The Boxing Esq. Podcast

It was a pleasure to have back on the pod - writer from The Ring and the Saturday Night Boxing blog - Adam Abramowitz. Adam and I recapped Saturday Night’s Ring IV - Night of Champions card - going in depth on Abdullah Mason’s hard fought win over Sam Noakes, Bam Rodriguez’s masterclass KO over Puma Martinez, Devin Haney’s underwhelming win over Brian Norman and David Benavidez domination of Anthony Yarde. We also got into what’s next for the victors. We also talked about the state of PPV in the sport and how just in the last few years there have been many fluctuations in pricing and differing approaches by promoters and networks. We discussed DAZN’s plan for at least 12 PPVs in 2026 and we went through our lists of 12 potential PPVs (or fewer) that we thought were worthy of the PPV designation in 2026. It was a fun and interesting one - hope you enjoy.

My guest this episode is local promoter Larry Goldberg, of Boxing Insider Promotions. Larry has a show coming up on Friday at the Tropicana in Atlantic City featuring unbeaten junior middleweight Justin Figueroa in the main event with Heavyweight contender Otto Wallin returning in the co-feature. We talked about how Larry started out as an online journalist, forming one of the first boxing websites covering the sport - boxinginsider.com, and how he’s made the transition from journalism to promoter. We also discussed the trials and tribulations of being a club promoter in the NYC area. How the costs of doing shows (including the most expensive insurance in the nation) makes things very difficult. Larry also spoke about his acceptance of being capped at the club level and maybe becoming a feeder promoter for what he believes will be the Zuffa Boxing/TKO takeover of boxing. It was an interesting one - hope you enjoy.

My guest on the podcast is Erik Magraken, a managing law partner at McIsaac & Company in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, who has done work with the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and maintains the excellent Combat Sports Law Blog that is a great resource for combat sports issues. We discuss the bill proposed by Georgia Congressman Brian Jack to amend the Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and curtail the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000. They’ve named the bill The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. Erik and I discuss whether this bill is actually about reviving American boxing, or is it just cover for the UFC to bring their practices of being the promoter and sanctioning body over to boxing, We also get into the support that the ABC lent the bill and whether they consulted with the Athlete’s Voice Committee or even their full membership before endorsing the proposed bill. We also recap what’s good and bad about the status quo under the Ali Act and how things may look if this proposed bill is passed and become law. It was an informative conversation - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on the podcast is one of my favorite storytellers in the sport and one of my favorite writers in general, Mr. Jose Corpas. Jose has a new book out called the 4-Belt Error, where he retroactively goes back in time and issues belts to the deserving fighters of yesteryear to put them on an even footing with fighters of today who have more opportunities to win belts and be called a champion. We got into all aspects of the book and talked about some the fighters of the past who deserve to held in higher esteem, including Peter Jackson, Willie Meehan, Luis Firpo, Dave Shade, Kid Azteca and Rodolfo "Chango" Casanova. We also talked about Jose’s family and roots in Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Brooklyn. His fandom for the Pittsburgh Pirates and neighborhood hero John Candelaria. We spoke about his previous books Black Ink and New York’s Greatest Fighters and finally, we got into what he thinks the future of American boxing looks like. It was a fun, wide-ranging and informative conversation - hope you enjoy.

I’m finally back with my friend John Nash from the excellent Hey Not The Face Podcast. We got into all aspects of the newly announced Saudi-TKO team up to do a so-called boxing league. We discussed both Dana White and Turki Alalsheikh’s statements about the league during their press tour this week. We also talked about what this league would actually look lime and its likelihood of success. We then talked about how this league fit in with the rest of the Turkiverse and how it differs from the Riyadh Season, Ring Magazine and WBC Grand Prix events that Turki or Saudi are funding. We also queried how some of these entities might not withstand Ali Act scrutiny. It was an informative conversation - hope you enjoy.

