On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA-Who’s On Top?”

The NBA-Who’s on Top?

We are officially at the Quarter mark of this year’s NBA Season and the changing of the guards within the early standings updates is making some teams quite uncomfortable at the moment. Although the NBA Season is in its early stages the panic button is staying at arm’s reach for some particular teams.

Holding the No. 1 Spot in the league are the Boston Celtics (18-5) who lost their Coach Ime Udoka for disciplinary reasons early at the start of the season, but have maintained a level of competitiveness night in and night out keeping them on pace to the task at hand.

The Milwaukee Bucks (16-6) are staying at arm’s length of the Boston Celtics ready and willing to relieve them of the No. 1 Spot. With Giannis playing at a Super Star level night in and night out with a competitive squad having his back, no one in their right mind should ever sleep on the Bucks regardless of their standing because the Bucks want next no matter what.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (15-8) surprisingly keep moving up the ladder a lot quicker than expected and are showing some serious grit in the way they’ve been balling at this early stage. They are definitely a team to keep a close eye on. While the Atlanta Hawks (13-10), the Indiana Pacers 12-10, the Brooklyn Nets (13-11), Philadelphia 76ers (12-11), and the Toronto Raptors (12-11) are all in position to readjust their standing as the season progresses.

The Phoenix Suns (15-7) have re-emerged at the No. 1 Spot for the time being, proving to be key players still in a championship run regardless of any previous outcomes. That said, holding on to their No. 1 Spot in the tough Western Conference won’t be easy with new faces climbing up the standings like the Denver Nuggets (14-8), the New Orleans Pelicans (14-8), the Memphis Grizzlies (13-9), the Sacramento Kings (12-9) who are making some early noise.
The defending Champs the Golden State Warriors who have been going through an unexpected slow start sitting in the 6th seed (13-11) working their way back to a respectable seeding one game at a time. (Still not to be slept on).

The Los Angeles Clippers (13-11), the Utah Jazz (14-12) and the Portland Trail Blazers (12-11) could all climb up the standings but these two particular teams on the outside looking in at the Dallas Mavericks (11-11) and the Los Angeles Lakers (9-12) who have the right nucleus to rise all the way up (Fat Joe voice) if your team gets caught slipping throughout the season.

Stay locked in cause this roller-coaster ride of an NBA Season is just getting heated.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Juan Francisco Estrada vs Roman Gonzalez 3”

Vacant WBC Super Flyweight Championship

Last night’s DAZN/Matchroom highly anticipated trilogy rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 Kos) and Roman Gonzalez (51-4, 40 Kos) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale Arizona, was a blazing hot bout from start to finish. Hands Down!

Both combatants picked up from where they left off from their last encounter and banged on one another with nonstop action from head to body. The saying is that styles make fights and them two warriors opposite of one another are a perfect example of when two styles mesh just right to give us fans a memorable performance. Real Talk!

They are two very competitive combatants that know each other very well and inside that squared circle it was very difficult to really see who had the edge round by round.

That being said I personally feel that Roman started to separate himself in the later rounds by applying even more pressure and letting his hands go with more authority, edging out the rounds in his favor.

However, Juan did have a better start and probably even stole the 12th round the way he finished stronger. Both combatants refused to succumb to one another and that gave us fans another great exciting outing for the ages.

After 12 full rounds of complete action, the Judges at hand scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 giving the edge to Juan Francisco Estrada.

Scorecard aside, this bout could have gone either way once again. Juan got the nod but a draw wouldn’t have been far-fetched as a proper outcome.

Nevertheless, with this win Juan has now regained the vacant WBC Super Flyweight Championship and retained his Ring Magazine Belt, finally putting the trilogy to bed.

Congratulations Juan on another great win.

Blaze

DJ Blaze/Joe Moses Takeover!

Joe Moses-Something About Her
Joe Moses-Thank The Last
Joe Moses f/Chris Brown-Thuggin
Joe Moses f/Ty Dolla $ign and Dj Mustard-To A Boss
Joe Moses f/Ty Dolla $ign-Paranoid
Joe Moses f/Eric Bellinger-FWU
Joe Moses f/Ty Dolla $ign-On My Bumper
Joe Moses f/RJ & Ty Dolla $ign-Your Money
Joe Moses F/Wale-WCW
Joe Moses f/Ty Dolla $ign-Go!
Joe Moses f/Dj Nemo & Eric Bellinger-Round Here
Joe Moses f/Nieman J, Eric Bellinger & Young Thug-Cheat Code Mode
Joe Moses f/Jeremih-Freak It

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA Season 2022/2023”

The NBA Season 2022/2023

With the Golden State Warriors reclaiming last years 2022 NBA Championship, the Warriors have once again proven to be a major player in this year deep Western Conference. With a healthy squad and a few new faces added to the rotation, the Warriors will be looking to defending their Championship with an iron fist from start to finish. Last year opposing teams counted them out and paid the ultimate price when it was all said and done.

