Ring Champs takes over Las Vegas for Garcia–Benn fight week, and two welterweight legends stop by the MGM Grand. Terence Crawford pulls up first, happily retired and still watching everything, to explain the Boots Ennis post everyone misread, why “belt hunting” doesn’t add up when Canelo’s on the table, the holes he sees, the PBC wall that kept him from Spence for years, and the Eminem walkout that felt like a movie.

Brooklyn’s own Zab Judah, the newest member of the All The Smoke family, settles the Floyd-vs-Crawford-at-38 debate his way, talks Shakur vs. Pacquiao, and finally tells the whole Floyd Mayweather story: the knockdown that wasn’t, the $350,000 fine and one-year suspension, years of not speaking, the bottles he sent back with “send me a contract,” and the Pro Bowl meeting that ended it.

Then Richardson Hitchins is fresh off the plane with news: the Keyshawn Davis fight is close, and he explains the money that finally made sense, why he’s “definitely bigger than him,” what Shakur has to do when it’s signed, and why he believes this fight belongs on American soil.

0:00 - Terence Crawford Intro & reacting to Ryan Garcia’s “Avengers” jab
2:07 - Explaining the “check the temperature” retirement tease
3:20 - Boots Ennis
6:34 - Never ducking a fight: the PBC vs. Top Rank history
10:09 - Passing the undisputed torch & best Vegas fight nights
13:06 - Retirement, the Eminem walkout, and the Ukraine trip
16:25 - AD BREAK
17:00 - Zab Judah & the state of the welterweight division
18:53 - Shakur Stevenson’s next move & rumored Pacquiao fight
20:55 - Mayweather’s “phantom knockdown” vs. Judah & his defense
23:52 - Mayweather vs. Crawford: comparing résumés and biggest wins
29:03 - The Mayweather-Judah brawl and their years-long feud
37:39 - Judah brothers’ gym wars, Teofimo Lopez, and AJ-Fury talk
42:47 - First big payday, jewelry, and money regrets
46:11 - AD BREAK
47:33 - Richardson Hitchins joins the show & Keyshawn Davis talks
51:39 - Why AJ-Fury might land in Cardiff instead of the U.S.
53:31 - Zab breaks down the Hitchins-Davis styles matchup
55:19 - Hitchins on staying disciplined and avoiding vices
58:05 - Shakur-Devin Haney fight falling apart, and Devin’s size
1:00:32 - Fighting your boxing “brothers” for the big money
1:03:15 - Fight timeline and location debate

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One of the most influential promoters in combat sports history sits down with Ak and Barak. Scott Coker built Strikeforce from scratch, developed Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, Fedor and a heavyweight division he says was better than the UFC’s — and then sold it in a deal he calls one of the worst days of his life. He opens up about the pressure campaign that came before the sale (“they couldn’t destroy us, so they had to negotiate”), the seven-year non-compete the lawyers demanded, and why his fighters never wanted to leave.

Then it turns to the money: the $500 million in purses he’s paid, the 58% of revenue Strikeforce shared with fighters, and the question about pay he says belongs to Dana White. Plus Cyborg calling out Claressa Shields and why he’d pay to see it, the truth about Conor McGregor’s injury and why he believes Conor can’t go out like that, the Crawford–McGregor $200M two-fight idea, remembering Kimbo Slice, and what’s next: $60 million raised for a new MMA venture that includes a one-year invite-only tournament at 126 pounds launching in 2027, built on the Super Six blueprint that made Andre Ward a star.

