Kelley O'Hara / Sergio Mora

We've lost some big names to personal decisions and positive tests, and we've already seen home run balls just slowly trickled down the stands without anyone trying to take it home. So it's all happening. But I still wonder, just because they're playing, is it the sport we know and love. I'm not sure. I've spoken to one person on this podcast who knows what they're in for and how this will all play out. Only time will tell, and for once,

I'm going to stay optimistic. But I'm still interviewing athletes and sports industry professionals to find out what they're doing during this very weird time because someone has to. This is the Sports Bubble with Jensen Carton. The first sport to return to quote unquote normalcy was NWSL, the national Women's Soccer League like a test balloon sent out to

check win conditions. The sporting world watched intensely as the league began the Challenge Cup, a tournament in Utah, not only signaling a restart, but also a way to test plans for other sports to avoid a total COVID breakdown. Things may have started off rocky with the Orlando Pride dropping out due to positive tests, but things do seem back on track with the semi final team set earlier this week. But much has been said about the mental toll of the nws L bubble and the women who

first experienced it. So I spoke to Kelly O'Hara of the Utah Royals just as the tournament started to see how everything was being handled. The two thousand nine Herman Trophy winner signaling college soccer's top player, is also a two time FIFA World Cup champion in two thousand fifteen and two thousand nineteen and a two thousand twelve gold medalist, angling to do it again in Tokyo whenever those games

actually take place. But for this interview we focus on her summer camp, the bubble of the Challenge Cup, and what the return has felt. Like for her. We also touch on the social landscape of America and if the internet rolls she faced after kissing her girlfriend after a World Cup victory still allow her to think this world can be saved, and we get into some kind of

bad soccer movies. Then, in another installment of Pandemic, I talked to former w BC Super Welterweight champion and current Zone boxing analysts Sergio Mora about his upcoming return to the mic amongst sweat and blood and other things I've been wildly terrified of since March. It's that time again, so let's follow some pros into the sports bubble. All from Kelly O'Hara to accept Press one. Hello Kelly, Hi Junan, how are you. I'm good. This is a first for

the show. I don't even know what to do with myself. You're You're the first athlete I'm talking to who is back at their sport. This seems like I should have confetti and streamers for you. Wow, that's exciting. I know, well, first first moved back. It's pretty crazy. You are currently in Utah, which is the hometown of your Royal club, partaking in the Challenge Cup. You were the first league to pick playback up. Tell me. I know this is a loaded question, but how has it been so far?

It's definitely been interesting. It's a you're you're kind of an uncharted territory, so interesting would be the way I woulds. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm going to tell you I've spoken to athletes I don't know now three times a week for months. You are much further along the line than most that I speak to. But I cannot tell you I have talked to one athlete who is enthusiastic. I can't. I would be a lie. Everyone everyone feels I'm gonna listen, I'm gonna be the

most pestimistic interviewer you've you've had. I I'm weirded out by all you guys doing sports. I'm not gonna lie, but I I don't know. Everyone's sort of like, yeah, we're doing it. Yeah, I mean, people are assets. I think it probably stems from, well, first of all, you haven't talked to any athletes that's been that. They don't have their perspect stive of like being back playing, having that enjoyment of actually participating. They're just like grinding alone

um by themselves. So that I can. I can understand that because I wouldn't say that I wasn't I wasn't enthusiastic like back in Quarantine, because I actually found Quarantine to be quite nice. Yes, but but I've really I've

also really enjoying thing back. I I mean, I love playing offer, so um, it's nice to be back on the field and like there's a lot of hoops you have to jump through and things you have to do, and and it's not normal in anything, but when you're on the field, it feels like you're back, it's normal. You know that is that is the one thing that is consistent with before COVID, which is like playing the sport isn't different. And I finally joined that, So yeah,

I kind'm enthusiastic. I know, I understand that the setup is obviously not the fun part of playing sports. No one, no one gets excited for the p's and ques of how you're going to stay safe, which which I wanted to get into. Is there a way you could run down how traveling there took place, making sure you stayed safe and travel to the hotel, getting to where you players are staying. Did did they go out of their way? To make sure you're kind of in a bit of

the bubble. Yeah, So the way it worked was there we was slez um and I'll get to the travel, but there's phases of how teams could get back to team training. So they had individual training and then small group training, and then I could start team training after people had been tested were negative and you could move into the team training. And so I was in DC because that's where I to my off season and or

like live outside of playing for Utah. So I flew back to Utah because the tournament is being held here um beginning of June, and I flew alone because I was just coming by myself and I was coming into market, not necessarily at the tournament, so it was kind of it's kind of like coming back into So I flew the national team flew me back because we're paid by

the Master team, so they have control over that. And it was weird because you're just you're on a flight, you're wearing a mask, and people are socially distant on the plane, which is great. I actually felt fine traveling and felt pretty safe and comfortable and wasn't that worried. But obviously you go out into the world. You explored yourself.

