I'm just here to do my part and put an upset. You know, you mentioned the fight against Sepeda. Will you surprise how Shakur,

Shakur has gotten criticized for moving and being a boxer that isn't that aggressive, which, I mean, he's been successful at it, but on the Sepater fight, he showed the word that he could fight in the pocket. Like, Sepa throws those, what, a thousand punches of fight? Were you surprised or do you expect that Shakur can fight that type of fight as well? I mean, I look at it, like, I know we mentioned it. We talked about it. I'd say that it was the people get to him.

People get to Shakur quite easily. So I feel like whatever the people want is what they're going to try to get with Shakur. Oh, so you say he fought like that to please the people, to prove to the people that he can do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He didn't need to. Yeah, because you can't touch,

if Shakur don't want you to touch him, you're not going to touch him. His defense is that immaculate. We'll see. You just said, though, you said that you, Are you ready to pull an upset? So you're acknowledging that Chouard's the better fighter? Never.

No, no, no. You just said that. You said the upset. No, he's putting the odds are probably has him ahead. No, yeah, it's just the odds. They got them as the favorite. Oh, got you, got you. Yeah, the odds, I think it's like three to one right now.

Okay. That's all. I'm kind of used to being in that position. I'm just here to reclaim them and redefend them. So with that upset, like what do you plan to, like, exploit about Chikore entering? That is, defense is not as impeccable as people mention it. Nah, it's impeccable. It's pretty elite.

Come on, T.F you. It's pretty elite. No. What is his weakness, though, if there's one? It's mine. Once you penetrate the mind, that's it. Hey, it's game. This is boxing.

This has always been since forever. And if your mind ain't strong in this, it's never going to accomplish anything in life. And that's why boxing. until this day is the toughest sport in the world and you can't take away from that and it starts with the mind that's why. Now you're both fighting in the garden

you're fighting in the garden. What does that mean to you? You from Brooklyn, him from Jersey. What does that mean to you? Now yeah, brick city and concrete jungle. It's how you got to look at it. It's a blessing. I mean for me I think it's a not only an honor

but it shows where we're at in the pedigree of the sport. You got two prime fighters coming in. the best, fighting the best, and putting on a show in New York, it's nothing like the Mecca. And Madison Square Garden, there's so much history there. I've won my titles there. I've been defeated there. I've won them all back again, so I got a lot of history when it comes to Madison Square Garden.

Does it get to your head when you hear the odds or you hear somebody like Charlemagne saying his defense is impeccable and say that you, the underdog? Does that get to your head at all when you see people going against you so much? no it can be can be comes with it uh i look at it like this i was talking to my father about this and it was also my trainer i said if you want to be light um then you know you'd be light by being a good fighter you want to be loved you be the best fighter but you want to be hated you be the greatest fighter and i think that all comes in different atmospheres and when you're the greatest. Not a lot of people are going to agree with what you're doing and how you do it. So I'm trying to aim for that category, aim for that for my journey and for my name. And before I hang

up these gloves, people can say Teofima, what's the greatest? The thing I love about you, you've been very open about your personal struggles and pressure and mental health. How is doing that work made you a better man and fighter? I love it. I love it. I honestly love it. I think that's like Part of the journey is like you learn with struggle, you learn with obstacles, and you also learn within yourself what you can and cannot do. And then you hit a point in your life where you start realizing that there's not much that you cannot achieve. So you push limits far beyond your own measures. And I love it. I love it.

I love this right here. I love this fight. I love this part where it's going to test my limits. It's a challenge to show people and I'm here to exploit. his defense of Shakur Stevenson. I'm here to show that there's a lot of flaws in his style. We don't grown up in the amateurs together since the early 2000 and tons.

So we got a lot of history when it comes to seeing each other rise to the cream of the crop. But I think that now it comes to where we just meeting now. So we never faced each other, wish him nothing but the best after he loses to me. And, yeah, I can't wait to just keep on going from there. I have to ask you because I'm so happy that this fight is happening because at one point, this is a ring fight, right?

