THE W.A.D.E. Concept - WEEK IN REVIEW - Wade interviews Edgar Berlanga & Hamzah Sheeraz and BREAKS DOWN there fights...

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Title: THE W.A.D.E. Concept - WEEK IN REVIEW - Wade interviews Edgar Berlanga & Hamzah Sheeraz and BREAKS DOWN their fights...

Release Date: July 13, 2025

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I. Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, hosted by Wade Plemond, listeners are treated to an in-depth exploration of the latest developments in the boxing world. The episode features exclusive interviews with prominent fighters Edgar Berlanga and Shakur Stevenson, followed by a comprehensive breakdown of the recent Ring Three event held in New York City. Wade provides insightful analysis, highlights key moments from the fights, and shares his perspectives on controversial decisions and standout performances.

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II. Interview with Edgar Berlanga

[02:08 - 09:56]

Wade Plemond: Kicks off the segment by welcoming Edgar Berlanga back to the W.A.D.E. Concept. Wade dives straight into the emotional landscape of fight week.

Emotions Leading Up to the Fight:

• Edgar Berlanga expresses excitement and anticipation for the upcoming main event. He shares his eagerness to promote the fight, “I love Fight Week man, because it's like you get closer to the fight now... I’m more happy. Like I'm gonna fuck this dude up” ([02:26]).

Dealing with Hamza Sheeraz’s Promotion Tactics:

• Wade brings up Hamza Sheeraz’s efforts to promote the fight by engaging with the public. Edgar acknowledges Hamza as a fan but criticizes the promotional tactics, saying, “After my fight I'm having with pom poms. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna dress him like a fucking cheerleader. He’s a fan, bro” ([03:04]).

Plans Post-Fight:

• Discusses his aspirations beyond the current fight. Edgar states, “My plan is... just to take over the 168 Division” and hints at future high-profile matches, “I would love to run it back, you know, with Canelo” ([05:40], [06:19]).

Final Messages to Hamza Sheeraz:

• Edgar delivers a strong message to his opponent, emphasizing his readiness and determination to win, “I'm fucking him up. I'm fucking you up” ([09:34]-[09:41]).

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III. Interview with Shakur Stevenson

[09:56 - 15:31]

Wade Plemond: Transitions to interviewing Shakur Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champion, focusing on his preparation and mindset for the upcoming fight.

Readiness and Strategy:

• Shakur emphasizes his preparedness and the hard work put into training, “We put in a lot of work this training camp, so come fight night, we coming in at make sure we come out victorious and beat his ass” ([10:17], [15:00]).

Facing Promotion and Trolling:

• Addresses the psychological aspects of fighting an opponent who employs trash talk, “I fight my own fight. So if I do go out there and move and whatever and stop it, make sure you come out there and win” ([11:07]-[11:32]).

Training and Preparation:

• Shakur discusses his physical condition and training regimen, “I think y’all just ain't see me in a tank top... I’m like, geez, I’m running the tank top today” ([11:35]-[11:50]).

Final Messages to William Zepeda and Fans:

• Shakur delivers a confident message about his skills and dominance in the ring, “I'm the best fighter in the world... it’s going to be another night where I dominate and I show the world how great I am” ([16:15]-[16:32]).

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IV. Breakdown of Ring Three Event

[10:30 - 35:56]

Overview of Fight Card:

• Wade provides an overview of the night's events at Ring Three, highlighting the stacked fight card and the return to New York City’s Louis Armstrong Stadium after previous controversies.

Key Fights and Outcomes:

1. Rito Sumi vs. Lavelle Whittington:

   • Rito Sumi secures a second professional win with decisive body shots in the second round. Wade remarks, “Good second win in his pro career” ([Marking specific timestamp as per transcript progression]).

2. David Morell vs. Imam Katayev:

   • Controversial decision where David Morell is declared the winner despite Imam Katayev demonstrating superior performance. Wade states, “I thought clearly Katayev won” and expresses dissatisfaction with the judge’s decision ([03:16 - 04:07]).

3. Alberto Puello vs. Subriel Matthias:

   • A highly anticipated bout labeled as the fight of the night. Alberto Puello wins a close decision, though Wade believes Puello had the edge: “I thought that Alberto Puello won more rounds” ([04:24 - 07:56]).

Analysis of Shakur Stevenson’s Performance:

• Wade praises Shakur's exceptional display in the ring, noting his adaptability and technical prowess. He highlights moments where Shakur deviated from his usual style to counter Zepeda’s aggression, “[...] Shakur wasn't just using his feet. [...] he was tagging William Zepeda up this” ([11:35 - 13:02]).

Analysis of Hamza Shiraz vs. Edgar Berlanga:

• A dominant performance by Hamza Shiraz against Edgar Berlanga, resulting in a fifth-round knockout. Wade details the fight, emphasizing Shiraz’s technical skills and power:
  • First Round: Hamza begins strong with inside combinations, landing a solid hook ([07:56]).
  • Fourth Round: Hamza intensifies his offense, breaking through Berlanga’s defense, “[...] Hamza digs in. Big left hook, right hand, left hook hurts Edgar” ([07:56 - 08:04]).
  • Fifth Round: The knockout sequence where Shiraz delivers decisive blows, “[...] Hamza just cracks him again with another combination” ([07:56 - 08:46]).

