On The Watch “It’s All About Billy Joe Saunders vs Demetrius Andrade”

WBO Middleweight Challenge

The World Boxing Organization has mandated Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 Kos) to defend his WBO Middleweight Title against former WBO/WBA 154-pound Champion Demetrius Andrade (25-0, 16 Kos).

This bout right here has the potential of being one of the best fights made in the Middleweight Division for the year 2018. Real Talk! I’ve seen firsthand what BJ brings to that squared circle. The dismantling of his previous opponent (our Canadian) David Lemieux, showed me just how crafty and dominant BJ can be when focussed.

That being said, I’m anticipating BJ to step it up another level when he bumps gloves with Andrade who himself is quite an exceptional boxer with a very high IQ inside that squared circle. Again, there are levels to this boxing sh*t and these two are definitely going to give us a great performance to remember. This will most likely be a chess match type dual. Both are crafty and strategic when they fight. Both use the full ring to their advantage. Andrade is more of a come forward type boxer who moves very well while BJ is best fighting of the back foot while being very elusive himself.

Expect a brilliant boxing match from two of the best in the game come Saturday October 20, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

The stakes are high for both combatants. Both are out to prove that they are the No. 1 Middleweight in the Division. BJ is the defending WBO Champion planning on being victorious, while Andrade will be attempting to become a two weight Division Champion by snatching that WBO Belt away from Saunders.

The outcome of this bout will once again shift the Middleweight Division so tune in to DAZN, the new platform for Matchroom Boxing USA and enjoy two of boxing’s finest duke it out under the bright lights.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Daniel Jacobs vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

Vacant IBF Middleweight Championship

It’s just been announced that stable mate Daniel Jacobs (34-2, 29 Kos) and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 Kos) will do battle for the vacant IBF Middleweight Title on October 27, 2018 on HBO Championship Boxing at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This is going to be an exciting bout and very interesting to say the least. These two combatants have sparred together quite a few rounds. The fear factor is non-existent when you’ve gone so many rounds with one another.

This challenge would not be going on if it weren’t for the IBF Title being on the line. Friendship aside, this is an opportunity that neither fighter could afford to look over.
That being said these two warriors know each other inside out, strength and weaknesses accounted for. Both carry power and know how to use it.

It’s not often you see a head trainer having to decide which fighter from his camp he will have to side with but for this one head trainer, Andre Rozier, will be in Jacobs’ corner while assistant trainer Gary Stark Sr., to Jacobs and Sergiy, will be in Derevyanchenko’s corner.

I’m intrigued to see what the game plan will be when these two combatants and head trainers meet inside that squared circle, not for sparring but for a legitimate title bout that could push forward the winner’s careers in a major way. Real Talk!

Although these two competitors match up really well, I personally see this as a chess match that will come down to execution, patience and experience.

Who will deliver the goods when it’s all said and done?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Sergey Kovalev vs Eleider Alvarez”

WBO Light Heavyweight Championship

In a major upset, last night, Saturday August 4, 2018 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the underdog Eleider “Storm” Alverez (24-0, 12 Kos) prevailed in a very convincing manner and silenced all critics by defeating WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 Kos) by knockout. Real Talk!

Not too many people in the boxing community saw this one coming. The bout started out real competitive with some good back and forth from both fighters. Kovalev seemed to be coasting throughout the rounds and in control until Alverez started applying a bit more pressure and somewhat out boxing the veteran Champion in the second half of the fight to eventually taking over in the seventh round by dropping Kovalev three times in a brutal fashion to an subsequent stoppage.

With patience and determination, Alverez defied all odds and accomplished his dream of becoming a Light Heavyweight Champion. Alverez took this occasion and delivered inside that squared circle. With this credible win over “Krusher”, Alverez has now changed the landscape of the Light Heavyweight Division and now has positioned himself as a major player in the Division as the New WBO Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. Music to his ears. This was an opportunity well over due but one definitely well deserved.

Congratulations on your Win Champ and enjoy the moment, you’re officially in the “Winners circle”.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Mikey Garcia vs Robert Easter Jr.”

Lightweight Championship Unification

Last night, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Mikey Garcia WBC Lightweight Champion (39-0, 30 Kos) successfully unified two of the Lightweight Titles by administering a masterful beat down to IBF Lightweight Champion Robert Easter Jr. (21-1, 14 Kos). Real Talk!

To me the key to the fight last night was patience and Mikey, in being the much shorter boxer of the two, had to make sure every shot counted by being precise and accurate with every effort. There are levels to this boxing sh*t and Mikey proved it once again last night why he is above all opponents to date.

