The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Boxing with Chris Mannix - How Big is Tyson-Paul?

Episode Date: March 12, 2024

Mannix and Corey Erdman discuss Anthony Joshua’s spectacular knockout of Francis Ngannou (5:00), what’s next for AJ, a dud between Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker (24:00), the recently announced Jake Paul-Mike Tyson event, Canelo-Jaime Munguia and more. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

On The Look Back at it podcast. In 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. The thrilling excitement of Marchmania is here, and Draft King Sportsbook, one of America's top-rated sportsbook apps, is giving new customers a shot to turn five bucks into $150 instantly in bonus bets with any college basketball bet. Now, I am probably a lot like you.

I am a very casual college basketball fan. But when the schedule turns to March, that's what I get interested, that's when I get invested, and that's when I start betting on college basketball games, tournaments, NCAA tournament. Whatever's out there, I'm betting on it because I love watching college basketball this time of year. So download the Draft King Sportsbook app and use code Manix. New customers can bet five bucks to get $150 instantly in bonus bets, only at Draft King's Sportsbook with code Manix. The Crown is yours.

Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler or in West Virginia, visit 1-800 gambler.net. In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope-N-Y 4667-369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9-777-7 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. in Ontario. One no sweat bet per new customer. Issued as one bonus bet based on amount of initial losing bet.

Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See dkng.com slash promos for deposit wagering in eligibility restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. This is boxing with Chris Manning. Oh, somebody punch him in the face. Anthony Joshua is a composed and ferocious finisher. Watch this. Hosted by S.I's Chris Manix.

That was my moments. Now with interviews, analysis, and everything going on in the world of boxing. When you have talent, you are given another chance. Here's Chris Mannix. And we are back. Boxing with Chris Manix, part of the Volume Sports Podcast. Network would welcome in everybody that is listening on the podcast feed. If you are not a subscriber, get over to that feed, boxing with Chris Manix.

Hit that subscribe button. Make sure you get this pod in your feed every single week. So, busy weekend in Boxing. You had a huge card over in Saudi Arabia. You have huge news coming out of the influencer boxing space. And you have big news, bigger news maybe, coming out of the traditional boxing space. You had Anthony Joshua picking up his fourth consecutive win, ending the boxing dreams, we think, of France Zingano. You had Jake Paul and Mike Tyson announcing they will share a ring this summer in a fight that will be streamed on Netflix.

and Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Mungia finally concluded their business they will fight on May 4th in Las Vegas. So a lot to get into. Corey Erdman, long-time boxing writer, good friend of the podcast. He joins me to run through all of it on this week's show.

So stick around. Great conversation coming up next with Corey Erdman. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college.

football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of taun-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Boar Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Corey Ordman, what did you make of the Anthony Joshua, Francis, Ghanu spectacle in Riyadh this past weekend. Well, I mean, first of all, apologies, because when you texted me and you said, Corey, I want to talk about the big knockout and the big event this week.

I thought you meant Stephen Butler, Steve Rolls. So let me scramble here for a second. Is that the end of Steve Rolls? Did we see the end of the Canadian assassin, Steve Rolls? I think that he's in the stage of his career now, where if he wants to continue, the assignments will get harder and for less money. and that is a calculus that he'll have to make in his mind and in his heart whether he wants to continue.

It's a very diplomatic answer from you. Very diplomatic. You know, we're both Canadians. We've got to be nice to one another. As far as the spectacle over the weekend, it was really long. It took up a large chunk of my day. But in terms of what came out of it, so to speak, precisely what I think everyone wanted,

which was the ultimate viral clip. of what was, you know, one of probably the five biggest right hands that I've ever seen landed on film in my life, Joshua knocking out in Ganu. That was basically as hard as you could deliver a right hand in a connecting flush. And, you know, you name an event knockout chaos, and you put these two big stars in with one another. What you're wanting in 2024 is a viral clip that more people than would have tuned in live we'll watch and rewatch and watch again, that's what they got.

I think mission accomplished for the organizers. Yeah, you could see that second right hand coming a mile away. And I don't blame the referee for not stopping the fight after that second knockdown. But in Ghana, who clearly wasn't back. Like he was still foggy, his legs were still wobbly. He quite literally walked into that right hand. Anthony Joshua just stepped into it. in the most transparent way humanly possible and leveled him with that shot.