But in my in my opinion, if you go to the grocery store, you could expose yourself the same way if you um, you know, are an airport, that sort of thing, and as long as you take your expressions to fine. And so, yeah, I flew back the beginning of June, and so we've been here, we've been training.

And then other teams that flew into the bubble to start um tournament mode, they all took starter flights from their market um because they all had tests negative before they got on the flight and then they were tested they brought here. So there were a lot of precautions taken and like making sure that whoever was coming into the bubble was negative and healthy and wasn't bringing anything in right. And then for us as a you Talk team,

we're not actually staying in a hotel. We were put up in an apartment by our club and we thankfully get to stay and then during the tournament, but we are only so when bubble mode started, which is when teams got here. We are only allowed to be at our apartment or at the facility UM or at you know, the stadium playing. So that's been that's been a little weird because prior to the tournament, bubble mode starting, you could go out and get a coffee, you know, to go,

you could go grocery shopping. Obviously you're all very cautious and larning masks and trying to pick all the cautions. But yeah, that's kind of the rundown on that. Yeah, I mean, I hear that makes sense. Does it feel like adult summer camp? I mean, do you guys all hang out in the bubble? I mean, it's so weird to be a grown athlete, a well paid grown athlete. You're an Olympian gold medalist, you're a World Cup winner, and now I of not letting you go get coffee.

I mean, I was one of the people when we were harming, all the conversations of what is it gonna look like? How are we going to ensure safety for everyone? I was when people was like, if people go and get groceries and the ring the mask, so they don't you know, they go get a coffee to go, and

they do purpose I pick up with stuff. I'm like, that should be fine to staying in your car um you know, interacting and my understanding of the virus is like you're at the most risk if you're an intimate conversation for a long period of time without a mask, so you can obed to get it other ways, but that's the highest risk. So for me, I was like, I think we should be able to do this thing. It obviously got shut down and so it is a bit weird, but you kind of just had to like

mentally prepare yourself for that. UM as a team. The way our protocols are set up, because I know some leaks, they're different. You're not allowed to interact with other teams, so we'll be in passing UM, but you're not really supposed to like stop chat. That's the thing obviously people do from like a distance, so it's no interaction between team Dave like hanging out. But within your team you're

allowed to take some time. So it does kind of feel like summer camp because we have a food delivered to UM to our apartment, so we go to a specific place to pick it up every evening or like lunch days off opert thing. So I bought a tide Ee kit um, so I plan on having a tide I party at trum point. Yes, I like to hear that um, we got we got cornhole. We got corn holes. That's kind of be fun. This is Camp Kelly. This is Camp Kelly. I've been doing enough Jewish sleepaway camps.

You're you're living at Camp has Kramer. This is You're You're basically my childhood. Yeah no, and I mean I'm a kid at heart, So I'm fine, Like I'm just you know, I get split soccer, I get to hang out with my teammates and yeah, so it is what it is. You make the best every situation, right, Yes, well, I'm very excited to hear about the Utah movie Night.

How much you guys being tested? So during um, the preseason bit, when everyone was in their respective market, we were getting tested once and we and one would probably argue like we probably should have gotten tested more often than that, but once a week, and then once the tournament started, we get tested after every single game day. So basically it's the way so that you can know going into the next game is everybody negative. So I've probably had Svenary test fun fun. That's that that that

definitely that that definitely ruins the summer camp analogy. You had me right till then have Yeah, have you had it done. I had the mouth swab, not you guys are probably having a more intense one or a blood test. Yeah, so when you came into market, you bought the nose swab for being if you actively had the virus, and then the blood test week for the antibody. So you got both in the beginning um and then moving forward