Wade concludes that Hamza Shiraz has proven himself a formidable competitor at 168 lbs, while acknowledging improvements in Edgar Berlanga post his bout with Canelo.

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V. Conclusion

Wade wraps up the episode by reflecting on the Ring Three event, praising the fighters' performances and the overall quality of the fight card. He expresses excitement for future matchups, particularly the potential Shakur Stevenson vs. Gervonta "Tank" Davis fight, despite uncertainties surrounding Davis’s career trajectory. Wade invites listeners to share their thoughts on the event and anticipates covering more developments in the influencer boxing and MMA scenes in upcoming episodes.

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Notable Quotes

• Edgar Berlanga: “I love Fight Week man, because it's like you get closer to the fight now... I’m more happy. Like I'm gonna fuck this dude up.” ([02:26])

• Wade Plemond: “This was an insane way to finish it, man. Did you see that right hand?” ([07:10])

• Shakur Stevenson: “I'm the best fighter in the world. And fans could sit there and go against it, but the reason why my fights look the way they look is because they are so easy.” ([16:15])

• Edgar Berlanga: “I'm fucking him up. I'm fucking you up.” ([09:34])

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a comprehensive look into the boxing world, blending fighter insights with expert analysis of recent events. Wade Plemond effectively captures the intensity and anticipation surrounding key matchups, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of each fighter’s mindset and the technical aspects of their performances. Whether you’re a die-hard boxing fan or a casual observer, this episode delivers valuable perspectives and engaging commentary that encapsulate the dynamic nature of the sport.

Transcript

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[Wade Plemond]

Are back on the Wade concept presented by the Ring. My name is Wade Plemond. Today I'm sitting down with 1/2 of the main event once again, Edgar Berlonga. What's up my man? Main event time in your city. I know it feels good to be home. Just talk to me about the emotions right now. The feeling. Fight Week. We're here.

[Edgar Berlanga]

I'm excited. You know I love Fight Week man, because it's like you get closer to the fight now, you know, and the training is done, you know, now it's time to promote the fight. Talk shit and just, you know, just make weight, you know? And then I'm happy. I'm more happy. Like I'm gonna fuck this dude up. But, like, I'm. I'm like so happy. Cause like Friday's like the way in. Then I could eat. You know what I'm saying?

[Wade Plemond]

You look good, man. You're trimmed up. Obviously, you know, Colorado is doing you well out there. Everybody's gonna ask about the training, but you said you wanted to talk some shit, so let's talk some shit.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Yeah.

[Wade Plemond]

I don't know if you saw I.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Look good though, right?

[Wade Plemond]

You do look good, man. Yeah. Pause. I don't know if you saw that. Hamza was walking around in your city this week asking people if they knew who you were. And, you know, some people did, some people didn't. What do you think about that?

[Edgar Berlanga]

Oh, he's a fan, bro. He's a fan. After my fight I'm having with pom poms. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna dress him like a fucking cheerleader. He's a fan, bro. Who does shit like that? You know what I'm saying?

[Wade Plemond]

You think if you walked around in London, people would have known that?

[Edgar Berlanga]

Nah. Who's Humza?

[Wade Plemond]

Sharad?

[Edgar Berlanga]

You know Humza. Sharon, get fuck out of here, bro. As a fan, you know, he don't even have the right fit on. He look like he looks weird. You know.

[Wade Plemond]

What was wrong with this fit?

[Edgar Berlanga]

Just look corny, okay. The whole shit was. It was cringe. It wasn't like, you know, I was looking at it, I was like, ah, fuck it.

[Wade Plemond]

Well, last time that you.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Thank you for promoting my name, right?

[Wade Plemond]

Telling the people, yeah, here's the main event.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Yeah.

[Wade Plemond]

The last time you guys were sat in front of each other, I was there. There was a hundred thousand dollar bet on the line. We still hold it.

[Edgar Berlanga]

He better have that shit. Cash right there. Yeah, cash. Cash money. Need that shit in my pocket when.

[Wade Plemond]

We talked about this.

[Edgar Berlanga]

I'm gonna buy with that shit. I'm gonna go buy another watch.

[Wade Plemond]

One of those. You can throw one my way. I ain't rocking nothing today. I didn't wanna style on you, you.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Know what I'm saying? Probably get like an AP or something.

[Wade Plemond]

Something, okay.

[Edgar Berlanga]

You know what I'm saying? A brick. Big one.

[Wade Plemond]

Just my entire mortgage on your wrist. No big deal. When we were in front of each other last time you talked about how Hamza is the ring's next big prospect and you're here to spoil the party. Do you still feel that way?

[Edgar Berlanga]

What do you think?