I heard Inganu say after the fact that it didn't hurt because it didn't feel it. He doesn't remember it. So I guess that's a saving grace there. But the reality is this is what should have happened with Tyson Fury, France, Inganu. The reality is that Fury and Ganu and the competitiveness of it was far more about what Tyson Fury didn't do going into that. fight than some kind of, you know, incredible transition by Francine Ghanu from MMA into boxing. Put in with a fit, focused, sharp and heavy-handed professional heavyweight,

Francine Gano never stood a chance. I don't care how good a chin he showed in UFC. I don't care that in UFC they use smaller gloves. That doesn't mean anything. What matters is, you know, how a punch is thrown and the kind of leverage a fighter has behind it and whether or not that opponent can see that punch coming. So this was always the way it was supposed to be. The question is with AJ is, does this, you know, look, this was not a, and this was talked about after the fight, that this was not a continuation down the path that he began on back. last March when he fought Jermaine Franklin, the first of three fights in 2024.

Those were boxing matches, right? Jermaine Franklin, Robert Hellenius, Otto Vallin. That was a progression of getting back to your normal self as a contending heavyweight. This was a complete deviation from that. This was a chance to grab what was likely a boatload of money against an opponent that really did not have any chance against. I mean, look, Joshua's reaction after the fight, and I'll put that in air quotes, reaction was nothing.

Like, he knew that this was exactly what he was supposed to. Ben Davison jumps into the ring and even celebrate. This is just like a fist bump at the very end. So, you know, they knew this wasn't a real heavyweight test. So does this, does that performance in any way change your opinion of, of where Anthony Joshua is at at this point in his career. It doesn't change mine, but I also think that my opinion and to somebody, our opinion on the inside kind of doesn't matter in terms of what they wanted to get out of this.

I think that two things matter. One, general public perception of AJ, which right now is on an upward trend, you know, ever since really the Hellenius knockout, but especially after how he looked against Otto Valen, and then with this knockout, I think that, Like, I've been hearing people say, hey, is this actually the best heavy weight in the world? Like, even those questions being asked, those questions being posed, that's a good thing for AJ. And I also think that there is a, there's a tiny bit of this that is, is an overall positive for AJ, not just in terms of the dollars that he'll put in his account from this, but just that boost of confidence, hearing people speaking glowingly about him again.

AJ's really gone, what, like, close to three years now, more than three years. of people doubting him, of people saying he was a fraud all along. And suddenly that tenor has changed entirely, and his surroundings have changed entirely all over again. So I can see, you know, this just being, it's not a continuation, as you were saying, of real boxing matches where we're seeing growth from Anthony Joshua, but it's a continuation of just positive things happening for him,

which is something I'm sure he's been waiting for for quite some time. And he's talked very openly about the strain that has come with being as gigantic a figure and a figure as important to the boxing marketplace and ecosystem as he has been for so long to be that figure, but to kind of be maligned for that long, that really wears on you mentally. And so now he's in an entirely different place. And that's despite, as you put it, doing something that should have been expected of him in that fight.

And I think that, you know, Inganu was given the benefit to the doubt, I think rightfully, because we, you know, I think that logically we could look at that Fury fight and see, hey, this is a fighter in Fury who didn't take this all that seriously. It was clearly kind of messing around in the ring, was obviously kind of messing around in camp and didn't prepare a whole lot, any labored to 10 rounds and, excuse me, escape with that decision. For someone who doesn't have the capability of being deeply unserious, the way that Tyson Fury does, Joshua went in there, took it seriously, and yeah, you saw him react. The way that he reacted with Ben David said afterward, just a casual fist bump.

He was almost annoyed to have had to have done that. But he did exactly what a fighter of his caliber should do against really a novice or non-boxer. Yeah, he's not going to be annoyed this morning when he took a look at his bank account and sees what eight figures popped in there. The question now, though, is what does A.J. do next? And the obvious answer is to fight the winner of Tyson Fury and Francine. Although there are a couple of problems potentially with that. One, you know, Fury acknowledged on Friday if there was a bilateral rematch clause for that fight. Both Fury and Usik can, you know, trigger a immediate rematch.