So Turkey Al-Shega is involved. And at one point, it was saying that you were on the outs. You said something about Saudi Arabia. You said something about, I don't know, the religion. Correct me if I'm wrong. And supposedly, Turkey didn't want to do any business with you. But then in Vegas, I saw you, him, everybody, like, kind of mixing. So what was said, how did you guys mend that beef or whatever issue that was?

It's boxing. There's no beef. It's just boxing. You're going to talk. Sometimes you're going to talk, hit and miss. I know, but did you regret anything that you said? Because you're outspoken. Have you ever regretted anything that you said?

Like, to the public? Well, one thing you learn in this game, you don't talk about religion. So I don't think. No, but I'm just saying, not learn from it, I don't recall me even mentioning about religion. I think people mix up my words from time to time And that comes with this game It's cool I mean I'm still captain of my division

I'm holding my belts I'm proud to be a ring champion His champion so to speak And at the same time WBO world champion So I'm in a great position I think that as long as you bring money to the game They can't exclude you out

I think it's just true How much longer do you How much longer do you play in the box I know you've retired before Is you thinking about doing it again? No, I don't know. I think for me it's really just enjoying it. Just enjoying it now.

What made you want to do it before? What made you retire before? What got you to that? I was trying to do it for the, I guess there was an absence there where I wanted people to acknowledge what I'm doing. When these two belts alone at 25, it's so hard to do in boxing, let alone even go for one. And to do that in two different weight classes against two top pound for pound

aiming, one was undisputed, the other one was claiming to be undisputed, being both of them in their prime, and to do that and not really get that kind of ambiance or that type of vibe from everybody else that they get from others. And the money, you said you wasn't, and the money you deserved. But I always told myself as a kid, it was like, you'll get all those things when you are number one I got them twice nothing came around so I was like you wanted the people to miss you so I'm like you know what this this ain't gonna really I was like that fire comes goes down goes down so to rebuild it and then did my fight in Times Square earlier in 2025 earlier this year at Times Square it was great

I feel the fire more than ever got like a blue flame on me so you feel like it worked the retirement the first retirement you felt like it worked for what you were trying to accomplish just want yeah i guess you know personally when we talk about this stuff it's like you know you sacrifice the time with your family i got i got a young young boy i really miss most of his time like almost three years he's four now so do the math you know what i'm saying so you miss a lot of that time that you kind of want to feel at the same time although it's our industries and our platform you still want to feel like a human you still got a life after all this yeah because you know this better than anybody right they'll eat you up and spit you right out yeah and call in the

next one so i think i just needed that moment so where are you emotionally and mentally now like today compared compared to the version of yourself that like be the loma chenko where are you now emotionally and mentally still yeah i'm just very still i'm not even trying to like argue if people say this i'm like go ahead if people say that i'm like do what you do None of it going to matter until we fight. None of it going to matter until I put into action and the work. Just keep my faith above it all. And just, you know, show a different, not even a difference.

Just show me, but in a way of maturity. That's really it. On paper, do you think Chico is your toughest task? I know you got to be in there with him because all fighters say that. I don't know. But on paper, he's the toughest side. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

This is why we do what we do. You can't go to do what you do. look for easy routes eventually you're going to have to meet up with people so you know that's why me and my father like right off the jump 22 won my first world title at msg boom the following year lomachenko undisputed they they revoked that whatever the case be and and then just kept on going from there on you know what i mean and it's it's better knowing now than later you know because then he's just lying to yourself that's fine tim tim bradley said that he feels like Chiquot Stevenson can hurt you.

Not necessarily with power, but by frustrating you, controlling the distance, nullifying your offense, just making you look bad. He said that he feels like he has, Secure has superior boxing IQ compared to you.

That's cool. That's his opinion. That's cool. Everybody has an opinion like an asshole. I swear I wish I could be like, yeah. I swear I wish I could be like you too. He's like, say whatever. It's fine.

