Beyond Boxing

Please make sure to follow Greg Hackett on Insta @greghackett86 - easily the funniest man on there. In this episode, we just talk boxing. We start off speaking about the Cuban system and move around from there. If you enjoy the show, please share it with people you truly love.

BEYOND BOXING EP72 - REVIEW OF THE BOXING YEAR PT.2 by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP71 - REVIEW OF THE BOXING YEAR PT.1 by Highfield Boxing

Saturday's show was poor by most people's standards. If this is how DAZN end the year then we are in a dark place as far as boxing goes. One bright pointfrom Saturday was Sandy Ryan and she goes on to demo

BEYOND BOXING EP69 - WHO IS THE LIGHTWEIGHT KING by Highfield Boxing

Remember to follow the social profiles -@highfieldboxing Redemption is a strange journey because the biggest battle is often with the demons within. Saturday saw Anthony Yarde battle his inner demons and overcome everything, to restore his reputation as one of the best Light-Heavyweights in the country and world right now. It is also time to reward Tunde for his effort in orchestrating the whole operation. He is much maligned, often for sinister reasons, but is easily one of the best trainers in the country right now, as he has been for a while.

BEYOND BOXING EP67 - TYSON, TOMMY, AND JOHN: THE FURIOUS THREE by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP66 - BOXXER PART 2 - WHAT AN EVENT by Highfield Boxing

What a great night. Cinderella finally had her ball. Dan Azeez is BRITISH CHAMPION. This has to be the definition of The People's Champion. We should celebrate the hard work and evolution of Dan Azeez - from power puncher into thinking boxer.

BEYOND BOXING EP64 - WILL SKY SAVE BRITISH BOXXING by Highfield Boxing

When you have a poor stable, you can't put on good fights. Sometimes you get lucky with a fight, but Eddie has had a weak stable for so long now that he cannot paper over the cracks. Right now, MTK have a stronger stable than Matchroom. Weak in the US and weak in the UK, which is why you'll see him in Spain and Australia more.

Are we watching AJ on the downside of his career? Nobody got faster at 32, or better timing at 32, or more powerful at 32. all the greats slowed down by 32 and AJ will be no different. It means that he will have to stand and trade with opponents from now on. Is he that sort of guy? Can Anthony Joshua do it? Only time will tell.

Make sure to follow the IG - @highfieldboxing When a 60-fight veteran fights a 20-fight novice what do you expect to happen? Skills will rarely overcome experience in the boxing ring. Being there and doing it is so important in this sport and Canelo is living proof of that

There was something off about Ellie Scotney's opponent on Saturday night. You cannot be definitive without further info, but you suspec there is some form of anabolic/androgenic issue involved. What saved Ellie was her skillset and workrate. Any lesser fighter might have suffered serious injury. We need answers, or at least, clarity.

I am not sure Matchroom have many aces up their sleeve after Saturday. The roster looks devoid of stars and there is definitely nothing to excite the Americans, which will worry DAZN. But a lot of prospects would have got a lot out of the show at the O2 and we will wait and see how hungry they are to get better and fulfill their potential.

For all your meal-prep needs... https://gdhnutrition.com/about/ The Whyte-Wallin fallout is crazy. There is a lot to unpick in this episode, but it boils down to one thing, matchmaking at that level is more about money than about challenge. In all of this, you have to feel for Otto Wallin - let down by his team and let down by boxing. We can only hope they make it right for him.

Massive shout out to https://www.sgmfitnessldn.com/ the best in fitness.

Don't forget to subscribe and share good people. The Fury-Wilder 3 fight was really defined by such small margins. The ability of Fury to ride so many of Wilder's punishing right hands was the difference. In a shootout, the winner is the person that sustains less damage.

No notes needed today, just praise for two men that put it all on the line for boxing immortality.

We are three years into the Wilder-Fury saga. It isn't 100% conclusive yet but definitely swings 60/40 in Fury's favour. Hopefully we get a third fight that elevates this trilogy to the Bowe-Holyfield level. This fight will be won on performance and desire, not tactics or nuance. They know each other too well now. Respect to the promotional team on delivering a stacked card and justifying the PPV premium. But, once this fight is over, this saga has to end. The belts need to flow again and big fights need to get made.

BEYOND BOXING EP53 - ROY JONES DOESNT COME CHEAP by Highfield Boxing

Sky are taking a brave step in reshaping their boxing product. The first show feels small, but this is likely a 5-year vision and we should not be quick to judge. They have done it before, and they will do it again.

These were my raw instinctive thoughts after the fight. It reminds me that I have a deep dislike of this Joshua project and sometimes it clouds the judgment. But I let this one out to say, sometimes it is best to sleep on a fight before commenting on it. RIP – Frank Beccles – A fellow podcast brother gone.

RIP Frank Beccles – a real loss to the boxing world. Anthony Joshua showed how little he learned from the Ruiz fight. When the pressure came on again, he went missing. Is it an AJ issue, or is there rot and decay in the camp? Has team Joshua gone stale and if so, can anything be salvaged? We all know that boxing has never been fond of nice guys, we love our heavyweights mean and intense. Usyk gave us that last night and for that, last night belonged to him.

