RING CHAMPS hits the road. Ak and Barak are live from the Stadium Club at Caribe Royale Orlando for the launch of the Project Series — Matchroom and Boxlab Promotions’ new proving ground on DAZN, where undefeated fighters actually fight each other. They break down what Teofimo Lopez just did to Rolly Romero in Vegas and why the casuals scoring it close need a lesson in how rounds actually work, then get into Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn and the keys for both men on September 12.

Then it gets loud: AJ vs. Fury is signed for Netflix, but the venue war is real — Wembley or Madison Square Garden? Ak makes his call on both the venue and the fight, and the argument that follows gets personal. Plus the prospect graveyard (the Felix Verdejo story Top Rank saw coming), the debut of a new segment, Who the Heck Is That?, and a sit-down with undefeated Christian “El Capitán” Barreto before he faces Corey Marksman in Friday’s main event of the inaugural Project Series broadcast.

Don’t miss Project Series, live from the Caribe Royale Orlando, Friday August 28th and streaming on DAZN.

00:00:00 – Cold Open: On the Road at the Stadium Club
00:02:38 – Teofimo Handles Rolly: The Recap
00:04:18 – Scoring 101: Body Shots Count & the 10-8 Debate
00:07:19 – What’s Next for Teofimo & Rolly
00:09:37 – What the Project Series Is: Projects vs. Prospects
00:14:23 – The Prospect Graveyard: Brandon Lee, Joey Spencer & Felix Verdejo
00:19:30 – The Ones They Got Right: Shakur at 17
00:22:59 – Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn: The Breakdown
00:27:02 – Ryan’s Jab, Conor’s Pressure & the Dogfight Question
00:32:24 – AJ vs. Fury: The Netflix Venue War
00:36:18 – The 4 A.M. Problem & the Falling-Asleep Argument
00:42:14 – Ak’s Call: “AJ Knocks Fury Out”
00:46:21 – New Segment Debut: Who the Heck Is That?
00:52:02 – Christian Barreto Joins the Show
00:56:22 – Cotto, Money & the Question He Wouldn’t Answer
01:03:19 – See You Friday/Wrap

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ak and Barak break down Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez before Saturday’s title fight in Vegas: the smarter Rolly that showed up against Ryan Garcia, why Teofimo comes back different after a loss, and the style question that decides it. Then they get into Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn on September 12, why Conor has the most to gain, and the business story behind it all — the DAZN and PBC deal they never thought they’d see, and what it felt like betting their careers on “the app” back in 2018 when everyone called it suicide.

Plus: the report that AJ vs. Fury is headed to Madison Square Garden on Netflix — and why Barak thought it was fake news before making the case that New York wins. Canelo’s dangerous fight with Christian Mbilli that casuals are sleeping on. A heated argument about Micky Ward, belts, and what actually makes a legacy. And finally a farewell to Errol Spence: the career, the what-ifs, and the Hall of Fame verdict.

0:00 – Intro
0:43 – DAZN’s rise and the PBC/DAZN partnership
3:59 – Can boxing’s rival networks coexist?
5:09 – Promoters, networks & fighter loyalty debate
7:17 – Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez preview
10:39 – Styles breakdown: Romero vs. Lopez
14:18 – Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn intro
15:17 – DAZN vs. Zuffa: the promotional landscape
16:51 – Garcia’s recent form & Benn’s résumé
18:20 – Conor Benn interview callback & legacy debate
22:11 – Garcia vs. Benn matchup & odds
24:32 – Who benefits more from a win?
27:24 – AD BREAK
30:12 – Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury reportedly heading to MSG
36:10 – Canelo’s next fight and the danger of overlooking Mbili
38:33 – Errol Spence Jr.’s career tribute & Hall of Fame case

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edgar Berlanga sits down with Ak & Barak to finally clear the air — addressing the on-camera tension with Ak head-on before diving into everything else. From there, “The Chosen One” opens up about the toughest stretch of his career, the massive payday from signing with Zuffa Boxing, and why he says it’s already outpacing what he made fighting Canelo.

The conversation covers his fallout with Top Rank and Bob Arum vs. Todd DuBoef, the real story behind his beef with Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn (including getting shut out of ringside tickets), the rise of his viral song “Baby Mama” and plans for a full EP, and a no-holds-barred Untold Stories segment. He closes it out naming his next three dream opponents — and the one rematch he’d want above all else.

