Adam Azim and David Benavidez notched the finest wins of their careers last weekend and, with feet on the ground and context at hand, we examine the performances of each. What’s next, ideally, for both fighters? We review the subject of post-fight pandemonium, briefly ponder the likelihood of PEDs being rife among the elite and journey back in time. We land in 1989 when Lloyd Honeyghan and Marlon Starling were the premier welterweights and Mike Tyson grew tired of Harry Carpenter. Get bonus cont...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Early listening, AD Free content and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast Naoya Inoue was back in devastating form and typically thrilling to witness but should his scrap with Ye Joon Kim have been a non-title fight? Teofimo Lopez has changed trainers - could a move to Eddy Reynoso’s gym lead to more consistency in battle? The development of Diego Pacheco is in focus and, in This Week, we take a hike back to 1973 and a terrific all-Scottish tussle between Ken Buchanan and Jim Wa...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Ryan Garcia, among others, is heading into the most lucrative period of his career following a failed test. What a message that projects… Naoya Inoue is back but what price the upset in Japan? Diego Pacheco heads into what might be the hardest fight of his career and there might be a hidden gem on the Dalton Smith bill. And in This Week, it’s time to bask in some insane Ricardo Mayorga memories. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more ...
Jan 23, 2025•59 min
Two days after Anthony Joshua declared that Tyson Fury was his priority for 2025, Fury announced his retirement. This is nothing new for the ‘Gypsy King’ - so are we to take him seriously this time? As we come to terms with the possibility of one British blockbuster not occurring, another - Chris Eubank Jr versus Conor Benn - is all but confirmed. In This Week, we strap in and head back to 1985, when Colin Jones was forced to endure what a peak Donald Curry felt like. Get bonus content on Patreo...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 11 min
The Opening Bell kicks off its 2025 campaign with a look ahead to what we can expect in the boxing world over the coming months. The bill in Sheffield, featuring Callum Simpson and Caroline Dubois, is previewed, we reflect on the heavyweight movers and shakers, ponder what might be next for Conor Benn and name our one wish for the boxing year ahead. In This Week, we venture back to 2006 and a cruiserweight rip-roarer between O’Neill Bell and Jean Marc Mormeck. For anyone wishing to help out Ring...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 2024 Boxing with Alex Steedman. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 33 min
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast Following another absorbing, high-end heavyweight battle we examine the performances of Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and the scorecards which ruled the Ukrainian a handsome winner. Usyk officially cemented his place in history - but is Fury right to feel aggrieved that the judges went against him? What’s next for Usyk and is there really any mileage in a third fight? And is there anything that Fury could have done differently at this stage of his ca...
Dec 22, 2024•41 min
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast In the final preview pod of Usyk v Fury, the rematch, we check in with DAZN pundit and commentator Barry Jones with his take on fight week from Saudi. Have there been an clues or red herrings? Can we expect the unexpected from Fury? Will it be more of the fantastic same from the first fight? All this and more in our final preview pod. And don’t forget to download our big fight reaction pod with Alex and Matt on Sunday. Get bonus content on Patreon ...
Dec 20, 2024•42 min
With mere days to go before Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury go into battle again, we dissect every facet of the rematch and name the winner. Alongside analysis of their first scrap, we explore the psychology of both fighters, their form in rematches and their behaviour in fight week. Before all of that, we explore the potential for controversy, which might have been heightened following the emergence of a curious conflict of interest regarding one of the officials. Keep listening, subscribing and ...
Dec 19, 2024•55 min
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast We’re spoilt for choice while compiling the best of Oleksandr Usyk as he journeys into a rematch with Tyson Fury. His performance in the first fight is a contender for top spot, so too his wins over Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. Fear not, his dominance at cruiserweight is not forgotten either. How would you rank his greatest hits? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad ...
Dec 18, 2024•37 min
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast In a special episode we look back on the career of Tyson Fury and rank his finest performances. There’s the three Deontay Wilder fights jostling for position, the toppling of Wladimir Klitschko, the domestic beatdowns of Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte, and that first encounter with Oleksandr Usyk. What will come out on top? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Dec 17, 2024•37 min
https://www.patreon.com/TheOpeningBellPodcast As we prepare to kick off a huge fight week that will lead us to the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, we’re in Miami reporting from the WBA convention. There’s a stunning upset involving Jaime Munguia to dissect, the performances of Tasha Jonas and Lauren Price to admire, and a bizarre brawl at heavyweight to reflect upon. In This Week, we go back to the exact moment in history when Matthew Saad Muhammad was stripped of his superpowers....