BEYOND BOXING EP49 - LIONS LED BY LAMBS by Highfield Boxing

Anytime you get David Haye and Tyson Fury addressing the media in the same week, you know what you're going to get. Boxing will get tired of it soon enough. It will also be interesting to see the arms race between Sky and DAZN for talent. There are already rumours of bonuses and guaranteed incomes - money that boxing doesn't have at the moment. To follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfieldboxing/ On twitter: https://twitter.com/highfieldboxing Where you can find my writing: https://squaremile.com/author/terry-chapendama

Eddie Hearn is in a mess all of is own making. In upsetting so many names in boxing, making entertaining fights is difficult, if not impossible. Within those constraints, he has done a decent job with the Leeds card. Now, the real test will be whether Sky can break those barriers and make better fights than Matchroom.

The expected announcement from Sky and Boxxer did exactly what we needed it to do, generate excitement and interest. The British cards are solid, which is all the fans wanted. The hope is that this is the baseline that they build from and not the high point. After the trauma with Matchroom, we should get behind this new partnership and hopefully, we get the fights we deserve.

Say what you want, but Jake Paul is doing more to reboot boxing than anyone in the sport. From embracing technology, to fighting regularly, he is doing everything that fans have wanted of mainstream boxing. More importantly, he is giving mainstream boxers money and a platform to grow. What is there not to like. He is the fork in the road for boxing. Either, the sport embraces progress of it becomes ‘super niche’. Progress waits for nobody. He also raises the question of the value of a promoter. As always: Instagram and twitter - highfieldboxing

BEYOND BOXING EP44 - THE CURIOUS CASE OF JOSHUA BUATSI by Highfield Boxing

While we criticise the Fight Camp cards and their quality, quietly, DAZN are compiling data on us that will hopefully make their proposition better. We are all currently lab rats in the great DAZN experiment.

BEYOND BOXING EP42 - LIVE FROM THE TOKYO TRENCHES by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP41 - HEARN AND DAZN NO GAMES ON THE GRASS by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP40 - THE QUEST FOR SUCCESS FOR EDDIE HEARN AND TEAM GB by Highfield Boxing

Every sport needs its villains. The Charlo twins are perfect villains. Their mix of supreme confidence, raw aggression and an ability to hurt opponents, make them ideal for the role. However, the boxing world seems unwilling to embrace them as such, but the reason is unclear. What is clear is that these guys will always provide entertainment and in a sport that so rarely delivers, this is important.

It sounds crazy to say that two men in their mid-40s remain the biggest draw in boxing. Years of politics, lies, and ultimately, a declining standard of boxer have meant that we teeter on the brink of the worst era in pro boxing. The old heads are driving the young guns into retirement.

It is a sad day for boxing and the whole Eubank family. We can only send our prayers and offer our support at this challenging time and hope that with time, there is healing.

Gervonta 'Tank' Davis is one bad man. Very few in boxing deliver like he does, consistently. He is the best of the new generation, but time is running out for him to have those career-defining fights that he deserves. We also talk about whether Terence Crawford has a hollow record and why he is considered the best with no signature wins. Also, if Matchroom and DAZN are simply warming up their previous proposition, what will really change for that subscription?

A lighter episode this week. We cover the new development in the Wasserman - Sky relationship and if this means that celebrity boxing is now a real thing. Also take time to pay tribute to Isaac Dogboe, a man this country should have treated better. Apart from that, i also thank Steve Gray for bringing some honesty back into boxing.

BEYOND BOXING EP34 - MAYWEATHER PAUL A WINDOW INTO THE FUTURE by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP33 - WHERE WILL SKY SPORTS GO NEXT? by Highfield Boxing

BEYOND BOXING EP32 - WHATEVER DEVIN HANEY IS SELLING IM NOT BUYING by Highfield Boxing

Denzel Bentley is a rare boxer. He is brave enough to face the best, he has the courage to share his journey with the fans and he is smart enough to know that this boxing game is about education. We are biased, but understand his hunger to succeed and we have enjoyed seeing him become an active voice in his own career and development. We hope you enjoy it, please forgive the audio quality this time (ring rust). Twitter: https://twitter.com/2Sharp_d Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2sharp_d

BEYOND BOXING EP30 - WILL THE FURY - JOSHUA EGG EVER HATCH? by Highfield Boxing

A week later and we know as much about the eye injury as we knew before. What should have been a routine injury-based stoppage has turned into a fight for the integrity of boxing and its future. You will Billy Joe all the best and that his vision isn't affected, but can you really come back from these sorts of injuries like you were?

BEYOND BOXING EP28 - BILLY JOE DIDN'T QUIT BUT CANELO STOPPED THE HYPE TRAIN by Highfield Boxing

Natasha Jonas and Katie Taylor delivered the fight that makes a string case for an all-female card in the near future. The two-minute rounds create debate, but in this case, created the right tempo for a great fight. In Tasha Jonas, we have the right ambassador for the sport and we should get behind her. If you enjoy the episode, please share, and tag a friend that may enjoy it too.

Just a quick podcast to warm you up for the weekend....

Has Eddie Hearn flown too close to the sun on this one? Have Sky cut their head off to spite their face? Only time will tell I guess. Thanks to Kugan and IFL for the interview in the intro. Watch it here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPKtKIl9g6A

Conor Benn has come of age now. It is now time to see him tested by his peers. Interesting to see how his career mirrors that of Jaron Ennis going forward. Also, let us take a moment to appreciate Prince Patel and the injustices he has suffered in boxing.