So that's a problem if you're Anthony Joshua. The other problem is what if Usik wins, right? And look, there's a huge market for Tyson, Fure, Anthony Joshua won. I don't know what the market would be for Anthony Joshua, Alexander Usick, three. Joshua was certainly a different fighter than the guy he was a few years ago. New training team opposite him, Ben Davis and Lee Wiley.

They've obviously made an impact on him. But is there that much intrigue in that particular fight at the moment? I don't know. So the alternative for AJ, instead of waiting for the Fury Ussic situation to sort itself out, is to fight Philip Hergevich. Now, Philip Hergevich is the number one contender for the IBF belt. My understanding of what Hergevich is going to do next

is Hergevich is planning to be on this June 1st Saudi card. That's the card that's probably going to be headlined by Dimitri Bevel and Archer-Betterbeyev. It's probably going to feature the matchroom versus. versus Queensberry 5 on 5. Hergevich aims to be on that card. At the same time, he is also going to be on standby for May 18th, just in case Tyson Fury's cut opens back up again, just in case something happens to Alexander Usik.

Philip Hergevich is planning on or working towards being the replacement for that fight. So maybe May 18th, more likely June 1st. If it is June 1st, the expectation is that Hergevich is that Hergevon is that Hergevich is going to fight for the IBF heavyweight title. Tyson Fierre even said this on Friday where he's like, you know, Hergevich, you know, he's going to be there fighting for that IBF belt, acknowledging that once Fury Usoc is over, that IBF belt is going to become vacant. They're either going to fight AJ.

They're going to fight each other. They're not going to fight Philip Hergevich. So, AJ, who is ranked inside the top, what, three by the IBF, is in a position to challenge for that. vacant belt on June 1st. He's going to have to decide, Corey, what is the right course of action here? Is it wait and say, I'm going to fight the winner of Furu Yusik, hoping that happens, hoping that Fury wins, hoping the Saudis say, you know what, that rematch clause is stupid, we're going

to go right into Fury against AJ. Or does he go for a heavyweight title, a bird in the hand, against a dangerous guy? I mean, Philip Herkovich is undefeated. he's a former what Olympic gold medalist. He is the real deal at heavyweight. And there's a lot of risk in taking that fight if you're Anthony Joshua. So what do you think of these options for AJ as he's sifting through them over the next few weeks? Yeah, it's interesting because if it's not Hergevik, you know, do you try and organize kind of a fight that seems a little less delicious now than it might of a year ago, you know, against like Deonté Wilder.

But that comes with danger as well. and I don't know what the situation is with Wilder. If you do decide you want to face Herkovic right away, does that require some recalibration of that card? Because is that not the main event over Better Beavit in Beevil, in the minds of the general public? Like, better be a Beevil is like, for me, that that would be the fight that I would look forward to over Joshua Hergevik.

But that may not be what, you know, the Saudis and the organizers think would be the main event. And if they don't, are they willing to do that on the undercard of Beaville? or does he wait and see whoever wins in a vacant IBF title fight and then go after the winner of that later on in the year? You know, these are- That's a lot of time off. It's a long time though. He sure seems like a guy that doesn't want to slow this train down. Three fights in 2023, one fight already in 2024. You know, you talk to people around him and they want to fight three times in 2024. They get it. The best AJ is an active AJ and waiting to see what happens with

Herkovich and like Daniel Dubois, that doesn't strike me as an appealing option for AJ. Yeah. And any interim fight that he takes against a non-UFC fighter is going to is going to bring some risk, you know, whether you want to stay, if you want to stay busy again, I'm just throwing on hypothetical. If you want to stay busy against Jolai Zhang, you want to face anyone else in the top 10, they're in and around the danger level of a Philip Hergav. So, you know, when you're looking at the risk-reward ratio just for staying busy, like, I don't know if it's worth it if it's not just the title shot. So, I mean, I would love it if he could just turn around and step in and do this June 1st, whatever kind of reconfiguration we have to do to make that happen. If I'm handling AJ, that would be the decision that I would make.

Yeah, and one thing I have to remember about Fury Uc is that regardless of who wins, let's just say Fury wins, and there's a deal that's worked out to allow him. him to fight AJ later this year. That cut is most likely going to reopen. And this fight against Usik is most likely going to be a difficult one. Fury's not going to turn around and fight AJ in like August, right? It's September, October, November. It's down the line. So AJ is going to have to deal with being out of the ring for five, six, seven months

before he takes on Tyson Fury. So look, there's danger to both, right? Like in an ideal world, Fury wins. They fight in September. It's a major event. But Usa could win. There could be a rematch. You could be left out in the dark.