Now don’t get it twisted, Robert, an exceptional and very worthy opponent was gamed last night and came to fight but was simply out-boxed and out-smarted by a more seasoned boxer. Robert to say the least, had absolutely no answer to Mikey’s stalking, aggressive attacks. Once Robert got put down late in the third round he felt Mikey’s power and became the prey from this point on.

To me, Mikey is showing us time after time why he deserves to be on that Pound-for Pound list and why he’s determined to be the, best. Moving from Division to Division and successfully beating the best fighters is a statement within itself.

Congratulations Mikey on unifying two of the 135-pounds Titles. You truly are a Champion of Champions.

That being said, your call out of IBF Champion at the 147-pound Division Errol Spence Jr. as your next possible hit, might just be the ultimate challenge you’ve been looking for. Now I’m curious to see if the so-called “Boogie Man” of the Welterweight Division answers your call out and oblige your request.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker”

Heavyweight Collision

Tonight, the fans at the O2 Arena in London were privileged to see two top Heavyweights in Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte (24-1, 17 Kos) and Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 Kos) go at it in a very thrilling and dramatic bout. Real Talk!

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Dillian for taking it to Parker head on and beating him by unanimous decision. As it stands, Dillian is the only man to put Parker down, not once but twice in his entire boxing career. I was very impressed with the way Dillian was working over Parker, the more experienced of the two.

It took the whole 12 rounds, a late Parker rally and an emphatic finish to secure the win but “DAMN” it was a good show.

As the fight wore on I couldn’t help but notice how Parker may have underestimated Dilian’s abilities inside that squared circle. To me Parker looked disengaged, lethargic, tired and simply not himself inside that ring. Although he put up a decent fight this was definitely not his best work to date. Parker desperately needed to win this fight tonight to be put back in the Heavyweight contingency but failed with the game plan at hand. He did however manage to put Dillian down in a breathtaking 12th round but was unable to close out the show.

Stamina played a big role in tonight’s bout for both fighters but “The Body Snatcher” secured his victory with the two heavy headed knockdowns along with the better work rate. Dillian came to box; it wasn’t the prettiest fight but definitely engaging all the way to the end.

Tonight, Dillian’s stock has unquestionably risen in the Heavyweight Division and rightfully deserving of it.

Congratulations Dillian on an impressive win, now on to the next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Danny Garcia vs Shawn Porter”

WBC Welterweight World Championship

It’s on and popping! Two of the top former Welterweight Champions in Danny “Swift” Garcia (34-1, 20 Kos) and Shawn “Showtime” Porter (28-2-1, 17 Kos) are set to do battle for the vacant WBC World Championship, live on SHOWTIME, Saturday September 8, 2018, in a Premier Boxing Champions event from the Barclays.

To me, this bout has the potential of being a Fight of The Year nominee if both combatants bring their “A” Game and come correct with no bullsh*t excuses. Both have caught a respectable decision loss to Keith Thurman but aside from that still remain on top of the food chain.

With Keith Thurman sidelined for now, the No.1 spot in the Welterweight Division is up for grabs and these two “pitbulls” are willing and ready to find out who the best is between them. No shortage of confidence from neither warrior here. Styles make fights so none-stop action is guaranteed when these two bump fist-to-fist inside that squared circle.

Both fighters have been carrying heavy chips on their shoulders since their last loss. The pressure and the buildup to recovering a World Title is real heavy on them both but a win in Brooklyn on that Saturday September 8, 2018 will depend on who has the better game plan and can execute it the best without falling short of hesitation.

The stakes are high for them boys. Real Talk. It’s a very intriguing 50/50 fight whichever way you want to look at it. It’s must see boxing at its best. It’s not often we get to see two A+ skillful and high boxing IQ fighters that can bang it out and brawl with the best of them on the same stage. That being said, who will prevail when all is said and done?

Don’t miss the action, on SHOWTIME, Saturday September 8, 2018. Brooklyn stand up!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Liam Smith”

WBO Junior Middleweight Challenge

Last night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vagas Nevada, Jaime Munguia (30-0, 25 Kos) had himself a successful first defense of his WBO Junior Middleweight Belt against a worthy opponent in Liam Smith (26-2-1,14 Kos).

The young Champion had himself a live body in Liam who definitely didn’t come into town to bow down. Liam tried his best and used his experience to try to amplify Munguia’s lack of defense but found it quite challenging to neutralize Munguia’s none stop aggressive offense in doing so.

