First up, not coincidentally, is the rematch of our Season 1 finale: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs Gennady "GGG" Golovkin in their second matchup. All of the belts that were on the line the first time are once again on the line: the Ring title plus WBA and WBC middleweight belts. With the last fight a split decision draw, would this fight give the combatants and their fans some closure? And, more importantly, will the fight be considered worthy of "Ring Magazine Fight of the Year"?

Butch and Rob are in a ranking mood, so listen in and see if you agree!

At the time of their first meeting, both fighters were considered among the world's best pound-for-pound (GGG was #2, Canelo was #7), and both had a claim to the middleweight crown (Canelo had won The Ring and WBC title beating Miguel Cotto two years earlier, and GGG now held that same WBC belt as well as the IBF belt.

And both had exemplary records - Golovkin was 37-0 with 33 knockouts, and Alvarez was 49-1-1 with only a loss to the #1 pound for pound Floyd Mayweather. Something was going to have to give in this fight...

... except that sometimes things refuse to give, and life hands you an unsatisfying split decision draw - one with at least one ridiculous score, depending on how you saw the bout. Suffice to say, they were destined to meat again. But Butch and Rob will give you all the info you need on thi matchup.

You can check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Riverside, Deezer, and Soundcloud!

As we said, shenanigans! But the fight itself, for Oscar's WBC welterweight belt, was once again a hotly contested one that would end in a controversial split decision - once again.

Butch and Rob will tell you everything you need to know during their round-by-round analysis.

Botha is one of those fighters who was around for a long time, and did get title shots, but while he fairly dominated many fighters, could never get over the top against the elite-level fighters == his first four losses (against 47 wins) were to Michael Moorer in 1996, Mike Tyson in 1999, Lennox Lewis in 2000, and Wladimir Klitschko in 2002... then an eight year stretch where he went 3-0-2 before meeting Holyfield.

The second bout of our double-feature is Evander's final professional bout, against longtime Dutch heavyweight Brian Nielsen, who'd famously fought Mike Tyson a few years before (ten years, actually) before coming out of retirement to fight HIS last fight against Holyfield. Is it either of their finest moments? Nah, but when it comes to the Holy Wars we are going to finish out his run.

Will Evander be able to pull two more out against a dangerous opponent? Rob and Butch will let you know!

Both fighters would go down in the early rounds, signaling that perhaps both fighters had lost a step by this point, or perhaps demonstrating that they were going to lay it all out on the line to determine greatness. And when the end came, it was an ending for the ages, which brought the series to a definitive end, with an exclamation point.

Rob and Butch have the details, so give them a listen!

Ring Magazine readers voted this decision "Robbery of the Year" in 2011. Of course, that does not mean it is not fantastic boxing - listen in as Butch and Rob do their round-by-round analysis.

For his part, Pacquiao had gone 8-1 during that same time, the lone loss being a decision to Erik Morales, which he avenged two fights later with a 10th round TKO. Now he was set to challenge for a major belt at super featherweight, and that led to the rematch with Marquez. Once again the fight would be incredibly close, ending in a split decision that would result in one man having the belt he would literally never defend, moving up to lightweight in his next fight.

But who was the winner and who was the loser? Listen in as Rob and Butch tell you all about it!

The fight started with literal bangs as one fighter will go down THREE times in the first round (no three-knockdown rule in effect) and yet get up and scrap back to a controversial split decision draw -- where one judge mis-scored the three-knockdown round by their own admission. Yet the fight was so competitive it was inevitable that the two would meet again, someday.

Butch and Rob will share their thoughts and observations with you about this tremendous bout.

Next after that, however, was former inmate Michael Dokes, in a bout that would be shorter than expected and end the championship run for Weaver.

Butch and Rob once again try to parse through the muck of the 1980s heavyweight division to bring you the action.

