Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

THE W.A.D.E. Concept – Week in Review

Episode Date: December 15, 2025
Theme: Deep-dive analysis of the biggest headlines in combat sports, spotlighting Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, Andrew Tate vs. Chase d'Amore, and Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson, with insight, breakdowns, and face-off reactions.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode of “The Herd” features the W.A.D.E. Concept team breaking down a loaded week in boxing and crossover combat sports. The conversation spans Jake Paul’s high-risk heavyweight training camp for Anthony Joshua, pivotal face-offs (notably Andrew Tate vs. Chase d’Amore), and a sit-down with Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson. The host combines humor, technical fight analysis, and candid takes on the legitimacy, safety, and spectacle in each matchup, providing listeners with both entertainment and insight.

MAIN SEGMENTS & DISCUSSION POINTS

1. Jake Paul’s Training Camp for Anthony Joshua

Timestamps: [02:47] – [21:41], [94:44] – [121:28]

Concerns Over Jake Paul’s Health and Preparation

• Brutal Camp Update: Jake has a "massive black eye" from sparring heavyweight Lawrence Okolie, raising alarms.
• Perspective: Jake is fighting legitimate heavyweights in sparring—good for prep, but evidence (bruising, injury) shows the danger.
• Quote:

  “Reality is setting in and it only spells defeat and disaster for Jake Paul.” (Jake Paul Fight Analyst, [02:47])

Technical Breakdown

• Key Issues:
  • Physicality Gap: Jake lacks the size and reach of true heavyweights.
  • Defensive Questions: Sparring shows Jake getting hit hard, indicating a potentially leaky defense.
  • Training Clips: Improvements seen on the heavy bag, bouncing on the toes, rapid combos. But “happy feet” footwork and persistent head-on-center-line remain concerns (see in-depth assessment at [98:02]).
• Quote:

  “What we haven’t seen consistently with him is his defense ... one of the biggest weaknesses Jake will have is the fact that he’s not 6’5”, not £250, not a natural heavyweight.” (Jake Paul Fight Analyst, [98:02])
  “If that black eye is any indication as to getting hit with hard punches in sparring, that’s…not a great thing when it comes to the fight.” ([04:24])

Joshua’s Mentality and Stakes

• AJ’s Attitude: Anthony Joshua is taking the fight seriously and sees major risk for his own reputation and the sport.
• Quote:

  “There is zero chance this fight goes the distance. ... The only way it’s a win-win for me is if I get the knockout.” (AJ, via ESPN, [119:24])

• Stakes:
  • Anything other than an emphatic AJ win is “an indictment on the sport.”
  • “All the pressure is on AJ” to defend boxing’s legitimacy.

Notable Predictions and Mindset

• Jake's Own Words: He acknowledges fighting a giant, but talks up using “speed and size” to his advantage. Despite bravado, there's a sense he understands the danger ([11:21]).
• Analyst Take:

  “AJ has the most pressure maybe on any boxer ever with this fight. Because it's not for a world title, but it's essentially for the legitimacy of the sport.” ([15:21])

2. Andrew Tate vs. Chase d'Amore: Face-Off Analysis

Timestamps: [31:21] – [58:09]

Dynamic of the Face Off

• Respect Meets Rivalry:
  • Tate, ever the seasoned pro, maintains composure, focusing on performance, not trash talk.
  • Chase references Tate as an inspiration then shifts to confident challenger, pushing the “student becomes the teacher” narrative.
  • “I really like Andrew Tate, obviously…he actually got me through a lot…He’s gonna have to answer for every bit of inspiration…” (Chase d'Amore, [34:31])

Mind Games and Candid Moments

• Tate's Veteran Edge:

  "Perhaps, perhaps, I've just been in the game too long. But after eighty-something fights, I understand that tweets don't matter and talking doesn't matter. This doesn't matter. It's all…today. I'm interested in today. I'm not interested in anything else." (Andrew Tate, [36:43])

• Chase’s Confidence and Trash Talk:
  • Chase needles Tate for age, injuries, and being “slow.” Also calls out Tate’s tendency to quit due to a detached retina.
  • “You might have all the experience, 80 something fights, but… I think the first thing that goes is your reflexes.” (Chase, [38:14])
• Memorable Exchange:
  • Chase: "After I knock you out, can I get a free membership to the real world?"
  • Tate (serious tone):

    “…going in there believing you’re gonna knock me out easily is the biggest mistake you’re ever going to make in your life…Don’t be walking through life saying I’m gonna knock Andrew out like it’s nothing because it’s not gonna happen like you think it is.” ([52:16])

Observations from Fight Analyst

• Energy Shift: The tone changes when Tate bristles at Chase’s dismissals.
• Respect for Both Sides: Analyst notes both lay out real tactical points—Tate about Chase’s right hand; Chase about Tate’s defensive habits and injuries.

