The Stand Up Guys
The Stand Up Guys 46: The 99%
Podcast Links Peemai vs. Leonid Kostin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szC_-wsWxdo Award Kazimba vs. Big Ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3Z9hlf5p4 Lamont Roach vs. William Zepeda (Highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuofPvxZKtQ ONE Friday Fights 165 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAAx3WW131U ️ The Stand Up Guys — Episode 46 This week, we went small—and came away thinking about something much bigger. After attending Elite Underdog Promotions in Oakland , we talk about why every fight fan should experience a local boxing show and why smaller promotions aren't simply a stepping stone to the part of boxing that "matters." They are part of what makes boxing possible. At the highest level, we see world champions, sold-out arenas and massive paydays. But underneath that visible 1% is an entire ecosystem of working fighters, trainers, cutpeople, officials, promoters and other professionals who may never become famous—and can still build legitimate careers in combat sports. At Elite Underdog, we saw fighters at completely different stages of development on the same card, from a pro debut to veterans with more than 20 fights. We saw fighters bring their own rooting sections and essentially create the atmosphere inside the building. We saw good fights, ugly fights and developmental fights that made far more sense when experienced from ringside. And we saw just how small the distance becomes between the fighters, trainers, families and fans at the regional level. That leads us into the centerpiece of Episode 46: the other 99% of combat sports. Not every movie is Oppenheimer , and not every boxer is Canelo. We discuss what it means to be a working professional , why fame shouldn't be the only measure of success, and why the regional promotions and people most fans never hear about are essential infrastructure for the entire sport. As Tony Bellew once said about legendary journeyman Kristian Laight: “Without guys like him the pro game wouldn’t exist.” That's the conversation. We also cover: Dana White changing course on boxing's sanctioning bodies The MVP/PFL merger and what it could mean for young fighters Keyshawn Davis turning down the Devin Haney mandatory Rodtang's wild journey from a $17 million lawsuit to re-signing with ONE Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua and the battle over New York vs. Wembley Joseph Parker's UKAD ruling Petchpanomrung leaving kickboxing for a return to Muay Thai ONE Samurai 2 and whether a good card is necessarily worth $40 RWS, ONE Friday Fights and Zuffa Boxing And a 15-year-old with 41 professional fights who has us talking about experience in Muay Thai all over again. The stars may be the part of combat sports everybody sees. This episode is about everybody underneath them keeping the whole thing standing. No hot takes. Just honest conversation. Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha (Highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHwCTb89ebs
