The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Boxing with Chris Mannix - Matchroom vs. Queensbury

Episode Date: June 1, 2024

Mannix is joined this week by former middleweight champion and DAZN broadcaster Darren Barker. Mannix and Barker discuss Saturday's anticipated 5 vs. 5 pitting top fighters from Matchroom Boxing against the best from Queensbury Promotions, including a win-or-go-home showdown between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang at the top of the card. Later, Austin "Ammo" Williams joins Mannix to discuss his fight against Hamzah Sheeraz, how he has overcome mental health struggles, why he wants to be known as "Tiger" now 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. 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 tauntons 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. guess. The volume.

UFC 302 is bringing the octagon back to Newark for the 10th time. And while I can't guarantee there will be 10 times the action, I can say this. You do not want to miss out on any of the action over at Draft King Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of UFC. It is a banger of a card in Newark with lightweight, middleweight, and welterweight matchups all set to take place in the octagon. If you're new to Draft Kings, just listen up. new customers can get a no-sweat bet up to $1,500.

Just make a minimum deposit of $5,000, and you'll get a bonus bet back in the amount of your original bet if your first bet doesn't hit. So download the Draft King Sportsbook app now and use code Manix. That's Manix, M-A-N-N-I-X, for new customers to get a no-swet bet up to $1,500 if your first bet doesn't hit. Only on Draft Kings, the crown is yours. gambler or in West Virginia, visit 1-800 gambler.net. In New York, call 8778-8-8-Hope-N-Y or text-Y-467-369.

In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9-777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. Void 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 moment. Now with interviews, analysis, and everything going on in the world of boxing. When you have talent, you are given another chance. Chris Mannix. And we are back. Boxing with Chris Mannix, part of the Volume Sports Podcast Network.

As always, I want to welcome in everyone that is listening on the podcast feed. If you are not a subscriber, get over to the Boxing with Chris Manix feed, hit that subscribe button. Make sure you get this pod in your feed every single week.

So we are here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the matchroom versus Queensberry. Five on Five. A huge event is going to take place on Saturday on Dizon. We just had the weigh-in take place evening way. Nine o'clock start for the way, and they obviously want to take advantage of prime time in the UK,

good time over in the U.S., but all these guys weighed in, all of them made weight. Darren Barker is the former middleweight champion. He's going to be on the call on Saturday for DeZone. He joins me, and we run through all these matchups, from the prospect matchup with Hamza Shiraz against Ambo Williams to the win or go home heavyweight

fight between Deonté Wilder and Jay Lee Zhang. A little bit later on, Amo Williams himself, he joins me to talk about his path to this moment. Ammo Williams has been a good prospect in boxing for a number of years, but he's also been through a hell of a lot, some mental health struggles that threaten to derail his career. He's gotten it back on track and he's got a big opportunity coming up on Saturday. Ammo stops by to talk to me about all that. I do want to address off the top, a fight that we are, we did not discuss here on the show. And that is the light heavyweight title fight between Dmitri Bevel and Malik Zanad. And this is a kind of a stay busy fight for Dmitri Bevel. It was supposed to face Archer Better Beaviev on this show.

That's not happening. Better Biaf had to back out with an injury. They're hoping to reschedule that later this year. So Bevel gets a fight against Zanad. He should, frankly, clean his clock. He's just a better fighter. Zanada has not fought anybody on Dmitri Beaville's level. This should be an easy fight for Beaville to win. Look, I'm as excited as anyone else to see a unification fight between Beville and Better Beavis. We have been waiting for, what, five years maybe for that fight.

And if not for Saudi Arabia, we'd never get that fight because neither one of these guys draws the kind of gate or pay-per-view revenue. to satisfy the kind of purse demands that they have. So I'm glad that that fight is still on the books. But, look, Archer Betterbeyev has been hurt so many times over the last few years. I think I saw somebody tweet out like he's had five different delays with his fights in recent years over issues with his health. So I'm just not holding my breath that Archer Betterbeyev is going to be ready to go in 2024. to fight Demetri Beev. If we don't get Beaville against Better Beavis this year, I want Beaville against

David Benavides. David Benavides, we know, is moving up to light heavyweight to take on Alexander Vostick. That's going to be on the Tank Davis undercard. He's already a massive guy in this weight class. I mean, he was a huge 168. He's going to be a big 175. If Benavides gets through that Vostick fight, he's going to be a big favorite, because Vostick, and even though he won a couple of fights since he made his comeback. They haven't been against, been against a guy like David Benavides. So if Benavides gets through that unscathed, like I'm putting Archer BetterBeev on the clock. I'm saying to Betterbeyev, to his management, to top rank, like, you've got till October to make this fight happen. Or maybe even you go all the way to December, because I know they're

going to have the rematch between Fury and Usik in December. But if Betterbib isn't ready to go, in late December, you've got to make this Beev versus... how Benavides fight happened. Like, that's as good a fight or better as BetterBea v. Against Beaville. Yeah, the stakes won't be as high because only one belt

will be on the line, but it's a massive fight. And it's a huge fight both internationally and, of course, in the U.S., where there's going to be huge interest in Bevel versus Benavides.

So I would like to see a clock put on Archer Betterbeyev. He's what, like 40 years old, body all torn up. If he can get to the ring, great. If he gets to the ring healthy, he's got a great chance of beating Bevel,

because Better Beav is still a monster. We saw that in his most recent fight against Callum Smith. But I don't want to see the light heavyweight division held up any longer. If Benavides wins this fight against Vostick, especially if he wins it convincingly, I want to see Benavides versus Bevel in the fall of 2024. for it. And I don't think I'm alone. I think a lot of you listening to the show would say, you know, I'm kind of more interested in that fight than I am with BetterBeave against Beev.

