Jai Opetaia Defends In Australia, News And More 2024 Awards! | Fight Freaks Unite Podcast

We are back in the new year with our what is usually a "recap" pod, but we need to be creative on this edition and we'll explain more on the 'Fight Freaks Unite Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives and Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newletter return.With no major fight to recap they move righ to a preview of the Wednesday Tasman Fighters/Matchroom card in Australia (DAZN). This features Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika, for Opetaia’s lineal/IBF cruiserweight title in the main event. Also, Australian heavyweight prospect Justis Huni meets South African Shaun Potgieter in the co-feature. Then, there's news:Devin Haney announces he will be back in March and also has signed up with VADA for 24/7/365 testing, which is very rare in boxing. Dan goes over Haney's motives. Also, Willibaldo Garcia and Mexican countryman Rene Calixto, who fought to a split draw for the vacant IBF junior bantamweight title on December 21 in Shizuoka, Japan, have been ordered to meet in a rematch in another attempt to fill the 115-pound belt vacated by Fernando Martinez. And, PBC is planning a non-PPV Prime Video card for February 15 with middleweight Elijah Garcia, coming off first loss, supposed to fight Terrell Gausha and heavyweight prospect Dainier Pero also on card vs TBA.Next, we go over the rest of 2024 awards with Dan. They include the-RoundTrainerManagerUpsetProspect andBiggest storyOf this past year Finally, some nostalgiaJanuary 6, 2007 – 18 years ago on Monday – heavyweight Samuel Peter routs James Toney in their WBC final eliminator on Showtime. Big Dan was ringside at the Hard Rock resort in Hollywood, Florida. He has a couple of rememberances, including a starlett former Playboy bunny being right there with the media row.It's all part of the "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to this feed for all the great content on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!