This week's guest is promoter Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions. We talked about Tom’s upcoming show on Friday at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California featuring his newest Abel Sanchez trained Kazakh - Saddridden Akhmedov. We got into the origins of 360 Promotions and what it’s like for a smaller promoter in the US who isn’t on a major tv network or streaming service. We also talked about his star fighter Serhii Bohachuk and his date in Riyadh in February, Tom’s relationship with Dana White and how UFC Fight Pass has been integral in helping him develop his young fighters. Tom also recounted his days as a promoter of GGG and the Klitschko brothers and discussed what he thinks about Wladimir’s rumored comeback at 50.

Always great to have my good friend writer Brin-Jonathan Butler on the podcast. Brin has written extensively about Mike Tyson and was the perfect person to discuss the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul event with. We got into the good, the bad and the ugly about the event including the historic viewing numbers, and the great rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. But we also discussed some of bugaboos with the announcement team, the god-awful problems with buffering issues and the unfortunate interview where we had to see Mike Tyson’s bare ass. We also discussed Brin’s interview and upcoming feature in The Ring on Oleksandr Usyk. We do a quick and dirty recap of the first fight in May 2024 as we look forward to their rematch in December. We also briefly talked about the verdict in Conor McGregor’s civil rape trial and how that might affect his career going forward. Always a great conversation with Brin - hope you enjoy.

My guest this week is Matthew Brown from Brunch Boxing. We talked about how Matt found his passion for the sport of boxing by following the inspiring comeback of Big George Foreman. We got into how he further developed this interest in the sport on Twitter and eventually formed Brunch Boxing both its website and podcast. We then analyzed the big fights from this past weekend featuring the homecoming bouts for Keyshawn Davis and Jaron “Boots” Ennis and the respective undercard fights of interest. We also discussed a few stories that Matt has broken on the Brunch Boxing website including the sale of Ring magazine to the Saudis and the implications for boxing media and the sanctioning bodies. The ongoing controversy involving the WBA, Fight Fax and BoxRec. And finally we talked about what’s up with the PBC - what we can expect from the PBC for the rest of 2024 and what their schedule may look like in early 2025.

Very happy to have as my guest this week one of the best boxing writers and podcasters in the business, Tris Dixon, author of the critically acclaimed Damage and the editor at boxingscene.com. We discussed Tris’s journey from growing up in the woods of England to training as a boxer under Kevin Rooney in the Catskills and Matthew Saad Muhammad in New Jersey. We also talk about his transition into becoming a boxing writer and eventually being named editor at Boxing News. We talked about his excellent books - Road to Nowhere and Damage, which I highly recommend. We analyzed the big fight card from this past Saturday featuring the fight for the undisputed light heavyweight title between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitri Bivol and we also discussed the continued rumors of a Saudi boxing league and Dana White’s potential involvement It was a great conversation - hope you enjoy it.

I’m excited to have my good friend Scott Shaffer, partner at Olshan Frome Wolosky and senior writer at Boxingtalk, as my guest this week. We go in-depth—count by count—on Devin Haney's recently filed lawsuit against Ryan Garcia, Scooter Honig, and Golden Boy in the Southern District of New York and compare it to similar cases in combat sports. We also talk about recent developments in the Matchroom v. Jake Paul defamation case, the class action filed against Floyd Mayweather by the dancers at Girl Collection, and the default judgment in the Heredia vs. MTK case. We reviewed the Janibek Alimkhanuly and Nick Ball title defenses from this past weekend as well as the controversial Sandy Ryan- Mikaela Mayer fight from last weekend. It was a great conversation - hope you enjoy it!

I’m excited to have a ginormously long podcast this week with my guest, one of the best young boxing writers in the game, Mr. Alan Dawson from World Boxing News. We talked about Alan’s career beginnings in London writing about soccer and his eventual move to Business Insider, where he wrote an excellent investigative article on Daniel Kinahan. We cover his move to Las Vegas and his current writing and production gigs including his current position at World Boxing News. We go deep into this past fight week in Las Vegas and compare the buzz generated by the competing promotions - Canelo vs. Berlanga and UFC Noche. We talk about Dana White’s possible future involvement in boxing via Turki Alalsheikh. We go through the results of the Canelo-Berlanga card. We talk about what’s next for PBC and we preview this weekend’s Joshua-Dubois card in Alan’s old stomping grounds in London, England. It was a great conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

