Boxing fans got what they wanted when Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul, breaking his jaw in two places. Or did they?

That Paul lasted into the sixth round has only given the supposed imposter an even bigger platform to shout from. That he suffered a broken jaw is now his most treasured badge of honour.

What did it all really say about both, though? Was Paul better than we expected? Was Joshua worse than we feared? And where does this leave boxing as 2026 approaches?

Elsewhere, Troy Williamson continues his incredible comeback when he knocked out Callum Simpson in 10 rounds, Craig Richards turned back a spirited Dan Azeez, and Lawrence Okolie won again at heavyweight.

Meanwhile, in America, Terence Crawford retired to leave fans debating his place in history.

Merry Christmas you lovely lot. Thank you, so much, for your ongoing support.

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JOSHUA vs. PAUL - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? | DIEGO PACHECO | TERENCE CRAWFORD | MICHAEL CARBAJAL

Anthony Joshua is really going to fight Jake Paul, it seems. But what can we expect? A real fight? A gruesome mismatch? Or, dare we even think it, an upset of the ages?

Before we get stuck into the most obscure of main courses we chew on the other talking points.

Like… Terence Crawford vs. WBC; Jimmy’s Corner in crisis; The performances of Diego Pacheco and Joe Cordina; and, briefly, Fury vs. Joshua.

And for our weekly dose of nostalgia we direct the DeLorean to 1992 and take in some vintage Michael Carbajal action.

Stay lovely, eat healthy, keep fit, be nice, keep listening. Thanks to all of you. And if you’ve read this far, let us know via our socials or on the Patreon. Bonjour!

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This week we welcome Sky Sports lead commentator Andy Clarke to the pod for a peer in and around the current state of boxing across the world.

Currently in Dubai for the IBA championships, Andy’s experiences in both amateur and professional boxing means he’s well placed to discuss the challenges facing the Sport today.

Tune in and enjoy and once again thanks to those supporting the pod for less than a fiver a month via Patreon.

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WEIGHT OF THE MATTER | BEN WHITTAKER | KATIE TAYLOR | WBC CONVENTION

Out at the WBC Convention in Bangkok, the current system of weighing in the day before the fight has been examined in-depth. Is it time for authorities to now switch weigh-ins back to the same day?

Also in Bangkok, the ratings meetings got underway, Katie Taylor confirmed plans to do battle with Ronda Rousey and, at the gala dinner, Oleksandr Usyk appeared to have the time of his life.

Back in the UK, the career of Frazer Clarke hangs in the balance following another bruising defeat while Ben Whittaker - after a one-round victory - might be set for lift-off.

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Devin Haney dominated Brian Norman Jr last weekend, won a world belt in a third weight class, only to be met by criticism from Conor Benn.

Does Benn warrant a shot at Haney and, should he get one, can he win?

We also look ahead to a busy weekend in Britain when Ben Whittaker makes his Matchroom debut in a contest surely designed for him to make a statement and remind fans what all the fuss is about.

Meanwhile, Frazer Clarke and Jeamie TKV lock horns on the BBC with the vacant British heavyweight title up for grabs.

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Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez might not have been top of the bill in Saudi Arabia but, wow, his talent again suggested there are few - if any - below him when it comes to all-round brilliance.

The headliner was David Benavidez proving his light-heavyweight prowess against Anthony Yarde. What does that emphatic stoppage mean for the man on the wrong end of it and is Benavidez wise to move up in weight again?

Fight of the night came early on when Abdullah Mason resisted a tremendous effort from Sam Noakes to take the decision. That contest surely spells bright futures for both.

And in our weekly trip to yesteryear, we cruise back to 1996 and a glorious slugfest between Michael Ayres and Colin Dunne for the British lightweight title.

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Star Spotting in Saudi

The stars, present and future, are out in Riyadh as we preview a night of top world championship boxing.

The big questions are;

Can Anthony Yarde make it third time lucky against the hipsters bogey man David Benevidez?

Is Devon Haney as good as he thinks is and does Brian Norman Jnr have the answers?

Is Abdullah Mason boxing’s next big thing or will Sam Noakes rise to the occasion?

And is there a better fighter to watch on this or any bill than Bam Rodriguez?

All this and more as Alex and Matt gear up for the weekend.

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Two days after Conor Benn humbled Chris Eubank Jnr, it was announced that Anthony Joshua would fight, gulp, Jake Paul on December 20.

Now there’s a sentence that would have astonished pretty much everyone only one year ago.

But it doesn’t end there.

Joseph Parker failed a test for cocaine; Oleksandr Usyk has lost a belt; and, wait for it, Fabio Wardley is a world heavyweight champion.

In an effort to stabilise our senses we go back in time to when Roy Jones Jnr was at his peak and James Toney, the fearsome super-middleweight king, was expected to beat him.

Talk about a bumpy ride!

If you’ve read this far, we’re astonished, but do us one more favour: Post a review on Apple. If we get enough of those in one week we might even return to the podcast charts.

But perhaps that’s asking too much in this already wibbly-wobbly week.

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EUBANK JR vs BENN II | ITAUMA NEXT FIGHT | VERGIL ORTIZ | KASH FAROOQ

Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are preparing to fight again so strap yourselves because we’ve got plenty to talk about.

Who will have learned more from the first fight and be able to exhibit the most improvement? Will the BoMac factor make a difference? Where are the fighters heads at? And will Senior be there at all?

Meanwhile, Moses Itauma gets a perfect test in the shape of Jermain Franklin as DAZN reveal yet another price plan certain to send hardcore fans round the twist.

In This Week, we head back to 2019 and glorious 12-round tussle between Lee McGregor and Kash Farooq.

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EUBANK JR & THE AMBULANCE | BUATSI-PARKER DECISION | FALL OF TANK | PEAK GGG

Chris Eubank Jr is doubling down on claims that his ambulance was blocked after his gruelling win over Conor Benn. What are the implications of the new footage?

Last weekend, Joshua Buatsi was called the winner over Zach Parker after a forgettable 10-rounder that reignited debate over the quality of judging in the UK. We wonder if the verdict was indeed that bad.

In America, the collapse of Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis was something of a relief but the accusations aimed at Davis paint a deeply concerning picture.

We look ahead to Vergil Ortiz taking on Erickson Lubin and back to 2013 when, in This Week, Gennadiy Golovkin systematically broke down Curtis Stevens.

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Examining the bombastic rise of Fabio Wardley which has now astonishingly left Joseph Parker scrambling for breath in the rubble below.

But should Parker be punished too severely for rolling the dice again? And we also wonder whether Oleksandr Usyk will really entertain a contest with Wardley at this stage of his career.

It looks like we’re heading for Derek Chisora-Dillian Whyte III, yet another contest set to get the PPV debate boiling over.

And in keeping with the heavyweight theme, we cruise back to 1990 and the night when Evander Holyfield popped the Buster Douglas bubble.

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