Recorded in Las Vegas on fight day, hours before Ryan Garcia knocked out Conor Benn and called him out, Teofimo Lopez sits down with Ak and Barak and lays out the plan everyone’s now talking about: Ryan Garcia, Cinco de Mayo weekend 2027, Los Angeles, WBA vs. WBC unification, then the Paro–Haney winner for undisputed and the Ring lineal belt, then Boots Ennis at 154. He also explains the disguise stunt he pitched to DAZN himself, why he thinks Shakur signing with Zuffa was “more money than legacy,” why he’d pick Crawford over Boots today, and why we haven’t seen anything close to the end of Tank Davis.

Then it gets real. Teofimo opens up about the loss to Shakur and the lesson underneath it: trusting his own decisions. That meant a long-overdue conversation with his father and trainer, putting him “on probation”, cutting him off on the business side, and watching him turn everything around.

Plus the full story of the $2.35 million purse bid Take Over Promotions dropped on Haney–Keyshawn (and the sealed-envelope technicality he let slide), making peace with DAZN five years after Kambosos, Lomachenko’s return as a free agent, his pick in AJ–Fury, and a Ring Champs exclusive: the name of the baby girl he and his wife are expecting any day.

0:00 Ring Champs on the road in Vegas with Teofimo Lopez
0:56 What Teofimo learned from the Shakur Stevenson fight
2:57 Taking charge of his career from his father
4:49 The private sit-down with Pops
8:11 Putting his dad on “probation” and bringing back Kay Lacroix
9:00 Dad’s transformation: 40 pounds up and done drinking
9:37 His parents’ 35-year marriage, fatherhood, and new baby girl
11:29 Ad break
13:20 The viral beard disguise during fight week
15:23 Teofimo’s relationship with DAZN
17:01 Why Teofimo bid in the Haney vs. Keyshawn purse bid
21:53 Fighter pay: still waiting on money from the Shakur fight
23:28 Wanting the Garcia vs. Benn winner and the “Four Kings” talk
25:06 Is Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis really done?
27:53 Loma’s comeback as a free agent
28:49 What’s next for Shakur Stevenson
30:27 Fury vs. AJ
31:48 Terence Crawford’s future and the Boots Ennis debate
37:00 Teofimo’s next three opponents

Recorded in Las Vegas on fight day, hours before Ryan Garcia knocked out Conor Benn and called him out, Teofimo Lopez sits down with Ak and Barak and lays out the plan everyone&rsquo;s now talking about: Ryan Garcia, Cinco de Mayo weekend 2027, Los Angeles, WBA vs. WBC unification, then the Paro&ndash;Haney winner for undisputed and the Ring lineal belt, then Boots Ennis at 154. He also explains the disguise stunt he pitched to DAZN himself, why he thinks Shakur signing with Zuffa was &ldquo;more money than legacy,&rdquo; why he&rsquo;d pick Crawford over Boots today, and why we haven&rsquo;t seen anything close to the end of Tank Davis. Then it gets real. Teofimo opens up about the loss to Shakur and the lesson underneath it: trusting his own decisions. That meant a long-overdue conversation with his father and trainer, putting him &ldquo;on probation&rdquo;, cutting him off on the business side, and watching him turn everything around. Plus the full story of the $2.35 million purse bid Take Over Promotions dropped on Haney&ndash;Keyshawn (and the sealed-envelope technicality he let slide), making peace with DAZN five years after Kambosos, Lomachenko&rsquo;s return as a free agent, his pick in AJ&ndash;Fury, and a Ring Champs exclusive: the name of the baby girl he and his wife are expecting any day. 0:00 Ring Champs on the road in Vegas with Teofimo Lopez 0:56 What Teofimo learned from the Shakur Stevenson fight 2:57 Taking charge of his career from his father 4:49 The private sit-down with Pops 8:11 Putting his dad on &ldquo;probation&rdquo; and bringing back Kay Lacroix 9:00 Dad&rsquo;s transformation: 40 pounds up and done drinking 9:37 His parents&rsquo; 35-year marriage, fatherhood, and new baby girl 11:29 Ad break 13:20 The viral beard disguise during fight week 15:23 Teofimo&rsquo;s relationship with DAZN 17:01 Why Teofimo bid in the Haney vs. Keyshawn purse bid 21:53 Fighter pay: still waiting on money from the Shakur fight 23:28 Wanting the Garcia vs. Benn winner and the &ldquo;Four Kings&rdquo; talk 25:06 Is Gervonta &lsquo;Tank&rsquo; Davis really done? 27:53 Loma&rsquo;s comeback as a free agent 28:49 What&rsquo;s next for Shakur Stevenson 30:27 Fury vs. AJ 31:48 Terence Crawford&rsquo;s future and the Boots Ennis debate 37:00 Teofimo&rsquo;s next three opponents

Bringing you the newest series from ATS Fight, RING CHAMPS with Ak & Barak. Weekly episodes of RING CHAMPS will feature exclusive interviews with top fighters, trainers, and luminaries in the sport of boxing, along with in-depth analysis of the most culturally relevant news in the ever-changing game.

Bringing you the newest series from ATS Fight, RING CHAMPS with Ak & Barak.