First up we bring you Greg Page and "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon battling for the vacant WBC belt that had just been vacated by Larry Holmes - but don't worry, the IBF stepped in to hand him THEIR belt, thus instantly elevating the IBF to major belt status. With Holmes unwilling to defend against Page, it fell to Witherspoon to fight him to decide who would hold the belt. A majority decision later, Witherspoon was the new champ.

This did not last long, however, as Witherspoon's first defense would be against Pinklon Thomas. Soon the wheel continued to turn and the belt once again changed hands in a decision, though Thomas would likewise not hold it long - two fights later he'd lose it to Trevor Berbick.

Rob and Butch are here to help you through this nebulous time in the heavyweight division.

As is fitting heavyweight title bouts throughout the next few years, what came next was a razor-close 15 round duel that would go to the final bell before being decided, leaving one of the four legendary seventies heavyweights empty-handed and the other the man who'd hold the title for nearly a decade.

Rob and Butch can tell you all about it - pull up a chair!

Would it be a case of irresistible force and unmovable object? In the first fight that is a pretty apt description, as despite scoring two knockdowns late, including a devastating one to begin the 12th, the fight was a controversial draw as most observers believed that Fury had won most of the rounds. That set up the sequel, which occurred just before COVID-19 shut the world down, in which Fury came in angrier and scarier and clubbed his way to a mid-round stoppage win.

These two fights are truly a sight to behold, and set up what would be proof of the adage that 'the best is yet to come." Listen to Butch and Rob provide all the details.

What we get in this bout is less of a technical display of boxing skill and more of a grueling contest of wills, stamina, and intestinal fortitude. Both fighters reach their level of extremis and keep on going. The bout's final three rounds are truly one of the most intriguing things to see, as both fighters slowly wilt under the pressure, the exertion, and the heat - each waiting to see if the other man will fail first to get off their stool.

Butch and Rob have a lot to say, as probably do you... join us and find out!

What would result would be, in many ways, the least compelling of the three fights between Frazier and Ali - less on the line, neither the champ, Big George ruling the roost for the time being, and numerous fights besides this one having occurred since)... but it is nonetheless a close fight between two very different styles -- with Ali sort of figuring out how better to deal with what Frazier is bringing to the table - you can learn a lot about boxing by watching Ali's adjustments in this fight.

Rob and Butch will provide the round-by-round analysis so you can compare your notes to theirs!

The question is, would De La Hoya have any more luck against Mosley with a few more pounds on him (and his opponent) than before?

Only one way to find out - well the BEST way is to listen to Butch and Rob tell you all about it!

After a short comeback, Ali challenged Frazier for the title that used to be his and that he never lost in the ring... what happened next is legend.

Listen in as Rob and Butch tell you all the historic details and score all the rounds!

Hagler had fought for the middleweight belts a year earlier, in 1979, against champ Vito Antufermo (in his first defense), and lost by controversial split decision. Antufermo would lose the belts in his next bout to brit Alan Minter, and then lose the rematch, leaving an opening for Hagler to step up, which he did. The result was a bloody affair in the ring and nearly out of it, because when the referee stopped the fight and awarded Hagler the title the British crowd all but rioted, pelting the ring and Hagler with bottles and other debris.

Thus began Hagler's long reign as middleweight champion, which would last through his second-to-last fight against John "The Beast" Mugabi, an Olympic silver medalist who came in 26-0 with 26 knockouts. The aging Hagler had at least one last great fight in him for the win!

Listen in as Rob and Butch give you all the deets on these two great fights.

The first fight ended in a split decision that would eventually lead them to once again seek out each other as opponents for higher weight class belts as well... but that is a story for another day.

And it WOULD be decided definitively, with the loser retiring and never fighting again, while the winner would go on to fight for the WBO featherweight belt in nis next fight (he would lose) and then back down for the super bantamweight WBC belt two fights after that (which he would also lose) before retiring in 2013.