and just had no slob. And the nose swob is they can if you have an incum swab, it can is genuinely the worst feeling I've ever felt. And somebody told me before and they were like, oh, it's just uncomfortable. So I went My worst one was the first one that I got, and I I couldn't believe it. I was I was shocked. I thought my nose was ding. Unreal. This is not you're you're not selling the pessimistic interviewer here. Uh. Your teammate Kristen Press opted out of playing, as did

some of your World Cup years. Did you ever contemplate staying home? Um, I was live, I said, I didn't think about it. I mean, I think everyone when I first heard of the of this idea basically what that was just in shocked because in that time, during that moment, we were all at home, no one. You know, you're training on your own. You have no idea what the world is going to look like in a month to two months. So this idea of trying to put together

a tournament just seems very crazy. But then once I, you know, started to understand how much thought they had put into it, I felt more comfortable. And for me, I I want to play soccer like I I you know, I probably only have a couple of years left in my career, and I felt confident in knowing that they were going to ensure as much as they possibly could for my safety. And then also it's on me to do that as well. Um, and that you know, just being being in DC on my own, I could be

at risk as well. So you know, it would be lying to say that I didn't think, oh, like, it would be so much easier you stay home. But but then in my in my mind that we didn't. Right now, obviously, is it difficult to adjust to someone like Christen setting it out because you guys aren't able to really have your traditional practices before to get acquainted to the team without her, like you know, with people missing like was it is it hard to adjust well, you know, because

we had the brand new we have a brand new staff. Um. One of our coaches, she was more she wasn't an officially in assistant coach. I don't know about the next year or last year. But so we have a brand new, basically brandw coaching staff, and we had a lot of new players come in. We have rookies, were people we picked out, picked up from overseas that your Americans playing overseas and that you know, are now playing a reach.

And we had a lot of players. We had a couple of players retired, so we kind of came into this and as like a brand new team in one of which person hadn't been here yet. So in terms of for um, you know, not coming I don't think it affected us in a way of like it has been very different if it was the middle of the season. You know we've been working together, um and then this happened. But we kind of all walked into this brand new. It's kind of nice, like it was a good I mean,

you could look at it both sides. You'd be like, oh, it would be nice to have the history and the chemistry plate stuff, but we don't have that. Some of us do. So we're just all trying to learn as quickly as possible and create that cocusion in in a short couple of weeks, which crazy think about, but you know, again, trying to do our best. You have done the unthinkable. You've played without fans. I assume you hear everyone for

mccough to a to a giggle. I mean, I I am trying to wonder what is it like hearing everything

while you're playing. So I actually haven't played yet because I have a little quad issue, but I've been in the stadium and it is very odd because when you watch it on TV or online, you and kind of like the e p L games in the Bundesliga they pump in on the stream, they have noise and I don't know if they're pumping it in live in some of the stadium in Europe, but like in ours, there's no noise except for the benches hearing um, you know,

the people sitting out hearing. So it is very odd, but it's actually quite helpful because you can get your message across to other people. Like I feel like I can scream from the from the stands and give some instruction to somebody and they can't actually hearing me as opposed to if there are stands that would be the case. Yeah. I mean, I've never heard of a better job for jock jams than this. This is a this is the

time to I would love that. I love other than the Gary Glitter song, which we have to cancel, but everything else totally fine to play. Um. I asked this of all the athletes going back, and it is a very loaded question. That's your warning. But do you guys want to win? This? Is? This? Is this a tournament that's going to mean something. I am the type of person who wants to win, even like Torondo's and practice and little small by the game, So yeah, I want

to win. I enjoyed playing soccer, but at the end of the day, I'm a competitor and I'm not going out there just to like pick it. I'm going out there to win. So I definitely do yeah, and I think I think everybody does because people will look back there. You want the maybe Built Challenge Cup like what a wild time? But yeah, but you know it's a thing. You're only as good as your last game, so might as well win. Yeah. Well that leads U to the

Tokyo Olympics. You are a gold medalist in the past, you've been to the games before, you were set to be a veteran on this team. Does the postponement throw a total wrench into your training? Does it? You've been there before, so you know what it's like to have a set date and to to really work towards that that data has been pushed, the goalposts have been moved. What does it mean to you? To be honest, it was kind of a relief when they announced it finally

that it was going to get postponed. My stress was over them choosing to cancel it all together because I had heard that the way Olympics were allotted, you own, the host city, only had the year too actually get the game completed. Um. So I thought that they were going to cancel um, which I would that would have been a really big bummer because you know, there's only been a couple of times, maybe one time in history where they've been they've been canceled. So when I found

out that they were postponed, to me, it was a relief. One.