0:00 Intro
0:46 Addressing the tension with Ak
6:23 The Sheeraz loss, the dark place
11:55 - AD BREAK
14:29 Fat Joe loyalty — origin story
20:37 MSG pressure, the knockdown & comeback KO
28:20 The Angulo fight — dirty tactics
29:28 Leaving Top Rank
31:19 The Canelo fight, mindset, biggest purse
43:43 Signing with Zuffa Boxing
46:30 “Baby Mama” origin story
53:19 Oscar De La Hoya & Eddie Hearn tension
1:05:31 Untold Stories
1:09:19 Is the persona a show?
1:11:11 Haney/Keyshawn Davis, Hitchins talk
1:20:45 Next 3 opponents, Canelo rematch dream

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first football guest in RING CHAMPS history is a Hall of Famer who’s been ringside for boxing’s biggest nights. Michael Irvin sits down with Ak and Barak and starts at the beginning: the 15th of 17 kids, bused 25 miles out of the ghetto at five years old & feeling inferior in an all-white school post-integration, until a tutor threw him a football and said the words that changed his life. He opens up about the father who never saw him play, driving him to cancer treatments at 15, the promise he made the night before he died, and why he wore 88 for his dad’s favorite Cowboy.

Then the boxing stories come out. Dinner with Mike Tyson fresh out of prison (and the moment with the waiter Irvin will never forget), why the Buster Douglas loss hurt him like nothing else in sports, the Chávez–Taylor war that made him ask for the only autograph of his life, his breakdown of how Ali vs. Tyson actually goes, his love for Terence Crawford, and his shock at what Floyd Mayweather is going through.

Plus the truth about Deion Sanders, the physics of why cornerbacks couldn’t press him, and the prison-mentality workouts that built a Hall of Fame career.

00:00 – Intro & Welcoming Michael Irvin
00:52 – Growing Up in Segregation-Era Florida
02:06 – Feeling Inferior & Discovering He Could Be Special
04:37 – St. Thomas Aquinas, Miss Jones & Fighting to Play
07:50 – Moving from Defense to Wide Receiver
10:05 – Freshman Year at Miami Under Jimmy Johnson
12:21 – His Father: The Pastor Who Never Saw Him Play
15:16 – Losing His Father & the Promise He Made
18:02 – Giving Back to St. Thomas Aquinas
20:35 – Ad Break
21:45 – Realizing He Was a Special Wide Receiver
22:59 – Miami Hurricanes Legends & Cowboys Brotherhood
25:13 – Buying Family Homes & Helping Without Hurting
27:21 – Chasing Jerry Rice & Darrell Green
28:23 – Fear, Courage & the Mental Game of Football
31:26 – The Legendary Super Bowl Catch
32:22 – Becoming a Mike Tyson Superfan
35:51 – Deion Sanders & Paying It Forward
39:46 – Boxing’s Meaning & Today’s Top Fighters
44:34 – Greatest Fights, Dream Matchups & the Tyson Dinner Story

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Espinoza returns for a wide-ranging conversation covering some of boxing’s biggest storylines, and has some updates. He addresses Floyd Mayweather’s $340M lawsuit against him and Showtime personally — where pay-per-view money actually goes, and why he insists not a penny went missing — plus whether he’d still help Floyd, what their conversations have been like since, and the six-month window on a possible Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch.

The conversation turns to a dream matchup: Mayweather vs. Terence Crawford. Espinoza, who has priced fights like this his entire career, gives his verdict and sparks a debate about what it would take to make it real.

Finally, Espinoza responds to Dana White’s claim that Zuffa Boxing will eventually sign every fighter, breaking down what that would actually require — undoing 100 years of boxing’s structure — and pointing to a business model that keeps contradicting itself, down to Devin Haney’s rumored $60M deal.

0:00 – Intro
0:44 – Floyd’s lawsuit: does Espinoza/Showtime owe him money?
2:20 – His reaction to the suit, and where things stand with Al Haymon
4:32 – How PPV money actually flows
9:00 – Streaming vs. old-school PPV payouts
10:16 – The leaked Al Haymon audio and the AI theory
14:19 – Al Haymon taking PBC stars to Fox — and why exclusive network deals hurt boxing
20:49 – Signing Boots Ennis and Anthony Joshua outside of PBC
25:30 – Creating boxing’s first real annual fight schedule
30:38 – Espinoza’s green-light power at Showtime, and why it ended
36:07 – Why Tank vs. Shakur died, and the real story on Crawford vs. Ennis
40:23 – Mayweather vs. Crawford — what it’d take, and would fans buy it?
44:04 – Boxing’s shrinking media landscape, Saudi money, and PIF
50:32 – Could Zuffa really sign every fighter? Devin Haney’s rumored $60M deal
54:23 – Al Haymon’s future, Turki’s “boxing summit,” and fighters pricing themselves out
1:02:20 – Would Espinoza still help Floyd? His finances since the lawsuit
1:05:32 – Addressing Part 1 comments
1:09:36 – Joshua vs. Fury, Wilder’s legacy, and Tank Davis’ future
1:15:49 – Outro

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terence Crawford is back on RING CHAMPS for his first sit-down since walking away from boxing, and this time Ak and Barak came with a retirement gift: an original portrait from Tony Nasa. Bud opens up about the decision nobody leaked: he knew before the Canelo fight that it was his last, Bomac couldn't wait for him to be done, and the tears after Spence were him realizing he'd already proved everything. He shuts down the Turki rumors (nobody has offered him a fight since Canelo), explains why "who am I gonna fight?" ends every comeback conversation, and teases the injuries from his worst camp that he's saving for the documentary.

