The topic of boxing briefly arose on what is being called by many the biggest interview of 2024.
So far, more than 30 million have listened to the podcast in which the hosts Joe Rogan interviews the 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, in his tycoon years, Trump would regularly stage big fights in Atlantic City – at the Trump Plaza and at the Trump Taj Mahal.
When he was president, he hosted, among others, Lennox Lewis, Deontay Wilder and Sylvester Stallone at the White House – when he issued a presidential pardon to former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.
Trump worked with Don King to stage events involving Mike Tyson – notably against Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks, and as recently as September 2021 “hosted” the shocking “no holds barred” bout between the former heavyweight king Evander Holyfield and ex-UFC star Vitor Belfort in Florida.
The boxing part of the Trump-Rogan interview began with Trump and Rogan discussing their mutual appreciation of UFC boss Dana White and Trump asked Rogan: “Can boxing make it?”
Rogan replies: “Yeah. Boxing’s still a great sport. I love boxing.”
Trump replied: “But it seems to be so unimportant now by comparison to UFC, don’t you think?”
The stand-up comedian Rogan is also a commentator for the UFC, and his podcast plays to an audience of millions.
“Dana is working with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – they’re going to start promoting boxing now and with Dana at the helm I think boxing could return,” Rogan added. “Because the thing is, they want to make fights perhaps promoters don’t want to make because they want to protect their fighter; controversial fights where it’s dangerous. You don’t know, this guy could lose.
“So the Saudis are smart. They just offer a tremendous amount of money and they’re putting together fights no one else could put together. They’re doing that in boxing.”
Trump, who spoke of his enjoyment of 15-round fights singled out James Toney – “he was a real fighter” – for his career accomplishments in rising through the weights, added: “If Dana is involved, they’ll probably make it good.”
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