The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Boxing with Chris Mannix - What's next for Benavidez

Episode Date: March 29, 2023

Chris is joined by longtime boxing writer, Keith Idec to discuss Benavidez's win over Caleb Plant, what's next for David, and if we could see him face Canelo. Later, they dive into the return of Antho...ny Joshua and if a match-up between AJ and Wilder is in the cards. Finally, the GM of Overtime Boxing; Brandon Rhodes joins Chris to talk about what we can expect to see from OTX this Summer. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:03:54 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 Maddox, part of the Volume Sports Podcast Network, Colin Cowards, podcast network. Glad you can join me.
Starting point is 00:04:15 Glad you can join me. We're coming to you live on Tuesday evening on the East Coast. The podcast, of course, comes out on Wednesdays, but you can listen to the show live on Am. Tuesdays before it comes out. So thanks to everyone listening there. A couple of quick housekeeping things before I get into the show. We are nominated for the top podcast in the combat sports category.
Starting point is 00:04:40 So if you're a listener and you want to help the show out, go to sportspodcastgroup.com. You can sign up there, vote for the podcast. If we win, I'll give you all a prize. I don't know what that prize is, but I'll come up with something. Also, new merch is now available. New merch. And my next guest I know is a huge fan of the one I tweeted out earlier today. There is a new merch, new shirt that features Charlo versus Andrade.
Starting point is 00:05:11 Andrade versus Charlo, fight of the century. The fight I have been begging for for the better part of the last four years. You can buy a T-shirt that commemorates a fight that may happen, but probably won't happen and will be talked about for centuries to come because it was the fight that could have saved boxing. At least that's how I currently viewed. You go to volume.com or the volume.com to pick up merchandise there. All right. Keith Ideck, senior writer, boxing scene.com, friend of the podcast. I know he bought a shirt as soon as it came out because he has been clamoring for that fight nearly as often as I have.
Starting point is 00:05:50 Is that right, Keith? Do you have your shirt on back order right now? Look, if I can't get a free one, I give up, you know? That's true. You do deserve a free one at this point. All right, a lot to get into on this episode. I want to talk about David Benavides against Caleb Plant. What's next for Benavides. Jose Ramirez was back in action as well.
Starting point is 00:06:11 And Anthony Joshua is going to make an anticipated return this weekend in the heavyweight division over in the UK against Germain Franklin. But first, Keith, you were ringside for Benavides versus Plant in the weekend. in Las Vegas, a excellent fight, an excellent overall card, but an excellent fight between two top guys in 168 pound division. Caleb Plant looked pretty good early on, using his jab, using his movement, using the biggest ring I've ever seen. But Benavides eventually tracked him down and punished him in the second half of the fight securing for him what was a wide decision win. So give you your impressions on what you saw between Benavides and Clint. Well, first thing, first, Chris, ringside is probably a stretch at this point. We were in the building, but it was a
Starting point is 00:07:01 very good fight. It, look, it was a coming out party of sorts for David Benavides, and I think the fight played out the way that most people anticipated. You know, Plant was going to get off to a strong start. He was going to use his legs, use his jab. He counterpunched well. He was very effective in the first five rounds. In fact, Tim Cheatham, who's a judge who tends to favor were boxers had him up five rounds to zero going into the sixth round. It was closer on the other two cards. But Plant was very effective in those first five rounds. But as I think most people expected, Chris, I'm sure you did as well. Benevides's pressure just wore him down. You know, he's a great body puncher. He throws a lot of punches. He never stops coming forward. He's got a
Starting point is 00:07:42 great chin. And he just wore Caleb Plant out. And I think that's what a lot of people anticipated happening. I thought he would stop him in, you know, the 10th, 11th, 12th round. and that didn't happen. But otherwise, the fight pretty much unfolded as I anticipated it. And I've been wrong a million times too. But in this case, I think it pretty much played out the way most people saw it playing out. So it was a great win for David Benevita. It was a really good event, too, Chris, and the announced attendance was 13,800 and something.
Starting point is 00:08:14 They called it a sellout. I don't even want to get into that. The building holds 16,500 or so. you sell 16,500 tickets. It's a sellout. It's not a sellout just because you put that. If you put eight tickets on sale and you sell eight tickets, you can't call it a sellout. But that's, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:08:33 I don't want to, I don't want to reign on what was a good event. But they did a very good gate. They did between $3 and $4 million in ticket sales, which is a very healthy number, considering that Benevitas had not been an event of this magnitude. I think it speaks to how people are responding to him. and you know again the undercard was was solid i mean you know the undercard was full of pretty good evenly matched fights um on paper i should say and uh two of them certainly played out that way so the event overall was good and it was again i believe in a way a coming out party for
Starting point is 00:09:09 david benavides yeah you you use the phrase went as expected and i would agree with that because it felt like that fight early on was going to be one that at the very least Caleb Plant had a lot of success in because he is a pretty sharp boxer. He has a decent jab and because of the size of that ring, 22 by 22, he had a lot of real estate to work with. So it was set up for Caleb Plant to do well in the early stages of that fight. The question was, when would Benavides be able to track him down? and how much damage could he do over the final X number of rounds of the fight? It really was maybe the sixth round where he started to wear down, David,
Starting point is 00:09:54 wear down Caleb Plant and take control of that fight, forced Plant to do an awful lot of holding, just a lot of holding in the second half of that fight. But eventually was able to land, you know, just a lot of power punch. I forget what the numbers were over the final six rounds, but it was like 170 to 45 or something like that, in terms of punches landed in the final six rounds of the fight.
Starting point is 00:10:18 So it was dominated by David Benevides. I did think it was going to go to a decision, too. I don't know if you predicted that going in, but I thought that it would go to a decision because. I told you're bragging about your betting. Yeah, well, I've had some good runs here, Keith. Just to be clear, I mean, I had Mercito Hesta by decision a couple of weeks ago. Bam, hit on that one.
Starting point is 00:10:40 I had David Benavides. That was bozzly. I'll give you that much. Yes, I also took Jose Ramirez plus 200 by knockout against Richard Comey. That was another one there too. So you're talking to a guy on a heater here right now, just to be clear about that. But my point was the reason I picked Benavides by decision was because he has a lot of knockout, but the knockouts have come against like, you know, B and C level guys.
Starting point is 00:11:05 Like who's the best guy he knocked out? Anthony Durrell and he stopped him on a cut. Like he's got some Romerangulo. He's got some lower level guys. I thought Caleb Plant would do enough to survive to the end of the fight. Got an assist, though, from Kenny Bayliss. You were watching that fight, ringside. Didn't look to me from TV that Kenny Bayliss was doing David Benavides any favors.