Fired the hell up to have one of my all-time favorite boxing podcasters and commentators on the pod, the man, the myth, the combat sport evangelist - BC - Brian Campbell, from the Morning Kombat show - which he co-hosts brilliantly along with Luke Thomas and the newly minted Brian Campbell Experience which I highly recommend you catch on YouTube. We talked about BC’s journey in boxing from his humble beginnings in Naugatuck, CT to ESPN, Grantland, CBS, and Showtime boxing. We talked about his days as a podcaster with Rafe Bartholomew on the State of Combat and the infamous soundboard, and how he met Luke Thomas and from there Morning Kombat was born. We also got into his commentating career and his gigs at Ring City and the legendary ShoBox. We then discussed the fights on Saturday that he will cover for PBC - Canelo vs Edgar Berlanga, Erislandy Lara-Danny Garcia, Caleb Plant-Trevor McCumby and Rolly Romero’s comeback fight. We also talked a little bit about our man Turki and what direction the sport will go in 2025. As always with BC, it was a fun and informative conversation - Hope you enjoy.

It is my pleasure to have as my guest on the pod Tim Smith, the Vice President of Communications at Haymon Sports and the PBC. We discussed this Saturday’s upcoming card topped by Terence Crawford challenging Israel Madrimov for the WBA Jr. middleweight crown and the PBC fighters on the undercard such as Andy Ruiz, Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz, and David Morell. Tim also gave his thoughts on the Saudi's proposed boxing league and possible future collaborations with Riyadh Season. We also got into what’s going on with the Amazon deal and the quote “free fights”; Tank Davis and the possible opponents for his next fight, Caleb Plant, the possible date for the Sebastian Fundora-Errol Spence fight, Tim Tszyu, the rumored Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao negotiations, the Charlo brothers and who’s going to carry the torch going forward for PBC as some of the stars who were around back when PBC started in 2015, wind down their careers. I always love chopping it up with Tim - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this podcast is Cliff Rold, one of the founders of the independent media-run boxing ratings organization the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board. He was formerly, the managing editor of one of the leading boxing sites - BoxingScene.com, and now has his own publication called The Corner Stool on Substack. Cliff and I discussed this weekend's fight results including Shakur Stevenson's win, O'Shaquie Foster's controversial loss, William Zepeda's dominant KO, and a fight-of-the-year candidate between Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka. We also talked about our mid-year candidates for fight of the year, KO of the year, round of the year, upset of the year, worst decision of the year, and worst decision of the year. It's always fun chopping it up with Cliff - hope you enjoy!

Excited to have one of my all-time favorite boxing writers on the pod this week, Eric Raskin from boxingscene.com (formerly of the excellent Interim Champion Boxing podcast with his longtime podcast partner Kieran Mulvaney). We talked about Eric’s pathway in the sport starting at Ring and KO magazines and branching out to ESPN, Grantland, HBO, and Showtime boxing. We then get into one of his most recent articles about the Saudi "Supercard" from this past Saturday and how maybe we should rethink these so that they don’t last eight hours and have so much fawning over Turki Alalshikh. We then discuss the actual fights on Saturday - Terence Crawford’s narrow win over Israel Madrimov for the WBA Jr. Middleweight crown, Jose Valenzuela’s upset over Pitbull Cruz, the heavyweight clashes between Andy Ruiz vs. Jarrell Miller and Martin Bakole vs. Jared Anderson as well as David Morell and Andy Cruz’s victories. It was a really fun conversation with Eric. Hope you enjoy.