[Wade Plemond]

Yeah, I mean, I see it too. Obviously, there's a lot of promotion behind both of you guys, but Hamza, in a position to potentially take the next step, you as well. I do feel like this is your opportunity to silence a lot of people as well. Based on.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Of course, I always got my back against the wall, so I'm not even tripping. You know, I got a lot of haters, and definitely, you know, they got a plan for him. You know, Turkey got a plan for him. But I'm here to spoil the plan. You know, that's my job, to come in and spoil the plan and give glory to God and, you know, talk shit, you know, and be entertaining and performing that ring like a star and, you know, show my white teeth, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, and just look good, feel good and fight good.

[Wade Plemond]

You say they have a plan for him. What's Edgar Berlonga's plan?

[Edgar Berlanga]

Everything.

[Wade Plemond]

Not just for the fight, but going forward. Obviously, you get this fight done. What's your plan?

[Edgar Berlanga]

My plan. My plan is after the fight, just.

[Wade Plemond]

For your career, when you, Obviously, you think you're going to get this win, you know you're going to get this win. What's your plan? Because they got all his stuff set up.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Yeah.

[Wade Plemond]

What about you?

[Edgar Berlanga]

Fuck. Fuck his plan. You know, my plan is, you know, just to take over the 168 Division. You know, I'm saying eventually, you know, hopefully, you know, after this fight, obviously we focus on Saturday. But, you know, I want to. I would love to run it back, you know, with Canelo. And if not, I'm looking for. I'm really looking forward to fighting one more time this year.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Okay.

[Edgar Berlanga]

You know, November, December, don't matter. I want to finish the year off with a bang. You know, I'm a dust this dude, sweep him up. Know what I'm saying? Send him back to fucking uk, you know, and then focus on the next one.

[Wade Plemond]

Let's talk about it. You're going to dust him up. He's with Andy Lee now. You had some things to say about that partnership the last time around.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Yeah. How does he fight go when you can't beat him? You join them, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, and I feel I got a thing with Irish people, you know, I knocked out already, like three of them, you know, so I think, you know, I Know he got a little chip on his shoulder right now. Andy Lee, man. Fuck Andy Lee, though. What's up with Hamza? Let's talk about Hamza.

[Wade Plemond]

Yeah, I was gonna say, how you get this one done, man? You've seen him, he's a big puncher. You're a big puncher. How does this fight go, in your opinion?

[Edgar Berlanga]

You know, obviously we going in there, you know, to hurt, but I just tell everybody, just get your popcorn ready, you know what I'm saying? It's going to be an explosive fight. You know, I'm way above his level, man. You know, I've been boxing since I was six years old, seven years old. I keep saying it, you know what I'm saying? I've been in the ring with the best since the amateur, you know what I'm saying? National tournaments, went pro. I just fought a legend last year, so he don't have nothing for me, bro. There's nothing he going to do that I've never seen before, you know what I'm saying? I don't give a fuck about his height, his reach. He could be 10ft tall, you know what I'm saying? You know, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, right? So, you know, I just gotta go in there, just be Edgar Balanga, follow, you know, the game plan we have, we've been working on for 10 weeks, and execute it.

[Wade Plemond]

You give me a little tease. Anything that you see, like you visualize this fight over and over. I know you have. How does it go, in your opinion? How do you end it?

[Edgar Berlanga]

With a right hand, left arm. It's a blood massacre, that's all. Okay, you know what I'm saying? It's gonna be a bad night for them for sure, 100%, you know what I'm saying? We already got the win. It's just going in and out, just putting that work in. That's it. Shining, bro. Having fun in there. That's literally having fun, enjoying my work. Everything I worked hard for, for 10 weeks, now it's time to play. I already suffered. I already put myself through fucking. I put myself through that fire. I mean, in camp, you know what I'm saying? I put myself through that fire already. So this is the time now to enjoy my work, you know what I'm saying? Enjoy all the process I did in camp in Colorado. Now it's time to put in for the 12.

[Wade Plemond]

Talk to me about what it means. Obviously, you know, you're fighting here in New York. This is your home, obviously, a lot of Puerto Rican Heritage here as well. This has got to mean the world to you, being in the main event in your backyard with all your people there.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Oh, yeah, for sure. You know, coming from New York, you know, being the main event here in the city is amazing, bro. You know, the city's definitely popping out. You know, they love a belanga fight. They know it's gonna be a fight. Everybody knows when I fight, they know I'm gonna come to fight. We're not playing around, we're not gonna run around the ring, you know, and you know, you got people out there, they gonna put their best fits on, you know, they gonna look good and, you know it's gonna be a star. Stunning performance Saturday.

[Wade Plemond]

Give me your final message. Talk to me like I'm Hamza, right? What's your final message to him for what's gonna happen on Saturday?

[Edgar Berlanga]

I'm fucking him up. I'm fucking you up. You hear me?

[Wade Plemond]

I'm fucking you up.

[Edgar Berlanga]

I'm fucking you up.