I'd be like, say what? He also said, don't run from Chicago. Cool. Yeah, yeah. I mean, hey, I don't, I put on boxing shoes, not track shoes. So, yeah, just, I'm, I'm excited for it all, man. I like to go to the fire. You know, people have been talking about was your mental lapses in the ring because you're so skilled. Like, you've been on a pound for poundless, right? Especially after you beat Lomachenko, you showed every facet of your game. But then there's fights, little hiccups, like against Sandor Martin, where people who say, Tio just wasn't really. there like mentally it wasn't really him like how do you avoid that from happening and do you hear that noise um boxing raised me i'll say it like that and you come to a point in life where you realize um some things may not go exactly the way you plan it for that night that's perfectly fun

because they're just mistakes in the in the lead up to something more It only becomes a choice when you continue to make that same mistake. So I've come to terms where it's like those type of quote-unquote hiccups were challenging moments for me to see where I could improve in my game. There's no such thing as like, oh, I know everything. I know how to do it all. I got this in the bag. You don't.

If you do, you might as well quit now. Do you still love boxing? Because, you know, it's funny. I hear you talk about your son a second ago and you lit up. Yeah. But then when you talk about boxing, it's just like, fuck it, I'm going to fight. I'm going to win.

Keep it moving. Then I'm going to go back to my son. You know what I mean? So do you still love it? Do you still have love for the sport? I wouldn't be the man I am without it. But you still love it now? Absolutely.

I'm just more, um, no more rah-rah shit. No more. Chill. You want to show and prove through actions and not words. I ain't going to win that battle no more. I'm just going to do what I got to do because the real going to prevent. Regardless, I mean, they show a lot of flaws and fake dudes and fake people around the world now. But as long as you keep your thing, keep it thorough, you're going to get choice.

But don't you feel like you suppressing who you really are? Like, you talked about the Times Square. And everybody was saying, Tiafimo was the one that had that whole promotion lit up, like, on the press carmases. You had the bravado and all that. So now it seems like you're saying you're going to suppress that. You're not going to be yourself? I'm still myself. Just a different tone-down version of?

You want to say it that way. I think I just, I ain't really been on social right now. I've just been locked in. Yeah, I just been on. I don't know. I get what I'm saying, though, because even when you talk about, you know, the things you look. I'm so funny, though.

I'm definitely doing my thing at the press conference in a little bit. But you got to show that to sell the fight. Because, you know, you got the accolade. But, you know, in order to get that money, sadly, you got to perform a little bit. I already got the money. Oh, you got the contract signing. Okay, but. Yeah, no, so it's more so of the.

Yeah, but you want the fight to do well. Yeah. Numbers. It will. I mean, look, I wouldn't, this is my first time sitting amongst you all at the breakfast club. And honestly, it's been, that's what it takes you to. Your pops is funny. He back there like, man, fuck all that.

Let's get to the fight. That's what you all needs right there. Your pops said, he had New York was a day. He was like, he said, underdog. He had the fucking underdoll. May 24th, 19th. A pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Berry's car. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded.

I felt it ripped through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than anything that I could describe. In season two of Rip Current, we ask, who tried to kill Judy Barry? And why? She received death threats before the bombing. She received more threats after the bombing. The man and woman who were heard had planned to lead a summer of militant, against logging practices in Northern California. They were climbing trees and they were sabotaging logging equipment in the woods.

The timber industry, I mean, it was the number one industry in the area, but more than it was the culture. It was the way of life. I think that this is a deliberate attempt to sabotage our movement. Episodes of Rip Current Season 2 are available now. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I've explored what it means to heal, not just for myself, but alongside others. I'm Mike De La Rocha. This is Sacred Lessons, a space for reflection, growth, and collective healing.

What do you tell men that are hurting right now? Everything's going to be okay on the other side, you know, just push through it. And, you know, ironically, the root of the word spirit is breath. Wow. Which is why one of the most revolutionary acts that we can do as people. just breathe. Next to the wound is their gifts. You can't even find your gifts unless you go through the wound. That's the hard thing. You think, well, I'm going to get my guess. I don't want to go through all that. You've got to go through the wounds you're laughing. Listening to other people's near-death

experiences, and it's all they say. In conclusion, love is the answer. Listen to sacred lessons as part of the My Goutura Podcast Network, available on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Kelly, and some of you may know me as Laura Winslow. And I'm Telma, also known as Aunt Rachel. If those names ring a bell, then you probably are familiar with the show that we were both on back in the 90s called Family Matters. Kelly and I have done a lot of things and played a lot of roles over the years. But both of us are just so proud to have been part of Family Matters.