And look, the winner of Benavides versus Beaville, they can take on BetterBef next year. It's still viable. It's still going to be a good fight. So that's my kind of wish list for the second half of 2004. To get Bevo versus Benevitas if we don't get Beaville versus Better Vos. There's a lot of bees that I'm throwing out there. I apologize if I had to pause a little bit to make sure I got all my names right. All right. When we come back, former middleweight champion, Darren Barker, will join me here on the show. 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 what you're 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, 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 ton-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 bowl your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All right, Darren Barker, so let me say first, it is nice to tape with a proper, professional, British, former world champion instead of the usual angry, bitter, sometimes tequila-soaked Mexican that I typically tape this show with also a former World Champion. So I thank you for that. Not my pleasure.

Thank you very much. So we are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the site of this Saturdays, Queensbury versus Match Room 5 on 5. I've been here for just a few hours. You have been here for, what, almost a week now? Almost a week. You have spent more time in Riyadh

over the last three weeks than you have spent at home, correct? Literally, quite literally, but I'm enjoying myself here. We play a little bit of golf, a little golf, but the shows around the events have been so cool. They really have like, first and foremost, I'm a boxing fan. I love my boxing. To be around all of these, I pinch myself every single time. They do it big here.

You've seen yourself. The events are large, the press conferences, the ground arrivals, the way in which I've just come from. It's just epic. So yeah, I'm proud and privileged to be here. What would you, how would you compare the vibe to the fight week of this five versus five versus what we saw a couple of weeks ago with Usik and Fury? Well, it's funny. It kind of went on the backburner slightly this five and five because of the magnitude of Fury,

Usik, it was huge. It was a huge event, you know, the first time in years that something like that had happened, the first time in the four-belt era, as we've talked about for an awful lot. but I think everybody once back home in the UK as well we had Jack Catchell, Josh Taylor, so we went straight into that five week, which was a huge event back in the UK.

And then this five and five weeks started. And very quickly, you were reminded of how big an event this is, how groundbreaking is, how unique of an event this is. This is the boxing version of the Ryder Cup, projecting the scores, etc. When this, I have to be deadly honest,

When this was first announced, I think I was more excited about this five and five than I was for Furiousic. I'm not just saying that. I genuinely was. And yet the buzz has quickly reminded you of the magnitude of this event. This is groundbreaking. This is two promoters with, you know, lots of back history, lots of, you know, storylines between the dads, sorry, Barry Hearn, Frank Warren, that started, that was the initial rivalry, then Eddie's come along and tried to rip the crown away from Frank, and he's done a great job in trying to do so. But this is, this is, like I say,

groundbreaking, I think, Chris, is the correct word for this. And the format is really cool. To your point, it is kind of rider cup-esque. It is, it brings a team element to an individual sport, because even though we see examples of stablemates fighting on each other's card, they're really out for themselves. They're supporting their stablemates, but there's no connection to it. This has a direct connection with your success being my success, quite literally, actually, because we found up this week there's a $3 million pot of gold. To the words out of my mouth. Exactly. I mean, and that's straight away. So, you know, let's give a scenario. Let's paint a picture of, you know, it's all level going into that final fight. Or, you know, it could be a point or two either way,

and it goes down to this last fight. It's wild. versus Zhang is all to play for. You've got some guys on this bill that have not earned nowhere near the money that they'd ever dreamt they would be with this added bonus. And they're screaming at their teammates. They're, come on, please. You know, it's going to be so special. I'm just picturing it now.

The atmosphere between the teams is going to be so good. I cannot wait. So let's run through just the format. so people have are clear on what it is. A win for any fighter is one point. A knockout win is worth two points. Each team has appointed a captain. For matchroom, it's Deonté Wilder.

We can get into the bizarreness of that. For Queensberry, it's Hamza Shiraz, 160-pound prospect contender. Wins for the captain is double points. So theoretically, both Wilder and Shiraz can collect as many as four points in their respective fight. So there is the rules. And like all those things I just laid out there.

Do you like the rules as well? The fact that captains can earn two, knockouts are worth two. Like it incentivizes violence, quite frankly. It's fantastic. I'm all for it. I think, you know, I kind of, I did an interview when I left the way in, and I kind of was questioning, why hasn't this happened before?

You know, it's a great idea. You know, though it is the first, I don't think it's going to be the last. I can imagine there's going to be nations going up against each other. I mean, the obvious one is USA, Mexico. Again, could you imagine that? USA, UK, you know, you can do Golden Boy versus Matrim as well over in the US. I mean, when you have the money that Turkey Al-Sheikh is willing to put up and the Saudi is willing to put up, there's really nothing you can't do, Darren. Exactly that.

Exactly that. And I'm more for it. And I think it will bring a different audience to the sport of boxing, which is always good. You know, more eyes on our wonderful, brilliant sport. You know, people that want to sit down and they want to get captivated by the score. You know, wow, this is all to play for. One fight to go, two fights to go, who's going to get it? Then all of a sudden you think one team's going to win

and this captain gets the knockout. But yeah, I am a little biased. You know, I have strong tires to Matron. Although I will remain impartial on the night. I have a projected score that I am sticking with. So it ran on DeZone earlier today or Friday. We're recording this. What is your projected score?

It's already out there. Okay. So I have it going free two into the main event. Free two matrim going into the main event. And I've chopped and chained a little with this main event. But I like what I'm hearing from Wilder. I feel that even if he was to win this fight, it may be hard to get him to continue to box.

And I'm going with Wilder to stop Zhang. 214 pound wilder against the 282 pounds 68 pound weight difference between the two so that makes my score a very wide 7-2 it's free to going into the final but when I look at my when I look at the fights and look at my score they could easy chop and change all right so let's run through each one of these as part of the five on five let's start with homza shiraz against ammo williams i've called a lot of Ammo Williams fights over the years. It's been a roller coaster ride for Ammo, both professionally, and personally he's talked about his mental health issues in the past. He's actually going to be on this show a little bit later, diving deeper into some of those.