Meanwhile, Hergevich is going to go on, win a world title by beating someone like Daniel Dubois and Aege is looking around going, well, what's next for me? Surely, Hergevich would probably fight him. No question. There's a lot of money in that fight. But that might not be until October, November of this year. So, you know, I go back and forth on this. If I'm Team A.J., if I'm Eddie Hearn.

and I'm confident I can beat Philip Hergevich. I would take that fight. I would get that belt. I would take that fight. I know this risk. Look, if AJ lose to Hergevich, we're right back to square one, right? Like where, you know,

we can't make Fury versus A.G. We can't make Ussick versus AJ 3 because he's coming off a loss. But if he wins, certainly becomes a lot more palatable, becomes once again for the undisputed championship against either one of them. So a lot to think about in the camp of Anthony Joshua. All right. I know many of you out there have had a frustrating experience buying tickets.

I am an avid concert goer to some of the bands that I'd like to see. In the past, it has been Tom Petty. Nowadays, it's you too. I went to a Bruce Springsteen concert recently. It can be challenging to find the right tickets, to make sure you're getting your tickets in the right section that you want to be in. You shouldn't have to worry when you buy tickets to your next big event. Game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy, and theater events near you.

With killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and their best price guarantee, Game Time takes the guesswork out of buying tickets. I'm always on the lookout for tickets to my favorite performers, and Game Time is the best place to find them. Last minute tickets, flash deals, zone deals, easy to find and buy tickets for every kind of event in your area. You got views from all the seats in the venue and the lowest price guarantee, event cancellation protection, job loss protection,

everything you need when you are looking to buy tickets. There are a lot of big boxing events coming up over the next couple of months. Tickets are going to be hard to find. Game time is where you want to go to get the best seats. Again, create an account and redeem code Manix, M-A-N-N-I-X for $20 off.

Download game time today. last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. See the view from your seat before you buy so you know exactly what to expect when you arrive. All in prices show your total up front so you know you're getting a great deal before you check out. Buy tickets in seconds with just two taps.

So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code Manix for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code Manich. M-A-N-I-X for $20 off. Download game time today.

Last-minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, This is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics

from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas, on the ice planet hot or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. One last thought on that Saudi card. I was so disappointed in Jay Lejean, so disappointed in how he performed in that fight. Jay Lejean, to recap, lost a decision, split decision, a majority decision, a majority decision win, a loss to Joseph. Parker. This was a fight that it seemed like every time Jay Lee Zhang threw a punch,

Joseph Parker went down, quite literally. Like he dropped him in the third round, dropped him again in the eighth, not concussive shots by any stretch. But the problem was, Zhang didn't throw anything else. And this was a huge opportunity for Zhang. Big stage, big fights to come if he won, chance to put himself in that world title picture. And he laid a big fat egg. I was among the people, Corey, that thought, look, at 40, Jayley Jean could have this George Foreman-like Renaissance.

He could fight three or four years at a high level. Watching that guy in the ring, I don't know if he has the gas tank to be any of these top-tier guys. Because remember, like in the 12th round, Sean George is in the corner going, dude, you got to throw, let your hands go. You got to go for a knockout. Jayley Zhang's nodded his head going, yeah, yeah.

Then he goes out and lands zero punches in the 12th round. Zero. That is the definition of not following instructions from your, your corner. So, uh, I went from being sky high on Jali Zhang coming into this fight to rock bottom on Jali Zhang right now. Where do you stand? Yeah, I mean, I guess this was a higher level version really of what happened with Zhang against Jerry Forrest, right? Where like, it's everything he lands seems to produce a knockdown or hurts the guy. but he just runs out of gas. And obviously there were major circumstances.