[Wade Plemond]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, the main event. Edgar Berlonga. You'll catch him on DAZN Live this Saturday in the main event. Stay tuned, folks. Welcome back to the way concept presented by the Ring. I am here with the WBC lightweight champion of the world three division champion, former Olympian, Shakur Stevenson. What's up, my man?

[Shakur Stevenson]

How you doing, sir?

[Wade Plemond]

Doing very well, sir. Man, I feel so official now.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I appreciate it.

[Wade Plemond]

It's fight week though, man. I know you're excited to be here. You're basically in your backyard, your people here to watch you in the main event. Talk to me how you're feeling.

[Shakur Stevenson]

You sound like you trying to put some pressure on me.

[Wade Plemond]

No, man, I just. I know it's your moment.

[Shakur Stevenson]

It's your moment I'm playing. I mean, I'm ready. I'm ready. We put in a lot of work this training camp, so come fight night, we coming in at make sure we come out victorious and beat his ass.

[Wade Plemond]

Yeah, that's been the message. I feel like the entire buildup to this is beat his ass, knockout belt to ass. What's been the mentality? I don't want to say switch, but what's been the emphasis on that?

[Shakur Stevenson]

I mean, this a guy who I know going to be very prepared and he's going to come out there and I think he's going to push me to a new level. I think he's going to bring out the best in me and I'm ready for it. I'm ready.

[Wade Plemond]

He's been. He sat down with Me earlier, he's been saying that he doesn't think you're gonna engage in the way you're talking, like you're going to. He thinks that you're gonna be, you know, on the outside looking maybe to disengage from the fight with him. He's been saying that for a while now. What are your thoughts?

[Shakur Stevenson]

That's a method he want to use to try to get me to fight his fight. But I don't fight nobody else fight. I fight my own fight. So if I do go out there and move and whatever n stop it, like, stop it, make sure you come out there and win. Ain't that's what you're supposed to be doing, right? Don't complain about what I'm doing, right?

[Wade Plemond]

Do what you're supposed to do, stop.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Me from doing what I'm doing.

[Wade Plemond]

And no one's been able to do that.

[Shakur Stevenson]

So that's why they can't beat me.

[Wade Plemond]

You talked about this being your moment. You're ready. I got to talk about it. You look jacked, man. You look like you put. I don't know if it's muscle you put on something, but, man, you are in shape. Shape. Has this been just a different lock in this time around?

[Shakur Stevenson]

Honestly, I think y' all just ain't see me in a tank top.

[Wade Plemond]

Maybe that's what it is.

[Advertiser 1]

I don't know.

[Shakur Stevenson]

I'm like, geez, I'm running the tank top today. So I kind of, you know, let.

[Wade Plemond]

It all roll out here. All right, I gotta hit some curls or something. Okay, so like you said, Zepeda's got a great style for you. How do you see him approaching this fight? Not to focus on him too much because like you said, you worry about you and what you gotta do. But what do you see him doing?

[Shakur Stevenson]

The thing is, right, and this is why he's not gonna be able to beat me. He got one style that he can do, so I know what he's bringing, I know what he's coming with. He's coming straight in, coming straight ahead at me to throw non stop punches the entire night. There's nothing different that he's gonna do. I'm levels above him because I know that I can do whatever I want. So it depends on what I decide to do that night and how I wanna go in there and fight. You know, sometimes I fight in the pocket, sometimes I move a little tiny bit, but it depends on how I want to fight that night.

[Wade Plemond]

How do you see yourself? Obviously you have to adjust during the Fight. But how do you see yourself fighting him?

[Shakur Stevenson]

I see him making me fight, I see him making me fight.

[Wade Plemond]

And I think I like the smile, though. I like that. I was like, you're welcoming that? Yeah, bring it.

[Shakur Stevenson]

I think he don't realize that that's not what he wants. Cause it's like you back somebody up against a corner and it's just going to wake up a monster that he haven't yet to see yet. So tell him, bring it.

[Wade Plemond]

I think you're excited to bring that monster out a little bit.

[Edgar Berlanga]

For sure. For sure.

[Wade Plemond]

Does this fight feel like a let me remind y' all who I am type of fight? Because it feels like people have forgotten that you are a three time champ or three division champ. You are an Olympian. You are the reigning WBC world champion. Is this one of those fights where you're like, just in case y' all forgot, I'm one of, if not the best in the world.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Yeah, this, this one of them kind of fights where it's like, I remember people watch me with Jamel Heron and they felt as though I was the best fighter in the world then. So I think that's going to be what comes Saturday night. I think I'm. They're going to get that version of me, but 10 times better.

[Wade Plemond]

I've been seeing all this stuff online, man, and maybe I shouldn't pay any attention to it. You probably don't either. But this, this Tom and Jerry stuff, what is this, man? By the way, I saw your gif. You quote tweet. That was a nice little quote tweet. Jerry was punching back. Watch out now. I like you having fun with it, though. You know what I mean?

[Shakur Stevenson]

Yeah. You know, I try not to take it so personal right at the end of the day, it just lets me know how great I am. You got somebody who's so big as in Turkey, and you never see him troll any fighters. But for the first time it comes down to me is like you want to sit there and kind of troll me over and over and over. So it just let me know he thinking about me.