Perhaps it is true that you cannot recapture past glory... but this fourth fight between the two IS boxing glory - listen in as Rob and Butch tell you all about it, and then summarize the rivalry.

The outcome being what it was, an epic 12-rounder that went to the cards, a final fourth bout was all but inevitable. After you finish this, know there is still one last bout between these ultimate warriors to go.

It is a truly dazzling and gutsy performance by both fighters - listen in as Butch and Rob give you all the details, and then join us right after for part 3!

The first fight was a difficult one to watch due to a devastating facial injury that was suffered in round 2 by one of the fighters, which marred what was otherwise a magnificent showing by both fighters and presaged what would be four riveting contests, as the two battled for the super bantamweight titles - Vazquez the defending WBC champ and Marquez being the IBF bantamweight belt holder moving up to challenge him.

Rob and Butch are SURE you will not be disappointed with this rivalry! Listen here for their first meeting in March 2007 and then check out the other three bouts!

No one can accuse George Foreman of taking on an easy opponent for his comeback fight after the Ali loss, because what happened when the two men got in the ring was something just short of manslaughter. Both men went down in the fight multiple times, and both showed a great deal of heart getting up after those knockdowns to keep going until an eye-popping finish that will have viewers wondering if the referee took the round off or went to run an errand instead of stopping the fight.

It's not boxing in the sense of the "sweet science" - more like back-alley plastic surgery toughman competitions - but it is a highly compelling heavyweight slugfest between two bad, bad men, and Rob and Butch are here to tell you all about it!

What occurred next was a bit of a surprise, as George lacked the speed to easily outpoint Stewart, but surprisingly also was unable to knock out Stewart and instead came away with a majority decision win and a face that looked like it had been run through a meat grinder.

If you've never checked out the fight, give it a watch, then give us a listen!

Due primarily to Valuev's size and Holyfield's age and ring wear, the Russian came in as a 10-1 favorite, but the fight would be one-sided in the other direction, with Holyfield essentially dominating a barely-active Valuev... nonetheless, in yet one more black eye for the division, the judges handed a majority decision to Valuev, depriving Holyfield of his final shot at a title.

Suffice to say, Rob and Butch have a lot to say (yell) about this bout.

That said, Savarese was a big, tough opponent (6'5", 242 lbs) - roughly the size of Riddick Bowe or Lennox Lewis - fighters that Holyfield knew well. The difference is that while Savarese had career wins against some tough opponents (Buster Douglas, Tim Witherspoon, Buster Mathis Jr.) all of those were against VERY late career versions of those fighters. He had losses to George Foreman and Mike Tyson, so he'd been in with legenda himself.

So what will happen when the big man meets the Real Deal? Listen to Rob and Butch as they give the round-by-round details!

So both fighters come into this matchup as title contenders and recent champions with a hunger to get back in a title fight. What resulted was yet another scar on the face of the heavyweight division, or rather a giant, swelling hematoma. While words cannot truly describe the sight of a man with a four-inch protruding bruise on his forehead, Rob and Butch do their best to describe the action.

The fight itself was astounding to nearly everyone watching - rather than being a close fight between two of the great pound-for-pound combatants, the fight was completely one-sided, with one fighter arguably winning every round through the first 11, before the fateful 12th round ended with a finish that had everyone in the crowd talking - and many of them screaming and tearing their hair out.

Butch and Rob will tell you all about it as they do their round-by-round analysis.

What resulted in the first matchup was a relatively one-sided fight that ended in a very controversial draw... that inevitably led to the sequel fight eight months later, now with each fighter making the same amount of money ($15 million each, compared to a $20 million/$10 million split in favor of Holyfield the first time) and a much more competitive bout that nonetheless resulted in Lennox Lewis becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Ali. The two top lions of the division were simultaneously cautious and highly skilled, making for compelling action.

Butch and Rob will tell you all about both fights!