Did you know that we were one of the longest running sitcoms with the black cast? When we were making the show, there were so many moments filled the joy and laughter and cut up that I will never forget. Oh, girl, you got that right. The look that you all give me is so black. All black people know about the look. On each episode of Welcome to the Family, we'll share personal reflections about making the show.

Yeah, we'll even bring in part of the cast and some other special guests to join in the fun and spill some tea. Listen to Welcome to the Family with Telma and Kelly on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyank Wally. And I'm Hurricane DeBolu. On our new podcast Health Stuff, we demystify your burning health questions. You'll hear us being completely honest about our own health.

I'm talking about very serious stuff right now, and you're laughing at me. And you'll hear candid advice and personal stories from experts who want to make health care more human. Sometimes you're there to listen, to understand, to empathize, maybe to give them an understanding or a name for what's going on. That helps people a lot, understanding that it's not just in their head. We are breaking down the science, talking with experts, and sharing practical health tips you can actually use in your day-to-day life. From when to utilize and avoid artificial light to how to sleep better. Everything you need to know about fiber and how to poop better. How to minimize the effects of jet lag and how to stay hopeful in times of distress. We human beings, all we want is

connection. We just want to connect with each other. We want to make health less confused. and maybe even a little fun. Find health stuff on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Radhi Dvlukaya, and I am the host of a really good cry podcast. This week, I am joined by Anna Runkle, also known as the crappy childhood fairy,

a creator, teacher, and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. We talk about how the things we went through when we were younger can still show up in our adult lives, in our relationships, our reactions, even in the way we feel in our own bodies. And Anna opens up about her own story,

what helped her notice the patterns she was stuck in and how she slowly started teaching her body that it is safe now. So when I got attacked, it was very random. Four guys jumped out of a car and just started beating me and my friend. And they broke my jaw on my teeth. I was unconscious. Then I woke up and I screamed. And I screamed because even though I didn't know who I was or where I was,

something in me was just like, hold on, wait, they could kill me and I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to get through this, and I did. Listen to a really good cry on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Now, you think you... One thing, we never lost to a South Pole out of 200 fights. He said they never lost to a South Pole out of 200 fights.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Or more. Or more. Hmm. A lot of people look at... Look, not to look over it, but a lot of people look at South Pole's very... They're very difficult, but I grew up with South Pole since a kid.

Kind of understand the rhythms of it. Don't get me wrong. You could be slick, but it's something I do to South Paul's that's working my favor. It's called different, though. It's all right. It's called a special fighter. But you're going to- You got dropped, man.

What are you talking about? Yes, Dad. Even this little daughter said. Hold on, get a pops of my there. Come, man. No, I'm trying to stay quiet. No, don't stay quiet. Don't stay quiet.

Now I understand why you stay. Don't stay quiet. I know, yeah. This is a freaking four seconds, man. This is a special fight because of both of, because who we both of y'all are, but Shikour is a special fighter. You got to acknowledge that.

That's what we fight in him. There you go. Yeah. So he does agree that he special. But, I mean, he got hit it. He got hit a couple times against Sepeda, but he put himself in a position. Normally he doesn't get hit like that.

That boy would have been down. Damn. Go back and see the fight. You became undisputed at a young age, like you acknowledged. When you look at your career now, What part of your legacy are you most focused on building next? The one that's coming.

That's it. The one that's coming. All that is in the past, people end up forgetting. Just got to keep it going and push forward on what else you could do. Like I said before, just trying to claim more history. Yeah, break numbers. I think we're going to sell out the garden. We got the big room.

Of course. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I think it's going to be great. You called out a lot of big names. Obviously, this is a massive fight. You called out, obviously, Bud, Caw for that one. point or boots and this like so what's what's ahead uh you saying that you're going to beat

your core upset them like are you going up the 147 do you still want the big fights like what i'm trusting my team i'm gonna trust my team on this one i'm not gonna do no more than that um you know that's why you got a team that's why everybody gets what they get from it so trust your team trust the process and trust the fact that they got big plans for me um the first quarter of the year and then moving forward after that so I'm just, I'm excited no matter what. I'm excited that I'm back on the field. I'm back fighting, getting ready.

