On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk”

IBF/WBC Light Heavyweight Unification

Top Rank is raising up the stakes in the Light Heavyweight Division by setting up a possible fight of the year 2019 by pitting undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14 Kos) against undefeated WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0 14 Kos) for a Unification bout on Friday night October 18, 2019 on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.

I’m personally looking forward to this bout and anticipating it to be very competitive. These are two well-schooled Undefeated Champions who are both looking at one day, being crowned the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the Division.

Styles make fights, with Beterbiev being the heavier fisted come forward type boxer and Gvozdyk being the taller rangier specialist also with power, predicting the outcome of this bout is no easy task. Both combatants will need to perform their respected “game plan” and assert themselves early come fight night.

Both warriors have heart and a determination to succeed with a very strong will to win. That being said, whichever’s “ring generalship” gets established first in my eyes may have the upper hand at dictating the pace inside that squared circle.

Beterbiev’s strong and aggressive inside fighting along with his heavy hands have proven to be a key factor for his 100% knockout ratio. It will be quite intriguing to see if and how Gvozdyk will be able to neutralize Beterbiev’s strong assets.

Skill for skill both combatants match up pretty evenly, but there can only be one crowned Unified Champion on that night, so tune in Friday night October 18, 2019 on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia and witness two of the top Light Heavyweight in the Division go blow for blow.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Marcus Browne vs Jean Pascal”

Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Challenge

Last night, on FOX at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Jean Pascal (34-6-1, 20 Kos) jumped right back into the Light Heavyweight contention by overcoming previously undefeated and Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Marcus Browne (23-1, 16 Kos) by an eight round technical decision, due to a clash of heads from which Marcus suffered a severe cut over his left eye that then prompted the Dr. and the Referee to stop the bout.

This bout was shaping up to be a very interesting matchup. I would have liked to see it through the entire 12 rounds. Before the clash of heads, this bout was tight from start to finish. Marcus, who seemed to be controlling the bout and throwing more punches, still managed to get dropped by Pascal in the fourth round and then twice in the seventh round. Real Talk!

To me, Pascal was getting out-boxed at times but his heavy shots and clear-cut knock downs were to emphatic to overlook. It seemed to me that Browne’s punch resistance was particularly weak on that night and Pascal made sure to take advantage of it and made it count whenever the opening presented itself.

Once the bout went to the scorecards, all three Judges scored their fight identically, 75-74 across the panel for Pascal.

This surprise upset to Browne is a major hit considering Marcus was attempting to make the first defense of the WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Title. Personally, I’m thinking Marcus will ask to run it back one more time with Pascal if he has any plans on staying in contention in the top Light Heavyweight Division.

That being said, congratulations are in order to Pascal. With this win, Pascal is now the New WBA Interim Light Heavyweight and WBC “silver” Light Heavyweight Champion. With these two belts in his possession, Pascal has the option of a rematch with WBA Super Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (16-0, 11 Kos) or a bout with WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14 Kos). These are two very tough opponents sitting at the top of the Light Heavyweight Division.

The choice is yours Pascal now which avenue will you be taking?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Shawn Porter”

IBF/WBC Welterweight Title Unification

The Welterweight Division has been “Blazing” as of late and Premier Boxing Champions are to thank for that. The PBC brand has been setting up the matches that us fans truly want to see. The Pacquiao/Thurman bout this past Saturday night was worth the hype and excitement. To continue with the momentum the PBC are hitting us back to back with another Welterweight Unification bout between IBF Champion Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 Kos) and WBC Champion Shawn Porter (30-2,1, 17 Kos).

Both Champions are set to collide on Saturday night September 28, 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Spence is looking to become the Undisputed Champion at the FOX Sports Pay-Per-View but in doing so, EJ will have to grab that WBC strap held by “Showtime” Shawn Porter, and that will not be an easy task to do.

Things got a little heated between the two at the press conference last Saturday afternoon at the MGM Grand. For two guys who usually keep their cool, they definitely tossed some verbal jabs at each other and are certainly heating up this bout with the trash talking back and forth. I mean talk is talk but them two Dudes are looking like they are about to shut it down when they lace up inside that squared circle.

Spence right now is that young powerful Welterweight who’s been punishing all his opponents in a convincing manner. Dude is “The Truth” inside that squared circle but he can’t sleep on Porter with his aggressive high-pressure style that’s made him a two-time Welterweight Champion.

This bout right here has fireworks written all over it. The one holding them two belts at the end of the night will unquestionably be the No.1 Welterweight in the Division. Many in the boxing community already have Spence as the best right now but it will be up to Porter to prove them all wrong by backing up them tough talks and predictions on who the best really is.

Its unification time, so tune in Saturday night September 28, 2019 on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman”

WBA Super Welterweight Champion

Once again Manny proved to his haters that age is just a number until he says so. Last night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 Kos) convincingly handed WBA Super World Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 Kos) his first professional defeat. Real Talk!