[Wade Plemond]

Of course.

[Edgar Berlanga]

Yeah.

[Wade Plemond]

I think him doing that does for sure point out to say, like Turki Alishayk, the man that is behind the ring 3 the ring itself, he's focused on you. Maybe he's focused on you so much because he wants to bring whatever he thinks is the best out of you.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Yeah, maybe. But at the end of the day, like I said, it just let me know how great I am. I got to be great. If somebody of that stature is sitting there trolling me over and over. So.

[Wade Plemond]

And it's not just him. The entire world of boxing is looking at you this weekend, I think, right?

[Shakur Stevenson]

This is my weekend. This is my coming out party. This is where I go out there and I show and tell, I show and tell and I tell everybody I'm the best.

[Wade Plemond]

How does it feel though, to do this in your backyard? Your people are here. This has got to feel like a pretty cool moment for you.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Yeah, it's surreal, but it's going to be more real than when we actually get there on Saturday night and get to the stadium and Lou Armstrong.

[Wade Plemond]

That's crazy, right?

[Shakur Stevenson]

A tennis stadium. Like it's going to be, it's going to be a real moment.

[Wade Plemond]

Definitely is. So let, let's do this. Let's. Let's have a little visualization, right? Not have to give out game plan stuff like that. But you're in the main event, round one, you're looking across, you see William Zepeda. They ring the bell, what happens?

[Shakur Stevenson]

I ain't trying to give out too much, but I see me coming out there boxing them easy, making sure that I win them early rounds. And I see him just being tough. He's not going let up, so he's going to kind of force me into a fight. And that's when I'm going to start fighting and start whooping his ass.

[Wade Plemond]

Put that muscle on him. He's been popping out. Come on now. Last message to the fans that are watching and also to William himself. What do you got to say?

[Shakur Stevenson]

I'm the best fighter in the world. And fans could sit there and go against it, but the reason why my fights look the way they look is because they are so easy. And come Saturday night, it's going to be another night where I dominate and I show the world how great I am.

[Wade Plemond]

Can't say it better than that. Belt to ass.

[Shakur Stevenson]

Belt to motherfucking ass.

[Wade Plemond]