Starting point is 00:11:28 He was allowing Caleb Plant to hold on as often as he'd like without warning. And then had some kind of weird warnings for David Benavides as well. I didn't quite, it wasn't the most, it wasn't the, worst refereeing performance I've seen, but certainly not one Kenny Bayless is going to put on the highlight reel down the line. Yeah, Chris, it's interesting because after the fight, David Benavides, for all intents and purposes, said that Kenny Bayless stopped him from knocking Caleb plan out. He didn't really give him the opportunity to do that because he allowed so much holding. I don't really blame plant for holding it because he was he was trying everything
Starting point is 00:12:05 he could to not get knocked out because he was getting worn down. He was cut. He was beat up to the body. and he was ready to go. So he was doing everything he could to survive. I don't blame him for that. But it's incumbent upon Kenny Bayliss or any other referee to not allow that. And it looked from the beginning of the fight, Chris, as you alluded to, it almost looked to me in the first few rounds, like Kenny Bayliss was dying to take a point from David Benavides.
Starting point is 00:12:30 He was warning him excessively. He never warned Caleb Plant for holding as far as I can tell. And he held to the point where you certainly could argue he could have taken a point away. it didn't turn out to matter. You know, the two of the judges I thought got it right. I thought it was a 9-3-8-4 type of fight because Plant started off so well. He did win, I believe he won all seven rounds on all three scorecards, all three of the last seven rounds on all three scorecards. So they were in agreement on how he took complete control of the fight in its second half.
Starting point is 00:13:02 And there was no controversy as Tim Chatham had it a little closer than I thought it was. He had it won 15, 113. again, he tends to favor his movers and boxers, and that was reflective on his scorecard. But the other two got it right. Dave Moretti had it 116, 112, and Steve Weisfeld had it 117, 111, and I thought that's really the way the fight played out.
Starting point is 00:13:23 Yeah, I agree with that. Now, the question is, did David Benavides do enough to get the attention of Canelo Alvarez? That's the fight he wants. that's the most marketable fight in the 168 pound division. That's probably the most marketable fight for Canelo Alvarez, period, at this point. A B-Vo rematch has a layer of intrigue to it, maybe more so if B-Vos drops down to 168 for that fight.
Starting point is 00:13:55 But Benavides is a big-time puncher, a big-time talker, and has just proven that he can be a big-time ticket seller, or at least live gate when it comes to bringing in money. So I guess that's the question that we'll have to consider over the next month, month and a half until Canelo gets in the ring with John Ryder. Did David Benavides, in your mind, do enough to make Canelo think that maybe I should fight Benavides next and put off this bevo rematch that he's been talking about over the last few weeks? Or on the flip side, did David Benavides do enough where Conello says,
Starting point is 00:14:33 I don't want to fight that. And I'm not saying, Colonel Alvarez is not afraid of anyone. He's moved up to light, heavyweight and all that. But from a business standpoint, there are other options. There are other things that he can do. And certainly fighting Bivol again is one of those things. And from a personal perspective, you wouldn't blame him for wanting to get his get back, so to speak.
Starting point is 00:14:53 I mean, he wants that rematch, whether it's a good idea or not, because a lot of people think that he could fight Dmitri Bivol 10 times and he'll lose 10 times. But he's going to want that as a competitor. He's going to want that fight. Now, I don't see him having all that much trouble with John Ryder on May 6th, but assuming he beats John Ryder, I think he's going to pursue the Bibbaugh rematch, whether it's a good idea or not. And that's probably the way it's going to unfold. And then Benavides will have to fight someone in between and then see what happens from there. But the question is, maybe more so, Chris, is who does Benavides fight in between? Because a fight on the PBC side that's being discussed,
Starting point is 00:15:31 internally, at least, it's him fighting David Morel. And that's not an easy fight. That's a fight that David Benavides, frankly, could lose. So does he, and I'm not saying he's afraid to fight Morrell, these guys all fight each other. I get that. But from a business standpoint, would he take that type of risk while wading out Canello Alvarez? Because that's really the only fight in the PBC universe that makes a whole lot of sense on 168 pounds. I don't see Jamarralo moving up to 168 to fight Benavides anytime soon. And of course, he talks about it. All he does is talk about it when you put a camera in front of him. He says, I'm ready to take on Benavides. And if you're Benavides, that's a fight you take in a
Starting point is 00:16:08 heartbeat. Because right now, you're a better fighter than Jamal Charlo. Yeah, Chris, you know how it is. A lot of guys say a lot of promoters say a lot of things that they don't mean. Fighters say a lot of things that they don't mean. I don't envision Jamal Charlo moving up to 168 pounds to fight David Benavides anytime soon. I'm not saying it would never happen. It's just not going to happen. And it's just not going to happen within the time frame that David Benevita needs it to happen because Charlo hasn't fought in almost two years. You know, clearly is going to get in there against a 60-pounder that he'll beat before he would even consider something like that. And that doesn't work within David Benevita's his schedule.
Starting point is 00:16:47 He needs to fight later this year. Morel is probably the guy that he would fight. That's a very good fight. It's not commercially as big of a fight as Plant because Plant is more well-known. and he fought Canelo. They had this heated rivalry over the last few years. But Morel probably would be a tougher fight for Benavides than plant was. Yeah, I would agree with that.
Starting point is 00:17:08 As far as Canello goes, I got to give Sergio more of some credit. I'm low to do that because, you know, he'll listen to this and had himself on the back on Twitter. But, you know, look, not to say Benavides can't beat Canelo, but it's a totally different fight with Canelo because Benavita has showed no fear of Caleb plants right hand in that fight. He's going to be wary of Canello's. You know, Kennello has power and he has speed and 168 is his weight class. That's where he's at his best right now.
Starting point is 00:17:40 You know, if I'm Canello, maybe I say, look, I'll take the Benavides fight. I'll make a lot of money off it. And maybe we let Bevo go off and hopefully make a unification fight against Archer-Betterbev. That's a fight I'd favor B-Vol in. and but even if he won, he'd take some damage in that fight. There'd be some wear and tear from that fight. You'd take,
Starting point is 00:18:02 he'd take something maybe off his fastball a little bit as a result of that fight. Then maybe Canella goes and fights Bevo in May of 2024. I just think from a business perspective, that makes the most sense. Canela Benavides is white hot right now. That is the biggest fight,
Starting point is 00:18:19 marketability-wise, that you can make. If he could just put his pride to the side and say, I'll get to Bevole eventually. You know, that might even be a bigger fight in 2024 if Bevo all of a sudden is the undisputed champion at light heavyweight. I hear what you're saying, Chris, and that makes some sense. But I think there's a lot of risk involved on both sides in that case.