00:00 Intro: Welcoming Scott Coker
00:28 The Bellator–Showtime Years & COVID Fallout
02:12 Selling Strikeforce to the UFC
09:38 Building Bellator From the Ground Up
14:16 What Makes a Fighter a Star?
18:36 MMA Money vs. Boxing Money
22:06 Fighter Pay & the Strikeforce Model
33:05 Launching a New Tournament Promotion
34:01 Inspired by Pride & K1's Tournament Format
38:19 The $60M Funding Round
40:54 Weight Class Strategy & Q1 2027 Launch
58:49 Naming the New Company

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RING CHAMPS hits the road. Ak and Barak are live from the Stadium Club at Caribe Royale Orlando for the launch of the Project Series — Matchroom and Boxlab Promotions’ new proving ground on DAZN, where undefeated fighters actually fight each other. They break down what Teofimo Lopez just did to Rolly Romero in Vegas and why the casuals scoring it close need a lesson in how rounds actually work, then get into Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn and the keys for both men on September 12.

Then it gets loud: AJ vs. Fury is signed for Netflix, but the venue war is real — Wembley or Madison Square Garden? Ak makes his call on both the venue and the fight, and the argument that follows gets personal. Plus the prospect graveyard (the Felix Verdejo story Top Rank saw coming), the debut of a new segment, Who the Heck Is That?, and a sit-down with undefeated Christian “El Capitán” Barreto before he faces Corey Marksman in Friday’s main event of the inaugural Project Series broadcast.

Don’t miss Project Series, live from the Caribe Royale Orlando, Friday August 28th and streaming on DAZN.

00:00:00 – Cold Open: On the Road at the Stadium Club
00:02:38 – Teofimo Handles Rolly: The Recap
00:04:18 – Scoring 101: Body Shots Count & the 10-8 Debate
00:07:19 – What’s Next for Teofimo & Rolly
00:09:37 – What the Project Series Is: Projects vs. Prospects
00:14:23 – The Prospect Graveyard: Brandon Lee, Joey Spencer & Felix Verdejo
00:19:30 – The Ones They Got Right: Shakur at 17
00:22:59 – Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn: The Breakdown
00:27:02 – Ryan’s Jab, Conor’s Pressure & the Dogfight Question
00:32:24 – AJ vs. Fury: The Netflix Venue War
00:36:18 – The 4 A.M. Problem & the Falling-Asleep Argument
00:42:14 – Ak’s Call: “AJ Knocks Fury Out”
00:46:21 – New Segment Debut: Who the Heck Is That?
00:52:02 – Christian Barreto Joins the Show
00:56:22 – Cotto, Money & the Question He Wouldn’t Answer
01:03:19 – See You Friday/Wrap

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Ak and Barak break down Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez before Saturday’s title fight in Vegas: the smarter Rolly that showed up against Ryan Garcia, why Teofimo comes back different after a loss, and the style question that decides it. Then they get into Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn on September 12, why Conor has the most to gain, and the business story behind it all — the DAZN and PBC deal they never thought they’d see, and what it felt like betting their careers on “the app” back in 2018 when everyone called it suicide.

Plus: the report that AJ vs. Fury is headed to Madison Square Garden on Netflix — and why Barak thought it was fake news before making the case that New York wins. Canelo’s dangerous fight with Christian Mbilli that casuals are sleeping on. A heated argument about Micky Ward, belts, and what actually makes a legacy. And finally a farewell to Errol Spence: the career, the what-ifs, and the Hall of Fame verdict.

0:00 – Intro
0:43 – DAZN’s rise and the PBC/DAZN partnership
3:59 – Can boxing’s rival networks coexist?
5:09 – Promoters, networks & fighter loyalty debate
7:17 – Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez preview
10:39 – Styles breakdown: Romero vs. Lopez
14:18 – Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn intro
15:17 – DAZN vs. Zuffa: the promotional landscape
16:51 – Garcia’s recent form & Benn’s résumé
18:20 – Conor Benn interview callback & legacy debate
22:11 – Garcia vs. Benn matchup & odds
24:32 – Who benefits more from a win?
27:24 – AD BREAK
30:12 – Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury reportedly heading to MSG
36:10 – Canelo’s next fight and the danger of overlooking Mbili
38:33 – Errol Spence Jr.’s career tribute & Hall of Fame case

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