This week's guest is one of my favorite boxing writers, Mr. Matt Christie. Matt was until recently the editor of the longest-running boxing publication in the business - Boxing News. He’s now a contributing writer to boxingscene.com and does an excellent podcast with Alex Steedman called The Opening Bell. Matt and I discussed his back story, and interest in the sport as well as his career path to Boxing News. We also discussed this past weekend’s IBF welterweight title fight involving one of the rising stars in the sport - Jaron “Boots” Ennis. We then went over a six-part series of articles that Matt recently published on BoxingScene that he deemed "Boxing Utopia". These articles focused on improvements Matt would like to see happen in the sport - including one world champion per division, the use of the Transnational Boxing Ratings, as the official ratings of the sport, having controversial decisions be both appealable and overturnable, more investment in the grassroots and for our fallen retired heroes and a tougher more cogent anti-doping policy for the sport. I love talking about boxing reform, so this was a great conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

My guest this week is Jason Cruz, from mmapayout.com and the Legal Submission podcast. Jason writes about MMA and Boxing and is yet another member of one of my favorite MMA podcasts - Show Money. We spoke about the New York State Athletic Commission's Consent Order suspending and fining Ryan Garcia for his positive anti-doping test after his April bout with Devin Haney. We also discussed the UFC antitrust case and Jason's ideas about improving the Ali Act. I really enjoyed the discussion - I hope you do too.

I'm back and very excited to get the pod rolling again. My guest is John Nash, from the Hey Not The Face podcast. John writes primarily about MMA and Boxing and does another excellent podcast called Show Money which covers the business side of MMA. We spoke about the Saudi plan for a boxing league detailed in the New York Times article from June 12. We discussed the likelihood of each of the big 5 major players in the sport, Top Rank, PBC, Matchroom, Queensberry, and Golden Boy selling all or a percentage of their business to the Saudis. We also got into what it would mean if the Saudis ran it like the UFC and if Turki Alalshikh played the Dana White role. It was an excellent discussion - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is boxing writer and attorney Scott Shaffer. We analyzed last weekend’s busy schedule of fights including Usyk-Chisora, Inoue-Moloney and Davis-Santa Cruz. We also discussed recent comments by Deontay Wilder breaking his silence after Fury-Wilder III fell through, the proposed "Junior Heavyweight" division the WBC is implementing and the continuing saga of the Canelo lawsuit. This will be my last show as host of the Boxing Esq. Podcast but I am passing it on to Scott to host. It was a really fun conversation - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is former two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World - Chris Byrd. We talk about Chris’s miraculous recovery from years of debilitating pain from nerve damage in his foot, hip replacement surgery, and numerous shoulder problems. We discussed Chris's new diet and alternative therapies that aided his recovery. We also spoke about Chris’s great career from his days in the amateurs and sparring in an 8 by 10 ring in his parents' basement; his trip to the Olympic trials in 1988; his Olympic Silver Medal in 1992; not getting signed by a major promoter coming off of that medal and his roundabout journey as an avoided fighter to a shot at the Heavyweight title and eventually becoming a two-time champ. We also go into his battles in the ring with Ike Ibeabuchi, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Maurice Harris, David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Jameel McCline and many more and how he found out that many of his contemporaries were using PEDs. It was a great conversation - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is author and boxing historian Mike Silver. We talk about Mike’s new book, "The Night The Referee Hit Back - Memorable Moments from the World of Boxing". It’s a compilation of articles and interviews that Mike’s done over the years that is really captivating and provocative. We discuss Mike’s background and how he had the chance to train alongside Emile Griffith and Ingemar Johansson at the iconic Stillman’s Gym in mid-town Manhattan in the late-50’s early 60’s. Mike gives a great account of the history of that gym and its significance. We also spoke about the history of the governance of the sport. How there was generally only one world champion per division for decades. And how tournaments of contenders fighting to determine a new champion in divisions where the title was vacant were a common occurrence throughout the 1920s through the late 1960s. Finally, Mike gives boxing fans a great list of fights from boxing’s Golden Age that demonstrate the skills and technique that may be missing from today's fighters. It was a great conversation - Hope you enjoy it.