But he's a talented guy, and he's a strong guy. We've seen some recent fights. Cordell Booker was a spectacular performance in one of his recent ones. So I think we're going to get a very aggressive version of Amher. William's fight. I don't know necessarily what we're going to get from Hamza Shiraz. I've seen some of his fights on tape. I don't know about his opponents. He hasn't faced really anyone I would call high quality at this point. What do you expect from Shiraz? How would you grade him? Well, he had a good win last time out against Liam Williams, but Liam Williams was way past

his best. One thing we did see from Hamza Saraj was aggression, like to hold the center of ring. And if that's the case, if that's the way he tries to approach this fight with Amma Williams, who is really fired up for this fight, it could catch fire early. I feel, Ammo, I've been a big fan of this. I really have. We had a few back and forth actually a while back when he was sort of kind of scheduled, or there was talks with him fighting Felix Cash. He was in the UK.

Felix Cash didn't want anything to do with that. No, no. But I've become a big, big fan of Ammo. He's a role model in the battles that he's. face and come through. So I think for people out there struggling, you know, young men and women who may be struggling with mental health, he's a brilliant advocate and he can be very proud of himself. And I like the way he's approaching fights. I like what I'm hearing from him. His last fight against Mumba Yasa, Yasa in Las Vegas and the Conner Ben undercard was very, very

impressive. He showed us a bit of everything and the finish was brutal, or a long, wide, left took. I just feel this is going to catch fire so quickly. And you got to remember, the pot of gold for the winner here is huge, a potential shot at the WBC World Title. It's massive. And it's a tough one to pick. The thing with this fight is I don't think Amo is going to take one step backwards. And he's not being shy about that this week. He said he's going to come right at him. He believes that while Shiraz has that height advantage that if he gets on the inside, Shiraz is not going to know how to fight with him. So I think he's going to try to make it a fight in a phone booth early. I think we're going to learn a lot early from Shiraz, what kind of power he really has,

what kind of chin he really has. Maybe it's the bias that I've seen too much of ammo. But I'm going ammo by knockout in this one there, Darren. I'm taking ammo with the two-pointer. Yeah, it's got to be educated pressure. You can't walk on to the shots of Shiraz. He punches very hard. He's very cute the way he slips in the upper cuts. He looks for the right hand over the top. very, very well-scored fight, a good footwork, takes half a yard out, and he's got to make sure that he's moving his head, he's got a high guard Williams. He can't be plowing forward and walking on. And he's got a good guy in his corner. Kevin Cunningham is one of the better trainers in the US, you know, a disciplined guy, someone that Ammo has worked with in the past. They reunited for this

fight. So I like that dynamic as well. Yeah, I spoke to Ammo on Monday. I interviewed him and yeah, he's very happy. He's at peace. He loves being back for Kevin. in and he just seems a very happy fighter, a confident fighter, a fired up fighter, and that's what we need. There's been, you know, I'm going back a few fights when he fought Kieran Conway. There was times I felt he just switched off a little, and maybe it was his temperament. And I think now that we're seeing a fired up, revved up, Ammo Williams, I'm expecting the best version of him.

And he would need to be at his best to beat Hamza Shares. All right, so who do you get in that one? So this is another one. So you've already scored it, so I'm not asking to reveal state secrets. You've made your predictions known. But the reason I'm stuttering so much is I'm not confident. What I see today from ammo is kind of made me sway a little bit. But I'll give you my initial score, which got me to 7-2, was Shiraz winning on points to two points.

But I'm with you. He could come on so late. this new found aggression is what is required against ammo, Hamza-Saraz. So it could sway, it has swayed me slightly. I can't even get my words out because it's that, you know, it's that close of a fight. But as I had it before the weighing, I had to Hamza-S-Sheraz getting a points win, but I'm not confident. All right, you've got Shiraz, I've got ammo in that one.

Next one up is the 126-pound title fight with Ray Ford. going up against Nick Ball. The variable in this fight for me is the weight cut of Ray Ford because you go back a couple of years and before Ray got his title shot, members of his team would tell me all the time like he's got to get it soon or I was going to have to move up. Making this 126 is really, really tough. That was a couple of years ago. And maybe there's some recency bias here, but a couple of weeks ago, we saw Joe Cordina

lose. And I think part of that was because Joe Cordina wasn't 130 pound or anymore. We saw Josh Taylor lose this past weekend, credit to his opponent. But I think that part of that was Josh Taylor, probably not a 140 anymore. Like cutting that weight is a challenge. I worry about Ray Ford at this weight, particularly in the second half of the fight. Because what we saw from Nick Ball in his fight against Ray Vargas was a guy just keeps coming. And he lost some rounds early to Ray Vargas, but he didn't stop.

And he had Vargas hurt a couple of times in that fight. I think Ray is better than Vargas, but I also think there's the potential to be susceptible to that kind of onslaught in the latter half of this fight. Yeah, I totally hear what you're saying here. But the way he finished Comptov last time in the final round... I mean, that was impressive. Shows that he carries power late, even in a fatigued state. So I lean towards forward in this one.

I think it will be points. I feel ball is going to live up to his nickname once again, the wrecking ball and try and plow forward. I do feel he needs to let shots go earlier. I know it's a lot of pressure on the front foot, but you can't afford as you're going through the levels to kind of think to yourself, I'll get to him later. You know, I'll start wearing him down. You know, you give him rounds away. I think he's got to let his hands go and build, you know, a number of rounds under his belt and get to his opponent. minutes later, but I just feel there's something special about Ford, the rhythm, the slickness,

the speed of hand and foot reaction. And he's a bad man. They're both bad men, to be honest. And I like what, you know, Nick Ball's hardly said anything this week. He means business. He doesn't really mess around with words. And that's been similar with Ford. He's just, he never says anything. No. But what he does say is, to the point direct, and he means what he says. You know, I've been around boxing a long time, and I know I can see when a fight is hiding behind words. These two believe what they're saying. And I just feel, one thing for sure, if Ford does what he says he's going to do and stand his ground and meet Nick Ball, which I'm not 100% sure is going to be the case, then we are in for an absolute barnstormer of a fight. So you're taking Ray Ford by decision on that one.