Notable Takeaway

• Final Impression:

  “That stone cold delivery of what Tate said to Chase right there…that was where this entire fight changed.” ([56:57])

3. Lopez vs. Stevenson: World-Class Rivalry & Sit-Down

Timestamps: [61:52] – [91:09]

The Showdown’s Importance

• Elite Talent Collision:
  • “These two are the best in the world at a young age, prime of both of their careers. This is what boxing needs.” (Host, [61:52])
• Rivalry Origins: Old amateur encounters, promotional rivalry, and underlying tension about attention/promotion:
  • “I thought Tio was a little jealous of me.” (Shakur Stevenson, [64:17])
  • On rumored favoritism: “I remember you saying a little comment with the ESPN only like black fighters… it was a shot at me.” (Shakur, [65:12])

Psychological Warfare and Personalities

• Shakur’s Confidence:
  • “I know I'm gonna break him. I know it's gonna be a certain point in that fight to where he's going to be mentally frustrated. And when he gets mentally frustrated, that is where I'm going to attack.” ([74:56])
• Teofimo's Versatility:
  • Tio alternates between humble and brash, keeping Shakur guessing, peppering in humor ("Mentally [you're slow]") ([83:56]).
• Mind Game Excerpt:
  • Shakur: "I'm slow, right?"
  • Tio: "Mentally." (deadpan, [83:56])

Debate over “Brothers” in Boxing

• Should close gym-mates or 'brothers' fight?
  • Shakur: “There ain't no money in the world that's gonna make me do that, bro.” ([88:22])
  • Tio: “Ain't no brothers in this thing.” ([86:30])
  • Analyst: Highlights this as a philosophical split and humanizes both—Shakur holding loyalty above legacy, Tio demands full competition.

Technical/Historic Notes

• Fight Style & Strategy:
  • Analyst expects a technical chess match (“defensive sweet science display”) over a brawl.
• Division Intrigue:
  • Stakes for 140lb division (Ring belt, potential for fights vs. Haney, Garcia, Tank Davis), and questions about Shakur’s power/hand durability at higher weights.

MEMORABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• “If Jake walks out and knocks out Anthony Joshua in the first round…boxing as a whole has to take a look in the mirror.” (Host, [15:21])
• Andrew Tate’s warning to Chase d’Amore:

  “Don’t be walking through life saying I’m gonna knock Andrew out like it’s nothing because it’s not gonna happen like you think it is.” ([52:21])

• AJ’s self-imposed pressure:

  “There is zero chance this fight goes the distance. ... The only way it’s a win-win for me is if I get the knockout.” ([119:24])

• Shakur on mental battle:

  “I know I'm gonna break him. I know it's gonna be a certain point in that fight to where he's going to be mentally frustrated.” ([74:56])

• On the philosophy of brotherly fights:

  “Ain't no brother in this thing.” (Teofimo Lopez, [86:30])
  “There ain't no money in the world that’s gonna make me do that, bro.” (Shakur Stevenson, [88:22])

KEY TAKEAWAYS

On Jake Paul vs. AJ:

• Jake’s camp shows real risk; his black eye and broken nose from heavy sparring are warning signs.
• Analysts agree this is the toughest, riskiest fight of Jake's career—questioning the wisdom of his leap to heavyweight.
• Anthony Joshua faces existential risk too—anything short of a destructive KO is a disaster for him and the sport.

On Tate vs. d’Amore:

• The face-off is intense but respectful: Tate uses experience and composure; Chase tries to needle and hype.
• Tate’s shift from cordial to cold marks the promotional turning point—stakes felt much higher after.

On Lopez vs. Stevenson:

• The rivalry is real—professional jealousy, friendly ties, and contrasting mindsets (all-business vs. brotherhood).
• Both are at their peaks; fans are guaranteed a high-level, cerebral boxing match in one of the sport’s hottest divisions.

TIMESTAMPED HIGHLIGHTS

• Jake Paul’s black eye and camp risks: [02:47]–[04:35], [100:44]
• Jake vs. AJ risk analysis: [08:45], [119:24]
• Tate vs. d’Amore face-off turns serious: [52:16]
• Shakur vs. Tio—debate on brotherhood in boxing: [86:21]–[88:22]
• Shakur’s promise to break Tio mentally: [74:56]
• AJ’s stone-cold fight prediction: [119:24]

CONCLUSION

This wide-ranging episode brilliantly blends entertainment, technical insight, and fight-week atmosphere. From the worrisome bruises on Jake Paul, the psychological intensity of Tate vs. d’Amore, to the rivalry logic of Lopez vs. Stevenson, listeners get the full scope of combat sports storytelling, hype, and human drama.

Final Word:
Each matchup exposes not just technical strengths and weaknesses, but also the mental, emotional, and existential stakes that make the sport compelling. As the analyst sums up—“Fight week is here and I cannot wait to find out.”