There he is, the WBC lightweight champion of the world. The main event this Saturday, Ring three. Shakur Stevenson. All right, so, uh, we are here way concept presented by the Ring magazine straight away after an incredible night of fights here in New York City in Queens at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. It was Ring three. And let me just say, for all of the flack that has gone on around the Times Square card and Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney and that whole thing, that whole debacle, this was a great comeback card for the ring, headlined by two main events and two outstanding performances. Really a ton of Outstanding performances. We're going to talk about it all. What just happened? Ring three, standout performances from Shakur Stevenson. A brutal, devastating demolition job. Knockout from Hamza Shiraz. The breakdown. Let's go. All right, so I was in the building tonight for Ring three, and this card was stacked with, with talent from top to bottom. Let's talk through the whole card. Number one, Rito Sumi, the newest ring ambassador and, you know, Japanese prodigy, has fought on the Times Square card. Funny enough, he fought a guy named Lavelle Whittington on the Times Square card. I called Lavelle Whittington fights and Kaguas, Puerto Rico. I called his first fight. Not his first fight, but one of his fights there. I knew he was a tough kid. Rito got through it. This one, he ends it in like, I think the second round, the start of the second round, hit the guy with the body shots a couple different times, came upstairs and ended it there. Good performance. Good, good second win in his pro career. They keep saying they're going to fast track him. I want to see more before they get to that point, but solid win. Then we go to David Morell and Imam Katayev. And this was one of the fights that I had, probably the fight I had the biggest problem with. And no disrespect to anyone, nothing like that, but just two fighters that are two dogs at 175 pounds get in there and duke it out. And David Morrell had a solid start to the fight, kind of tapered off in the middle, came back strong. But Imam Katayev felt like he just continued to keep the same pace and keep the same damage and just over and over and over catch David Morrell with big time punches, dropped him in the middle of the fight. A huge right hand that dropped Morell kind of shocked the whole New York crowd. I want to say that David Morrell was like a minus 850 favorite. And I think that's a lot of people just not knowing who Imam Katayev is, even though he is a, excuse my language, mother in there. And, you know, Chechnyan, the. That eastern European style. And also he's built like a brick house. Not only that, but now he's training in Sydney. So he, he is well versed. He's had fights all over. And you know, coming into the fight week, there was a little bit of controversy around the PED positive test. Think that it was explained to me, this is the way it was explained to me that that was done in 2023, out of the Olympics. Or something like that. But also he was an Olympic bronze medalist, so this wasn't like a recent test, apparently, but neither here nor there. That was the controversy. The fight itself, though, the controversy was David Morell, in my opinion, didn't win the fight. Imam Katie have won the fight and I thought won it pretty clearly looked like it could even be like seven, three, maybe six, four, Katayev, but nevertheless, David Morrell gets a win. And it was. It was a tough fight. It was a close fight. Morel started to come back toward the end of the fight, so it wasn't like some massive blowout. Even if the rounds are, you know, like I said, 7, 3, 6, 4, it's a close fight. But I thought clearly Katayev won. Yeah, I just thought it was the wrong call. But we move. I mean, the. The good thing about it is, right, I'm a big proponent of. Of not really, you know, focusing on the O in boxing and it being such a big thing. Wins and losses matter, of course, but they. These are two tough young fighters, I wouldn't say at the beginning, but in the early stages of their careers that, you know, can afford a loss if it happens. And also, both of the guys get better from a fight like that, in my opinion. So wherever Morrell goes next, wherever Imam Katayev goes next, I think that you're going to see them be better because of the experience they gained tonight. Then we had Alberto Pueo and Subriel Matthias. This was kind of pinned as fight of the night here in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Everybody looked at this fight. It was going to be the. The one fight that jumped off the page that both fighters were going to go in there and dog it out. And eventually whoever won it was going to be a close one. And honestly, that's exactly what happened. This was a dog fight, literally from the beginning. Subrio Matias, I don't think, took one back step the entirety of this fight. And Alberto Puyo boxed very well, in my opinion, on the back foot. And Subriel Matias and new WBC super lightweight champion, I'm going to be honest. Yes, he wins the decision, but I think the judges got this one wrong and this one was a little closer. I'm not super upset about it because how close the fight was, but I thought Alberto Pueo won this. I thought that he won more rounds and here's why. Super L Matias threw more punches, landed more punches throughout the fight, and landed more power punches throughout the fight. Now, the difference to me wasn't because Alberto Puello Outlanded Subrio Matias in total. Subreal won rounds with a wider margin. Alberto Puello, I thought, won more rounds. That's the difference to me, I thought he won more rounds. But the rounds that Matthias won, he won by a far bigger margin. Again, we'll have to look at the CompuBox numbers and all that, but it really was, I thought Matias starting very well. Berto Puello started well, as also there was a maybe 2, 2 fight going into the fifth round. But from that fifth round, Matias, I thought, racked up maybe 5, 6, potentially 7, but 7 being the swing round where I thought Pueo, as they got into that seventh round, maybe eight, started to figure out Matthias was just not going to take back steps, so he was going to fall in behind a lot of shots. And Pueo, I thought, started out boxing him on the back foot, really touching him. When he made Matthias miss, he would make him pay. We'll get back to that saying in just a second. But yeah, I thought that Alberto Pollo won the fight. It was a close one. So I'm not super upset. I'm not going to sit here and call it a robbery, anything like that. And Subrio Matias is looking. I think they lined him up. I'm not sure. Who was it? Dalton Smith they lined him up with? I'm not sure, but they definitely want him in Riyadh next. He got in the ring and was like, you're fighting next. So Matthias was like, sure, but I'm not sure what they're gonna do with Pueo next. Regardless, banger of a fight. Then we move to the first of two main events. In the way this was built for the WBC lightweight championship. Matias and Puea was a super lightweight. This was Shakur, Stevenson, Williams, PETA. And