I'm going the other way. See, we've got different cards here. This is great. But I could, I could. I see where you're coming from. Absolutely. 50, 50, 60, 40 on virtually all of these fights. The next one is the British domestic kind of showdown you've got there.

Willie Hutchinson going up against Craig Richards. Craig Richards is a familiar name to global boxing fans because of some of his opponents, right? He gave Demetri Beable Hell a few years ago in a competitive fight over in the UK. His fight with Joshua Boatzi was competitive as well. It came up short in both those fights, but he has been on this stage. Whereas Willie Hutchinson, not so much, right? Like he has one loss on his resumes. He's come back one, I think, four fights in a row since then.

But this is one of the fights, Darren, that I maybe feel most confident in, weirdly, in Craig. Like, I just think Craig is on a fringy world level. And I don't know, I don't believe that Willie is there, at least not yet. Yeah, I agree with you. It's probably been, you know, though it's a close fight, I've found this one the easiest to pick. and I'm going with Craig Richards. He understands that he can't lose this. He doesn't want to be remembered for his defeats,

though they have helped his stock rise in losing Suboazzi and Bivol because of the performance he puts in. But now he's with a new team, and he's getting better. He says, you know, I'm a better fighter now, and he has tons of experience behind him. I just feel, for me, it's always been about pace of the fight.

It's about not being lazy, and it's frustrated me in the past watching Craig Richards because I know how hard he trains. He was with my old coach, Tony Sims and his brother, Peter Sims, and they train their socks off. So I know the engine's there, but he's a very laid-back individual, and sometimes you see it with lots of fighters. Their personality is kind of the way they fight, and he is very laid-back, but he understands, and there's also a bit of bad blood here, so I feel we're going to see a sharper, more fired-up, red-up, Craig Richards. On the flip side, Willie Hutchinson, he's a very...

very good fight, very decorated amateur as a junior. Won the world juniors very, very good, but that was all as a kid. He's very confident. He was stopped by Lennox Clark. I feel Craig Richards is a bigger puncher than Lennox Clark. And it could be a case of a step too far, a step too far against somebody really, really believes through his defeats that he can be a world champion. Did Eddie make a mistake not making Craig Richards, the captain?

of this team because as you said I won't call it one-sided but it's probably the easiest fight to predict the outcome of Craig's a bigger puncher Hutchinson's been stopped are we going to be talking Sunday morning about maybe Eddie Hearn

making a mistake by giving Deontay Wilder the captain ship We all said it when we was at the initial press conference who's going to be the captain who's going to be captain who was a little surprise when it was Wilder

and not Craig because of the probably the swing you know 65% i don't know whatever 70% Craig richard um but the narrative around wilder being captain is brilliant for me i like that and it may be that little bit we need or wilder needs you know to extract that blood out of the stone so we'll see yeah um now we go to the heavyweights and the first heavyweight fight is for an interim title philipargevich going up against Daniel Dubois. If you had asked me about this fight before we saw Dubois against Gerald Miller, I would have said Herkovich all day long and probably by stoppage. But, you know, Dubois showed me

something in that fight. He showed me a level of resolved. He showed me a level of mental toughness that I didn't see in the Joe Joy's fight. And I haven't seen, I didn't see really against Alexander Usik, who, you know, was beating him pillar to post aside from that one moment, but it's a world championship fight and felt like he kind of gave up in the latter stage of that fight. Did Dubois show you something in that Jarrell Miller fight?

Did he show you enough to make you believe that he can beat a guy who's been kind of a boogeman for the last few years in Filippe Purgovich? I'm conflicted here because I want Dubois to win this fight. I'm all for a Dubois, A.J. fight, perhaps in September. You know, like the Brits,

do well and he's a nice guy he is a nice guy but I just think Philip Hergovich he almost borderlines arrogance with his confidence you know he really believes he's levels above and I have to be honest

it was a gut check for Dubois last time which he passed but Jarrell Miller I mean he's not the post 2018 you know we understand why you know he shades from that don't get me wrong a man mountain who polled on a lot of pressure,

but I'm not hugely sold on Miller these days, if I'm honest. But there was the big box ticks for Dubois, and that was hard, courage. And he passed that, but I just think this perhaps is about leveled. But what I will say is Dubois needs to show very good body language in this fight. He needs to be aggressive. And let Philip Hergovich know, when we sparred, I was a boy.

I'm a man now. I'm an experienced man. Now, I'm a big man. And grab this fight by the scruff and a neck, let Hergovich know from the off, you're in a real fight here. Because I feel Hergovich just believes that he's levels above

and you've got to let him know that he isn't. Which, I'm not, I mean, look, he's got the Olympic background. He's got the unblemished record. At the same time, when you compare resumes, Dubois's resume is a lot better. I mean, Hergovich is the only name, really, on his resume is Jaley Zhang,

And that was a nip-and-tuck fight. That was life and death. That could have gone either way a couple of years ago here in Saudi Arabia. So I think Dubois's got to kind of lean a little bit on that. Like I've been in the ring with some real, real fighters from Ussick to Joyce all the way to Dorel Miller. I've fought at levels above Philip Perkins. I think he's got to lean to that experience a little bit. Yeah, definitely.