Starting point is 00:18:41 You know what I mean? Like, if Bevall goes and fights better be, he certainly could lose. If Canello goes and fights Benavides, he certainly could lose. What if they both lost? Then no one really cares about them fighting each other again. I mean, it's a fight. It's key still Canelo Alvarez, but what would you make? Let me ask you this after watching Benavides and how you watched Canelo so many times.
Starting point is 00:19:01 Like, how big a favorite would you make Canello in that fight? He'd be the favorite, of course, but not a big one. Two to one, three to one? Maybe two to one. Because Benavides is a lot bigger than him. He's younger. You know, he's not a one punch. He's obviously a type of guy who wears you out with volume.
Starting point is 00:19:24 but he is a hard puncher and he's a brutal body puncher. He's shown a physical guy, yeah. A very physical, you know, rough guy. So, yeah, you'd have to favor Canelo, but he'd be a slight favorite, I think. And it's a very interesting fight, Chris, I'm with you, and that's what I would like to see next. I'm just looking at it from a practical standpoint. I just don't think it's going to be next for either guy
Starting point is 00:19:46 because of the reasons I mentioned before. It also would depend on if Canello could get Bevall to come to, down to 168 pounds because if he's you know that would be an advantage for canello because you know he'd be drained somewhat even though bivol has repeatedly said that he could make 168 pounds he's i would assume not be the same fighter at 168 a weight at which he hasn't fought as he is at 175 pounds so that would be an advantage for canello if he were able to get him if he were able to entice him to do that next um i don't see why bivol you know why that fight wouldn't happen next time. I don't know who Bivol is going to fight in between or if he's going to
Starting point is 00:20:25 fight in between. That's another factor as well because obviously a lot of people thought he was going to fight Joshua Bwazzi. I don't know who believed that he was going to fight Jaime Bungia, but we can get to that later. But who is he died quickly? But I guess who is he going to fight? You know, Bivol might have to wind up waiting until September. And then I guess he wouldn't have fought in about 10-ish months or so from the time he thought Gaborto Ramirez. So, yeah, we'll get to Bebel, but his team told me they've got three options they're working through right now. One, at least nominally, was Mungia.
Starting point is 00:21:03 I don't know who the other two are. And I don't know how you're going to hope to make any money. If it's not Joshua Bootsi, if it's not Jaime Mungia, I don't know who's out there that would generate the kind of payday that Bebele's becoming accustomed to making at this point. So we'll talk about Beable in a minute. Last thought on Plant Benevita's plant. Going to be 31 years old this summer, lost two of his last three fights. Granted, they've come at the highest level. What do you think his future is?
Starting point is 00:21:31 Took a pretty good beating. You know, one thing that Benavides said that came true, he said he was going to put it on Caleb Plant. And, you know, credit to Caleb Plant for hanging in there for 12 rounds, but he took a lot of punches in that fight. What do you think is the future for him? Yeah, Chris, you know, David Benavides said exactly that in the Coast White Press conference. He said, I told you I was going to come here and beat up Caleb Plant, and that's exactly what I did. Caleb Plant, I get the sense from, Caleb Plant has made a lot of money. He's done very well.
Starting point is 00:22:02 He's been managed well. He's been advised well. And he's done very well financially in these two of his last three, even in his last fight, he made seven figures for his fight against Anthony Dorell as well. So for his last three fights, he's made a lot of money. I don't get the sense that he's going to be the kind of guy. he only has 24 professional fights. He's 22 and 2 now. I don't get the sense that he's even going to be a guy that approaches having 30 professional fights before he walks away from the sport because he's done so well financially.
Starting point is 00:22:32 And really overachieved if you look at where he came from. He came from Ashland City, Tennessee. It is not a boxing hotbed. The state of Tennessee in itself is not a boxing hotbed that produces a lot of elite level fighters. And Caleb Plant basically made it to the elite level. He made it to the elite level of boxing. Some people might not consider him quite elite level, but he's pretty good. I mean, he's one of the top five super middle weights in the world for sure.
Starting point is 00:22:55 Top three, according to David Benavides, who just shared the ring with him for 12 rounds. So I see him taking a nice long break, Chris, and assess, I think a fight again. But I think he's going to take a nice long break, let his body heal, then see where he's at, see what's left in the super middleweight division, because I don't think he's the kind of guy who's going to move up to 175. I think he's going to try to remain because he doesn't belong there, frankly. I think he'll try to get an interesting fight set, but he's already fought Canello and he's already fought David Benavides and lost decisively to both guys. So I don't know what's there for him, you know, but he is a name. He's a talented guy and he's still in his physical prime.
Starting point is 00:23:35 But again, I just don't think he's going to be the kind of guy who hangs around too long and is one of those cautionary tales. I think he's going to do well with his money and kind of ride off into the sunset earlier than most fighters. Yeah, I think you're dead on when it comes to to, to, how much money he's made. And I'm curious what the impact will be on him mentally. Does he have the same fire to go to the gym every day, knowing that the next step for him is going to be kind of a rebuilding type fight, maybe two rebuilding type fights to get him back to a level of,
Starting point is 00:24:03 I don't know, does he really want to fight a David Morel at 168? Are the guys at 160 coming up? I mean, down the line, maybe a Charlo fight at 168 is a good one. That's certainly marketable between those two guys. That could be interesting in 2024. but I think he's going to have to decide, does he want to go that route?
Starting point is 00:24:23 One that could take a couple of years before he has a chance to fight in a meaningful, high-level world title fight once again. So, yeah, I'm curious, I think he's probably done for the rest of the year, frankly. I think he'll probably take the rest of the year off
Starting point is 00:24:35 and go into 2024 with maybe some options about how he's going to rebuild. All right, I want to ask you about the other card this weekend, headline by Jose Ramirez. He takes out Richard Comey, in the 11th round of that fight. I want to say first, Keith,
Starting point is 00:24:50 I want to give our pal, Mark Kriegel over at ESPN, some credit for some of the stuff he did during fight week. Sometimes on broadcasts, you get a lot of kind of propaganda with what comes out. Kregel went at Jose Ramirez pretty good during that fight week about him not taking the fight against Regis program. Kind of tried to pin him down on his reasons for taking this low-level fight against Richard Comey and not jumping on opportunities to fight for a world title in his next time out. So credit to Mark Krigal for asking those types of questions on a ESPN telecast. That's where you don't often get those types of interviews.
Starting point is 00:25:28 But Ramirez comes back, kind of a predictable outcome. You know, Comey's long since shot. You know, Tea Fima Lopez probably got the best of him. Lobanchenko took the rest of him. And whatever, you know, Ramirez took out was probably the last of former world title holder, Richard Comey. But do you see Ramirez now going into another big fight, whether it is against ProGre or the winner of Teofimo against Josh Taylor?