Manny and his “t-rex arms” caught “Mr. One Time” Keith Thurman nice and early with a right hook knock down in the first round. From that point on Manny controlled the tempo of the fight and continued to administer some heavy damage with those so called “t-rex arms”. That being said Keith found out how quick and strong Manny really is first hand.

Keith did his thing though and didn’t falter and fought a good one but didn’t have the right “game plan” as the rounds wore on. Keith had no real answer for Manny’s offense and found it painfully challenging to lay steady hands on Pacquiao. He did manage to land more punches, just not as effectively as Pacquiao’s power punches and his steady “t-rex jab” that looked noticeably agonizing.

It didn’t help that Keith got caught again with a mean body shot in the 10th round that had him running for dear life, but the warrior in Thurman wouldn’t let him bow down without a fight. That being said this bout was very competitive and showed just how cutthroat the 147-pound division is.

After the 12 tough rounds, two of the Judges scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao and one Judge had it 114-113 for Thurman. No disrespect to Keith but I personally think that Manny clearly won this bout hands down unanimously.

That being said, this bout did live up to the hype. Manny showed up and performed just as he said he would. This 40-year-old man still got the “Juice” and now with the full WBA Super World Welterweight Championship Title in his possession, Manny is steadily climbing the top of the Welterweight Division once again.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Dillian Whyte vs Oscar Rivas”

WBC Heavyweight Eliminator

In a competitive WBC Heavyweight Eliminator bout Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, UK, Dillian Whyte “The Body Snatcher” (26-1, 18 Kos) picked himself up from a ninth-round knockdown to secure the win against Canadian-based Colombian Oscar Rivas (26-1, 18 Kos).

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Dillian for the way he handled himself inside that squared circle last night. This bout was a tougher fight than he expected but Whyte did not disappoint us.

Rivas came out of the gate strong but Whyte’s patience and steady jab were key and definitely effective throughout the rounds. Whyte executed the “game plan” to a “T” and managed to control the rounds when the going got tough. Whyte used his height and reach effectively and consistently which made it difficult for Rivas to establish any type of steady attack.

Rivas gave it a good showing and definitely made it competitive, but when all the smoked cleared the right man won the night. The Judges scored it 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111. No objections here.

With this win, Whyte now becomes the WBC Interim Heavyweight Champion with an assurance of an opportunity at the reigning full WBC Champion Deontay Wilder (41-0-1 40 Kos).

Now it’s debatable when we’ll actually see Whyte share the ring with Deontay but until then keep pilling them wins Whyte and maintaining that strong deserving mandatory position.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Demetrius Andrade vs Maciej Sulecki”

WBO Middleweight Title Challenge

In his first hometown fight last Saturday night in DAZN’s main event at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Rhode Island, Providence, WBO Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade (28-0 17 Kos) had himself a showcase type performance in shutting out highly ranked Maciej Sulecki (28-2, 11 Kos).

It was clear from the first round that there are levels to this Boxing sh*t and Sulecki found that out quick when he got dropped for an 8 count. No disrespect to Sulecki who was a worthy opponent but, on that night, Sulecki had met his match. I expected to see a competitive bout between them two but as the rounds wore on Andrade’s superior skills were on full display and turned the bout into a glorified sparring session for his home crowd to witness live.

Sulecki seemed out of place and had absolutely no answer to Andrade’s slick offensive attack and defensive skills. Truth be told this was the first time I saw Sulecki get outboxed and literally shutout for a full twelve rounds of action. No other opponent has ever had this much success against him until that night. All three of the Judges scored it 120-107 for Andrade.

That being said, Andrade is a serious problem in the Middleweight Division and to any competitors game enough to step into that squared circle with him. I personally think we still haven’t seen the best of Andrade yet. But if the Unified “Kingpin” Champion of the Middleweight Division Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 Kos) were ever to accept his challenge maybe then we would see Andrade’s full arsenal on display and finally get the best fighting the best for Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World. Just a thought.

Until then Demetrius keep piling up them wins, your call will be answered soon.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About 2019 NBA FINALS CHAMPIONS”

And The New

Our Team from up North, The Toronto Raptors, has been cementing their names in the History books all season long but last night the Raptors officially stamped and branded themselves by dethroning the three-time Defending Champs Golden State Warriors on their own floor to now being crowned this year’s 2019 NBA Champion. Unbelievable!

The injury depleted Warriors fought hard all series and up until the last minute but ran out of ammunition to the stronger, more determined squad that had this year’s two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard leading the way. Kawhi played out of his mind and with a chip on his shoulder throughout the Playoffs. Kawhi had something to prove and he wanted to be heard and seen doing it. I tip my “B” to the entire team for playing hard all year long, but truth be told Kawhi was the one missing piece that made this amazing year possible. Kawhi is a game changer who dominated all sides of the game averaging 30.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4 assists per game for the Playoff run, and when healthy he proved to be one of the top NBA players in the game today. Real Talk!

24 Years in the making while going through the tough times and the good times, the Toronto Raptors franchise has finally achieved the pinnacle point of being crowned this year’s 2019 NBA Champions. For the first time in NBA History, the Larry O’Bryan Trophy will rest up North in Canada.