He has it in abundance at the highest level. You know, he suffered the good, the bad, the ugly, and you can take confidence away from that that you've experienced it all. but I just feel there's something about Hergovich. We've yet seen the best of him. You know, we've seen glimpses of magic and brutality. And I feel this might be the night that he comes out and really turns some heads and makes a case to be fighting AJ in September. So we were all excited about the potential for Better Beaville being the main event for this car.

That's not going to happen. Beable is going to fight somebody else on the undercard. But as consolation prizes go, Deante Wilder, versus Jay Lee Zhang is a great matchup. And this really is a winner go home for both these guys. Deonté Wilder is in his late 30s. Jaley Zhang is in his early 40s. Both these guys are coming off losses.

I don't think either one of these guys wants to go down the path of rebuilding with one or two fights to get back to the top. It is the ultimate winner go home fight. And there are huge questions, I think, around both these guys. Like can Deontay Wilder summon the fighter that he once was? Can he get that, you know, in-ring killer back? Or is he more the boxer mover that we saw over 12 really disappointing rounds against Joseph Parker?

The same thing with J. Li Zhang. I mean, going into that Parker fight, I was really high on Jaili Jang. I went to Jersey, spent a week with him, wrote a profile. Like, I was all in on Jailie Jeng. And then he goes out there against Parker. And aside for those two knockdowns, he looked every bit the, what, 40, 41 years old that he is. So this is one of those fights where I can think, like, all right,

I think Jay Lejean is the better fighter, but what if he's just washed? What if he's old and isn't the same guy? Or I think Deonté Wilder can still summon that right hand, but what if he doesn't throw it? So, like, there's just so many questions, Darren. I'm the same. I just feel Joseph Parker ripped the fight away from Wilder in that fight.

He held the centre of the ring and he kind of really just confused and outworked Wilder as he did Zhang also. So I feel Zhang needs to be aggressive, needs to be busy. But that's not going to happen. Zhang is not going to be busy. So I feel that will allow Wilder to have a bit more time. He will be allowed to move. He won't be under as much pressure. He's a man mounting, Zang.

Let's not get that wrong. But I just feel you've got to rip the fight away from Wilder. You need to be on him, throw him around, be busy. Let the jab go. Let shots go. Hit him all around the waistband, the arms. And just completely dent him of any confidence. But I don't feel he has the engine, Zang, to be able to do that.

So with time, Wilder will start to grow. and this confidence will start to come back, and I think we'll see him really launch him with the shots, the big long left hook and the right hand. He may miss with a few, and he's got to be careful that he doesn't get caught with the counters, but I just think that lack of pace from Zhang is going to suit Wilder. It will give him more time to mount attacks,

and that's why I am picking Wilder. Let me ask you this. Wilder's talked a lot this week about if he doesn't perform, it's over. Sometimes it worries me when guys talk retirement. I was saying that today, actually. I was the same thing. I'm exactly the same thing with you. I don't know why you're saying that.

Why are you planting that negative seed? Like, Shangle fight to lose 50. Like, he's not talking retirement. It's like, you know, body language. Your body doesn't, your brain doesn't know what your body's saying. But vice versa, you know, you need to give off positive messages. And when you start talking about losing and potentially retiring, I don't see why you would mention that.

is he saying, look, if I lose, that's it. I need to give it all. And if that is the case, and we do see an aggressive Wilder, I back my decision. Well, he just, I was watching the way in, and he spoke to Todd Grisham after the way in, and he brought up how successful he was outside the ring, how happy he is with his seven kids. And that's great. I mean, I hope every fighter that retires is as happy as Deonté Wilder seems to be. But I watched that, and I don't believe that the, it doesn't make me believe that the killer within has reemerged, you know? And like, that's what we're looking for. We're looking for old Deonté Wilder, the guy that the seek and destroy Deonté Wilder.

And look, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but how he sounds this week is not making me believe we're going to see a very different version than what we saw back in December. Yeah, maybe I'm hopeful. And I agree with you. I think Malik Scott's got a huge job to maybe slap him in between rounds and to say, what are you, come on. Is that hard, though, like, in your mind, like, Malik Scott, his strengths

in boxing was as a boxer. Like, is he making Deonté too much of a boxer? But surely, surely he understands. I mean, I have to say this, one of the worst fights I've ever watched was Malik Scott, Louis Ortiz, in Monty Carlo. It was awful.

And maybe, you know, Malik Scott must understand it wasn't a good fight. And his charge, Deontovolos, cannot afford to fight like that. He needs to be aggressive. He needs to be spiteful.

And I'd like to think Malik's got, has the knowledge, the mindset to understand that. And I just feel he's got an important part to play. I hope we see the old one last rodeo. If this is to be, even if he goes out and loses, go out on your shield. Come on, show everyone just one last time that there's that little bit of fight left. and if it was a brutal finish and a brutal knockout of Zang because I'm kind of picturing that moment

David Hay wobbles value there and there's the legs go jelly and I'm just visualising something like that from Wilder and him getting the finish with that big right hand a fight that we've always spoken about in the UK is AJ Wilder

that will sell out Wembley Stadium twice so yeah I'm I'm free to on that final fight and I'm going wilder stoppage. Look, and if he wins, I know there's been some talk of Wilder fighting Jared Anderson.

I think that would be a mistake. Like you don't go in with a young, maybe you beat him. I don't know. I don't know if Jared Anderson is any good. But he's young, he's strong, he's heavy-handed. Like, that's the wrong fight. Like, to me, if Wilder wins, straight into Anthony Joshua, I don't care if there's no titles on the line.