It's not canceled to pay there's still you know, there's still possibility to win a gold medal next year and too you kind of it kind of allowed you to like take a breass and not stress over being quarantine and trying to stay super fit and ready, because whenever think first happened, I kind of looked at it as O, we're gonna I was thinking we'll be back in like a couple of weeks, and so I was hitting it hard for two weeks straight, like training, trying to keep

games fit because we were going right into preseason and I was kind of at a peaking point. So once they were canceled and once I kind of fully crasped what was going on, um, I was able to take a step back and kind of to a little bit and and sort out how I wanted to approach my training for the next couple of months, knowing that the Olympics were no longer on the table. Yeah, and I

guess you've been to the Olympics before. As someone who watches from his couch eating potato chips, I am always nervous hearing those stories about like Olympic village and the viruses and dating apps and all the things that happened even in normal years. Do you we have to assume that this thing is going to have locked doors. It's gonna be even crazier than the apartment bubble you're living in. Yeah, I mean it's only it's not even like a full year away. Yeah, no, for sure. I mean I try

to be a hopeful person. So my hope is that we have a complete handle. I mean, I don't think the Olympics goes forward unless the entire world has a handle on COVID. Yeah, So for me, it's definitely going to be heightened precautions that probably didn't exist in the last games that I went to. But I can't imagine that they would actually have the games if what is

happening right now, you know, can trends upwards. But my hope is that we could have under control those of vaccine, and as a global community, we have this thing lockdown and and then you can have the games and have the village as it typically Yeah. No, I appreciate your hopefulness. You would you you you should take over for my therapist. I definitely want to have that more. I wanted to touch on the worldwide awakening that has went on after the murder of George Floyd and how it's shaping and

affecting the sports world. What changes have you seen in the tournament so far? Yeah, I mean, obviously, we've as a league and the players Association has wanted to bring a lot awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement and just the racial injustice and systemic racism in this country and the problems that the black community faces. So as players, people have been kneeling, we've all been learning the Black

Lives Matter shirts. R vans um. I would like to see us as a play association figure out something together across teams that we could do beyond the tournament. So

I'm hopeful that we can do something bigger. Yeah, and you face your fair share of internet rolls and real life discrimination clearly as a member of the LGBT community, and after kissing your partner on television, do you do you think as someone who has seen the garbage that is a lot of the response from people who aren't like you and I do do you think we can still turn this around? Do you think that these kind of things in soccer, in the sports that we love

are are are helping the cause. I think that people who come from a genuine place are helping the cause. I don't think internet roles help anything or anyone. But you also I think that humans have to realize that people behind computer screens you just can't you can't worry

about them. Yeah, I mean, especially with the things that have been going on these last few months with equal rights, which I spoke I spoke to Julie Foudy recently, and I just can't get over the mind like, I can't get over even the mind state that gets you to the point of being like, you know, women more popular in soccer bring more attention, but let's pay them less,

baby Like. It's just the creepiest thought process. Yeah, you know it is, But that's just part of the world we live in, and you just have to keep fighting a good fight. You are starting a podcast, You're getting into the podcast game. I, as you know, I'm the keeper of all podcasts, so I have to be alerted via written note. So I appreciate you sending that to me.

What made you want to start a podcast? So with j WS just from the Sports UM, I rejoined our conversation with one of the founders, Hayley Rosen, back in the fall, and it was for her to try to get me on board as an advisor and throughout that conversation, I was kind of asking her, like where do you see this going, Like what are your goals for this? And she brought up that say, would really love to

do podcast. So I casually said, like, oh, you know, I love podcasts that I've always thought about maybe like I would maybe want to host one one day, and she was really and so that kind of started the ball rolling in that bringing me on board to host, because it was for them that was they were trying to figure out who would be a good host and having the ability as an like that athlete currently playing,

to have conversations with other athletes. Um, I feel like there's a there's this chance for vulnerability and to kind of share experiences and and for me, the biggest reason I wanted to do the podcast, which is like taking me out of my comfort zone completely because I've never done anything like it. I know how important visibility is and getting voices heard and being able to tell your story,