My guests on this episode are the undisputed Women’s World Welterweight Champion and unified WBC/WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Jessica McCaskill and her manager and trainer Rick Ramos. We talked about their backgrounds growing up in Illinois and how both of them came to the sport of boxing. I spoke to Jessica about her time at Pagedale Boxing in St. Louis with my late friend and mentor Marvin “Coots” Millett. I talked with Rick about his opening of the Body Shot Boxing Club and how he competes with the fitness gyms and stays afloat during the pandemic. We got into how Jessica’s big fights with Katie Taylor and Cecilia Braekhus got made and how Rick thought he might have burned a bridge with Eddie Hearn. We spoke about how difficult it is to fight in your hometown and the challenges of maintaining focus while being pulled in a million directions marketing the fight. And we also discussed what’s next for Jessica and how big fight rematches with Katie Taylor and Cecilia Braekhus are possible and how a superfight with Claressa Shields is also in play. It was a great conversation - Hope you enjoy.

My first guest on this is episode one of the heroes of our sport - Dr. Margaret Goodman. We talked about her views on COVID protocols and which states are doing it right. We discussed how VADA’s testing protocols have been affected by COVID and how they have used the downtime in the sport to make informational videos available on the VADA website. We also got into the debate about the proper use of MRIs. My second guest on this podcast was boxing writer and attorney extraordinaire Scott Shaffer. We analyzed last weekend’s busy schedule of fights including Whyte-Povetkin. Taylor-Persoon, Smith-Alvarez, and Porter-Formella. And how it finally seemed like boxing was back after the long hiatus due to the pandemic. Two really fun conversations - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode the VP of Communications at Haymon Sports - Mr. Tim Smith. We spoke about the PBC’s game plan in not rushing to be first to come back to the airways Post-COVID. And how their schedule of fights came together over the months that they were off-air. We got into the difficulties of putting on shows with the various medical and logistical problems associated with COVID and how PBC prepared for the inevitability of a fighter testing positive - as it happened on their very first show with Stephon Fulton. We then spoke about the excellent schedule of fights that PBC rolled out on Showtime including the Charlos shared PPV, Tank vs Santa Cruz, and Ouballi-Donaire. We also got into what to expect for the upcoming schedule for PBC on FOX. It was a really fun conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is promoter and New York State Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Joe DeGuardia. We spoke about Joe’s upbringing in the Bronx where his father and uncle were professional fighters. We talked about Joe’s amateur boxing career which culminated in him winning the 1988 New York Golden Gloves. We got into how he started in the pro game as a manager and then switched to promoting to keep his fighters busy and how that lead him to co-promoting such big events as Roy Jones-Antonio Tarver and Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri. We also discussed his current roster of fighters including Joe Smith and Carlos Takam, the difficulties of putting on club shows in the time of COVID and Joe’s attempt at organizing the sport with the Boxing Promoters Association. It was a great conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is the Editor-in-Chief of Ring Magazine - Mr. Doug Fischer. We spoke about how The Ring Magazine and ringtv.com are faring during this pandemic. We also undertook the difficult task of making mid-year assessments of the traditional year-end categories such as Fight of the Year, Round of the Year, KO of the Year, Upset of the Year, and Fighter of the Year in the time of COVID. We also discussed the upcoming boxing schedule and previewed some of the bigger tentatively scheduled big fights such as Lonachenko-Lopez and Dubois-Joyce. It was a great conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is a 2020 IBHOF inductee, top promoter, film producer, and minor league franchise owner - Mr. Lou DiBella. Lou shared his feelings on not being able to enjoy his induction into the IBHOF this year due to the COVID shutdown. We spoke about how major league baseball is making a mistake in retracting a big part of its minor league system. We talked about how Top Rank is managing at implementing their COVID protocols and still putting on shows - and how Lou’s fighter Mikkel LesPierre’s COVID situation went down. We also got into how the financial burden of testing is particularly rough on smaller promoters and club shows. We discussed what’s next for other members of the DiBella Entertainment roster including Regis Prograis, Amanda Serrano, Ivan Baranchyk, Jerry Forrest, Tevin Farmer, Charles Conwell, and Bakhodir Jalalov. We also find out if Lou is making plans to go to Bahrain for the big boxing summit later this year. It was a lively and informative conversation. Hope you enjoy it.