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 1 min
https://www.patreon.com/TheOpeningBellPodcast As the boxing year draws to a close, rumours are again rife that two of the biggest stars - Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford - will collide in a superfight in 2025. We also discuss what’s really happening, down here in reality. There were wins for Denzel Bentley, Richardson Hitchins and Emanuel Navarrete again exhibited his curious yet suffocating effectiveness. Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price return on the same week that, 16 years ago, Carl Froch ...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Though Gamal Yafai beating Sunny Edwards was not an upset, the one-sided nature of the beatdown was a surprise. The brilliant Yafai marches on while Edwards, Galal’s conqueror in the amateurs, announces his retirement. Elsewhere, UKAD surrendered to Conor Benn in his fight to be cleared but the finer details of his case remain completely unclear - we ask why. And in This Week, we look back on a scintillating performance from Donald Curry in 1985. Little did anyone know at the time that Curry’s t...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 11 min
In a fascinating and hard to call winter showdown, Sunny Edwards visits Galal Yafai in Birmingham for a battle with worldwide implications. We review Harlem Eubank’s return while looking at the increasing likelihood that his cousin will soon be confirmed as Conor Benn’s next opponent. With that in mind, the WBC’s justification for Benn’s lofty ranking at welterweight might surprise you. In This Week, we go back to 2004 for the final instalment in the terrific feud between Marco Antonio Barrera a...
Nov 28, 2024•1 hr 16 min
As expected, Mike Tyson looked old, slow and vulnerable while being outpointed by Jake Paul in an unedifying, forgettable encounter. But what do the incredible viewing figures - it was seen in 60m homes - mean for the sport of boxing? At least Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano turned in a terrific scrap and, out in Saudi, Gilberto Ramirez was too slick for a beyond brave Chris Billam-Smith. Finally, a treat in This Week as Smokin’ Bert Cooper turns in an inspired showing to almost show Evander Hol...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Conor Benn last week announced, for the third time in two years, that he had been ‘cleared’ to fight. Is this really the end of the matter? Elsewhere, Turki Alalshikh announced his aquirement of The Ring and, if that wasn’t enough, a $20m deal for Naoya Inoue. In action was Jaron Ennis, merely going through the motions, while Keyshawn Davis showcased his limitless potential. This Week marks the anniversary of the epic opener between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Thanks for the ongoing supp...
Nov 14, 2024•1 hr 13 min
With the Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua rematch seemingly off the table, we examine the leading contenders to take on Dubois and ponder what the future may hold for Joshua. There’s Queensberry’s deal with DAZN to discuss along with the long-term position of Frank Warren in the business after he recently admitted he had considered retirement. We also reflect on all the action from the weekend, including Shabaz Masoud’s majestic victory over Liam Davies, and there’s a special report from the amateur...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Alex and Matt discuss the unexpected storylines emerging from the initial press conference for the December rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. With a full training camp, a focused mind and a more unified corner, how much better can Fury be? And is it enough? Matt speaks to the British Boxing Board for more background detail on what constitutes an approved boxing glove while we reflect on another career highlight win for Jack Catterall. Is Jack ready to beat boxing’s best? This Week i...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Alex and Matt discuss the unexpected storylines emerging from the initial press conference for the December rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. With a full training camp, a focused mind and a more unified corner, how much better can Fury be? And is it enough? Matt speaks to the British Boxing Board for more background detail on what constitutes an approved boxing glove while we reflect on another career highlight win for Jack Catterall. Is Jack ready to beat boxing’s best? This Week i...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 7 min
In a stunning and brutal thrashing, Bakhram Murtazaliev needed less than nine minutes to defeat Tim Tszyu, scoring four knockdowns along the way. We address the modern day habit of writing off the vanquished boxer after defeat - Can Tszyu really have fallen that far, this quickly? The showing of Adam Azim, who defeated Ohara Davies in eight rounds, is another worthy of analysis and we touch on the glove row that triggered Frank Warren’s latest threat to sue. And in This Week, we remember the Bri...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 17 min
