We're ready for a heavyweight title showdown in an unusual place, the Pyramids of Egypt, as Oleksandr Usyk is back in 2026 to defend against a kick boxing champion. We cover over the full card and lots of fight news too on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael to go over it all and give their takes and predictions.They start with Saturday’s Ring magazine DAZN PPV card in Giza, EgyptOleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, 12 rounds, for lineal/WBC heavyweight title. Will this be a joke/easy work for Usyk or does Verhoeven get lucky and make it interesting?Also, Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO super middleweight title. Sheeraz is a rising star in search of a world title and could be a future opponent for Canelo down the road.Next, Shakhram Giyasov vs. Jack Catterall, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA “regular” welterweight title.And, Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr., 12 rounds, IBF heavyweight eliminator. A big step up for Torrez in level of competition. Also, Friday night’s Golden Boy DAZN card in San Jose, California Rising Amari Jones vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri, 12 rounds, IBF middleweight eliminator. Dan has big expectations for Jones in this one.Next, some newsDuring Ryan Garcia’s appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" on Monday, he announced he is fighting Conor Benn on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas. It may be happening, but we doubt that date and same time as the Canelo PPV in Saudi Arabia.Next, Dan is reporting that Zuffa Boxing is planning its first American card outside of Las Vegas for July 26in NY, where Edgar Berlanga, Richardson Hitchins & Sergey Derevyanchenko will all be on the card. Also, William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr., who have had a deal in place for weeks, will meet for the vacant WBC lightweight title in the headliner of a Golden Boy card on August 1, probably at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The card will also be an edition of “The Fight” series and simulcast from DAZN on TNT in the U.S. MVP Promotions has banned Claressa Shields from all its future events after she got into a physical altercation with MVP fighter Alycia Baumgardner during the MVP-promoted MMA card topped by Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano on Saturday nightt. Can't we all get along?And, finally, a few words on the death at age 81 of significant manager Dennis Rappaport, who co-managed Gerry Cooney to the heavyweight title shot vs. Holmes in their mega fight and managed Oleg Maskaev to the WBC heavyweight title in 2008. Dan dealt with this character of the sport in the 2000s and remembers him fondly.It's all part of the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcat" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

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