The fight itself was a contrast in styles, with the impervious and relentless Hagler matched up with the lightning-quick and skilled Leonard. Adding to the drama was the fact that Leonard was coming off a long hiatus while dealing with a partially attached retina. But history demanded they meet, and meet they did.

Revisit this fight with Rob and Butch, before or after rewatching it yourself, and see if you agree with Rob or Butch on the outcome, and if you agree with both of us that it is one of the seminal matches of the decade.

Leonard had had and lost the WBC belt to another king moving up weight classes, Roberto Duran, but had not only won the second time but famously Duran quit in the ring. That left Hearns, at 32-0 with 30 knockouts, as the last barrier. It would also be the first of two fights, though the second did not happen until eight years and several weight classes later.

Give it a watch, and then listen to Rob and Butch's walkthrough and see if you agree with our round-by-round analysis.

It is easy to forget that the two early fights were NOT for the heavyweight belts - not the big ones, anyway (WBA and WBC) - those had gone to Frazier in 1971 and Ali would not regain them until 1974, FOURTEEN fights later. In the meantime he would face a number of foes and defeat all of them, including Norton, but not before taking a loss in their first matchup. It would not be until their THIRD matchup in 1976 that Norton would FINALLY get his first title shot in the rubber match.

It is an episode for the ages - 39 total rounds and three fights - watch them yourself then give our episode a listen and compare notes!

But what garnered the attention of the boxing world was the latest "great white hope" in the form of undefeated Irish-American "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney. Cooney was riding high on several wins against known heavyweights, including a blowout knockout over Ken Norton, from whom Holmes had won the belt in a razor-thin decision three years before. The world was curious to see whether Holmes' win streak could continue against the hard-punching Cooney, and we all got to watch it live on free television.

Butch and Rob provide the round-by-round analysis!

The fight looked like it might be demonstrating that a style difference was what separated the two fighters -- but then, right on cue as announcing color man Bobby Czyz makes a comment to that effect, the fight swings and becomes a war of survival for one fighter, who will see his reputation grow despite the loss for showing the kind of heart and courage that his opponent is known for.

Listen in as Rob and Butch tell you all about it!

Even though it is from an earlier era with different rules and fighting styles, this trilogy is jam-packed with action, excitement, and great finishes. Listen in as Butch 'n Rob tell you all about it!

But then he faced off with Polish up-and-comer Andrew Golota... 28-0 but having not fought anyone of consequence. These two fights would once again have people questioning Bowe's heart and/or ability, and would, for lack of a better phrase, directly threaten his manhood itself. Happening just a year before the Tyson-Holyfield 'bite fight' these bouts were another black eye on the heavyweight division - not because they were not action-packed or compelling but because of how they ended.

Join Rob and Butch as they bring you all the round-by-round action!

The match itself was a bit of a nightmare, held in Las Vegas, outdoors, in June, and during the day while the sun was still high in the sky (presumably to be broadcast live on ABC World of Sports). That atmosphere likely played a role in the final outcome of the fight, where one fighter essentially wilted under that hot sun in the late rounds and resulted in a shocking finish to the bout.

Join Rob and Butch as they set the scene in Vegas and take you through round by round in this exciting matchup!

Ladies and gentlemen, a pair of fights that really need no introduction -- one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of boxing, Evander "Real Deal" Holyfield's two bouts with "Iron" Mike Tyson! Butch and Rob cannot claim to be impartial in this matchup - Rob nearly named a child after Holyfield, and Butch's favorite sports memories involve Tyson losses - but we give it to you straight in this pair of title fights from the mid-1990s.

So this was bound to be one of the most anticipated fights in years when it finally happened... but who would end up on top? Listen in as Rob and Butch bring it all into focus round by round for your listening pleasure.

From that time there was nowhere to go but up in weight to middleweight, where he lost his first attempt once again to Marvin Hagler before getting a second shot against Iran Barkley, who had just taken it in a spectacular knockout upset against Thomas Hearns. In winning both these fights, Duran cemented his legacy as part of the Four Kings of the 1980s.

