Cover of Square Up

Square Up

Square Up

By: Andre Berto | Cumulus Podcast Network
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SQUARE UP follows Andre Berto as he travels to the homes of the biggest names in boxing and pop culture. The shows aim to highlight the true personality of each guest and their love for not only boxing but outside of the ring as well. Berto will sit down and engage in a barber shop - face to face interview with the guests regarding boxing, predications, careers and life outside of the ring. Berto will also get his hands dirty as he actively participates with each guest in their favorite pastime outside of the ring. From milking cows to rapping in the studio - This will take the audience on an immersive experience that feels as if they themselves are taking this journey with Berto. Follow and Listen on your favorite platform: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/square-up/id1877679686 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cURukLWSJu203lk0r5xnB YouTube: https://youtube.com/@SquareUpShow© 2026 Cumulus Podcast Network Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Gary Antuanne Russell: "I'm the Perfect Dance Partner for Shakur", Inside Russell Family Dungeon

    Gary Antuanne Russell: "I'm the Perfect Dance Partner for Shakur", Inside Russell Family Dungeon
    21 Oct 2026
    Gary Antuanne Russell says Shakur Stevenson reached out to him personally — a text, then a phone call: "Man, I want to make it happen." The WBA super lightweight champion tells me where the negotiations really stand, why "ducking and Russell don't go in the same sentence," and why he believes he'd be the perfect dance partner for Shakur. I'm Andre Berto, two-time world champion. I went to the DMV to sit down with Gary Antuanne Russell for a real conversation about the 140-pound division and the Russell family legacy. We get into what fans don't see in negotiations, the 2016 Olympic team sparring he says "these walls could talk" about, how he'd make Shakur uncomfortable, his undisputed plan, and why he's watching Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello — the only man with a win over him, a split decision Russell still says he won. Russell also goes deep on the family: growing up in Capitol Heights, the basement "dungeon" where his father, Gary Russell Sr., built a boxing dynasty, the Golden Gloves record the brothers broke, and the amateur rivalry with Jaron "Boots" Ennis — Russell says Boots beat him by one point at the Olympic qualifiers before he beat Boots twice. He opens up about losing loved ones, walking out for his first fight without his father in the corner, bouncing back from the Puello loss to dominate Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela for the WBA title, his brother Gary Antonio becoming the third Russell brother to win a world title belt, and what it's like taking orders from his big brother Gary Russell Jr. as head coach. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro — Square Up in the DMV 0:40 Shakur Stevenson negotiations: "He reached out as a man" 2:31 What fans don't see when they call it ducking 3:57 "Ducking and Russell don't go in the same sentence" 4:20 "I'd be the perfect dance partner for him" 5:11 2016 Olympic team sparring: "These walls could talk" 6:45 How Russell would make Shakur uncomfortable 7:47 "Me and Teofimo are different" 8:09 The offer, the money & the undisputed plan 9:31 Oscar Duarte as mandatory? 9:45 Dalton Smith, Puello & taking the belt "back home" 12:07 How long he stays at 140 12:33 Growing up in Capitol Heights & DC 13:42 The basement "dungeon" where it all started 14:11 Big Gary's blueprint for six boys 18:54 Golden Gloves history & three title-winning brothers 22:39 Bulldozing through the amateurs 23:47 The Boots Ennis amateur rivalry 26:59 The valedictorian boxer 29:25 Andre's Haiti Olympic story 31:18 Pro debut on his father's 50th birthday 32:19 Why all the brothers are named Gary 33:47 Losing a brother & how the family held together 38:34 His father's health battle 44:14 First fight without his father in the corner 45:30 The Alberto Puello loss: "I feel like I whipped him" 49:00 Bouncing back from his first loss 51:50 Al Haymon & winning the WBA title vs. Rayo Valenzuela 53:35 Gary Antonio Russell becomes a champion 56:04 Does winning feel different without his father? 57:15 Big brother Gary Russell Jr. as head coach 58:46 What he'd ask his father today Subscribe to Square Up with Andre Berto for real conversations with the biggest names in combat sports — champion to champion. #GaryAntuanneRussell #ShakurStevenson #SquareUp #AndreBerto #Boxing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 min
  • Sebastian Fundora: Boots Ennis Isn't a Threat | Andre Berto Square Up