My guests on this episode are two distinguished Irish sports writers - Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer at the Irish Daily Star in Dublin and Ewan MacKenna, Host of The Black Eye Podcast and Columnist for the Irish Independent News. We discussed the recent comments by Promoter Bob Arum about using alleged drug cartel boss Daniel Kinahan as his agent in United Arab Emirates to negotiate a potential deal for the Heavyweight unification fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Additionally, we spoke about the origins of MTK Global and the chilling effect the shooting at a weigh-in at The Regency Hotel in Dublin has had on boxing in The Republic of Ireland. Great conversation - I hope you enjoy.

My guest on this episode is one of the top matchmakers in the game, Golden Boy’s Roberto Diaz. We discussed how Roberto got into the sport through a chance meeting with one of his favorite fighters - Marco Antonio Barrera and how Eric Gomez drafted him to be a matchmaker for Golden Boy out of necessity. We got into how Roberto learned matchmaking on the job and what a typical day in the life of a matchmaker is like. We talked about how Golden Boy has handled the COVID lockdown on social media and what their plans are for coming back after the lockdown is lifted. Roberto broke down GB’s plans for the starfighters and prospects on their roster including Canelo Alvarez, JoJo Diaz, Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, Xu Can, and many more. It was a great conversation - hope you enjoy!

My guest on this episode is one of the foremost attorneys and managers in the game - Mike Borao. We spoke about two heavyweights Mike is involved with who scored big wins in the last few months Charles Martin and Robert Helenius. We also talked about future plans for other fighters who Mike represents including middleweight Matt Korobov and heavyweight Frank Sanchez. We also spoke about Mike’s background and participation in toughman contests. How he met and came to represent his first major fighter Heavyweight Jameel McCline. We got into his major role in getting McCline, Shannon Briggs, Monte Barrett, and Ray Austin shots at the Heavyweight crown in the same year. He also told some great stories about dealing with major promoters Cedric Kushner and Don King. And finally, we went into what a typical day in the life of a boxing manager is like. Really great conversation - I hope you enjoy it!

My guest on this episode is one of the most powerful and thoughtful executives in boxing - Showtime President of Sports and Event Programming Stephen Espinoza. We talk about Showtime’s excellent way to fill the COVID-19 programming void on Friday Nights with their Showtime Classic Boxing series. We discuss Showtime’s gameplan on how they’ll proceed when boxing events are allowed to come back and what precautions need to be in place. We also spoke about the bidding wars between networks and what Stephen anticipates the market looking like post-COVID. We get into his plans for Gervonta Davis and the 154 lb. division as well as his attempts to get a Jermall Charlo- Demetrius Andrade unification made. And finally, we discuss his comments at last year's Leaders conference on the sport of boxing and whether we’ve reached “peak boxing” yet. Really great conversation with Stephen, as always - hope you enjoy it!

For this special episode, I’m joined by Fistianados host Evan Rutkowski to go over the recent Coronavirus stimulus legislation set up to provide relief to those forced out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are joined by two distinguished guests. Labor Attorney Walter Kane and accountant and financial planner Mike Alvini. Walter and Mike broke down how and when to apply for unemployment benefits, the Paycheck Protection Program Loan (aka 7a loan), the COVID Disaster Relief Loan (aka the 7B loan), as well as the qualifications for the $1200 stimulus, check advances on tax returns that the government is sending out. The main takeaway is apply, apply, apply. Definitely give this pod a good listen and contact your accountant or financial advisor to help you. If you don’t have one - Walter and Mike leave their contact information at the end of the podcast. Really great informative conversation - hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is author and editor at Hannibal Boxing.com - Mr. Carlos Acevedo. We discuss Carlos’s excellent new book - Sporting Blood - Tales From The Darkside of Boxing - which goes on sale March 31st. We get into a few of the subjects of the book including Sonny Liston, Tony Ayala, and Smokin’ Bert Cooper. We also talk about Carlos’s youth in the Bronx and how he came to be interested in the Sweet Science. And finally, we get into the good and the bad in today’s boxing scene and how things evolved over time from boxing’s resurgence in the 1970s. I really enjoyed the conversation and finally getting Carlos on the podcast. Hope you enjoy it too.