and like, for me, I love hearing people's stories. I would rather read an article profile than like a long book. So I jumped at that opportunity because I'm like, if I want to be if I want to see women's sports increase. I have to. I can't just talk about it. I can't complain about it. I need to see something about it. And for me, this is doing something about it. Yeah, it's very active. Who would be your your goal guest? Who is who's the dream guest? You can open up

the whole entire celebrity sports world. Who who's the get? Well, We've already interviewed a handful of people, and some of them would be on my my dream list. So I'm I'm thankful that people have already come on and and showed their stories. I would love we have we have a we have a list. I should like to pull it up because um, it's a good one. I mean Serena Williams would be amazing, very good. Yes, yes, um, I think that would probably be the just because I

love that who she is, what she's done. Yeah, for sure, all right, very good. I I was thinking along those lines. So I I think it's always weird because like for me, if someone was like, who's the main get you want for the sports bubble, I'm always like I think too inwardly, I'm like, oh, Taco Fall would be amazing, Like I like, clearly people want to hear from Taco Fall. But all I want to do is be friends with Taco Fall, Like that's my whole goal and mostly everything I do.

So I appreciate you looking to listeners, I'm thinking, just who can I have, like, you know, a movie night with? Oh yeah, that's fair, I am. I'm very selfish, But let's talk movies. I just kind of glimpsed on on on your U talk experience right now, maybe being able to watch with some teammates. There's a lot of talk during Pandemic about Last Dance, the Ken Griffe Jr. Doc. It got me thinking about soccer movies. There just aren't

enough at all in my opinion. And there's an upcoming Netflix scripted movie about the ninety nine World Cup team. We have to wait for that. So I wanted to go through some soccer movies my childhood, from growing up, and you kind of tell me what you think about them as a professional player. Will grade them on one to five goals, five being best, and if it's a red card if you've never seen it, okay, alright, is going to be bad. Because I'm not a movie person.

It's okay, I mean, listen, I I've only seen a couple of these, so that's almost I'm almost asking for your help from what you've heard. Okay, One, I feel like a red Cards all right, here we go, bend it like Beckham, whoa the Kira Knightley Bollywood feeling bend it like Beckham gets a one? Why is that? Probably because I watched it so long ago and it was just no, no soccer movie has ever been able to accurately portray soccer being played in in a good way.

It doesn't ever look good, I agree. It mostly cuts to their legs and it's like a completely different person. And then the person getting stepovers in the middle of the field. Love stepovers in a movie love stepovers, which gets us to our next one, the Ninete and Dy two classic Ladybugs. It is with Rodney Dangerfield and the late Jonathan brand is also Jack Henry. This is a movie that is the you know, the quintessential guy on a girl's team whatever the flip. But do you remember

this one at all? I think I did see this. I feel like I did, but it was probably so long ago. But I also think I really liked it, So I'm going to give it four oh four. Okay, very good. That one has a lot of cut to different people's legs. It's like it'll be a white girl, then it cuts in it's like a Puerto Rican dude with like great quads. All right, The Big Green it's from Steve Gutenberg plays a deputy. It's kind of one of those bad news bears, ragtag group of soccer kids

from Texas. Oh yeah that one. Um, that was that a soccer movie? I thought was it is a soccer movie that the big kid with the red hair from sand lots the goalie. He's like the cover. I've definitely definitely doing this. Um that gets sick. Oh whoa that is? I mean bed it like Beckham is garbage. Well, it's just like I it's funny because I'm like it was I thought The Big Green was about football, but then I just googled Big Green movie. I'm like, oh yeah,

I definitely do that. It's the best one because it's kind of like Mighty Ducks. For the first soccer it is clearly Mighty Ducks. Same here's one that's the same plot as Ladybugs. And you're talking to someone who might even give this ten goals. So I'm warning you in advance. The two thousand six movie She's the Man with Amanda Binds and Channing Table. You're gonna bring that up. I would give it. I would give ten goals to it's so good. God bless her performance in it. It's so funny.