    Sebastian Fundora: Boots Ennis Isn't a Threat | Andre Berto Square Up
    8 Oct 2026
    Sebastian Fundora looked me in the eye and said Boots Ennis, Josh Kelly and Vergil Ortiz don't feel like threats — "I feel like I can control this division." Ten days before his WBC title defense against unbeaten mandatory Ermal Hadribeaj, the Towering Inferno opened up his family compound for a no-holds-barred Square Up. I'm Andre Berto, two-time world champion. I went to the Fundora compound, got walked up a 2,000-foot mountain by his father Freddy, and sat down with the WBC super welterweight champion for nearly two hours. We cover everything: why he says Hadribeaj "doesn't seem like a threat," why PBC and DAZN now have "no more excuses" on undisputed at 154, why the WBO situation frustrated him so much he considered being done with unifications, and what he'd say to Boots Ennis. Fundora also gets personal — the Florida roots (Davie, FL and the fire-sprinkler building his dad turned into a boxing gym), the "Intimidator" van road trips to amateur tournaments, the knockout loss to Brian Mendoza and the moment on the canvas he only wanted to know where his dad was, getting the 11-day-notice call to fight Tim Tszyu, and beating Tszyu twice. He breaks down the Keith Thurman fight — the one name he admits made him nervous — and why a 6'6" southpaw loves fighting on the inside. Plus: sister Gabriela Fundora, the "face of women's boxing," 12-year-old Fabiola, the Errol Spence moment Fundora describes after the Tszyu fight, Johnny Cash, karaoke with Shawn Porter, the Harvard question, and his post-weigh-in meal. Fundora vs. Hadribeaj — Saturday, October 17, The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, live on DAZN. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro — Andre takes on the Fundora mountain 0:53 Oct 17 vs. Ermal Hadribeaj: "He doesn't seem like a threat" 3:35 Fundora's top 3 targets: Ennis, Kelly, Ortiz 7:10 PBC on DAZN — "No more excuses" for undisputed 8:58 "I can control this division" + Florida roots 12:33 The fire-sprinkler office that became a boxing gym 15:15 The "Intimidator" van & amateur road trips 19:44 Moving from Florida to Coachella 22:26 Six kids, two world champions 27:49 Gabriela Fundora: face of women's boxing 30:30 First brother & sister unified champions + Fabiola 34:06 The growth spurt: 5'7" to 6'2" in one year 36:47 Why Fundora quit basketball 37:41 The Fundora family empire dream 39:29 Why a 6'6" southpaw fights inside + Paul Williams 43:04 Should boxing have a height division? 44:52 First PBC fight & proving the doubters wrong 47:34 Building the record in South America 52:57 Sampson Lewkowicz called him "fragile" 56:32 The Erickson Lubin fight 1:01:01 The viral sunglasses phone call 1:02:49 Ocampo & sharing a card with Gabriela 1:06:24 Why he didn't watch his title win for a year 1:08:12 The Mendoza loss: "Where's my dad?" 1:11:47 From Bohachuk camp to the 11-day Tszyu call 1:15:23 Unified champion off a loss 1:18:58 The Errol Spence moment 1:19:52 Losing the WBO belt — why it still frustrates him 1:22:34 Tszyu 2: "I already have your ticket" 1:25:15 Keith Thurman: the name that made him nervous 1:29:44 "The mountain keeps you honest" 1:31:32 Why boxing is a selfish sport 1:35:08 Karaoke nights & Ring of Fire with Shawn Porter 1:38:43 Johnny Cash, disco & his dream ring walk 1:40:31 The Harvard question 1:41:25 Foodie talk: the In-N-Out order Subscribe to Square Up with Andre Berto for real conversations with the biggest names in combat sports — champion to champion. #SebastianFundora #SquareUp #AndreBerto #FundoraHadribeaj #Boxing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 50 min
  • O'Shaquie Foster: Shakur Is EASIER Than Ray Ford

