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The Opening Bell
USYK IS THE MAN
Four days have passed since Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to become the ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion.
The magic of that victory and occasion still fills the air in the boxing world but, already, one of the sanctioning bodies is hinting that Usyk might be stripped.
Which begs the question: What really is the point of those sanctioning bodies?
We take a deep dive into the fight, re-examine the scoring, the momentum swings, the voices in Fury’s ear and wonder if a rematch is really the best idea.
In This Week, we go back to 1981 and a fight when Wilfred Benitez scored one of the greatest KOs against Maurice Hope.
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01:05:48|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.MONSTER MASH
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01:09:16|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.HOPES AND DREAMS
01:02:24|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 Ringside Charitable Trust, you can do so HEREhttps://www.theringsidecharitabletrust.com/how-to-donateUSYK BEATS FURY AGAIN
38:56|https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcastFollowing 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 career?As always, we’re keen to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your glorious support in 2024; we wish you all a very merry Christmas and the happiest of new years.Usyk v Fury: The Last Word with Barry Jones
40:24|https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcastIn 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.