And did you see him, Corey? Did you see him looking at the clock in like the fifth round? When I see a guy early in the fifth round looking up with the clock, it's like, oh boy, we're in trouble. Yeah. And again, like with that forest fight, obviously like his liver was failing him and whatnot. So there were other things happening. But it's a trend that we've seen from him in the past, which is that he's capable of a certain

output and a certain amount of movement and anything beyond that is just above. of his capabilities. And when that's the case, you know, Joseph Parker, even though he was able to floor him twice, Parker presents kind of the worst challenge for Zhang,

which is Parker is probably the best mover of the top 10 heavyways right now, just in terms of pure footwork and ability to move around the ring. And that's bad for Zhang, you know? Like, I think that there are other matchups that might be a little bit better for him, but he's still fighting against that hourglass, right?

But if we're going to use the George Foreman comparison, I mean, we sort of saw this with Foreman as well, where we saw him get like thoroughly outboxed by Tommy Morrison, but then you put him in the right matchup with someone that'll stand right in front of him and he can land his best stuff and he could produce a miraculous win. I still think that there is that in the tank for Zhang, where if you have a guy that'll stand right in front of him, you know, like we saw against Joe Joyce, he has, you know,

he'll give you 35 punches around and about 10 of them are going to buzz you and one of them's going to knock you down. but if you're going to move, he'll throw 10 or less per round, and then he's completely hopeless. So I think there's a little bit of hope still there for him, but I think you have to be realistic with your hopes or a 40-year-old bomber, really, at this point. What a comeback, too, from Joseph Parker.

Oh, yeah. He looked done after that Joe Joyce knock. It wasn't just that. It was like, you know, the performances against Chesora were okay. you know, but then Joyce just flattens him. You're like, all right, well, this guy is now kind of a gatekeeper. You know, he wins a bunch of low-level fights in a row, takes out Deonté Wilder, takes out Jay Le Jong. I mean, another example of why losses are not relevant.

Now Joe Joyce is up there, you know, arguably third or fourth best heavyweight in the world at the moment. So good for Joseph Parker in that one. Yeah, and when it comes to Parker, yeah, I mean, I think it's an indication that losses don't to matter. It's about like what was the impact of those losses, both physically and psychologically. And for Joseph Parker, I think rightfully, you know, when we saw those performances against Jaze, then against Joe Joyce, we thought, okay, is he just utterly eroded already? You know, before he can get to his mid-30s and whatnot. Joe Parker's only 32 years old right now. And so I think he hit the sweet spot with those losses where they didn't deteriorate him

completely physically, and he didn't lose his confidence. In fact, he's gained it with a new camp and with a new focus on his approach in the ring. This is a totally different Joseph Parker. And I think we can kind of leave those performances behind because this is very firmly the fourth best heavyweight in the world with a real chance against any of those guys. I mean, he's not going to fight Tyson Fury because they're very close friends, but a chance against any of those guys above him. Yeah. And look, when a fighter and a trainer click, things can change. We've seen it, you know, with Freddie Roach here in the U.S., working with Pachiao, working with Miguel Koto, and we're seeing it over in the UK with Joseph Parker and

Andy Lee. They have a great chemistry. They have great game plans. Joseph Parker follows those game plans. You know, he's a threat again, you know, no question. I'm curious how the, the Jean rematch works out. They both acknowledge that it was a two-fight deal that they signed with each other after the fight. You know, the only thing I can say about Zhang is, it's not an excuse, really, but the time these fights start over there is crazy. It is crazy. We talked about the length of these cards. The main event didn't start until 3.30, 345 in the morning. The co-main event, Zhang and Parker, was probably around 2.30 in the morning local time. That is bonkers, even in the U.S., where some of these fights

start crazy late, East Coast time. It's still like 11.30. 30, 12 o'clock when most of these fights, even the late ones, ultimately start. You never hear about fights in the U.S. starting at 233 o'clock in the morning. So, look, it's not, again, it's not an excuse, but that's a weird dynamic at play there, where these fights are starting so, so late, which has to throw some of these guys off, right? Like, you're used to a certain thing. You wake up at X time, you're go to the arena. Now you're waking up at a different time.

You're going to the arena at like 10 p.m. for a 3 a.m. start. Like, it's just, it's crazy. The whole thing is totally crazy. No, it's hard on the fighters. It's hard on everyone. Like, shout out to the commentary to you, the broadcast team, too. I don't know who our lead energy drink sponsor was on that night, whether it was Celsius or C4, but shout out to them as well,

because somehow they had energy for the main event. But yeah, that's a lot to contend with. And when you're not sure exactly when you're supposed to warm up for, you know, with lengthy delays and whatnot, that can be an issue. and especially, you know, any aging athlete will tell you how crucial warming up will be. And when that is sort of thwarted a little bit for you, that can be an issue. But yeah, I mean, congratulations to Joseph Parker. It's a big win.

