The Opening Bell; A boxing podcast

30 months after two failed tests aborted the fight between Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn, the old family feud is now set to be renewed. We examine the form, age and weight of the fighters, the history of the rivalry, and ponder who will have their hand raised at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Ben Whittaker’s victory over Liam Cameron, alongside the stoppage, the aftermath and the undercard, are also...

Support the pod and get access to AD free listening, exclusive episodes, early releases and lots more here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheOpeningBellPodcast How does the story end? It’s been a long road to get here but it seems that Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are actually going to have a fight. But who wins? Eubank Jr is the favourite but does he still have what it takes at the age of 35? Benn...

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis turned in a terrific showing to dismantle Eimantas Stanionis with aplomb inside six rounds. Yet there’s still plenty to do before those labelling him great are proved correct. Critics still say he takes too many punches and one wonders if the talent pool at welterweight is deep enough to take him forward. Yet there should be no doubt he’s a very special fighter. Yet Hannah Rank...

THREE TITLES AND A BIG BABY Last December, Jarrell Miller walked into the WBA convention and asked to be moved into the top five of their heavyweight rankings. The sanctioning body did better than that - they’ve reintroduced their interim title for him to contest. Also at heavyweight, Joe Joyce turned in a typically gutsy showing but came up short against Filip Hrgovic. What now for the Juggernaut...

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is plotting his next move, with Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker both seemingly in the running to face the king. The chasing pack watch with interest, knowing their own futures might be at the mercy of Usyk’s choice. Derek Chisora, the IBF’s leading contender, is among them. But does the ageing warhorse really deserve a shot and, furthermore, is Chisora cha...

Tributes to George Foreman, Colin Hart and Livingstone Bramble are paid this week.  Foreman was a gigantic presence in every possible way - to such a degree that we presumed he’d go on forever. The loss of Hart, the doyen of British boxing journalists and friend of the podcast, hits particularly hard but comfort is found in the life he cherished. There’s also time to reflect on the performances of...

Should Nick Ball have been thrown out of his fight with TJ Doheny after booting him in the leg?  That question, alongside analysis of the fight, is in sharp focus this week. We also examine the £100,000 fine dished out to Chris Eubank Jnr and explain both why it was so high and where the money goes. And in This Week we go back to the Nineties and a Mike Tyson undercard that featured one of the mos...

In this week’s episode we talk to one of the greatest of all boxing writers, Don McRae about his new book and reflect on victories for Harlem Eubank and Lauren Price, who may have ended the careers of Tyrone McKenna and Natasha Jonas. McRae, in a teaser for an in-depth interview in the bonus podcast, details the process of writing what he believes will be his final boxing book: The Last Bell. In T...

The two biggest talking points of the weekend were triggered by the decisions of referees - Steve Willis to deny Lamont Roach a knockdown and Marcus McDonnell to disqualify Paddy Donovan. But were they right calls? The fights, that saw Lewis Crocker win in bizarre circumstances and Gervonta Davis snatch a draw, are also broken down. We brace ourselves as the build-up to Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn...

Dmitry Bivol gained revenge over Artur Beterbiev following another close and high quality encounter. Did the right man win this time? We also wonder if in fights like these judges should be encouraged to score rounds level if they’re struggling to find favour. We look at each of the undercard fights in detail with gushing praise for both Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi in particular. There’s also t...

In a bonus free-for-all reaction pod we look back on the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev card and a rivalry that may always feel like unfinished business. There were talking points galore elsewhere, too. From the titanic clash between Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi to Martin Bakole’s dramatic fall, via Hamzah Sheeraz stealing a draw and is Agit Kabayel coming the fore, we discuss them all. Please enj...

AD FREE LISTENING + EARLY RELEASES + BONUS CONTENT + MORE: https://www.patreon.com/TheOpeningBellPodcast Matt and Alex reflect on Jack Catterall’s loss to Arnold Barboza on Saturday which dented his immediate hopes of a world title challenge while handing the magic beans to Barbosa on his climb to the top.  It was a weekend for upsets and progress with Reece Bellotti, Jazza Dickens, Pat McCormack...

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Derek Chisora scored another win, collected more bruises, handed out more burgers, and now he prepares to face the final curtain. We examine Del Boy’s victory over Otto Wallin, his recent form, and ponder what awaits in fight number 50. Elsewhere, Canelo signed a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh in what might signal the Mexican winding down his career with one last lucrative deal. But is Willi...

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...

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...

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. G...

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,...

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 crui...

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

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 i...

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 forg...

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 emergenc...

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 cont...