My guest on this episode is a copy editor and feature writer at The Ring Magazine - Ryan Songalia. We spoke about how Ryan and his family are coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. We also got into his background in boxing including writing for Boxing Digest, The New York Daily News, Rappler.com in the Philippines, as well as The Ring. We discussed his latest article - How Covid-19 Isn’t The First Pandemic To Halt Boxing. We looked at how the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 affected boxing and the world at large and what lessons we can draw from it. We also got into the effects the current Covid-19 pandemic has had on fighters, managers and boxing gyms here in the US and around the world. It was a really interesting conversation- hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is a litigation partner at Olshan Frome Wolosky but you know him as a longtime writer and editor at Boxingtalk.com - Scott Shaffer. We had a chance to analyze the Wilder-Fury rematch in depth including costume-gate. We also discussed the loaded boxing card this past weekend headlined by Mikey Garcia-Jesse Vargas and featuring a great victory by Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez over Khal Yafai as well a great Flyweight tussle between Julio Cesar Martinez and the very game Jay Harris. We also got into the proposed sale of Top Rank, the upcoming boxing schedule and the effect the coronavirus has had on the boxing community. It was a great conversation- hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is a staff writer covering the sport of boxing at The Athletic - Mr. Rafe Bartholomew. We get into Rafe’s background as a native New Yorker and growing up around the famous NY bar McSorley’s. Also, his love and fascination with the Philippines and the sport of basketball, as well as his time at Grantland and his beloved newsletter, Respect Boxe. We also get into Wilder-Fury II, Garcia-Linares and preview Caleb Plant vs. Vincent Feigenbutz. It was a Great conversation - hope you enjoy.

My guest on this episode is the Editor-in-chief of Ring Magazine and ringtv.com - Mr. Doug Fischer. We talk about Doug’s new gig as color commentator at DAZN for Golden Boy’s Thursday Night Fights and how season one of that program went. We also talk about the big fight card this past week with Roman-Akmadaliev, Farmer-Diaz, and Andrade-Keeler as well as DAZN’s continued dalliance with fighting YouTubers. We further spoke about the good fights upcoming in February and beyond as well as Thomas Hauser’s three-part piece on the New York State Athletic Commission. It was a great conversation- hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this episode is truly a legend in the sports law community - Jim Quinn. He's been legal counsel for every major sport's players union in labor disputes, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. He’s now of counsel at Berg & Androphy after a long, illustrious run at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. We discuss his new book, Don’t Be Afraid to Win: How Free Agency Changed The Business of Pro Sports. We get into the labor history of the NBA and NFL and how each players union achieved free agency. We also get into how salary caps got imposed in both leagues as a result of collective bargaining. And we also talk about how the sport of boxing can be better organized to maximize its potential. Great conversation - hope you enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is Brin-Jonathan Butler, critically-acclaimed author and one of the preeminent boxing journalists. We look ahead to 2020 division-by-division from Heavyweight down through Bantamweight. We discuss what fights we hope to see in each division as well as what is most likely to occur. It was a really fun conversation, hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this podcast is Brin-Jonathan Butler, a critically acclaimed author and one of the preeminent boxing journalists. We recap the year in boxing for 2019. We spoke about Andy Ruiz and the Heavyweights; Canelo's likely Fighter of The Year worthy campaign; the WBSS and the de facto tournaments at Welterweight and Lightweight and much more. It was a really interesting conversation, hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this podcast is John Nash, a top MMA writer for Bloody Elbow. John writes primarily about MMA and Boxing and also does an excellent podcast called Show Money which covers the business side of MMA. We spoke about the idea of a Boxing League and what the nuts and bolts of that would look like. We spoke about how revenues would be split and what the wage share would be, what antitrust or Ali Act concerns there would be and what would happen with the sanctioning bodies. It was an excellent discussion - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is Cliff Rold, a founding member of the media-run independent ratings organization the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board (TBRB) and managing editor at Boxing Scene. We spoke about the 2020 IBHOF ballot and Cliff's choices for the Hall of Fame. We also talked about his criteria for selecting his potential inductees and which writers receive which ballots We also got into the great fights of the last few weeks including Canelo-Kovalev and Inoue-Donaire. It was a really interesting discussion. Enjoy!