Starting point is 00:25:56 Are those the options for him in the second half of the year? Yeah, I think ideally what he would like to do, Chris, is fight the winner of the Taylor-Lopez fight, because of course his only loss is to Josh Taylor. It was a competitive fight. He lost, but he got knocked down twice in the fight, but it was a competitive fight. So I think he's going to want to rematch with Taylor.
Starting point is 00:26:18 If Taylor beats Tiafima Lopez, I think that fight could go either way. And of course, if Tiafima Lopez wins, it's an in-house fight for top rank that would be very interesting to the public, I think. So that's what I think he's going to try to do next. I understand why Mark went after him, because some of the rationale for not taking the pro-gray fight doesn't sit well with people. because if he wanted the fight, he could have taken it. Now, I understand what he's saying about. He had a wedding planned and all that kind. I understand that.
Starting point is 00:26:49 And what he told me, it was a few months ago when I told he said, look, boxing has been put first in my life, my whole life, basically. And my wife raises our kids, and I'm away for training camp and everything. And I promised her we were going to get married on this date with no ifs, and bans or butts about it. And that's what I stuck to. I put my wife and my family first this time and the business second. Boxing fans don't want to hear that, but that's the way Jose Ramirez felt that he's certainly entitled to feel that way and to put his family first.
Starting point is 00:27:20 That said, it does sound like he did not want to fight Regis Progray, and this isn't the first time that he doesn't see. Does anyone? No, and I don't blame them because Regis Progray tends to beat people up. But I get it. From the fans' perspective, you know, they don't think he wants to fight Regis Progray, and until he accepts that fight. They're not going to believe that he does. So, you know, I don't see that fight happening next. Again, I expect him to try to fight the winner of the June 10th fight between Tiofima Lopez and Josh Taylor.
Starting point is 00:27:54 That seems to make the most sense. But beyond that fight and Regis Pro Gray, that's what's there for him, basically, at 140 pounds. He's not going to go fight. They're not going to do a cross-promotional fight with PBC for him to fight Subrio-Metius. That's not happening. So, you know, that's what's there for him, basically. What do you think happens with ProGray? I mean, I saw Ben Shalom this week over in the UK say they'd love to make a Jack Catterall fight.
Starting point is 00:28:21 But just reading his quotes and talking to people on Progress team, it sounds more like wishful thinking than advanced negotiations right now. I mean, I'd love to see the fight. ProGray Caterall is a solid fight either in the UK or the U.S. But I don't know. I'm not optimistic that that fight happens anytime soon. Are you? No, but I understand it from the, from the, from the. perspective of Cateralls people because they're kind of left here holding the bag when
Starting point is 00:28:46 Josh Taylor walked in the fight. So they need him to get into a high profile fight. A lot of people think that he beat Josh Taylor. So I think, and Pro Gray has shown, you know, a willingness to go overseas. He fought in the World Boxing Super Series and everything. So I don't think he would have any problem going over there to fight Jack Caterall to defend his title. He'll make more money over there than he would make over here to fight him. So it's an interesting fight on 140 pounds, whether it's you know, anywhere close to happening. I think you're right. I don't think it is.
Starting point is 00:29:16 But what does Regis do? You know, is he, maybe he's going to wait around for the winner of the Taylor T. Fima Lopez fight as well. But Jose Ramirez is promoted by top, right? And Regis pro greys. You talk to a lot of the same people I'm talking to about that. It just seems like pro greys out there kind of hat in hand saying, you know, I'll fight anywhere on any network against anyone. And there are no real takers right now.
Starting point is 00:29:44 I mean, I'd love to see the pressure put on Ramirez to, look, take a break. You didn't get beat up in this fight against Comey. Went 11 rounds. We have that's a little longer than you hope. But, you know, take a break. And then maybe you come back in June or July and fight against pro grade. And then the winner takes on Taylor, the winner of Taylor against Teofima. Because, like, is Ramirez really going to wait, you know, potentially until November to fight again?
Starting point is 00:30:10 I mean, maybe he will. Maybe he doesn't want to fight, you know, more than two times this year. But Progrey's out there right now with no fight booked, no plans. It wouldn't be that difficult to put together a Ramirez progray fight, you know, for the summer of this year. Well, what that would all come down to, Chris, is with the crux of our conversation here. Does Jose Ramirez really want to fight? Yeah. Because the fight can be put together if he does. But again, I think that he's going to wait out and try to fight the winner of Tiafima Lopez and Josh Taylor.
Starting point is 00:30:41 and I think he's more than comfortable with fighting twice in a calendar year because his minimums are such where I don't think top rank wants him to fight three times in a year because they don't want to pay those purses three times. And the other fight, as I mentioned earlier, is an in-house fight and easier to make. So that just seems more realistic to me. It would be great if we could see that fight. That's a good fight. It's one of the best fights that can be made it 140 pounds. People have wanted to see it for the last few years. I know Regis Probrey is itching to get in there with Jose Ramirez because he does.
Starting point is 00:31:11 Thanks, Ramirez has been ducking him for four or five years, however long it's been. But I just think from a business standpoint, and realistically speaking, he's going to try to fight the winner of the June 10th fight between TIFE Mo and talent. Feels like a good MSG fight. I know that Ramirez is Central California. You got Pro Gray from Texas, Louisiana. But Ramirez won a title in New York years ago. And I think fans in New York would gravitate towards Progray as well.
Starting point is 00:31:42 That feels like a pretty good like Hulu Theater type of fight in the summer. But I'm kind of with you. I'm not holding my breath that that fight's going to happen. A fight that is happening this weekend. Anthony Joshua is back. His first fight since back-to-back losses against Alex and Ousick. He is in phase one now of the Anthony Joshua rebuild where he will take on Jermaine Franklin, whose credentials for this fight is effectively,
Starting point is 00:32:06 I look good against Dillian White in my last time out. You know, one loss, decent fighting style, whatever. Specifically with AJ, like what are your questions coming into this fight? You turn on DeZone Saturday afternoon. You watch Anthony Joshua. What are you looking for with Joshua, first time back since Ussick, first time with Derek James as his trainer? What are you looking for in this fight?
Starting point is 00:32:33 Well, that's the biggest thing I think, Chris, is what does he look like with Derek James in his? corner for the first time. As we hear over and over and over again, you need multiple camps with a new trainer before you really can implement what you're looking to implement with a fighter. And sometimes they never really take to it because sometimes fighters just are what they are and they're always going to revert back to what they're most comfortable doing. So I'm going to be interested to see what kind of adjustments he's made in what was a pretty lengthy training camp with Derek James for the first time, how comfortable he is fighting in the
Starting point is 00:33:06 way that Derek James wants him to fight. And I think that's the biggest thing that I'm looking for from the Anthony Joshua side on Saturday. But Jermaine Franklin's not an easy. I mean, a lot of people are looking at this like this is some walkover, and it isn't because I'm not saying Jermaine Franklin is one of the three best heavyweights in the world.
