Podbit · The Rest Is Politics
Alastair Campbell publicly pledged not to attend the Trump-hosted World Cup. Scotland qualified and their fans' Flower of Scotland was recorded as the loudest moment in World Cup history. Now he's between a rock and a hard place — and openly wondering whether he'd forgive himself for going.
Where this was said
At 43:35 · chapter starts 39:55
Alastair Campbell, by his own admission obsessively following the Peruvian election, walks through one of the closest national presidential elections in modern history. It is a classic left-right contest: left-wing Roberto Sánchez against Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the divisional former president. The first count produced 9,036,046 for Fujimori and 9,034,743 for Sánchez — 50.004% against 49.996% [1] — Alastair Campbell "Peru election margin: 0.008%: The Peruvian presidential election between Fujimori and Sánchez produced a margin of 50.004% vs 49.996% — one…" 41:10 . As overseas votes came in and benefited Fujimori, Sánchez demanded a total recount and the tallies entered the courts, with the outcome still unclear. Rory adds context: Fujimori had been expected to be knocked out in the first round by Lima's popular social-media-savvy mayor. She's a remarkable survivor, having stood for the presidency multiple times with her party dominating parliament. Campbell draws a Le Pen parallel — a candidate trying to escape a toxic father's shadow — while noting that in Fujimori's case the shadow didn't damage her enough to cost her the first round.
The Peruvian presidential election between Fujimori and Sánchez produced a margin of 50.004% vs 49.996% — one of the closest national presidential contests ever recorded.
Thomas's wife deferred her CrossFit career — she's in the global top 1% of athletes — to put him through law school debt-free. He wants her to chase the dream now; she wants the emergency fund and house down payment first. On a $200K lawyer income with no debt, the opportunity cost is just a few months of slower saving.
Underground calisthenics battles are exactly like UFC meets a rap battle — 150 people crowded around a circle, fighters walking out with masks and chains, nicknames like 'Extra Money' vs 'Calisthenics the Prince,' and people throwing money and betting. The battle set: 100 burpees, 50 muscle-ups, 75 dips, 75 squats with a 65-pound dumbbell. This is the next big spectator sport.
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. When Joshua pulled out, Rico pitched Usyk himself — Undisputed vs. Undisputed. Usyk said yes in two weeks. The whole thing started with one text.
Every heavyweight who faced Usyk tried to move to the right — straight into his power hand. Rico and Peter Fury identified the obvious solution: move left, away from the left hand, and smother him with size. It sounds simple. Nobody had done it. That one adjustment was the foundation of 10 dominant rounds.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
A nation of 17 million people gave the world Ramon Deckers, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Rob Kamen, Ernesto Hoost, and Rico Verhoeven. Rico's theory: the country is so small that every gym shares knowledge freely. In the US, you need a flight. In Holland, you drive 40 minutes and spar the national champion.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.