Ringside Boxing Show: The weird, wild WBSS, puppetmaster Hearn, & how the sport looked 240 years ago

The World Boxing Super Series delivered excitement and intrigue again on Saturday, when 35-year-old Nonito Donaire extended his career with a weird upset victory over previously unbeaten Ryan Burnett, who retired with a back injury after four rounds. Our expert analysts, Travis Hartman, Rizwaan Zahid and John J. Raspanti discuss that odd finish, and weigh Donaire’s chances in the WBSS bantamweight semifinals against WBO titleholder Zolani Tete.

We also unpack Josh Taylor’s brilliant performance against undefeated Ryan Martin, a ninth-round TKO that sends Taylor to the super lightweight semifinals against Ivan Baranchyk (19-0, 12 KOs). The winner gets either Kiryl Relikh or “The Rougarou,” Regis Prograis, in what promises to be a sensational title match.

Then we psychoanalyze Eddie Hearn, who said last week that a Wilder-Fury rematch would eliminate both fighters from any future Anthony Joshua fight. And we discuss the news that Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, is currently negotiation a DAZN contract (which would clear the way to Canelo-GGG III).

And, finally, we tell you what to expect from three future fights: Khan-Brook, Pacquiao-Broner, and Saturday’s cruiserweight championship bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew.

Our British correspondent, Paul McLaughlin, shares his weekly news from the United Kingdom, setting the stage for our featured guest.

Boxing historian Christopher James Shelton joins us to tell the true story of a bare knuckle champion who fought 240 years ago in England, Daniel Mendoza, an early scientist of the art of pugilism who actually authored a couple of books on the topic.

Mendoza was just 16 when he had his first fight with a much-larger opponent — a bout staged to settle a debt — and his knockout victory launched a legendary career.

Bare knuckle fights in that era attracted large crowds, including members of England’s royal family (King George III was a boxing fan).

Dennis Taylor is host of The Ringside Boxing Show, editor/publisher of www.ringsideboxingshow.com, and co-author (with John J. Raspanti) of “Intimate Warfare: The True Story of the Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward Boxing Trilogy,” an Amazon bestseller.