Starting point is 00:33:24 But I think what he showed against Dillian White is that he's a very competent heavyweight. I don't know that he necessarily beat Dillian White, but it was a very competitive fight. You could make the argument, I'm sure. And he showed that he belongs at this level. So he was rewarded for what he did in Dillian White fight because, I think more than anything, because Dillian White was supposed to fight Anthony Joshua next.
Starting point is 00:33:48 So that's why they're putting him in here with J. Franklin as kind of a barometer to see where A.J. is at. And, you know, but this isn't the first rebuild for Anthony Joshua. He has a trainer, but this is not the first rebuild for him. He's rebelled how many time, you know, this is his third loss. And he's had to try to rebuild himself his psyche and everything after the first. first who, and you have to wonder with a guy like him, Chris, is he's made so much money and he's such an enormous star in the UK. How much longer does he want to fight? And what is he fighting
Starting point is 00:34:18 for? Because I don't know how up he is exactly for fighting Jermaine Franklin, but what is he looking to do down the road? Does he see the Fury fight is realistic? I mean, there's, you know, no one needs to see him fight Usik a third time. So really, the Fury fight is the only thing that people would, it would be. I was wilder too. I still want to see Wilder. even at this day. I've been saying this for, I don't know, six years.
Starting point is 00:34:42 Anthony Joshua is never fighting Deonté Wilder. It's not happening. He just, and I'm not saying that he couldn't beat him, they're not taking that chance with Wilder detonating one of those bombs and just knocking him,
Starting point is 00:34:57 spark out, as they like to say in the UK. I just, it's not happening. I'd be, I'll say this, I'd be stunned if he ever, sets foot in the ring with Deonti Wilder. And again, I'm not saying if they did that he couldn't
Starting point is 00:35:10 beat him. But I just don't think they're ever going to take that risk, especially because what does Wilder bring to the table now? He doesn't have one of titles. It doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when you can pack arenas, stadiums, and such fighting other guys that are less dangerous. I don't disagree with what you're saying about Joshua Wilder. I would say, if he ever did do it, that'd be a hell of a New York fight. If he was going to make a U.S. return and fight there. Ooh, that would be good. MSG or Barclay Center.
Starting point is 00:35:41 That would be a wild scene in New York if he ever decided to fight Deonté Wilder. As far as what I'm looking for, it's kind of along the same lines you are. I need to see if Derek James has re-inserted, reinvigorated the dog inside Anthony Joshua because Anthony Joshua does not trust his chin. Simple as that. It doesn't trust it. It's a combination of the. Andy Ruiz knockout, but it's also the knockdown that Vladimir Klitsko hit him with.
Starting point is 00:36:12 It's also getting rocked by Alexander Poveckin. It's getting rocked in the first fight with Usik. It seems like every time he trades, he gets rocked in these fights. And he doesn't trust his chin, not one bear. At least he hasn't. Can Derek James get him to do that? Can he get him back to being the guy that was fearless in the ring? Because while that was a risky version of AJ, it was.
Starting point is 00:36:36 the best version of AJ. This tentative version doesn't beat Vladimir Klitsko back in what, 2017. This tentative version loses either by decision or gets knocked out. He needs to get back to being that guy if he is going to reclaim his place at the top level. Maybe it's impossible. I don't know. But that to me is what I'm looking to see. Like if Germain Franklin gives him an opening, like say what was it, the 10th round against Dillian White, Germain Franklin got clipped. and Dillian White came in and was looking for a stoppage. If Jermaine Franklin gives him that window, does A.J. come out and just go
Starting point is 00:37:13 guns blazing right at him. Because what was the, I think it was the ninth round of the second Ussick fight when A.J. was stalking Usook around the ring. I'm like, there's the guy. There he is. That's the guy I've been looking for for the last two years. There he is.
Starting point is 00:37:28 And then the 10th round comes and he's back to being the other guy. Like he's just Jekyll and Hyde too often during these fights. So I guess I don't expect Derek James to reinvent Anthony Joshua, certainly not in one training camp, but can he, can the guys at that gym, can being out of the UK for the first time in your career, can that, you know, just bring back the, just the predator that Anthony Joshua was early on in his career?
Starting point is 00:37:55 I don't know if it can, but to me, that's the only question now that's out there about Anthony Joshua. We can still punch, he can still box a little bit, but if he's not willing to trade, he's not going to win many fights, I don't think. You know, Chris, and I don't know that a trainer can change that. You know, that's internal for a fighter that, you know, maybe that version of Anthony Joshua was just gone forever,
Starting point is 00:38:19 and then no one can bring that out of him again because, because like you said, he doesn't trust his chin, which is precisely why I think he doesn't come anywhere near Deonté Wilder, that's, you know, because he doesn't trust his chin. and he's got reasons not to trust it, you know, so he's not the same guy that was fearless against Vladimir Klitschko and went for broke and traded knockdowns with even a, what was Klichko at that point, 41 years old. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:38:46 You know, that person may be gone forever, you know, so it's an interesting fight against Jermaine Franklin. And I don't think it's a fight that Joshua can't lose. I wouldn't expect that to happen, but this is not, you know, he's not fighting. I don't know, pick one of the worst guys that he's fought during his run as a top-level heavyweight. This is not a- Who brought Pulev? It's not a tune-up fight, you know? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:13 I don't look at it that way. You know, I don't look at-home, though. It's winter-go-home at this point. Right. He loses his done. I think that's a, if he loses to remain frank, when I think that's a wrap. I don't think we'll see him bring again, particularly if he got knocked out, which I don't see happening either. But look, the bottom line is, Chris.
Starting point is 00:39:33 Could Jermaine Franklin win seven rounds on Saturday? He used the fight at O2 Arena, of course. So we always like to talk about paths to victory on the podcast. I don't know. In 11 rounds. Win 11 rounds clean with two knockdowns in each one. I don't know if he has a penalty. That might be it.
Starting point is 00:39:50 Based on the circumstances, but. That might be it. We touched on Bebel. I don't really have anything more to add on that. Like, I don't know who Beable is going to fight. I don't know who Mungia is going to fight at this point. I don't know if you have any insight. They're not going to fight each other.
Starting point is 00:40:04 Yes. Mungia's got this June 10th date, you know, at least for now. I don't think that anyone at Dizone is going to sign off on Mungia fighting a B-level fighter. He's not going to fight Edgar Berlanga. I don't know. I don't know. Can they get Gailovkin in the ring?