DID BETERBIEV DESERVE TO BEAT BIVOL? All that was left to do after watching a truly wondrous scrap between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol was squabble about the decision awarded to the former. We examine whether or not the right man won - and ask, more pertinently, did either of them deserve to lose? - while taking a closer look at the scoring system which can make close fights appear more lopsided than they really were. Other subjects discussed include the chemistry between Frank Warren, Eddi...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Let’s talk about the sumptuous fight that sees Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol duke it out for light-heavyweight supremacy. Let’s talk about the best contest to be made in boxing, one with so many subplots and potential outcomes, it’s a wonder we managed to cram them all into the space of 70-odd minutes. Let’s also talk about the rematch between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, a blast from the past that exhibits the ferocity of the former and the theatre of the latter. And if you don’t want us to ...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Following his bizarre rant at last week’s press conference, Chris Eubank Jr was forced to apologise to Frank Warren - and vice versa - in an unconvincing resolution to a longstanding feud. Was the advice Junior’s father gave him many years ago ringing in his ears? In This Week, we tell the story of Johnny Tapia’s troubled but loving mind as we explore his thrilling rivalry with Paulie Ayala. Last weekend saw a series of storylines developing in the women’s code as Mikaela Mayer defeated a Sandy ...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 24
There was shock and awe in the air at Wembley Stadium as Daniel Dubois demolished Anthony Joshua to continue his stunning career turnaround. What does this mean for Joshua, at 34 years old? Can he possibly come back? And is Dubois really as dangerous as he looked? In This Week we focus on another heavyweight thrashing as we go back to 1962 and the violent coronation of Sonny Liston. Subscribe to Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOpeningBellPodcast And if you can’t subscribe, please drop u...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 23
It’s fight week in London where Daniel Dubois prepares to take on Anthony Joshua in a titanic heavyweight encounter at Wembley Stadium. Alex Steedman has gone missing so Darren Rees steps into the presenter hot seat and, alongside Matt Christie, examines the huge British bill that also features a fight that won’t have an IBF title involved. We hear from Robert Smith, who explains what the Saudi revolution has done for British boxing and the Board. Also, the recent effort of Canelo Alvarez - as t...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Your good friends at The Opening Bell are delighted to present our new weekly series - ‘Boxing’s Best’ - where, every Saturday morning, we focus on a specific subject within boxing and reveal our own Top 10 favourites. This week, and trust us - it’s a good ‘un, we attempt to name the best boxing events. There are eye-witness accounts of what it was like to attend the first Frazier-Ali showdown, memories of weeping with utter joy at weigh-ins and the frustration of being sent to the nosebleed sea...
Sep 14, 2024•1 hr 14 min
It’s fight week in Las Vegas and as has become custom for the build-up to recent Canelo fights, we do our best to make a case for the underdog who, this time, is Edgar Berlanga. Back at home, stories about Daniel Dubois almost chinning Anthony Joshua a mere eight years ago are doing the rounds and we also discuss in detail how commissions can stamp out bogus titles and Turki Alalshikh’s plan to change the PPV model. In This Week, we relive the night when the one and only Chocolatito endured his ...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Naoya Inoue did as expected, and largely as he pleased, when he punched holes in TJ Doheny to the extent the Irishman suffered back spasms and had to quit. Afterwards, Bob Arum spelled out plans for Inoue to conquer Las Vegas in 2025 - with a suggestion that a superfight with Junto Nakatani is on the horizon. As ever, there is plenty of news to digest, from Joshua-Dubois ‘selling out’, the IBF’s selection of mandatories and the comebacks of Conor Benn and Billy Joe Saunders. In This Week we reme...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 20
https://www.patreon.com/TheOpeningBellPodcast Your good friends at The Opening Bell are delighted to present our new weekly series - ‘Boxing’s Best’ - where, every Saturday morning, we focus on a specific subject within boxing and reveal our own Top 10 favourites. This week we attempt to rate Boxing’s Best Dressed Fighters. With Steedo (claiming) not getting the memo on this one – which was to name the best in-ring outfits – he goes rogue and reels off those fighters who turned heads with their ...
Aug 31, 2024•11 min