It's been a long time overdue. And, yeah, just ready to, like, show people to, like, the takeover, for real, for real. Is this the most underestimated you felt going into a fight, or was it just the way with Lomachenko as well? No, no, no, no, nowhere near close. Okay. But I just like the fact that I'm just keeping myself more calm and composed. Don't get me wrong, definitely, for sure. But I just, yeah, I just, yeah, I just, I ain't, I ain't trying to do no more of that.

myself in trouble for no reason like I'm being my authentic self and I guess people in trouble because I guess me in trouble I'm like so y'all just don't like it so it's like I rather just I'm trying to get deals and stuff like that in the near future so I rather just keep it like this what's the biggest misconception people still have about you that I'm crazy yeah I'm not crazy it's like you got to believe you're the best and the greatest to do what you do. And when you do it, she's not crazy.

It's just, you were really smart. You're a genius. That sounds a little crazy. Really? You said? No, but it's just that. Me and I was talking to my father about this, though. All right, so I know y'all been hearing about the WBC

and Crawford and all that stuff, right? So I was thinking about this. You only become undisputed when you, pay all the sanctioning fees so by the fall by him not paying that one sanctioning fee although he beat canelo alvarez by default he's not undisputed three times no he's understood no he's undisputed i mean i mean obviously the public knows the public knows no on paper paper that doesn't mean anything at this point though it does because they did it to me I'm going to do it to him.

And the beauty of it, but people consider you on the dispute. A lot of people did consider you on the dispute, even though it was on paper. Look up Wikipedia right now. They say Unified. Right. But for Crawford, they got them.

And I don't get, look, can't take none away from Crawford, great fighter, one of the best that we've seen of this era. Cool, we give him that. We give him to acknowledge me. He beat Canello. Moving up.

So many weight class. Yeah, but when you think about it, buy the book, yo, that's why it's like, buy the book. If you ain't paid that sanctioning fee, by the fault, you didn't become a disputed. Now, that happened like two months later, though. We're talking about a guy that made, all right, you're talking about a guy that made, like, they're saying 50Ms, right? Or 50 plus M's, all you had to pay was a sanctioning fee that we all do. Right. Whether it's 2, 3%, he's saying 330K,000.

but because you already did it and now people are acknowledging out of it because what's going to happen is this and this is what I mean it's either going to start two things either they set an example on Crawford or it becomes a movement and what do we want to do

right? I could say oh I'm going to fight for this but I'm going to defend my belts and everything like that but if I can get away we're not paying a sanctioning fee but he did pay fees to the other sanctioned bodies his his own No, but his argument was, can you guys agree to the same amount I'm giving all the other sanction of bodies?

He wasn't saying he didn't want to pay them anything. He just said, hey, there's a lot of belts, it's a lot of money here. The WBO is accepting X amount. You know, the other section, right? So he's frustrated like, why I have to give you guys more? Now, I'm not throwing a shot at the WC. I love them. I just came from Thailand working with them.

But you got to see his side as well. Everybody else agreed on whatever the number was. know he's just saying why can't y'all follow suit and work with me and negotiate that that's that's bud's argument which is also understandable it still take it doesn't take away the fact that you still got to pay that sanctioning fee to become three time undisputed oh yeah i i get what you saying but i the fight is what made him three time undisputed i i get what you saying i guess technically and he beat canella who was understuted at 168 it's like i wouldn't let them take that from you even though they should acknowledge you as such

but you did do it but why is it not there I don't know that's what y'all gotta come together you don't think the public opinion is more important than a stat in the history books I'm not even in the history books no but the pub but I know he's not in the history books I get what he's saying

he need to be in the history books yeah know what I'm saying I think it was on the SPN for a disputing yeah if Loma would have won they would have they would have they would have gave it to Loma so so they got some shit with us man. What do you think that is? Why do you think that is? Why do you think they're

racist, man? No, it's not that. It's not that. I'm from New York, man. I was crazy with... But what about those comments that people were saying that what race is and they claim that you send bananas to Keishon's room and all that?