Come on in and listen along as Butch and Rob score and analyze these two great fights!

Though the championship belts had moved on to other fighters by the time the two met one last time in 1995, two years after their second fight and three after their first, the two proud fighters were both determined to prove which had gotten the better of the other after the first two fights had ended in close decision victories, each winning once. And the ending would be all the more provocative, as one would suffer their first loss by knockout of their professional career.

Come along with Butch and Rob as they finish of this fine trilogy with a round-by-round review of Holyfield-Bowe III!

Indeed, one of the fighters would experience a dramatic and rapid turn of momentum, going from the attack to knocked into oblivion in just a few short seconds. Though both fighters would eventually hold the WBO belt, the belt would not change hands this night.

PLUS we made this a two-fer, since the first fight isn't particularly long, and give you Mercer's battle with Evander Holyfield, who was attempting a comeback following shoulder and heart troubles. Both come in with two losses, and Mercer is two years older despite being a 1988 Olympian, while Holyfield was a 1984 Olympian. A very close fight that demonstrated that both were in the upper echelon of 1990s heavyweights.

Join the fun and listen in as Rob and Butch relive an electric night of heavyweight contenders clashing!

Butch and Rob take to through the fight and provide scoring and analysis.

Holyfield, meanwhile, had fought just once, a grueling 12-round decision against Alex Stewart. The oddsmakers were at a loss as to how to predict the fight, and when it occurred, the ending was somewhat controversial, with ringside broadcaster scoring it a draw, the Associated Press calling it for Bowe, and the New York Times calling it for Holyfield. That plus a spectacular stunt gone wrong that interrupted the fight in the middle rounds, made a rubber match in the future all but inevitable.

Joint Butch and Rob as they regale with the story of Bowe-Holyfield II!

It was a fight that elevated the status of BOTH fighters, in a way - as even the losing fighter found praise heaped upon him for the amount of heart he showed in weathering a devastating late-round attack and turning the tables back on his opponent just when it looked like the fight could be stopped at any time.

Both Rob and Butch hold this boxing match in highest esteem. Give us a listen and see if you agree!

Listen in as Butch and Rob give all the deets on this fascinating heavyweight clash!

Tthomas "Hitman" Hearns had moved up to middleweight and was coming off a stunning 2nd round knockout win over the usually impervious Roberto Duran; meanwhile, longtime defending champion "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler had recently defended his belt against Duran in a fairly close decision. When two of the most dangerous men who ever laced up a pair of gloves step in with each other, what would happen?

The answer, of course, is legend... a nonstop barrage of thunder and lightning that would become Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year the first round of which would be rightly dubbed Round of the Year. Listen in as Rob and Butch compare notes and thoughts on one of the most brutal fights of our lifetimes - Hagler-Hearns (1985)!

When we get to Season 2, we will begin our first major project undertaking, which is reviewing the Ring Magazine Fights of the Year, 1970-2021 - each episode we pick one FOTY at random (with a proprietary method of rolling dice), we watch them, score them, discuss them, and then do a forced ranking of the 52 fights to determine what we think were the best, and the worst, fights of the year from the last half-century.

Then, for Season 3 we take on an even bigger task - ranking Ring Magazine's Rounds of the year, from the very beginning in 1945 to the year we started, 2024. In doing so, we try to decipher what makes for a great round of boxing in OUR minds, and, more importantly, and sometimes more inexplicably, in the minds of the Ring Magazine writers. Once again, our goal is to determine what the greatest round of boxing all time was - at least during the period 1945-2024.

We are also fans of current boxing, and so we will be sprinkling in bonus episodes that cover major fights as they happen as well.

So if you've been looking for a fix for your boxing habit, pick one of our episodes, go to YouTube and watch the fight, then give us a listen and see how our view compares to yours!