My guests on this podcast are Hall of Famer Buddy McGirt and boxing writer Michael Woods. I spoke with McGirt about the upcoming Light Heavyweight title fight between his champion Sergey Kovalev and Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez. We also spoke about the ring passing of Patrick Day and what safety measures the sport can take to prevent future deaths. I spoke to Woods about Woods' upbringing in Massachusetts and what brought him to New York to become a boxing writer. We also spoke about the state of the boxing press today and how it differs from when Woods started. Great conversations - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is Tom Loeffler of GGG Promotions and 360 Promotions. We spoke about the recent Middleweight title fight and "Big Drama Show" at Madison Square Garden between Gennady Golovkin and Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Tom's upcoming 360 Promotions show in Hollywood with Serhei Bohachuk. We also talked about Tom's background in sports memorabilia (with his partner Harlan Werner) and their list of clients including Muhammad Ali, Sandy Koufax, Joe Namath, Ronald Reagan, and Mikhail Gorbachev. Additionally, we discussed his time as a boxing manager of Kevin Kelley, Oba Carr and Shane Mosley and his transition into promoting with K2 and the Klitschko brothers. It was a fun discussion - enjoy it!

My guest on this podcast is the former Executive Director of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), David Berlin. We spoke about David's background and interest in the sport, including a brief amateur boxing career. We also talked about his relationship with Teddy Atlas, his representation of Salita Promotions and his new management company Four Corners Advisory Group. Additionally, we discussed David's time at the NYSAC and his implementation of policies regarding drug testing, health care for boxers, bout insurance, selection of officials and instant replay. It was a fun discussion - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is Tim Smith, VP of Communications at Haymon Sports and the PBC. We spoke about the upcoming Welterweight unification fight between Errol Spence and Shawn Porter and the rest of the top Welterweights on the PBC roster - Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, and Mikey Garcia. We also talked about the Heavyweights, including the rematches between Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz and Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua. We further discussed the loaded Jr. Middleweight division and what's next for Jermall Charlo, Adrian Broner, Leo Santa Cruz, and others. It was a fun discussion - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is world-class trainer and manager Kevin Cunningham. We discussed Kevin's move from St. Louis and the establishment of his world-class training camp in West Palm Beach. We further discussed Kevin's work with Junior Middleweight contender Erickson Lubin, WBA Super Featherweight Champion Gervonta Davis and former four-division champion Adrian Broner. Additionally, we spoke about Kevin's relationship with former Junior Welterweight and Welterweight Champion Devon Alexander and where it's at today. Great conversation - enjoy!

My guest on this podcast is David Duenez, owner of the Leave It In The Ring podcast network. We talk about the weekend of fights including Kovalev-Yarde and Figueroa-Cintron. We also talk about the Ruiz-Joshua 2 negotiations and Dana White's entry into boxing promotion. Additionally, we spoke about David's background and interest in boxing and the origins of the Leave It In The Ring network. A really fun and interesting conversation, hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this podcast is Brin-Jonathan Butler, critically acclaimed author, as well as one of the preeminent boxing journalists. We review the good (Pacquiao-Thurman, Ramirez-Hooker), the bad (the administrative mess of Whyte-Rivas) and the ugly/tragic (RIP Maxim Dadashev and Hugo Santillan). A really interesting conversation, hope you enjoy it.

My guest on this podcast is boxing historian Herbert Goldman. We discussed Herbert's time as a managing editor at The Ring and his role in putting together the last three Ring Record Books. We also discussed Herbert's four-volume magnum opus boxing record book for the sport "Boxing - A Worldwide Record of Bouts and Boxers", with a particular focus on the Timeline of Boxing History. Additionally, we went through an abbreviated history of the sanctioning bodies in the interest of tracking how we got to the present of a proliferation of organizations and how close we came at various points to having one overarching regulatory organization. It was a great conversation. Enjoy!