Congratulations to our Canadian team the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors had themselves an amazing season, it’s only right that they finished the year crowned “King of the NBA Court 2019”. Respect due to the baddest squad, you Boys have now officially tipped the landscape of the NBA.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr.”

World Heavyweight Championship Challenge

Expect the unexpected. The Heavyweight Division has once again taken a major twist.
Late replacement and substantial underdog, Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 Kos) shook the world last night at the Madison Square Garden in New York City to a sell out crowd of 20,201 fans, when he defeated the No. 1 Unified IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 Kos) by TKO. Unbelievable!!

What started off slow quickly heated up in the third round when both fighters exchanged knock downs with AJ receiving the worst of it by hitting the mat twice to Ruiz’s heavy combination punches. Joshua landed the first knock down and immediately went in for the kill but ended up being careless and got caught paying the price.

Joshua’s approach was off from the jump. He did not impose his height and reach and fought too tentatively as the rounds wore on. To me AJ looked sluggish and slow while Ruiz showed patience with a sense of fearlessness while stalking AJ.

The underdog Ruiz had suddenly turned the odds around in his favour. Andy’s confidence was growing and his presence was being felt inside that squared circle. The pressure was working AJ and his energy was quickly dissipating, and in the seventh round, Anthony tasted the mat two more times in dramatic fashion, eventually leading to the referee calling to stop the fight. Just like that, Anthony Joshua got broken down.

I tip my “B” hat to Andy Ruiz Jr. He came in there with absolutely nothing to lose and walked away dethroning the No.1 Heavyweight in the game, Anthony Joshua, to now become History’s first Mexican descent Unified IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Champion of the world.

Congratulations Andy, your dreams have now become a reality. Enjoy the fruits of you labour, you deserve it!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA FINALS 2019”

NBA FINALS 2019

This is history in the making. Our own Canadian team the Toronto Raptors went toe to toe with the No. 1 team in the league, The Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Our Raptors were down 2-0 to turning things around and winning the series 4-2. It wasn’t an easy task but them Raptors played their hearts out and laid it all on the court and mentally and physically dismantled the Bucks in a very convincing fashion. The Raptors’ resilience on offence and defence was next to none and for that, Toronto became the first Canadian team to reach NBA Finals. These Raptors have a complete squad who are geared up to do battle against the best of the best. The addition of Kawhi Leonard has improved this team dramatically and definitely gave them a different swag that is clearly paying off.

The Raptors have passed every test on the Eastern side but the biggest and final test of them all awaits them in the form of the Western Conference three-time Defending Champions Golden State Warriors. The Warriors aren’t at full strength coming into the NBA Finals but they still own the rights to the Throne until proven otherwise. That being said, the Warriors are once again chasing history. Being able to three-peat is a rare feat and if they were to accomplish that, their legacy would speak volumes.

In the public’s eyes, the Warriors are now viewed as the more vulnerable team since the Raptors’ momentum is on a high. This will be the Warriors fifth trip to the Finals in the last five seasons to the Raptors first time under the brightest lights and the biggest stage of their existence. The pressure will be high for both teams but I can’t front, the familiar grounds and the experience that the Warriors carry make it real hard to go against the Defending Champs. If the Raptors want to continue writing their names in the history books, they will have to take the Crown from the Warriors.

So, tune in Thursday night, May 30, 2019 for Game 1 in Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena, which will become the first city outside of the United States to entertain an NBA Finals game.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Demetrius Andrade vs Maciej Sulecki”

WBO Middleweight challenge

WBO Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade (27-0, 17 Kos) will be looking to defend his title for the second time in his first ever hometown show at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Rhode Island, Providence against Maciej Sulecki (28-1, 14 Kos) on Saturday June 29, 2019.

This bout should be an exciting one considering Sulecki is a gamer type fighter that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Maciej is a strong and skillful fighter who doesn’t back down when the going gets tough inside that squared circle. This being his first crack at a world title, I’m expecting Sulecki to come prepared with the gloves blazing for a war.

That being said, Andrade is the truth inside that squared circle. Tough, gifted, well-schooled with a very high boxing IQ. He is an undefeated two-time two-weight division World Champion who is presently holding the WBO Middleweight Title. Real Talk! Andrade has high aspirations of one day unifying the Middleweight Division. Before any of that can happen, he’s got to dispatch of his mandatory challenger Maciej Sulecki in a convincing fashion in order to possibly entice Canelo Alvarez the Unified “Kingpin“ Champion of the Middleweight Division to a fight for the last remaining piece of the puzzle, his WBO Middleweight Belt.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and on Saturday July 29, 2019 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Rhode Island, Providence, with home court advantage, I’m expecting Andrade to put on a skillful display inside that squared circle and walk away satisfying his fans and family with the win and the WBO Belt still in his possession.

Tune in live on DAZN and Sky Sports for a thrilling night of Boxing.

Blaze