I don't care if you fictionalize the WBA belt. I don't care what you do. But in September of this year, it is wilder. Wilder against Joshua, but you cannot afford to have Wilder fight Anderson and Joshua fight Hergevich and hope that they both get through that unscathed. Like that's the fight, right? Like that has, now would be the time. It's got to be now. It's got to be now. And you can build that fight massively. You know, there'll be a world title on the line, both coming off knockouts, if my prediction is right. It's massive. Back home in the UK that sells out Wembley

Stays him twice. I don't care. You know, there's so many fans of anti-Josh. Joshua, they understand who Wilder is. The general public even do, I would say, to a degree. It's massive. It really is big. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Wilder just sells off into the sunset. But that carrot, bang. Yeah, I don't think he'd give up the financial carrot either on that one.

No matter how much money you have, it's always good to get a little bit more. And AJ is going to be ringside for this fight. I saw Ben Davison, his trainer in the lobby earlier today. So he's going to be there, probably either looking at Hergovich, but also if Wilder wins, we could finally get it. Yeah, scrap that. There is absolutely no way Wilder is retiring if he'd be

Zang and that AJ fighters there. Yeah, that's ridiculous. I have one more idea to make you a few bucks in your life. If we happen to cross paths with Turkey Al-a-Sheik on Saturday, I'm going to suggest

a senior tour 5-on-5. And one of the fights... Sign me up. One of the fights I want to make is you and Sergio. Darren Barker versus Sergio Amora, both of you can take yourself in Canisio tape in the weeks and months before the fight. Sergio said he can go eight rounds at most. So if you'll take an eight rounder, I will pitch the eight rounder.

So I can do the UK some justice and beat a Mexican for a change. And Sergio, we know can't punch, so there's no danger there for you. You're good to go to distance. We'll have a shoot out for three rounds and to see who the last man standing is. With both your knees just kind of like, we've got to stand there. We're done. we're done. Darren, good stuff, man. I always appreciate you stopping by.

My pleasure. Thanks having me on. And when we come back, my conversation with Ammo Williams. 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 what 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 ton-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 blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, M.O. Or are we calling you Tiger now? Is that the official Austin Williams' new nickname? You know what?

Austin Tiger Williams is definitely what it is. I think ammo will always be there. I mean, it's so ingrained in people's minds. It's so ingrained in people's hearts. Ammo is never going anywhere. Ammo got me to this point of, you know, existence. So it'll always be there, and I know that. But who I'm personally grown into and, you know,

the way that I'm going to represent myself and things that you guys were seeing in the ring from me, Tiger is going to make a lot. have more sense. So why did the change? Well, you know what? I wouldn't call it a change. We talked to my family, my grandmothers and things. They always call me tiger.

I always had tigers and stuff all over my room. I would draw illustrate growing up. I would draw tigers and things. I've always been fascinated with the tiger species. And as time went on, and, you know, I do a lot of different things. I'm an artist and boxing and all that. As everything came together, it just been a part of my personal evolution. And the more and more I get to know myself, the more and more I grow as my own person,

I can only express the level of understanding and not having myself at a certain period of time. So, you know, two years ago, three years ago, yeah, it was Ammon Williams. That's what I was consumed in. And you keep working, you keep moving forward, you keep growing and evolving. as a person and that's where I am now. So Ammo is almost the perfect boxing name, right? Because it's just the physicality, the nature of boxing. How did you get that nickname?

Ammo actually came from one of my best friends, Ralph Igbochwe. My first boxing name actually was The Natural, The Natural. That was my first boxing name. Yeah, Austin, the Natural Williams was my first. boxing name, but I ended up wanting to get rid of that because I felt like it was too, it didn't represent me enough on the cerebral side of boxing. I felt like it kind of took away from how much mental work I put into the game. So I got rid of the name and at a certain point in time I was just Austin Williams.

And then my guy Ralph, he was like, ammo, ammo just makes sense for you. And I was like, well, probably ammunition. Yeah, I said that. He was like, no, no, ammo is catchy. And I text my sister. I was like, you like the name, ammo? And she was like, yeah, what, like, who said this? And then from there, I just went with it.

And then I was still an amateur at the time. So everybody just took on to it, started calling me. And then it made more sense because, you know, all the different things that have in my artillery. I'm a very versatile fighter. I can do a lot of different things, you know. So I just stuck. you know like I said people just start calling me and that almost people call me ammo more and they

call me Austin so that's how that name came about and that's how you know we are where we are now all right so whether it's ammo or tiger uh you are one of the best 160 pound prospects in boxing right now and you're facing another guy that is considered to be on that level i saw you saying this week that you believe there are levels to this sport why do you believe that you believe there are levels to this sport. Why do you believe that you're on another level than Housa? Well, I just go based off experience all the things that I've been through in the ring, Madison Square Garden multiple times, MGM Grand multiple times, O2 Arena multiple times, all the sparring I've had, David Minavita as Calvin Smith being basically side by side of a Regis

program as he came up and just seeing the whole World Championship pursuit unfold. things of that nature just gives you a different level of experience that you cannot mimic. You have to go through it. You have to be in that world. And ever since 2019, when I went pro, I've been in that world. I haven't been off of the scene. I think Hamza is pretty new on the scene. I didn't really know about them until September of last year because I personally went

and started scoping the division to see what was the best fight for me. and I hit up Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith and everybody, Sam, Katkowski, I hit everybody. I said, that's the fight to make because that's the fight I need to keep myself on the same trajectory that we're on. And this is kind of pulling him into that world and maximizing the fact that he's just now getting that big exposure from like the win from Liam Williams and things like that. I said, okay, we can capitalize on top of that. But people have to understand. I did Anthony Joshua one fight before Katie Taylor in my second fight. I'm used to the lights.

This is my life. You know, I've been submerged in the deep waters since I started. If it wasn't on a, you know, a scale of my opponents being extremely hard, it still was on a scale of handling the lights and the big time nights and stuff since my second fight. So I've been just, I've been. I've just been growing in a certain light for so long that it's just levels to it. It's levels to my comfort in this arena. It's levels to my comfort in this world.