Starting point is 00:40:21 I mean, that to me is the best chance if Golochkin really wants to fight. But, you know, Gaddae's not really showing much interest in doing anything unless you're going to pay him like what you paid him in the last three fights that he made. And nobody wants to do that anymore. And Chris, he doesn't have the belts now. And now when Began wants to fight him, I saw some for promotions, quotes floating around. And, you know, they want to fight Golovkin now on June 10th.
Starting point is 00:40:46 Like, why? I get it from a, you know, he's the most credible name on his resume by a country mile. But what is the purpose of that? He doesn't have any of the titles. And it's almost like saying something that you know is not going to come to fruition because you know what Gullofkin's relationship with the zone is. He doesn't have the titles now. He doesn't, as you said, seem, you know, as hungry to fight as he once did.
Starting point is 00:41:13 It's going to be, what, 41 in a couple of weeks, I think? Yeah, I think next week, I believe he turns 41 years old. And he's made a lot of money, and he's, and, you know, he's been in some, you know, tougher fights in the last few years and everything. Maybe he just says, that's it. That's enough, you know? And I couldn't blame him for that. if that's easy, you can't fight forever. So what does he really gain, if they paid him appropriately, sure,
Starting point is 00:41:37 but what does he really gain from fighting Jaime Mungia? Yeah, just money at this point. And maybe a guy he could beat, you know, maybe a guy he could be. Yeah. Yeah. Last thing before I let you go, we mentioned Fury, who is now looking for an opponent. I got to tell you, even though it was trending in this direction, I'm shocked that the Furius Fike didn't happen because we are dealing with two guys
Starting point is 00:42:00 who have a pretty solid track record for making fights happen. I mean, Fury crossed the street. Well, I mean, didn't really cross street earlier against Klitsko, but made a deal with Vladimir Klitsko, went to Germany to do it. And then more recently, fought three times against Deonté Wilde there. Made a deal, top rank, PBC.
Starting point is 00:42:19 They got the fight done. Usik. I mean, he just does fights. He makes fights happen, whoever he's dealing with. I'm shocked, to be honest, that that fight has fallen apart in the way that it has. What's your read on that?
Starting point is 00:42:30 Like, you know, any insight to why, we know the rematch clause was why it fell apart, but that just seems so crazy that a fight of this magnitude would collapse over a rematch clause. Like that, it just doesn't really just make a lot of sense to me. Yeah, I'm very surprised that it's not happening either, Chris, because obviously all the titles are at stake and they would have crowned a fully unified heavyweight champion in the first time and forever. So I am surprised it's not happening, but I get the business perspective that he didn't want to give up the type of split and the rematch that they were asking for.
Starting point is 00:43:12 He's the A side, even if he doesn't have the titles. But there's plenty of blame to go around. I know a lot of people are blaming Fury for not wanting to fight Usik. I don't know if that, look, he's never shied away from fighting anyone else, but look, the fight's not happening. And Usick insists that he was willing to do it on mostly on Fury's terms. His manager, Egus Clemmas has said the same thing. So, you know, certainly some of the blame has to fall on Tyson Fury.
Starting point is 00:43:39 But let's see who he fights next. If he fights Joe Joyce, if Joe Joyce wins against John Jolet on April 15th, which is not an easy fight. I know John Jal is he's almost 40 years old, but he's a 6'6, you know, 260, 270-ish, whatever he comes in at can crack, has a great amateur pedigree, faded into that one fight against Jerry Forrest, which was, you know, drawn his record. But otherwise, you know, a lot of people think he beat Philip Hergevich. It was a very close fight, knocked Hergevich down. He's a real guy. So, of course, Joe Joyce is the favorite. But if Joyce gets past John DeLay and Tyson Fury fights Joe Joyce, well, that's not a bad alternative.
Starting point is 00:44:27 know. I mean, Joyce is, it seems like the terminator. He just keeps coming forward, keeps beating guys the people who are expecting the beat. Yada yada. Here he is. You know, I talked to him. I was walking out of the arena with him after the Benavita's plant fight. He just happened to be walking side by side going out of the arena. And I interviewed him for a couple minutes walking out of the building. And he said, yeah, man, he goes, obviously I want to fight Tyson Fury. He goes, but I know this is not an easy fight I have coming up in a couple of weeks. He goes, but I think people would be really hyped up in the UK if we fought each other. Tyson's always shown me a lot of respect,
Starting point is 00:44:58 which I appreciate, and I would love the opportunity to fight him. Look, it's not for all four heavyweight titles, and he's not, Joe Joyce isn't the guy who beat Anthony Joshua twice, but if that's plan B, that's a palatable plan B, much more so than fighting someone like Derek Chasor or something absurd like that. Yeah, Joe Joyce, very credible to face the summer. That's a Wembley Stadium type of fight, too. You do a big, crowd in the UK. That would be a nice save if you're Tyson Fury. Then maybe you can revisit Usik in the fall. Maybe they get the Middle East interested.
Starting point is 00:45:31 That seems to be where you, it's most likely you can get a deal done because of all the money that's, you know, in Saudi Arabia, in Abu Dhabi, wherever they'd negotiate with. But again, I'm just stunned. Those two guys, they get fights done. They get deals done. And now we're going to have to wait a little bit more longer to crown an undisputed champion at heavyweight. Follow Keith on Twitter at iDec boxing.
Starting point is 00:45:56 Read his stuff over at boxing scene.com. If you see him in Vegas on Garcia Tank Fight Week, he'll be wearing the Charlo André T-shirt. He's promised me all week long. So if you're looking for it, it's black, it's red, it's nice, check it out. Keith will happily sign your t-shirt if you're wearing it as well. So Keith, I do appreciate all that you've done for the podcast.
Starting point is 00:46:19 I'm here to serve Chris Maddox, so it's all good. And when we come back from overtime elite, Brandon Rhodes. So everybody listening to this podcast listens for boxing stuff. But you also know that I am a huge NBA guy. The NBA season is coming down to the wire. So now is the perfect time to download Fandul, America's number one sportsbook. Because new customers get a no-swet first bet up to $1,000.
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Starting point is 00:49:09 1-800-5-2-4,700 in Wyoming, or visit 1-800 gambler.net in West Virginia. Welcome back to another boxing with Chris Mannix. As always, you can listen to the show live on the AMP app. Just follow Chris. Maddox on Am. All right, Brandon Rhodes is the GM
Starting point is 00:49:32 of overtime boxing and upcoming summer series that will feature some of boxing's younger stars. The shows will take place in OTE Arena in Georgia and will air globally on DeZone. To talk about that, Brandon joins me here on the show.