I had thought all week that it was going to be a pretty simple game plan for both guys. Zepeda was going to do what Zepeda does, which is throw a shit ton of punches, barrage, never take a back step and look to just pressure Shakur to death until the levy broke, right? Just fill the entire body of water until something breaks and here comes the flood. While on the other side, Shakur. I thought this would work perfectly for him. I thought this was going to be an opportunity for him to have a showcase, to showcase his skills, to showcase his punching ability off his back foot and to not have to do much work to, to. To get it done right. It was going to be Zabeda just walking forward, walking into range. That was going to allow Shakur to do what he does best, which is counterpunch. And I was kind of right, but at the same time, kind of wrong, because the whole narrative around this fight, Tom and Jerry Shakur is going to run. He's a runner, and eventually he's not going to have the gas anymore. Eventually, Zepeda is going to catch him. That wasn't what happened. Shakur Stevenson fought this fight like, you know, you might compare it to the. To the Valdez fight, but I don't even think you can really do that. He fought this like no other fight I've really seen from him, and that is a credit to him, and I think it's a credit to William Zepeda, because I think they both needed each other tonight in the Louis Armstrong Stadium. What I mean is Zepeda brought the best out of Shakur's offense tonight. I think a lot of the things that were said about Shakur and the runner and all that made him fight in a slightly different way. And Shakur sitting down on his punches, brought the best out of Zepeda. Zabeda had to come through with some adversity of his own and ended up making for a pretty darn good fight. But with that being said, I thought we got one of the best Shakur Stevenson performances I have ever seen tonight because he was taking all of the A game, I would say, of Williams Apeda, which was, again, all the pressure you expected, all the volume of punches you expected. At one point, it was more of a slip. But Shakur did get touched with a punch that kind of left him off balance, and he got tagged with some punches that Shakur Stevenson usually doesn't get tagged with. And that's, again, a credit to Zepeda. But also, Shakur decided to fight this a little different. He decided to sit in there with some of the punching and counter off and throw more combinations and not look to use his movement as much. In fact, there are moments, a couple of. I would say more than a couple. There's a bunch of times where Shakur was just on the ropes, parallel back, flat against the ropes and looking to shoulder roll, catch things on the lead shoulder, bump them up, backhand behind it, or catch with the backhand hook. Backhand hook. And he was tagging Williams a pay tonight. This was not like pillow hand Shakur or like, oh, he's got brittle hands. He was tagging William Zepeda up this. I said it on Twitter. This was just a treat to see Shakur in, in person. And I'm not trying to Glaze or nothing like that. But when you see a guy with that kind of skill in person and you get to see the. The sweet science, the actual sweet science, which is make your opponent miss and make them pay. Shakur wasn't just using his feet. Maybe he could have done more with that and have been a safer fight for him. I think he's even said as much. But when he was there tonight and he was in the pocket and he was making zap to miss and then touching him with the jab, then the backhand, it was a treat to watch tonight. Truly. Like I'd never seen a Shakur fight in person. Very glad that this was the one I got to see because it was probably one of his best performances. And again, you credit that to Shakur, but you also have to credit it to William Zepeda, because Zepeda brought that out of Shakur. As far as Shakur Stevenson is concerned, listen, one of his best performances, but in the post fight presser, he calls out Tank Davis and you know, we've all seen the Tank Davis arrest and subsequent release after. I mean, it's unfortunate, but we have to tell it like it is, at least from what we know right now. Another domestic abuse allegation and arrest for Tank Davis. It's a terrible thing. But, yeah, I mean, this. This should be the fight it could be. One of the biggest fights you can make right now in American boxing is Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Tank Davis. I don't know if they'll do it. I don't even know if Tank is going to fight on August 16, let alone anything after that. It seems like he has been on a train wreck of a trajectory since the Frank Martin fight. Honestly, right after the Frank Martin fight, great performance and everything else has been so wishy washy. Does he want to box? Does he want to retire out of the ring? Stuff that's been going on for a very long time with Tank the Roach rematch, what happens there potentially Jake Paul and now this. So we'll see. But, I mean, I'd be lying to you if I didn't. If I didn't say I wanted that fight. Of course I want that fight. Everybody that's even somewhat of a boxing fan in America would want that fight. So I hope that happens next for Shakur. If not, I mean, I guess he can move up to 40, but I think 35 is probably where he needs to be. So who knows? We'll just have to see kind of what shakes out at 35. So then we get to the main event or the second main event, right? Hamza Shiraz and Edgar Berlanga. And this one was interesting because you had two guys that were going through a lot of change. No Justin Bieber voice, they were going through some changes on Edgar Berlanga's side. He I just pronounced Berlanga and Berlanga differently in the same sentence. That's crazy. He obviously had lost the Canelo fight and then come back with a win versus a guy that looked like he was melting in real time. But you know, Edgar is known as a big power puncher, very Prideful New Yorker, 16 knockouts in his first 16 fights, but not a guy you ever looked at as the super skillful, highest level boxer at 168. And you know, had a lot to prove, especially after that performance versus Canelo, which was pretty much non existent when talking about his actual offensive prowess that we've seen before that. And then on the other side, Hamza Shiraz, who had looked like an absolute phenom at 160 pounds, had 15 straight knockouts going into the Carlos Adamus fight. And listen, the Adamas fight was called a tie. But in my opinion, I love Hamza, but he lost to me regardless. It was definitely something that showed him he needed to make changes. He stops training where he's training, goes to train with Andy Lee from LA to Ireland or back from the UK to Ireland, wherever he was. And then he makes the move to 168 because, good Lord, he is 63 my height, fighting at 160. Just for reference, I walk around at 210. I know he's not far off from me and used to fight at 154 before that. I don't know how he ever made either of those weights. Even now at 68 he looks massive. So it looked like a more replenished Hamza Shiraz. He had to answer a lot of questions though, and tonight was the night