What would you do if your phone rang during dinner… and on the other end, someone asked if you were ready to fight Shakur Stevenson for the world title — in four days?

In this unbelievable episode, Josh Padley joins Darren Barker to tell the real-life Rocky story that shook the boxing world. One moment, he’s installing solar panels in Doncaster. The next, he’s flying business class to Saudi Arabia to face one of the best fighters on the planet with no camp, no preparation, and everything to lose.

From skipping dinner and jumping on the scales to being dropped by perfectly placed body shots on a sold-out Saudi card, Josh opens up about grit, fear, belief, and opportunity — and how saying “yes” at the right time changed his life forever.

💬 Josh also reveals:

• What it felt like to fight Shakur Stevenson with no sparring
• The call-up story that started mid-meal with “Watch your weight, lad.”
• How he made weight overnight — and what broke him in the ring
• Buying a kettle with Alexa as his first big-money purchase
• Life as a working-class fighter: work vans, robot hoovers & Wembley dreams
• His new life as a full-time pro with Matchroom
• His 5-year goal to win a world title — and who he wants next

This is one of the wildest and most inspiring stories we’ve ever heard on First Round. If you’ve ever needed a reminder that dreams still happen — even if you're not in camp — this episode is for you.

Hamzah Sheeraz joins Darren Barker on First Round TV for his most honest, raw and revealing interview yet.

From growing up without a father figure to working as an apprentice electrician at 15 just to help his family eat, Hamzah opens up about the pressure, pain, and sacrifice behind his rise through boxing. He shares the emotional aftermath of his controversial draw with Carlos Adames, the brutal silence that followed, and the people who turned their backs when the wins stopped.

Hamzah reflects on what it really takes to reach the top, how the wrong people nearly derailed his career, and why he’s now rebuilt his mindset, team, and weight class under new trainer Andy Lee. He talks captaincy at Riyadh’s 5v5, facing the toughest puncher he’s ever been in with, and chasing greatness at 168lbs — with Edgar Berlanga next, and Canelo in his sights.

This is the untold story of Britain’s most exciting middleweight contender.

🎙 Topics include:

• Growing up in East London without a dad
• Working to support his mum at age 15
• The Adames fight and post-fight backlash
• Taking full accountability for defeat
• Why he changed trainers and moved to 168lbs
• Life-changing moments inside and outside the ring
• Being captain at the Riyadh 5v5
• His relationship with His Excellency
• Faith, pressure, and boxing’s brutal truths
• Canelo aspirations and redemption

🎧 Listen now and get inside the mind of boxing’s most quietly dangerous contender.

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Boxing, Boxer, British Boxing, Sports, Heavyweight boxing, Boxing legends, Boxing talk, Boxing History, Boxing Champions,

Dave Allen is back – and he’s not holding back. In this emotional and unpredictable conversation with Darren Barker, the White Rhino revisits the highs and brutal lows of his career.

From sparring Tyson Fury and Usyk and getting battered by Tony Yoka, to being called a “fat pig” in France and paying to fight on the small hall scene – this is a deep dive into boxing’s most unlikely cult hero.

Now training kids in Doncaster and preparing for one last shot against Johnny Fisher, Dave reveals what keeps him in the game… and what nearly took him out.

⚠️ Don’t miss this one if you care about the man behind the gloves.