But I still do think that Zhang against the right opponent can still be a serious threat. Yeah, I will see. I was a believer. I was a Zhang truther for some time now. I'm a little less certain about that right now. All right. The big news that broke over the last couple of days is that Jake Paul is going to face Mike Tyson

in a boxing mega event. Talk more about that in a moment. On July 20th, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, this will be broadcast or streamed on Netflix, which will be Netflix's first foray into boxing that dipped their toe into other sports, golf, tennis in the past, but this will be their first shot at boxing. Look, I know that Jake is constantly on the lookout for marquee names.

I never expected to be Mike Tyson. Never. I know there's some history between the two. Jake fought on Mike's undercard when Mike fought Roy Jones back in 2020. But this is wild, Corey. Jake Paul against Mike Tyson. and I said this on another show and it got picked up on the internet

over the last couple of days, but I really believe that this is going to be the most watched boxing event in decades. I think you're going to have to go back to like the 70s when you had the Rumble in the jungle and the thrill in Manila

and all those great Muhammad Ali fights. I think this is going to do bigger numbers. You know, some people at HBO pointed out to me like the Tyson numbers back of the day were huge 40, 45 million people, you know, watching. But I think this is going to exceed that. Netflix has a support

subscriber base of 260 million. And you know that Netflix, when this fight is happening, is going to throw this fight right on the main page, one click, you're there. You've got two guys with huge followers. Jake Paul has got a following amongst a younger generation. Mike Tyson goes across generations, but is especially well known amongst like the boomer generation and younger generation, Generation X. I think this is going to do staggering numbers, maybe nine figure.

numbers on Netflix. We can talk about what it's going to look like in the ring, because I don't even know what it's going to look like in the ring. But what did you think when you first heard that Jake Paul and Mike Tyson were to square off in a boxing mega event? I mean, first I laughed, first of all, you know, just like through my head back and it's because it's hilarious that this is actually materializing. It's so absurd that we're in this place where something like this could materialize.

And I don't mean that nefariously. Like it's a bizarre turn of events for us in, in her to say the words, Jake Paul is fighting Mike Tyson. But I had the same reaction. Immediately, I started thinking, like, where is this going to rank in terms of like the most viewed boxing matches of all time? And I mean, it's going to do spectacularly well, both at the box office and in terms of viewership. Like, it's not on paper views, so I don't exactly know how it'll just be quantified. I'm sure, just in pure view. and those numbers are, they're going to be monstrous because it's also pitting kind of like boxing's

two biggest social media curiosities ever in, in Jake Paul and old Mike Tyson. You know, you have Jake who has, who has started this debate since the beginning of his pro-fighting career of how far can he possibly go. Who can he possibly beat? How real were these victories that he's had before? And for Mike Tyson, I mean, Tyson comeback. has been boxing's most reliable, renewable resource since 1992. Like, since he lost to Buster Douglas, for various reasons, we have been asking the same question.

What will Mike look like when he comes back? Can Mike still be the heavyweight champion? And it's continued forever and ever. And the formula has been the same, basically, the whole time. And they just need to roll that same thing out this time out. And it's going to work perfectly because the elements, he. with Jake and Mike are perfect. You're going to see a constant onslaught

of those same first 20 knockouts of Mike's career like the Jim Jacobs VHS that they used to send out to all the media outlets. You'll just see the same loop of like a 20-year-old Tyson knocking guys out. And then you're going to see that same clip of Mike Tyson in his undies hitting the pads for 10 seconds that the aggregation sites always roll out and say, Tyson at 54, you look scary.

You're just going to see that again and again and again. We know that that is enough to trick people into buying this. Not trick people into buying this. I don't know how devious they're going to be with what this fight is and what it isn't, but it will compel people to buy this fight. Yeah. Look, do you even have to buy it? I mean, the majority of people that are, yeah, you're right. Yeah. I mean, the majority of people that are interested are probably already Netflix subscribers. I mean, the Netflix is, you know, the largest global platform maybe ever, you know, with that many subscribers.