Look, I know you personally and I don't know you to be racist at all, right? But do you regret any of those antics? And I know why, I guess, I figure why you thought you had to do it. Like a scarface... It's a... It's a scarface moment right now.

Like, when you see you, when you see me, point your finger, point your fucking finger and say, that's the bad guy. I'm the bad guy of boxing. So that's what it was. You think? No, but that's what they want to portray it as because no one else could do something like I do. Not the, not the whole part of the fruits. But let me, let me regroup back on this. Let me regroup back on this, though.

When you asked me that question, why is it that way? I could say it's the three gateway I never chose on I could say that I'm just trying to do something and authentically I could say that I probably the odds wasn't meant for me

to have the flowers to do it but something much higher caused it for me to do a causing chain of reaction I still don't know but one thing I'm not going to do is allow something that that is not

that's not powerful more than I am to dictate where I should be and how I should move my life so because it's working if it's still working

they ain't broke don't fix it right and I'm maintain on that I think certain things in this world tend to lead on let's just fixate it on that right

but I can know how to make you a celebrity overnight but I ain't choose that i just want to be the best of what i do yeah and some people may not like that so yeah there's ways to scratch it off rewrite it they don't done it with the bible and many other things so what am i to it so when we got shakur now cool let's see what else we could pursue and what we could do let's see how much longer can my um so-called authenticity continue to carry on in this in this industry of boxing So what did you mean when you said

When you was talking about tanking bud You said whichever monkey wants the banana Yeah because it's like I'm trying to get fights And it's been leading It's been it's been let up for a long time You know what I'm saying It's been led up for a long time So I tried different ways

And different avenues Had contracts thrown and all that Never happened Nothing never happened So I was like yo you know what I used to grow up Watching young other fighters 40s 50s

I'm talking 1940s 50s where they used to go at each other like this And then what about Oh Mike Tyson Mike Tyson Yeah Mike Tyson said I'm gonna eat your kids And all this right

Yeah Oh he used gay slurs too Yeah you know what I'm gonna fuck See you love me Yeah Right So what happened to I just grew up from that hardcoreness

That's how I looked at it You know what I mean And that's what I loved the most Why I wanted to put A pair of boxing gloves was because it was hardcore. It was rugged. You know, it wasn't none of this.

It's a different era, though, and that's where I had to adjust. And I was like, okay, cool. I get where everybody coming from, but don't put me and portray me like that because I'm just coming from what I grew up on. Not the baiting, but just the fact, like, I'm going to just get you under your skin until we just lace it up

and then really make a full-pack action fight. But why not stand on it? Like, even with the Kishon Davis, like I did say it was an anonymous package of watermelons and bananas, all I did was just laugh at it eating a banana laughing at it why not stand on it and be like how you mean like claim it say that you sent it because I did it no no I know you you said on our show that you didn't do it but if people were assuming that you did and you put in a video to Charlemagne's point why not say I let them believe that I did it because just like we just like to promote the fight that you just said that he has to do something to promote the fight so right all right so basically it's like this um you put a lie out there in front of everybody's face

let people talk about you now I just took away from his action of his fight leading up to a world title now it's on me whether it's good there's no such thing that's good or bad publicity unless you hit a woman

or you cause some murder or something like that to the point where you got a mug shop but other than that it shouldn't lead to that case scenario so I just I went with it but when it came to

I can Barak and I got on their show I literally set it out like it is I ain't do none of that you know because you really didn't exactly but when they label you that then they want to keep it going like they said you used the N word on Instagram live

but you said you didn't no I did it so I rather just you know like hey if that's something the only way that they could get me out then I'm winning if that is the only way you can find ways to get me out because you can't do it in the ring

I'm winning life I'm winning I'm winning big time and I'd rather just keep it like that I don't come in here with a full squad I'm not I'm not like that I think it takes a real man to go and do his things in a mafia, mafioso world and still hold it down to the tea

and just be like I'm gonna do what I do and ain't nobody gonna stop me okay what about this one this is the last one when you was frustrated with TopRank what's up and you said if they want the black fighters they can keep them What that mean?