Starting point is 00:49:48 Brandon, good to meet you and congratulations on this new venture here. If you could just kind of walk me through kind of the genesis of it. Like, when did, you know, a lot of a lot of,
Starting point is 00:49:58 lot of people, myself included, know overtime for its basketball venture, for getting into overtime elite and being a disruptor in that sport. What brought overtime into boxing? Thanks. First of all, Chris, thanks for having me. Super excited. A big fan of you in the show. I'm excited to tell our story here. So, yeah, as you mentioned, overtime, we've been around for about six years now and really have taken ownership of the Gen Z market and basketball and football and recently have decided to enter boxing with OTCX overtime boxing. We're super excited about it. As you already mentioned, we'll be having dedicated social channels telling the story of boxing, not just the fighters that we work with, but boxing in general, 365. We'll have four
Starting point is 00:50:49 fight nights in our arena in August, which we're incredibly excited about, partnering with DeZone, And we have C4 as our launch partner for the venture. And what drew us to boxing is first and foremost, our audience, Chris. You know, Gen Z was showing and telling us that they're extremely interested in the sport. It's kind of having this renaissance. And you could attribute that to a lot of things. But as we dove deeper and looked at the data, our audience told us that boxing was their number four favorite sport after football, basketball, and soccer. So that was an obvious area for us to look and dive deeper into.
Starting point is 00:51:24 and it was very clear from a content perspective that the young fighters themselves were trying to create content, build audience themselves, but we're also asking for their story to be told. And we know with all sports, but specifically boxing, if you know the fighter story, you're more likely to tune in, you're more likely to care and watch and eventually be a fan.
Starting point is 00:51:46 So we felt that with our audience of 75 million fans and followers, with our ability to create and pump out content, that boxing would lend itself very naturally to our audience, to our capability. And as we talked to fighters and learned a little bit more about the space, it was clear that there was some demand for this. Yeah, I completely agree with the idea of telling fighter stories. I think too often in boxing, you know, good fighters are just kind of thrown together on a platform and there's no real connection.
Starting point is 00:52:20 And because media coverage of boxing has diminished so much in the last 20 years, you don't get that storytelling aspect of fighters. You don't get to connect with them on a personal level. I also believe there is a good market, a real market for this level of boxing. You see, and you can tell me how similar or dissimilar you plan this to be. But Showbox is an example of younger fighters getting a platform. NBC recently had a Ring City series that was a good platform for younger fighters. Do you see similarities with overtime boxing
Starting point is 00:52:58 to what those platforms are trying to do or are there significant differences? Yeah, Chris. I think one of the things that we look at is empowering the athlete when we think about all of our ventures, when it's basketball, football, and now boxing. And a lot of what I heard from fighters and from managers and promoters in the industry
Starting point is 00:53:19 was that there was just a need for more shows because originally this really did start with a content. I'm shocked, Brandon, I'm shocked that you heard from managers and promoters saying there's needs for more shows. I'm shocked that they did. No, because they, of course, they want more shows. They love more shows. That means more money potentially.
Starting point is 00:53:34 More options. Well, more options, more empowerment for the athlete, right? So, or for the fighter. And what we heard from fighters and what we've seen is that a lot of them actually have to go overseas to build their record or work, multiple jobs or even oftentimes pay promoters at an early stage to find somewhere to fight. So why not take what we do so well from a content perspective and provide that as a service to
Starting point is 00:53:57 the athlete, but also give them a stage to fight on. And in our arena in Atlanta is just unlike any other arena that you've been in. It's kind of, if you think of a club show, you know, with 1,500 seats, very intimate, close up, see the action very well. But combine that with some capabilities of your, you know, Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden, mixed with kind of all the digital LEDs that we have that will really light up the faces of the athletes and the fighters. I think it's just going to be a very different experience from something that we've seen, although, you know, kind of going at this prospect level where we think we can help
Starting point is 00:54:34 raise their profile and hopefully help them get to the next level in their career. So I know most managers and promoters listen to this show sub-obsessively so, but if they're listening, what kind of fighters are you looking for? Who do you want, what kind of fighters do you want promoters, managers, etc., to come to you with that would make sense
Starting point is 00:54:55 for this platform? That's a great question. We're looking for prospects who are hungry to get to the next stage, fighters who have a really great personality and a great story to tell. And obviously in boxing, we know the stories are so rich.
Starting point is 00:55:10 But we're also looking for fighters who are ready to, be competitive as well, especially when we think of our main and co-main events. We want them to kind of fight fighters at a similar level and think about it as a stepping stone to get to that next level. So if you come out of OTCX, hopefully that, you know, you've come with some more followers, you've come with the built-up profile, but you've also fought a next level of competition so that you're ready to, you know, graduate to whatever the next level of your career is. are you know boxing of course is a very diverse sport are you looking for more american fighters
Starting point is 00:55:46 is there kind of a what what specifically you know american international Puerto rican and what kind of national is you looking for specifically if any yeah we're completely open we'll probably in the first year folks have a higher concentration of fighters that live in the u.s are in the u.s currently but we're completely open to international as well and we're going to have males and females and also probably a higher concentration of the younger age group 18 to 25 let's say but that's not a hard stop either so we just are really looking for fighters who again are hungry and want to be in front of the camera want to tell their story and kind of want to be able to build their profiles a little bit more how you know in the last couple of weeks or months as word of
Starting point is 00:56:30 this has gotten out like have you heard from most of the major promoters managers people involved in the business and what have those conversations kind of been like? Most conversations have been friendly. You know, I think what our message has been is that we're very additive to the sport. You know, we're coming in at this lower level. We're not looking to compete. We're really looking to lift, you know, boxing into the Gen Z zeitgeist. You know, it's already been growing from a trim perspective.
Starting point is 00:56:59 And we think we can just add to that. And I think that's good for everybody. So that's been our messaging from day one. and, you know, I think if we were coming in at a high level trying to steal fighters or kind of, you know, spend a ton of money, then I think people would look at it differently. But the positioning that we have is, you know, additive overall, and it's been fairly friendly so far. And are you at a position where you're effectively saying any promoter, any manager, anyone in boxing that makes sense with a fight that makes sense, we're willing to work with you? Yes, 100%. Yeah, that's great because one of the problems I think in boxing right now is that it's kind of become siloed off, right?
Starting point is 00:57:41 Where you have promoter X working with network Y, promoter DDE working with network C. It limits the options there. And to be open for multiple different promoters to work together, I think will, has a great chance of ultimately succeeding. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, we've seen how the industry set up. And I think there's, you know, benefits for the industry in some ways.
Starting point is 00:58:09 And my view is just that, you know, we're creating something that's different. We're a neutral party. We're additive to the sport. We can work with anyone who's willing to work with us. You know, I think there's a fair amount of unsigned fighters that are really talented and looking for opportunities. But if a promoter has a fighter that they've already signed that they want to put on our card, we don't see any barrier there to work with them.