I laugh. I laugh even just thinking about it. Okay, everyone please go watch She's the Man, all right? Uh? Shaolin Soccer two thousand one, Stephen Chow movie. You ever see it? Red Cards from Red Cards? See this one's crazy because it's like a kung fu movie, but instead of kung fu, they're doing soccer. It's bonkers looking. I mean, none of it's real, but it's still nuts. Yeah, alright, I've never heard of it, all right? Possibly? Uh a tournament?

Watch okay. Kicking and Screaming two thousand five with Will Ferrell Bert Duval seen it? No, I actually haven't seen it, but I think it's pretty good because both fellows really good. So I'll give it four goals without even without even seeing it. You know, both incredible reviewer. Is there anything I'm missing? Is there a soccer movie that you love that I just didn't put on this list? No, I don't think so there's not enough any of Hollywood is listening.

Make a soccer movie. Kelly, thank you for talking to me. Please stay safe, say within the bubble. Have a great time at summer camp, and I hope to talk to you soon. Okay, I'll let you know how my Tide I go after this. I talked about the upcoming fight between Ortiz Junior and Vargas with Boxer and the Zone

analysts Sergio Mora. Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly to ensure our most vulnerable populations, like students who were out of school, the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted, and low income families continue to have access to food and other needed resources during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The Feeding America Food Bank Network is committed to serving communities and people facing hunger in America, and their greatest need

is donations and support of local food banks. This podcast is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from the show to Feeding America, and we hope that you can join us in this effort to find out how you can help. But Feeding America dot org backslash COVID nineteen. Now here's my conversation with Boxer and the Zone analysts Sergio Mora from Sergio the Man Think More to accept Press One. Well, I've seen a bunch of your interviews recently.

I've seen that you've been pretty strictly quarantining. Is this upcoming fight, Is this going to be your first time amongst a group of people? Yeah, but you know what's gonna be a limited group of people because the protocol

is pretty pretty strict. I've been getting females from the California Commission and from Golden Bullying from the Zone, and we're going to have to going to a bubble on Wednesday, stay in the room, get tested and right it and if we get clear, we test negative, then we're allowed to go into certain designated areas I think of for eating and in one sort of production, and then back to your room. So it's gonna be it's gonna be a bubble, just like the NBA. Yeah, I mean I

was hoping you've been quarantining in Mana Bello. I don't think you live there anymore, but I my my whole family is from there. My mom graduated from Whittier. Oh god, you know, I grew up in East l a write a block away from one though from on the board of Garfield and Whittier. I guess where I grew rober mom lived there, a family lived there. But I haven't stayed a fifteen years or I miss it. Well, shout out to guard knows my my favorite restaurant, probably of

all time. That's right, Oh man, it's I think it's out of business. I don't even want to. I don't even want to. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's still there. It's still there. Thank God. Well, like you said, this next Friday, the Zone is returning. Boxing is back with a huge fight a member of the promising future of boxing, the undefeated Virgil Ortiz June. You're taking on Vargas. You will be calling the action are truthfully? Are you

excited to get back to work? Absolutely? I mean well, from the fact that I've been quarantining with a two year old little girl and a five year old little boy, right, I can't wait to get out of that one to get back to work. And three, of course, then I want to see live action boxing. MANA just be stuck in home taking care of kids. I want to feel that a drilling of to stop from back into my body and want some action. Yeah, I have a I have a one year old, so I know I know

what quarantining with basically a toddler infant is. Like, I assume you're going to be seeing as much spit and blood as you've seen even at home this next week, Sam, poop, don't forget the poop and poop exactly. Some fighters, you never know. Boxing is one of those kind of sports that you just never know how it's going to happen. Again, like when we first started talking COVID and getting near each other. It's like contact sports, you know, golf and tennis,

those things are sort of easily solved. But with so much close this in boxing, what precautions are going to go on for the actual fighters to keep everyone safe. Well, from what I know so far that they send me, we gotta stay in our rooms. Once we're clear negatives, they let us go to a certain designated area, which is the production or I guess for the fighters training, maybe they need to use the fitness center to look a couple of extra pounds or they're going to be

allowed to do that certain hours. And I'm pretty sure there's gonna be hand sanit tizing and masks everywhere. That's what it said in the email. Um uh, I think those are those are the only things they can do. Um so designated areas and there there's gonna be time slots for everyone to go in and get the hands in a tiping everywhere. Casino is going to be closed from what I hear, And it's literally it's just work

room room work, right. And you're your former WBC Super Welterweight champ, You've had major fights in your career, you are a fan favorite coming out of the Contender, and you, I would assume, really fed off the fans and the applause and the audience inside. I mean, did you ever imagine what it would be like to have big televised

fights with no one there? Matter? And I thought my situation on the Contender was weird because we only find in front of production and the production family, and we were allowed to have five family members on our Contender fights, so we only had about a hundred max. Very small, and that felt weird. I never imagined to fight in front of no crowd, man, I mean, this is just something that's unpressed in it and it's gonna be weird.