    O'Shaquie Foster: Shakur Is EASIER Than Ray Ford
    17 Sep 2026
    WBC super featherweight champion O'Shaquie "Ice Water" Foster tells Andre Berto a Shakur Stevenson fight would be EASIER than Ray Ford, and breaks down exactly how their friendship turned into a rivalry. Recorded in Houston just before Foster vs. Emanuel Navarrete became official. The 130-pound unification is set for October 24, 2026, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with the WBC, WBO, IBF and vacant Ring Magazine titles on the line. On this episode of Square Up, O'Shaquie Foster (25-3, 12 KOs) goes deeper than he ever has on camera. He grew up in Orange, Texas, walked into a boxing gym at eight, and lost his mother at 12, then fought in the Golden Gloves the same day as her service. At 14 he was sparring pros in Roger Mayweather's gym in Las Vegas and appeared as an extra in the Ludacris and Floyd Mayweather "Undisputed" music video. He talks about the Olympic Trials, early pro losses, and a 2017 rock bottom when he thought boxing was over. Then he rebuilt everything in Houston with trainer Bobby Benton. Foster doesn't hold back on the purse-bid games before the Hernandez fight, almost losing his belt on the scale before Abraham Nova, the controversial Conceição decision, why Stephen Fulton "gave him nothing," and the real story behind the Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Ford beef. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro: the Navarrete unification tease 1:02 Growing up in Orange, Texas 2:48 First boxing gym at 8 years old 5:10 Losing his mom at 12 7:48 Fighting Golden Gloves the day of her service 9:53 Moving to Las Vegas at 14: Roger Mayweather's gym 12:28 The Ludacris x Floyd Mayweather music video & sparring pros as a kid 17:38 The Olympic Trials 18:43 Turning pro & the first loss 22:22 The Virginia camp with Shakur Stevenson & Antoine Douglas 26:03 A family loss before the 2016 Chinea fight 29:41 Thinking boxing was over 31:46 Rock bottom in 2017 & the Crawford night that changed everything 34:25 4 days in the dark during Hurricane Harvey 37:02 Starting over in Houston from a couch 39:05 How he got back into boxing 42:44 The comeback fight 43:47 Upsetting unbeaten prospect Jon Fernández 45:51 Lou DiBella & 16 months on the shelf 47:54 Probellum & Richard Schaefer 49:25 Beating Rey Vargas for the WBC title 51:00 Purse-bid games & the Hernandez war 55:39 Abraham Nova: foot injury & almost losing the belt on the scale 59:20 The Conceição decision & the rematch 1:04:01 Stephen Fulton: "He gave me nothing" 1:08:37 Ray Ford: when it got personal 1:10:12 How the Shakur Stevenson friendship ended 1:14:53 Beating Ford & calling out Shakur 1:18:31 Foster vs. Shakur prediction: easier than Ray? 1:22:07 What weight for Shakur: 135 or 140? 1:23:08 Undisputed at 130 & the Navarrete fight 1:24:09 Giving back to Orange, Texas Subscribe to Square Up with Andre Berto for real conversations with the biggest names in combat sports, hosted by a two-time world champion who's been in the ring. #OShaquieFoster #ShakurStevenson #SquareUp #BoxingO'Shaquie Foster, Oshaquie Foster, Shakur Stevenson, Shakur Stevenson vs O'Shaquie Foster, Foster vs Shakur, Raymond Ford, Foster vs Ford, Emanuel Navarrete, Navarrete vs Foster, Stephen Fulton, Foster vs Fulton, Robson Conceicao, WBC super featherweight champion, 130 pound undisputed, Square Up with Andre Berto, Andre Berto, boxing interview, Houston boxing, Bobby Benton, Floyd Mayweather Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 32 min
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