So all they have to do is open up their phone, toss it on their smart TV, and give it a shot. This does have the potential to be a disaster, though, right? Like, I mean, it could get, it could be a mess. Look, Mike Tyson has been hitting the paths, right? It has been working out. Though I saw an interview he did with Joe Rogan in over the last couple of years where Joe brought up those, that famous scene where Mike's in the gym throwing a bunch of punches and Mike's like, yeah, that was a 30 second clip.

I had to sleep for a week to recover from that. And there was also that footage out there of Mike Tyson walking through, I think it was Saudi with a cane. So that I think was more recent. So I don't know what to expect from Mike Tyson. I think the state of Texas is going to have an interesting decision on its hands. about how it's going to handle this fight. It's not going to be sanctioned as a pro fight.

That's not going to happen. There's no way even a state like Texas is going to sanction soon to be 58-year-old Mike Tyson against 27-year-old Jake Paul. Like, you can't do it. There are also probably going to have to be some rules about the size of the gloves, the number of rounds. The time amount in each round, like, there's going to have to be some delicate deliberations about this.

Because ultimately, you are talking about a 27-year-old, you know, look, not a great boxer, but, you know, 9-1 with some real power in that right hand, going up against a guy who is closing in on senior citizen status. Like, that is what we are talking about with Jake. Paul against Mike Tyson. I think Mike Tyson can still have some moments, right? Like, you go back and watch that Roy Jones fight.

Mike's older than Roy, but Roy looked far more washed than Mike did in that fight. Like Mike looked like he could have put Roy out if you really wanted to. Can he still dial that back for a moment or two? Maybe. Maybe. And that's what makes this fight somewhat interesting, someone interesting to watch. But I think you do have to be careful. Like, when this fight was announced, one of things I thought of,

was the Vitor Belfort, a Vanderholyfield fight from, what was it, about a year ago now. That did not go well for Evander Holyfield. That's what it looks like when you put an old man in the ring with a younger, stronger man with some combat sports experience.

Now, Vitor Belfort, he's a little crazy, right? Like, there's a difference. I don't think Jake Paul is going to go in there looking to take Mike Tyson's head off, both for his own safety and because Jake Paul knows the score, right? Jake Paul's not an idiot. This is not his first rodeo at stuff like this.

But that would be the fear, right? That, you know, Mike Tyson takes one big shot and gets hurt by Jake Paul. In the same way, it sure looked like a Vanderholyfield was going to get hurt if that fight with Belfort went on any further. So for me, that's the big concern. Do you have any concerns like that about how this fight could play out? Yeah, I have the same concerns. I think that, you know, if I'm just guessing as to what this fight will look like, I think that there, globally, there kind of has been a precedent sent. And even a template set for putting on a boxing match that isn't like a real sanctioned scored boxing event that still looks to the naked eye like it. It's just a normal fight. You know, Mayweather, Logan Paul was like that, right? That wasn't like an actual judged fight or anything like that. But when you were watching it, you could.

really tell the difference, you know, and even lower level exhibition type fights like, like James Tony Razor Ruddick or whatever, right? It's an exhibition fight, but it looks in practice like it's real. And they may kind of opt to go that way. Because if they try and do the 2006, if they pull the bait and switch like Tyson and Corey Sanders did, and it's Tyson in a T-shirt and headgear, I don't think that's going to go over particularly well. Like, that will be a PR disaster. Yeah, I mean, Texas, I can't say. in this fight because what is selling this fight is exactly

what you said well what if Mike has just like a brief moment and he lands something that's the only reason why this even can be competitive because this is like you know if you compare this to another sport if you were like I don't know if you took kind of a you know a pro but minor

league basketball team you're like oh what what if the mid-90s bulls came back and they faced the Fort Wayne fire ants obviously you know Mad ants. Sorry. I got to be accurate. I was trying to come into your world and use a reference. Thank you for that. The mad ants are going to win. You know, like Horace Grants in trouble. But it's not boxing so they can't land, you know, one miracle knockout punch. That's kind of the hope that is there. And the reality is for the casual viewer out there. Listen, there are still some people out there that still think that Mike Tyson is the heavyweight champion of the one. And there are a lot of those people are going to tune in for this. That's from a marketing perspective, that's what makes this interesting to me too, is that Jake is kind of the organizer of this. He's what's compelling Tyson to come back and do this. But in terms of the