I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie. I can't tell you that it's gonna be something I'm looking forward to, but I'm gonna have to adapt and evolved like everyone else. Yeah, I mean this is some inside baseball stuff. But I'm also wondering, like when we start talking about big payday fighters, like, since so much is dependent on live gate and not just TV deals and pay per views and stuff, how will payments happen? Is everyone going to be looking at a big pay cut? Do you think, Well, there's gonna

be two choices. Either you fight for less money, are you gonna be inactive and on the shelf, and right now you know the initial initial I guess consensus to you know, big fighters are gonna be silved. I mean, the only one that's really stepping up and saying you're gonna do with Canela, but Canellos listening an opponent because the opponents are can many more money. So yeah, if you know you get selves do or you want to fight, I think the only one that's pleading by example right

now is the Canelo algorithm. You know, got blessing. But hopefully you know the rest of the pound for pound fighters on the list and the top fighters you know follow suit. Yeah, because you had tweeted this. I saw this on your account. What a time to stay ready if you're a fighter. Pandemic opponents are one phone call away from career high pay days. It's just the idea that guys like Canello and uh you know, even Triple

G sort of talked about fighting a little bit. I mean the fact that they won't be able to find their pay day probably, but as far as smaller fights, I guess you're right. Like dudes that have been prepped to be in this position for a long time, if they feel safe, if they feel ready to take a payday that's big for them but low for for some superstars, well then they're ready to go. Usually it's that's the B side opponents that that get. You know, they get

good fights for about fifty thousand. If they get a really good fight against uh A opponent Bale, they might hit six sigures during this time. If you're gonna be fighting uh A, galab and Carnaro or a top fighter Demetrius Android or any champion with a belt, I mean, if you're gonna get a phone call with him a two week notice and you're in shape, you're gonna get a six figured check. You know, so it's a hell of a time to be an opponent. I would be

working out every day, waiting for a phone call. And you know, if all was on social media tweeting about it, do exactly what Andy Ruis did the instagramming messages and direct messaging Eddie Hearn and direct message every pan to say I'm ready, willing, enable, in shape, blah blah blah whatever. But us. Yeah, that's another question to bring up. Is the Zone now has three events in five weeks. Excited

to see all of those? Do you expect these guys after quarantine and and everything we've been through to be in shape. We're gonna see sort of the heavy breathing we are. Are we gonna see the boxers where you used to or now, well look the boxer are gonna tell you there in shape and have a boxer myself. Um, I hate saying former boxer, but as a boxer myself, Who're just gonna We're gonna talk to talk and then when we get in there, we're gonna have excuses later.

That's just the way it is, because we're not sharp to become fight night. Afterwards, they'll say, well, you know, we're gonna use the pandemic as an excuse. But if we live start didn't knockout. Yeah, they've been training them in the back part. I've been doing my thing. We'll keep that Bravano. So it all depends on how good the performance was. As your self, fighters are totally These last few months we've been without any fights. It's been

a major setback for his own. They were expanding into the US, starting sort of a new business plan ready to launch. Are they on track? Are you guys on track to sort of pick up where everything was halted because of COVID. It's sort of a weird position to be in as a as a network, and if you're running a sports serving service and you have no sports to show, that's gonna be tough. I think it's tough

for for every business. My buddy I, who I just spoke to about an hour ago, owned the popular bar in San Francisco, and he's hurting because you know, he's been in the bar business twenty plus here. So that's just a small business I've been as big as a as a sports student service is so much money involved, of course, it's going to take a big hit. But with that much money invested, so much time invested, so

much effort invested. I can bet they're gonna double down after this is over, and doubling down on the big fights right away. I mean, I've heard rumblings about the potential fights coming up. I can't I can't ruin the secret, but I can just say that hot you know, they're coming back with a bank. We're coming back with a bang.