Starting point is 00:58:33 What's the key in your mind to making this sustainable? You've got the four flights, as you said, over the summer. I'm sure you want to do more to make this a long-term play for overtime. You mentioned the sponsor, C4. You're obviously presumably getting some seed money from DeZone to do these fights as well. You know, what's the key to being able to do this over two, three, four-year span? Yeah, Chris, the first thing I think about is the fighters. You know, we want to provide them with a A plus incredible experience.
Starting point is 00:59:07 If the fighters love it, if they want to work with us, if we're delivering value to them, then I think that's the first step in making this sustainable. And then number two, of course, is the fan, right? So the fan has to enjoy what we put together, whether that's attending live or whether that's watching on the zone or whether that's seeing a clip on social. All of that content needs to be kind of differentiated and just look special. And then number three, obviously, is our partners, right? So making sure that we have a great experience with Desone on these first four,
Starting point is 00:59:40 making sure that C4 has an incredible experience in what we've decided to work with them on, and other sponsors that come on board. You know, we've have a great track record in our basketball league, OTE, you know, with Gatorade State Farm, Tops, and other. and GM and other partners. And we want to deliver that in the boxing space as well. Were you surprised that the data showed that younger fans were interested in boxing? Because I think the assumption in a lot of ways is kind of boxing skews older because boxing does not do a great job of expanding its fan base.
Starting point is 01:00:16 What it does a great job of is bleeding the hardcore fans for as much money as humanly possible. I mean, were you surprised that when that data kind of came back and it's, suggested that younger fans had a strong appetite for boxing? I would say yes and no. The reason being is that, you know, as an amateur boxer myself, someone who competes and kind of took it up during the pandemic, I was seeing firsthand as a fan, you know, this kind of increased interest and traction and just kind of more buzz
Starting point is 01:00:48 and more content. I think that, you know, the Jake Pauls of the world and that kind of dribbled up some interests amongst Gen Z. the pandemic and the fact that boxing and combat sports were some of the first back, I think all had an impact on this fandom. So we were kind of seeing the trends organically. And every time we posted clips of boxing, they did extremely well. So at a high level, you know, I kind of understood that this was coming.
Starting point is 01:01:15 But then once we did the surveying and actually looked at some hard data, I was a little surprised that it was number four. And our audience actually raised their hand and said eight out of ten of them are boxing fans. Now, are they all hardcore fans? Probably not. But I think that's part of our job is to take some of that seed interests and then translate it into more deeper interests and create more hardcore fans of the sport.
Starting point is 01:01:38 Best case scenario, you get through this four-fight run or four-card run in 2023. What does 2024 look like for overtime boxing? I think it's just bigger and better. We don't know exactly what 2024 is going to hold. Right now, we're just focused, again, on delivering an amazing experience for the fighters, for the fans, for the partners that we have. But, you know, assuming all goes well, we definitely want to expand and just go a little bigger
Starting point is 01:02:02 and do a little bit more for next year. Are you prepared for the headaches that comes with being involved in boxing? It is a sport filled with characters who are always trying to gain an edge. Yeah, I mean, I think we just approach it like we approach in the other business, you know, just kind of stand on our word, you know, do what we say we're going to do, and I think it'll all work out at the end of the day.
Starting point is 01:02:25 Brandon, good luck to you, man. I'm excited about it because I do think there is, as I said, a real place for this kind of boxing, whether it is yours, what showbox is, what NBC Sports was. I think there's a place for it if done well. And you guys have shown with your other sports that you can do it extremely well. Good luck to you and looking forward to seeing it in action this summer. Thanks, Chris. We're extremely excited to get the news out and start working with the fighters and get it live. So appreciate you. And when we come back, this week's picks brought to you by Fandul. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.
Starting point is 01:03:03 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 01:03:28 A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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,
Starting point is 01:03:54 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.
Starting point is 01:04:20 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.
Starting point is 01:04:41 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 blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, time now for this week's picks brought to you by our friends over at Fandul, and I certainly hope that the podcast audience out there bet with me last week,
Starting point is 01:05:11 I had David Benavides by decision at plus 430, and that hit. It hit big time. Benevides scores a wide decision win over Caleb Plant. I just had a feeling coming in. There was a lot of bad blood in a fight like this, but you look at Benavides, big puncher, but doesn't have a lot of knockouts
Starting point is 01:05:32 against high-level competition. And Caleb Plant, whatever you think of him, good jab, moves really well. Then you find out later in the week that the ring is 22 by 22, which gave Kalin Plant more real estate to work with. That to me felt like a good bet, and it paid off big time. I hope you bet with me on that one as well.
Starting point is 01:05:52 The big fight this weekend is the heavyweight clash over in the UK. The return of Anthony Joshua. He is back against Jermaine Franklin, live on DeZone. Joshua's a big favorite here. Minus 1,200 to win, according to Fandul. That feels like a safe bet. I know Jermaine Franklin had a solid outing against Dillian White, but I'm of the opinion that Dillion White is basically finished.
Starting point is 01:06:14 And Jermaine Franklin almost got stopped by him in the latter stage of that fight. Anthony Anthony Joshua was coming into this fight motivated. He's coming off back-to-back losses. He's got a new trainer. He's been working in Texas. All these things I think are going to work in the favor of Anthony Joshua. So if you want to put some real money on there and try to make it back, Anthony Joshua minus 1,200 is a pretty good bet.
Starting point is 01:06:36 Now, where you have a chance to make some money is in the round betting, the group round betting I'm looking at right now on fan duel Joshua to win in rounds 7 through 12 is at this point at minus or plus I should say 150 so I would take Joshua in rounds 7 to 12 that's the second half of the fight plus 155 per fan duel Joshua 7 to 12 to win that gives you a chance to pick up a knockout in the second half of the fight if he decides to to be more calculated, get a decision, you win more money that way. So that to me is the safest of bets and your best chance to make real money if you bet on this fight. So I think Joshua's going to win.
Starting point is 01:07:25 That's clear. I think it might take him a little while to get going early on as he works out how his new trainer wants him to fight. Joshua to win in rounds 7 through 12 at plus 155 right now on Fandu. Bet that, make some cash. Let's keep this thing rolling. Those are my picks brought to you by Fandul. That's it for this week's episode. My thanks to Keith Ideck and Brandon Rhodes for joining the show.
Starting point is 01:07:50 As always, subscribe, rate, review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, 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
Starting point is 01:08:19 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
Starting point is 01:08:35 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.
Starting point is 01:08:56 Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard 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 here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.
Starting point is 01:09:18 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.

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