Ring Champs with Ak & Barak

Teofimo Lopez: The Ryan Garcia Plan, Shakur Is “More Money Than Legacy” & His $2.35M Purse Bid

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9da99ff3-4081-47e6-b15d-b4d0001a0950/transcript

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

Ring Champs takes over Las Vegas for Garcia&ndash;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 &ldquo;belt hunting&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t add up when Canelo&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;t, the $350,000 fine and one-year suspension, years of not speaking, the bottles he sent back with &ldquo;send me a contract,&rdquo; 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&rsquo;s &ldquo;definitely bigger than him,&rdquo; what Shakur has to do when it&rsquo;s signed, and why he believes this fight belongs on American soil.
0:00 - Terence Crawford Intro &amp; reacting to Ryan Garcia&rsquo;s &ldquo;Avengers&rdquo; jab 2:07 - Explaining the &ldquo;check the temperature&rdquo; retirement tease 3:20 - Boots Ennis 6:34 - Never ducking a fight: the PBC vs. Top Rank history 10:09 - Passing the undisputed torch &amp; best Vegas fight nights 13:06 - Retirement, the Eminem walkout, and the Ukraine trip 16:25 - AD BREAK 17:00 - Zab Judah &amp; the state of the welterweight division 18:53 - Shakur Stevenson&rsquo;s next move &amp; rumored Pacquiao fight 20:55 - Mayweather&rsquo;s &ldquo;phantom knockdown&rdquo; vs. Judah &amp; his defense 23:52 - Mayweather vs. Crawford: comparing r&eacute;sum&eacute;s and biggest wins 29:03 - The Mayweather-Judah brawl and their years-long feud 37:39 - Judah brothers&rsquo; 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 &amp; 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&rsquo;s size 1:00:32 - Fighting your boxing &ldquo;brothers&rdquo; for the big money 1:03:15 - Fight timeline and location debate

Terence Crawford: “I See Holes” in Boots’ Game, Hitchins vs. Keyshawn Is Close & Zab’s Floyd Beef

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d07ff1f0-8344-438f-80b1-b4c8013507d4/transcript

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

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&rsquo;s &mdash; 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 (&ldquo;they couldn&rsquo;t destroy us, so they had to negotiate&rdquo;), 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&rsquo;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&rsquo;d pay to see it, the truth about Conor McGregor&rsquo;s injury and why he believes Conor can&rsquo;t go out like that, the Crawford&ndash;McGregor $200M two-fight idea, remembering Kimbo Slice, and what&rsquo;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&ndash;Showtime Years &amp; 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 &amp; the Strikeforce Model 33:05 Launching a New Tournament Promotion 34:01 Inspired by Pride &amp; K1's Tournament Format 38:19 The $60M Funding Round 40:54 Weight Class Strategy &amp; Q1 2027 Launch 58:49 Naming the New Company

Scott Coker: “They Couldn’t Destroy Us”, His New $60M MMA Venture & Why McGregor Isn’t Done

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8e97f98b-9bec-49ac-9350-b4c10117ecde/transcript

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

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 &mdash; Matchroom and Boxlab Promotions&rsquo; 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 &mdash; 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 &ldquo;El Capit&aacute;n&rdquo; Barreto before he faces Corey Marksman in Friday&rsquo;s main event of the inaugural Project Series broadcast. Don&rsquo;t miss Project Series, live from the Caribe Royale Orlando, Friday August 28th and streaming on DAZN.
00:00:00 &ndash; Cold Open: On the Road at the Stadium Club 00:02:38 &ndash; Teofimo Handles Rolly: The Recap 00:04:18 &ndash; Scoring 101: Body Shots Count &amp; the 10-8 Debate 00:07:19 &ndash; What&rsquo;s Next for Teofimo &amp; Rolly 00:09:37 &ndash; What the Project Series Is: Projects vs. Prospects 00:14:23 &ndash; The Prospect Graveyard: Brandon Lee, Joey Spencer &amp; Felix Verdejo 00:19:30 &ndash; The Ones They Got Right: Shakur at 17 00:22:59 &ndash; Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn: The Breakdown 00:27:02 &ndash; Ryan&rsquo;s Jab, Conor&rsquo;s Pressure &amp; the Dogfight Question 00:32:24 &ndash; AJ vs. Fury: The Netflix Venue War 00:36:18 &ndash; The 4 A.M. Problem &amp; the Falling-Asleep Argument 00:42:14 &ndash; Ak&rsquo;s Call: &ldquo;AJ Knocks Fury Out&rdquo; 00:46:21 &ndash; New Segment Debut: Who the Heck Is That? 00:52:02 &ndash; Christian Barreto Joins the Show 00:56:22 &ndash; Cotto, Money &amp; the Question He Wouldn&rsquo;t Answer 01:03:19 &ndash; See You Friday/Wrap

“AJ Knocks Fury Out at MSG”: Ak’s Big Call & Teofimo Handles Rolly | Live at the Project Series

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/146dc7df-d3be-4fce-ae42-b4b30152cfc3/transcript

Teofimo Lopez: The Ryan Garcia Plan, Shakur Is “More Money Than Legacy” & His $2.35M Purse Bid

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