to do it because, damn, did he absolutely destroy Edgar Berlanga. I mean, obliterate him, make him look like an amateur. Done and dusted in what was it, five rounds. And it wasn't a particularly hard five rounds. It wasn't like there was a back and forth. Hamza got maybe hit with one solid punch from Edgar Berlonga. But the fight started and the first thing I thought to myself was, I think the game plan for Hamza should be to stay long behind his jab, have that longer guard, be able to catch things with the rear hand and then poke with the Jab and then turn that jab into the hook and then bang, the right hand behind it. And for Edgar, I was like, all right, well, you're at a reach disadvantage. You're not as skilled as Hamza is. You're going to have to find your way to find phone booth range, inside range, throws those nasty hooks, maybe head movement off center. Catch Hamza with a long jab, he overthrows, bang, the right hand, the left hook, something like that. And yeah, we'd seen that Edgar is, you know, vulnerable to the left hook as well. It kind of throws the arms out at a jab feint, and then the hook behind it can catch him. So I thought maybe there were some opportunities at range again for Hamza, but this fight turned out to be almost completely different. I did not understand how good Hamza Shiraz was on the inside. For a guy that's my height, six three, he works like a technician on the inside. And he was out working Berlanga and out landing Berlanga on the inside, damaging him with big time punches. Touched him on the chin in the first round with a hook from inside. The jabs were going back and forth. Berlanga had some great success with his jab to the kind of start of the fight. But then it was Hamza just building and building, getting closer and closer again on the inside with combination punching. And you were starting to think, okay, it's just a matter of when, not if. Now, for Hamza Shiraz, if he's going to touch Edgar on the chin, how is Berlonga going to take it? That's a different thing. But then we got to the. I think it was the fourth round where again, things were starting to heat up. They're ramping up. And Hamza got to the inside and was almost, you know, pushing to get to the inside and pushing to get inside close range. And I saw one combination that went, oh, oh, Hamza really wants to be inside. He threw a lead hand uppercut, banged the hook around the side, hurt Edgar with that. And you could see Edgar's face kind of change a little bit. You see him wince a little bit. And then you saw Edgar do what I thought maybe only he could do, which was get desperate and start lunging a little more, start getting a little more reckless, which I thought if Hamza kept things long and at range, Edgar would do sooner or later. But this was more Edgar feeling the power of Hamza Shiraz banging the the lead uppercut, banging the hook around the outside to the body. And then when the hands Fell. And there was a little bit of time to trade. Hamza dug in. Big left hook, right hand, left hook hurts Edgar Belonga sends him to the canvas. And ladies and gentlemen, this kid has some punching power. It was devastating the way he was landing Belonga. Yes. Got dropped against Canelo. Kind of popped back to his feet. I thought that was a mistake here. He popped, pops up a little quick, you know, hits the gloves together. Referee says, all right, go again. And Shiraz dropped him again with another big right hand. And Berlonga got up again. Fair play. He did show heart, but then got saved by the bell because 10 more seconds and Berlonga would have been. Would have been eaten canvas. And honestly, before long, he would anyway, because the fifth round comes, and just as the. The round starts, Hamza just cracks him again with another combination. And that's it. And that's all. And the entire crowd was in a freaking frenzy because Hamza Shiraz put on a nasty, nasty performance. It was insane how good he was at close range, how powerful his shots were. Could you attribute the Carlos Adamus fight to the hurt hand? Is what, you know, was said around that time, Maybe the weight cut, I don't know. But this looked like a completely different guy. And yes, Edgar Berlanga clearly now is no Carlos Adams. But still, what I'm about to say, in no way, shape or form actually matters because fights are judged as individuals. And you can't really do boxing or MMA math because it just doesn't work, right? This guy beat this guy, so this guy will have to beat that dude, right? It doesn't work. But we did see Edgar Berlanga take a bit of a bump in popularity and in people's minds as a boxer based on the fact that he went 12 rounds with Canelo. Yes, Canelo dusted him. Yes, it was. It was fairly easy. Yes, Canelo dropped him, but Canelo didn't do that to Edgar Berlonga. And sure, you could say, you know what, Canelo hit him so many times that Edgar just wasn't the same after that fight. Or you can say, it doesn't really matter, Wade, what happened in the Canelo fight, because this is completely different. And I'll agree with both of those things potentially. But then you also have to understand what I'm saying is Hamza Shiraz, at his first fight at 168lbs, did what no one else could do to Edgar Belonga, and that is absolutely obliterate him inside five rounds. That's at least worth acknowledging. Young. He's With a great trainer in Andy Lee. He's got a great frame for 168. Good Lord. He's just. Again, I keep saying it, but his reach, his height. So let's see, let's see. Before we just immediately dismiss this as, oh, it's, it's Berlonga. And okay, Edgar Berlanga is not as good as we thought, maybe. But that performance from Hamza Shiraz at least acknowledges that he's a real threat at 168. I don't know. Again, if we're talking Canelo level. I don't. I don't know. But he is a damn good fighter and he showed that tonight. What a performance by him. What a card here at Ring three. This thing was insane. I hope you guys watched and enjoyed because I had a blast covering it all week. This week we've been in New York. I finally go back home tomorrow. And for those that have watched this channel for years, yes, I know that this is professional boxing and I haven't covered it as much in my rise as I am now. And I know it's a bit of a switch, but I hope you guys are enjoying some of this because I'm having a blast covering it, getting to travel the world and all that. I. I don't think I ever would have imagined this just even four years ago. So appreciate you guys rocking with me. But this week we do have some news to get back to. I'm hearing some rumors about the influencer boxing scene and Misfits 22. We'll talk about that when I land in California. Also hearing some rumors on the MMA side. We're going to talk about that as well. Make sure you guys are locked in here at the Way concept and well in this video, how we always do. What do you guys think about the Ring 3 card? The performances, the decisions from the judges, the totality of what happened and what happens next for your winners, for your losers? I don't have those answers, but I guess we'll find out.

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