I look at it like, yeah, I just want to start some chaos. You start some chaos. Let it be known. Conflict. What is everything in life in this world and politics and all that? It starts with what? Conflict or chaos or conflict. I saw articles about you where you've said or they've implied that you feel like they always choose

the black fighters over you? Is that where that comes from? No, no, no. Because if we really want to take it there, then look at Mayweather with Oscar De La Jolla when they were signed with top rank. Oscar was getting more of the fruit of the barrier. And Floyd felt like he wasn't getting his fair share to the point where he finally left with them. He had to pay $750k to leave top rank, and then they ended up fighting each other, right? Or what about when we talk about Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad? And Bernard Hopkins throws the Puerto Rican flag and he got mobbed by the Puerto Ricans. So if it's going to be, it's going to be a double standard then.

It can't be on one side anymore. But that's the thing. See, I don't got, I don't have that, I guess, so-called agency that's behind me to support me and find ways to move around it. I'm learning on the job. I'm learning as I go. I'm 28. So I got, God willingly, I still got time to learn from it.

That's why I've been more on an easy edge. I ain't trying to deal with it no more. I'm just going, look, how I do it, beat whoever they put in front of me, win impressively, thank the universe for it all, keep it moving. What have you lost outside of, you know, not being listed as undisputed,

but what have you lost behind the scenes that keeps you on that easy edge? It seems like you step in real carefully now. Like, where does that come from? I think it's just, you gotta plan out your years. Feel me? I don't win broke already like 20, I ain't trying to deal that no more.

I mean, eventually people going to blackmail you and do all this extra stuff, and that's cool. You learn with it, but knowing that you got a family, knowing you got all these things, you can't just go off the work field thinking that it's always going to be there. What do you mean by field?

Just work feeling. I'm just fucking. Two years. On the 31st of January. Don't even fall for it. Yeah, you can swim one of them. Yeah, just one good time. Just one good time. To your phone.

No, I do have one more question for them. What's that? When you're in the ring and you see, you know, when you see your opponents, right, what lets them know, what lets you know that they're like mentally broken? Not just physically, but mentally. Like, okay, I got them mentally.

I guess it's my stance. Right away, they feel that aura. They feel that energy right away. I see their eyes just different. Mm-hmm. You can see a lot in a person with their eyes. So I always look at the eyes. So I don't know.

Maybe it's just what... I don't know how hard I do punch. But when I punch them, shit changes. Right. Changes quick. So, yeah, you know, I think that's really it. Yeah, man. Why you got one of them shakers?

Man, when I tell you... He gave me the shit as a joke yesterday. When that's not a joke, but he's been jerking that shit since he gave us... Just the fuck out of here. He gave me the shit as a Christmas gift yesterday. He wants you to ask him. Here, Bob, Bob, you want... Tehram on low-fans.

The fight is the 31st. Good luck. Fighting you should cause Stevenson. At the garden, get your tickets if you haven't got them already. And it's the breakfast club. Good morning. Hold up. Every day I wake up.

Wake your ass up. The breakfast club. Are you all finished or y'all's done? I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late. He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause.

Took us under his wing and showed us the game, as they call it. When Larry's killed, Gave Must Untangle the Dangerous Past, one that could destroy everything he thought he knew. Listen to the Brothers Ortiz on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded. I felt it ripped through me. In season two of RipCurrent, we asked,

who tried to kill Judy Barrier? and why? They were climbing trees and they were sabotaging logging equipment in the woods. She received death threats before the bombing. She received more threats after the bombing. I think that this is a deliberate attempt

to sabotage our movement. Episodes of Rip Current Season 2 are available now. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast Hunting for Answers, I highlighted this

story of 19-year-old Lechay Dungey. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to hunting for answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What are the cycles fathers passed down that sons are left to heal? What if being a man wasn't about holding it all together, but learning how to let go? This is a space where men speak truth and find the power to heal and transform.

I'm Mike De La Rocha. Welcome to Sacred Lessons. Listen to Sacred Lessons on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up night. I'm Dr. Priyankawali, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane Dibolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, do I have scurvy at 3 a.m. And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way, like our episode where we look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic.

How preventable is type 2? Extremely. Listen to health stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.