The Kid Munguia was just too strong, bigger and much younger to be contained by Liam but real talk, Liam put up a hell of a fight even after being dropped in the six rounds. Liam showed a lot of heart to go along with his strong will to never backing down or giving up at no point in the fight.

Munguia punished Liam from round 2 to 12 to a unanimous decision but it wasn’t an easy task. This was a good test of character for Munguia who hadn’t gone 12 rounds before.

Munguia, 21 years old, is an impressive fighter. He’s still fairly raw but unquestionably made a statement of his own last night. Theirs a new “Kid” in the 154-pound Division ready to stir up the pot. However, I personally wouldn’t go out and call out the other Champions in the Division just yet. Give yourself some time with a few more bouts under your belt. Your future is bright, pace yourself, and keep perfecting your skills cause you’re undeniably a star in the making.

Congratulations on your win Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev”

The World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Final

Tonight, at the World Boxing Super Series an Undisputed Cruiserweight Unified Champion was crowned at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

Oleksandr Usyk (15-0, 11 Kos) Cruiserweight WBC and WBO Champion handed Murat Gassiev (26-1-1NC, 19 Kos) Cruiserweight IBF and WBA Champion, an unbelievable schooling on the highest stage of their career. Real Talk!

Now I personally anticipated this bout to be a hell of a competitive one but to my surprise it was painfully one sided for Usyk who dominated his worthy opponent Murat from round 1 to round 12.

I have to tip my “B” hat to Usyk for displaying the right game plan to a “T” and dismantling his opponent in such fashion. Murat had absolutely no answer to Usyk’s offence and slick movement. I was quite disappointed on how Murat approached this fight. To me he seamed off in some way and not in tuned with what was going on inside that squared circle. Which was quite uncharacteristic of him.

Usyk simply out-boxed, out-skilled and out-performed Murat to a decisive easy victory to win the Muhammad Ali Trophy and becoming the Undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF Cruiserweight Champion of the World Boxing Super Series. Nuff said.

Congratulations Champ on a job well done.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin”

World Heavyweight Championship Challenge

It’s now official. Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (21-0, 20 Kos) will be defending his IBF, IBO, Super WBA and WBO Championship titles against his WBA mandatory Alexander Povetkin (34-1, 24 kos) on Saturday September 22, 2018 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

The Boxing Community and boxing fans might be disappointed that AJ’s next fight is not with WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder but truth be told the Povetkin bout is still a serious and dangerous one for AJ. Real Talk!

Peeps are looking at Povetkin as an easy mark without knowing the Dude’s pedigree, strength and experience. He is also a decorated Olympic Champion and former WBA “regular” World Heavyweight Champion. He’s easily top 5 in the Heavyweight Division today. In other words Povetkin is a serious threat not to be taken lightly.

As the Unified Heavyweight Champion, AJ is a walking target in the Division. Every bout poses a different challenge. A win against a warrior like Povetkin will certainly enhance his profile inside that squared circle.

Styles make fights and this bout is a true test for AJ to be gauging where he’s at in his career to date.
The stakes are high here for AJ with no room for error or days off. Maintaining the top spot in the Heavyweight Division is pressure within itself.

Now it’s up to AJ to continue his winning ways and prevail come Saturday September 22, 2018 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Lucas Matthysse”

WBA Welterweight Fight of Champions

Last night, in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur at the Axiata Arena, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 Kos) in a convincing fashion earned his 60th win by dismantling Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse (39-5, 36 Kos) with a dominant performance.

There was a lot of talk about how old Pacquiao was and what he was attempting to do in challenging a stronger younger opponent in Matthysse but after last night’s performance some naysayers will probably have to reconsider their thoughts on where Pacquiao stands at this later stage in his career to date.

Pacquiao was focused; patient, strong, fast, and determined to put on a good show last night for all his fans. He controlled every round and showed no fear of his worthy opponent. Manny just displayed what he always knew he possessed. There are levels to this boxing sh*t and Matthysse found out the hard way what it meant to step into that squared circle with Manny.

As tough and strong as Matthysse was, I believe, he mentally and physically got broken down, round by round by Pacquiao. Matthysse showed absolutely no punch resistance at all, which to me was very unexpected.

Pacquiao was able to drop Matthysse in the third round, fifth round and finally close out the show with a seventh-round knockout. Nuff said!

With this win Pacquiao became The New WBA “Regular” Welterweight Champion and put the rest of the Welterweight Division on notice once again.

The “Pacman” is not done yet, now who wants next??

Congratulations on your victory Champ!!

Blaze