This is where I belong. This is just me. When you think ammo, you think big fights. You think big cards. You think design. You think matchroom boxing. You don't think of me at low level at any point in my career. And that's what I say, you know, experience with the sparring and all that I've been doing.

on a totally different level and guys see it when we get in the ring and you see it on like think about cordel booker and i was going to fight him you know he was touted as a really slick fighter he had a lot of really great qualities about it so but then when he got in a ring with me for some reason just look completely different that's not by accident that's because of what i really present when i get in the ring with people and i think it'll be the same when i get in the ring with humza it. Yeah, I thought Booker was going to give you, if not some troublesome rounds, for sure. And that didn't turn out to be the case. I was talking to Eddie about you last week. And we were talking about kind of the journey that you've been on over these last few years.

I mean, we watched you rise very early in your career with Matchroom. You seem to be on a fast track, you know, 2021. You know, you got a good slot on that Chocolate Tito Estrada card, another big card that you could fight on. But when you think back to those days, there was obviously things going on in your life at the time. What can you say about what was kind of going on in the life of Austin Williams in those days? In the life of Austin Williams, I was discovering myself. I was such at the beginning journey, the beginning of the journey of discovering myself of discovery maturity. I was really a kid. You know, I'm still not, I'm still a kid, man. I still have fun.

I still dance. I still sing. I still make music. I still hang out with my family all the time. Play with my dog every single day. We go to the park. You know, my maturity is at a different pace because I've been taken care of, man. I've been able to experience a lot of things and just I've been put into a position where growth,

my growth didn't have to be expedited. Like, I really was able to grow through all of my experiences and keep that lighthearted youth about myself. And when I was early in Chocolate Tito stage, when I was on that, I was really a kid taking all that stuff in. And that's the difference, I believe, between me and a lot of these other people. The fact that I'm still so colorful.

I am the guy that I wear a tail. Because it's just who I'm accepted as. You know what I mean? And just truly being an artist and stuff like that, I have a lot of, this makes me just very thankful of my life and Eddie Hearn and people like that who've just given me all of these resources and new things I could take in

and learn and grow. And that is why people can see, you know, I'm eccentric. I'm different. I bring something different to tell because I truly am, you know. And I'm just developing, man. I'm just developing at a different rate, but it's so dangerous because I am still tested. You see the people I fight, they still give me real test and they give me, you know, I just can't even explain it.

Look at where I'm at, man. I'm in Saudi Arabia. a 5B5. Biggest, this is the biggest event I've ever experienced in my life. And I'm here as one of the top guys. You see all the coverage and, man, that's who I am. You know, there was, I'll admit, there was a time that I wondered if you were going to become kind of a cautionary tale, that the things were not going to bounce back for it.

Just some of the social media activity that was going on there. and, you know, in the boxing world, we kind of talked about what was sort of going on with you and were you going to be able to get it back. Like, how dark were some of those days for you at that point? Oh, man. Some of those days, I really had to just hold on to the face. I couldn't see. I didn't know what was to come. It was a point in time where I was in Tucson, Arizona, where Eric was, my current cut man. I had a job on a ranch. I had to get up every day. I was living. off what a hundred bucks a week i was living off a hundred bucks a week for food i had to go get on a city bus drive way down to you know go take care of horses and stuff like that my life was

it wasn't a middleweight world champion life it was uh definitely recovery it was definitely uh an invest an investment from everyone who could see the end goal but it was so many steps to take to get myself back on that track, that was a time that earned my respect from everyone. And I think it was a mutual respect that was earned from everyone because none of us knew how it would go. No, none of us knew. The money wasn't major. The accomplishments at the time wasn't major.

I could have fell off the face of the earth and two years could have went by and nobody would have known who I was. So that was a dark period of time in my life. but I say dark period of time, but actually that was the most enlightening period of my time, a period of time of my life because I was able to get things that, tools that I didn't understand what they would do for my life

at the time, but now in moments like this, all of the things I went through in that dark period or whatever, all of the things I learned, all of the stuff I went through, it provided me so much, it provides me so much tools and resources that I use today that put me above the opposition, you know, and that's another thing that makes me say, you know, like life without trial,

life without real tribulations, it doesn't take you far. You don't go through some major things. You will not emerge as like a golden goose. If life is just very bland and on the surface, no big anything, no big downs, no big highs, then you, you just ride that streamline, you know, but for me, even with going to Kevin Cunningham, I was able to go to Kevin Cunningham because I had to go to the right place at the right time, a coach that I could handle all the craziness that was going on, who was familiar with something like that, and knew how to maximize a fighter.

If I didn't go to that dark place, I never would have got a world champion coach. So everything balances out is just all about do you keep moving forward in your dark spots? You keep looking for the gyms. Do you keep looking for the lessons that the dark times provide for you? Because if you're looking for that, then you'll get the greatest lessons. But if you succumb to whatever you're going through, then it'll just be open for you. Was there a breakthrough for you in those days?

Because I remember calling, like, your manager, Sam, and calling Eddie and calling the matchroom people, wondering kind of what was going on with you. I mean, hell, you did a, you made a disc track about your promotion. There was stuff out there that made me wonder, you know, were we going to see you kind of drift off, you know, sort of into the wilderness? What was there a moment that got you back on the right path? Yeah. I mean, the moment that got me back on the right path was the moment where I went into recovery from going to the psych war to go into rehabilitation, mental health rehabilitation. It was a point in my time in my life where it was so hard for me to talk about that.