And I'm sure Top Rank and Golden Boy and everyone else is gonna want to do the same because after five, six, seven months of this quarantine, you're gonna want to get all lies are in you, just like the UFC is doing, you know, all lives on them right now from Fighting Island. That's right. And and we talked to Sugary Leonard about King Ryan a little bit and sort of the superstar um that's in the future for him. You know, what do you see for him as far as like some

high level competition in the future. Ryan Garcia has been doing exactly what he needs to do. He's been moving perfectly. This step up opponents. It's not his salt that he knocked him out in under three minutes, but that's that's what the fighter and the potential superstar is supposed to do. Not only does he have that following the postal media phone, but he's taking care of business inside the ring, so

he has it inside and outside the ring. Now. The only problem is he wants to get paid more money, and he give me them any more money. This is where I would think that the lack of experience and and maybe a maturity kicks in the fact that on that these unpressed men of times, the money is not there, the parents aren't to someone who's gonna have to he ever gonna have to meet in the middle. And I think if if they can do that, they said, Ryan

Garcia and Golden Board can meet in the middle. Uh, you know, Golden Board tame a little bit more, not what Bryan is expecting, but a little bit more than Ryan Garcia says, Okay, I won't I won't take what I wanted for, but I'll take that. Let's do it, and let's just move forward. And that's that's how it gets going. And I just get the ball moving again. Keep that movement. I'm going I mean back to back first on knockout. He he's hot right now, he is

glidening hot right now. Keep it going man. It doesn't hurt that he looks like he's a boy band either. Yeah, as an eighteen year old incarnation of Offid Oil. Absolutely, I feel a swell during boxings downtime, and it's a very strange I would have never predicted it for the return of Mike Tyson in pop culture. Now, maybe more than ever, maybe just during the hangover time. I've seen him all over the place and he's hinted to a return to the ring after that video sort of went

viral of him in great shape hitting bags. You tell me you've been in the ring? You you you you WinCE when you say former fighter. Could could it happen at fifty three? Absolutely? Not? No, Absolutely, Mad Mike Tyson, every other sider that that's thinking about a comeback, especially in the late forties and early fifties, it's not possible. You're not You're You're not George Foreman, who was just a unique peace when it came to one point of power.

You're not Bernard Hopkins who lived the gladi in or lifestyles and people you know, eighteen years old or pro whenever you was. You're not both those are unique individuals that that that just it's it's it's rare, Myke. Tyson is a great fighter, but you know he didn't live to Gladdy your lifestyle. He doesn't have that well, he doesn't have that power like George Forman, but he don't have the size of George Foreman. So no, no, no, no,

they have no chance. It's just it's got tornisoir negacy that should just stay retired and and keep the thoughts of glory, you know, bottled up. I'm all down for Tyson to just be the Weed podcast guy, trust me. I just I know that. I know that when there's pay days out there, which brings me to my next question. Uh, your pal and everyone's pal, especially at the zone day. La Hoya says he'll be watching Tyson for his own return.

I can't imagine when the payday pops up for him and Canelo or you know him and pack Yeah, or him and McGregor even weirder that anyone is gonna say no for that kind of money. Like I just, I guess I don't have a lot of optimism when it comes to boxing and uh and keeping people away from the ring. If there's a pay day, no money torn there, especially during these times um, exactly. Sorry you strying to happen, man, It's just it's too important even for the guys that

have to line light. Do you see, uh? I know you guys have some fights to Zone has some fights in London coming up, and they're all outdoors. Is that is that sort of the future. Do you think that's what the Zonne is gonna be looking for in the future? Outdoor arenas? You know what I heard about that pulsa uh fight in downtown in the streets. You gotta give Eddie Hearn some credit for I love that idea. I love that idea out in the middle of main street.

So something like that, something created a fight Island creative, Downtown creative or who knows Alcatraza didn't hear any creative. So I am in supportive and Alcatraz Island boxing match, I will I that would be great. Well, Sergio, I wish you all the best and all the luck of these next few weeks with the Zone. Will. I'll be watching. The world is hoping for sports to come back and excited to hear you. Hear you out there again, Thank you, Jensen,

appreciate it. The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by tree Fort Media. The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, Matthew Coogler, and me Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production and editing by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Haley Mandelberg. Our theme music is composed

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