Then he answers what everyone's been waiting on: Spence's camp excuses, and explains why he can't grasp taking the biggest fight of your life unprepared. Crawford reveals there was no rematch clause with Canelo but he'd have honored one anyway, plus the truth about the $200M McGregor offer and what he'd have done in the cage, his take on Shakur signing with Zuffa and the UFC camera "mixup," and advice for Boots Ennis and why Vergil Ortiz is the harder fight over Fundora.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richardson Hitchins is back on RING CHAMPS for the first time since the fight that never happened, and he takes us inside every hour of that week: his body shutting down in the cold of Vegas, being held up by his team in the MGM lobby so nobody could see him on his knees, 6 AM ice baths, throwing up on fight night, and the moment he told his manager he couldn’t walk to the ring. Then the part that still eats at him every day — the biggest check of his career, over $1 million, gone with the pullout.

He also gets into everything that came after: vacating the IBF belt, the Zuffa deal and why the money stayed the same without the strap, Eddie Hearn going missing, and sitting down with Dana White and Nick Khan.

Plus Tank Davis texting him from fake numbers, his real issue with Keyshawn Davis and the missed-weight double standard, why he’s picking Teofimo over Rolly, breaking down Boots Ennis vs. Xander Zayas, whether Boots beats Bud, and the fight he wants most: Devin Haney.

00:00 – Intro & Welcome Back Richardson Hitchins
00:47 – What Really Happened During Oscar Duarte Fight Week
07:12 – Is Hitchins Done at 140?
08:50 – Making Weight, Nutrition & Growing Out of the Division
10:59 – Ad Break
12:10 – Zuffa’s Plans for Him at 147
14:04 – How the Zuffa Boxing Deal Came Together
16:25 – Why the Eddie Hearn Deal Fell Apart
21:02 – Breaking Down Teofimo Lopez vs. Rolly Romero
25:53 – Beef with Devin Haney & Tank Davis
30:55 – Should Shakur Stevenson Move Up to 147?
33:53 – Sparring Stories with Shakur Stevenson
35:05 – Keyshawn Davis’ Win Over Jamaine Ortiz
38:34 – Shakur Stevenson Beats Raymond Ford
42:17 – Boots Ennis vs. Xander Zayas
47:35 – Fundora & Vergil in the 154 Division
49:35 – Fantasy Fight: Boots Ennis vs. Bud Crawford
53:45 – Fallout, Critics & the Real Reason He Pulled Out
1:03:34 – Meeting Dana White & Nick Khan
1:06:11 – Talking His Next Opponent
1:11:25 – Wrap

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emiliano Vargas pulls up on RING CHAMPS just days after his statement win at a sold-out Barclays Center, and the fastest-rising name in the Vargas dynasty holds nothing back. The undefeated 22-year-old gets real about answering Ryan Garcia’s verbal jab, why he believes Vargas vs. Garcia sells out a stadium. Plus, sparring Shakur Stevenson as a 17-year-old, and the only fighter who ever hurt him in the ring.

He also takes us inside the most surreal stretch of his young career: the locker room during Xander Zayas’ loss to Boots Ennis, the phone call telling him Bad Bunny personally picked him for the Super Bowl halftime show, and the casino run that cost him $16,000 in an hour. Plus his brothers’ bare-knuckle debut in London, the lessons pulled from his father, Fernando’s, career, and the untold story of the pro fight he took with no team and his barber working the mitts.

0:00 Intro
0:47 Vargas Brothers in boxing & family competition
3:18 Staying focused despite money & fame
7:22 Learning from his brothers’ mistakes
11:08 AD BREAK
13:28 Falling in love with boxing as a kid
15:13 Amateur career & traveling the world
17:52 Sparring wars with his brothers growing up
21:33 Ryan Garcia
23:24 His father’s legacy: Tito Trinidad and beyond
27:28 Breaking down the Xander Zayas vs. Boots Ennis fight
32:58 Super Bowl halftime show & meeting Bad Bunny
36:41 Sparring Shakur Stevenson & Jorge Linares
43:17 Dream fight: Ryan Garcia & next opponents
47:42 Untold Stories
58:19 Rapid-fire Qs, dad’s best advice & money stories

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.