You know, I actually lost a child due to abortion. Some I never thought that I would go through in my life. That was one of the main things that kind of made me go crazy, dude. I lost my mind because in my family, that's not something that happens. We don't. That's just so against what we go through. And, you know, I'm such a spiritual guy and I had attachments. stuff. And I, you know, it was a lot of stuff that happened behind the scenes that I haven't even

opened up about to the public yet, which is why some of the stuff seems so outlandish or crazy or not. It didn't make sense. But now that I am past all of those things and now that, you know, I've been able to come to terms with what I was going through and even being and far enough removed from that mental health stuff, it's a liberating feelings. Because at first I was embarrassed, dude. I mean, nope. You go from being on top of the world,

fighting Madison Square Guard and London, all that, to people calling you a crazy man. And it's pretty much known that you in mental health recovery. And people are used that type of stuff against you for the rest of your life, you know, trying to balance that. And then coming back to fighting and also, And also right away, you remember right away, I had to jump into talking about mental health

and talking about stuff that I wasn't fully recovered from. Even though I kept fighting and stuff, I still was dealing with figuring out mental health. I was 23, 24 years old, 25. I was nowhere near true maturation as a young man. And I still had to take that platform and do the best I could with it, try to tell people that it's okay.

Try to even enlighten people about the resources that are truly out there for people who do deal and suffer with mental health. And a community that comes from, most people when I look past mental health and suffer from these things, you know. And I actually grew up thinking that, you know, mental health and stuff wasn't for someone like me.

it was that's like something for like a suburban kid you know growing up rich they're the ones who have depression they're the ones who have PTSD there's the ones who have those things but when you go and you learn you get the knowledge you realize almost everybody has some sort of mental health complication um and the more the faster you're able to face it and get the proper help for it the faster you can actually use your complications to your benefit because once you learn how to balance out of these things, they actually become beneficial for your life as long as there's a balance there. So yeah, man, it's been a very crazy journey for me. It makes me feel a little emotional right now just thinking about all the stuff that I've been through and all the people

who still believed in me, you know, even through the craziness. Look at my team now. Look at me in Eddie Hearn's relationship now, the things that me and him went through. actually made us closer. You know what I mean? Because you see things through when you build a relationship with something, you know, someone through something like that.

There's so many explanations and things that have to go on for you and that person to get back. And then also, too, him being involved in my recovery. That made us close because I'm sure he learned things about recovery and mental health that he didn't know that will now make him a bad.

better promoter or make him, you know, more aware for a kid or somebody who might be dealing with some, and may be able to help them before they go too far up the deep end, you know, so it's all a growth, a collective growth from everybody around me, and I'm very grateful for it. Yeah, and one of those people around you is Kevin Cunningham, who's in your corner for this fight. What is Kevin meant to you both on a personal level and now that you've reunited with him on a professional level. Oh, well, being with Kevin Cunningham, it definitely taught me a lot of things that I needed to learn in a hard light.

But as I got removed from it, because you remember, I end up going back to my team, my original team for a few fights. And it was just like every single day, something he told me, a lesson he gave. me and stuff, it popped in your mind. And it was just like, it was what I needed to take it back to the beginning of that interview. Like I was saying, and my life has been very good. I've been blessed with a lot of, you know, great experiences and stuff. And it wasn't as hardcore for me.

But now, you know, I've got a different respect for that military kind of mind, that strict, straight to the point, no BS in between, no fluff to. get the work done, that has really, really marinated in me. And now that's how I handle business. It's the way I approach life. I'm so much more just straight to the point as a man. And I see how much more productive I am. I see how much more reliable I am to my family members. I see just basically the core foundation of who I am has just become a lot more solid and a lot more. I trust myself a lot more. That's what brings the greatest

performances out of me. And that's what also took my level of discipline to the next level, which made me into a next level fighter. And you don't understand those things when you're first and swelled. And you're just like, dang, this man, it's hard. This is the hardest train I've ever had in my life. Man, it's tough. It's strict. It's

mean. But then as time goes by, you see how serious this game is. You realize that people who care about you the most, they're going to be the ones who are going to be on you like are that they're the ones who are going to make sure that there is no games and no flus in between because we're really going and they're risking our life and he's sending me out to battle at the most compared state possible.

All right. Well, last question for you is we have seen the tactical boxer in Austin Williams against guys like here in Conway. We have seen a seek and destroy type of fighter against someone like Cordell Bull. or without revealing all your game plan here. Like what version of Austin Williams are we going to get on Saturday? You know what? This is not even, I don't care about revealing the game plan.

I'll tell you exactly what my mindset is. I'm going in there. It is war. It's straight war. I've trained harder than I've ever trained in my life. I've ran harder. I sprinted hard. I've punched a bag part of it.

My sparring partners, they came through for me, man. We had the hardest sessions ever. It is total war from beginning to the end. This won't be a tactical pick you a point part, try to get points type of match. I'm fighting with my heart and my soul. This fight, you will see, you almost see me be like a wind-up doll.

Like I'm going in there and I'm just letting myself loose go. It'll be a battle of attrition, as I said before. I want to feel exhausted in between each round. I want to feel like I've given my heart and soul to every punch I've thrown. Yes, that's what I'm doing. That's what I trained to do. And it's not a secret. I'm not trying to hide a game plan from them at all.

I've been telling everybody exactly what I'm going to do, and you guys are going to see it. It's almost going to look like I'm flying into it there. Well, Austin, I'm ready for it, man. It's going to be a great event and a great fight in this 5-on-5 over in Riyadh, man. Good luck to you on Saturday. Can't wait to see you back in the ring. Thank you very much.

I appreciate you. I supported me, even when stuff got a little bit crazy. And, you know, life might get crazy. Yeah, nothing is ever perfect. Looking forward to it, man. Appreciate your time, Austin. That's it for this week's episode. My thanks to Darren Barker and Ammo Williams for joining the show.

As always, subscribe, rate, review this podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you download podcast. I will be back with a fresh episode after the five-on-five fight. on Sunday morning. Stick around for that. And maybe I will be able to track down Sergio Mora. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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 Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.