people viewing that night, more people are going to be tuning in from Mike Tyson than they are for Jay Paul. So there is still going to be a large faction of people out there that are true believers. And that is going to help sell this fight. Well, I mean, that's always what helps sell seemingly lopsided combat sports events. That's what has made UFC guys popular when they get it to boxing because they bring a swarm of true believers with them that believe that Carter McGregor could win, that Nate Diaz could win, that Francineineau could win. That's the same kind of true believers Mike Tyson is going to bring with him. Even though it may not even be scored officially, you know, it could be an exhibition with no judges.

Who knows? We still have no idea what the details are of this event. But it does have the potential to be really interesting early or really sloppy late. I think there's a bunch of ways this ultimately could go. Before I let you go, the news broke this week that Canelo Alvarez is going to face Hyman Maggiah. No surprise there. Really the only intrigue involving this fight over the last couple of weeks. But what platform it lands on? Ultimately, it'll be a BBC production, Amazon Prime.

It'll wind up streamed on DeZone as well as a pay-per-view. Look, it's not David Benavides, but if you were making a list of the most marketable Canelo opponents, Mungia certainly in the top three, right up there with Terrence Crawford. Early thoughts on Canello against Mungia. Yeah, I'm excited about it. When we had the discussion a couple weeks ago about which of the reasonable fights that are out there for Canello, you know, be it Burlanga or Benavides or Charles. or Mungia. You know, I expressed excitement about the possibility of a Mungia fight. Like, you know, the most difficult fight of that bunch for Canello, in my mind, is still

Benavita. So I could choose to be, you know, like disappointed or angry about this, but whatever. I mean, this is going to be a fun fight. There's no way that this fight is going to be boring. The atmosphere is going to be tremendous. Mugia brings a nice fan base. Canello obviously does as well. this is going to feel like what a May 5th Canelo fight tends to feel like.

And that, like, at this stage in Canelo's career, that's kind of what I want for him more than anything. As much as, you know, I want to see him tested. I want to see the younger fighters get their crack at him. But ultimately, Canello brings that kind of spectacle that only a handful of fighters can. And that's the feeling that I'm looking for out of this fight. And it's going to produce it. That's what I'm looking forward to. Yeah, I think it'll be a fun fight for as long as it lasts.

Yes. Mungia has done, you know, has done a great job in his last few fights. I think Freddie Roach has been a good trainer for him in his last fight. He is a volume punching high energy opponent. But he gets hit a lot. And when he gets hit by even decent punchers, he gets rocked. Sergei Derivanchenko rocked him. John Ryder even caught him a little bit. You go back to earlier fights.

Spico Sullivan rocked him at one point. None of these guys have the punching power of Canelo Alvarez. I think Mungia is going to be wildly entertaining early. I think he's going to have his moments against Canello. But at some point, a countershot is coming his way. When that countershot comes his way, I think that puts his lights out. I think that's the, that'll be it for Hyman Mungia. But it is what it is.

No problem with it. Canello wants to fight Mungia. It's better than a Burlanga fight right now. It's better than a Jarmal-Charlo fight right now. So it's certainly a marketable fight that will generate, I think, pretty good interest to get towards May 4th. Corey, good stuff, man. I am sure you will be calling a Use Becky fight near you.

Is that what's a, what is there any? It can't be soon enough. Did you, are you taking pride in the rise of the Use Becky boxers? Like we saw Madreemov pick up a world title, Gia soft, knocking at the door. You know, these are your guys, Corey. Yeah, these are my guys. Yeah. Well, and I like, I was calling them when they were fighting on, you know, these like 22 fight

shammo boxing marathons in Russia. But even that, like the pride that I took and being able to call a card that long, that's being taken away from me because these Saudi cards are clocking in at roughly the same distance, same length. So I don't know. Maybe I'm not special anymore. You're always going to be special to those guys, Corey. Thank you.

Always. Corey, good stuff, man. We'll see you soon. We'll see you, see you, man. That's it for this week's episode. My thanks to Corey Erdman for joining the show. As always, subscribe, rate, review this podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify. wherever you download podcast.

And I'll see you next week. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band

with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the eye heart. Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the I Heart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.