With key players the likes of Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Zion Williamson (Pelicans), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) now healthy, they all possess the missing ingredients to help propel their teams throughout the hardship of the tough Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Clippers have a real good chance at making some serious noise this year. If they can stay healthy enough, the squad that this team is showing up with on opening night is as legit as it gets. They have the right balance of talent to definitely stir the pot throughout the league.

Last year’s shorthanded Denver Nuggets made quite a splash throughout the league and the Playoffs. With returning 2022 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic hitting the floor alongside a healthy Jamal Murray and a tight squad, the Nuggets will be looking to disrupt the league in a very competitive way.

The return of a healthy Zion Williamson has all eyes on the New Orleans Pelicans who will be coming in with a solid starting 5 that will keep the fans interested throughout the year but how far they can go will be up in the air considering just how strong the Western Conference is just surviving the regular season.

Lebron James entering his 20th NBA Season at 37 years old is just amazing. This man is a walking machine that if healthy, alongside another healthy Anthony Davis for a full season, has enough fire power to make some serious noise. Although their Pre-Season games didn’t show it, I personally wouldn’t sleep on them just yet.

The Western Conference is a tourney within itself. The Memphis Grizzlies are a bubbling team prime and ready for the big stage. Their squad is built to compete from top to bottom. They are must watch T.V. when they step foot into the arena. The Phoenix Suns have taken a fall in the standings but still managed to bring back the squad that brought them to the 2021 NBA Finals, giving them a good chance to make some serious strides back to the top. The Dallas Mavericks are coming in with an in-shape Luka Doncic who has proven to be a handful on any given night. With a healthy Tim Hardaway Jr. coming back and a solid all-around squad, the Mavericks will be in the mix. As for the remaining Western teams, the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, the jury is still out. The Western Conference is not for play.

The talk of the Eastern Conference right now is the Brooklyn Nets coming into this season with a healthy-looking squad of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons who will be gracing the court together with some serious swag. The Nets feel very optimistic of guaranteed success this time around. They will have the fire power to hang with any opponent but will the chemistry hold up?

That said, ignoring the Boston Celtics who reached the NBA Finals last year but were unsuccessful, is an understatement. The Celtics have had a taste of the Finals now and will want retribution for their failed attempt. With their squad still intact with a solid one two punch in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way, the top of the food chain is not farfetched.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks wreaked havoc throughout the league last year and fell short late in the Playoffs due to injuries to some key players but with a healthy squad and arguably the best NBA player in the league in Giannis leading the way, the Bucks will be making this Eastern Conference run that much intriguing and must watch T.V. whenever they step foot in the house.

The Philadelphia 76ers might be the sleeper team to move up and do some damage or completely drop if they don’t get it together soon. They have a solid squad well-balanced squad that could put fear throughout the league but they have to lay it all together. Joel Embiid showed up big last year playing at an MVP level but in order to have a successful run James Harden is going to have to bring back his MVP type play for them to have any kind of inspiration of reaching the NBA Finals.

The Miami Heat has the right balance of experience from young to old that have reached the NBA Finals. They are strong on both ends of the floor and can hang with the best of them on any given night. They will be a solid team vying for position. That said, they do have the potential of being a sleeper team as well if not taken seriously by their opponents.

The Eastern Conference teams have steadily been improving year after year with surprising, unexpected teams rising out the trenches disrupting the hierarchy of the usual suspects in the Division.

That being said, the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and the Detroit Piston will all have to show and prove that they belong amongst the top teams in the league or risk being labelled unworthy of keeping up in the Eastern Conference.

The league is steaming up with talent and new faces. Tune in this Tuesday night October 18, 2022, and be part of another captivating NBA Season 2022/2023.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Devin Haney vs George Kambosos Jr. II”

Undisputed Lightweight Championship Showdown

Last night’s Undisputed Lightweight Championship Top Rank/ESPN Main Event, was a continuation of sheer dominance by the King of the Lightweight Division Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/ Ring Magazine Champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 Kos) when he successfully defended his belts against George Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 Kos) in a rematch at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.

This was a necessary evil that needed to be put to bed due to a contractual obligation that bided Devin to revisit this unwarranted bout. That said, Devin proceeded to silence the Australian fans once again by outshining the once upon a time self-proclaimed Emperor, and causing him to bow down to the superior opponent inside that squared circle on that night.

This time around George came out with a different “game plan” geared at first sight to confuse the Champ. It didn’t take long for Devin to crack that code. There are levels to this boxing sh*t and Devin showed us that night that he is levels above Kambosos by easily dismantling his opponent from head to body.

There was absolutely nothing Kambosos could do to deter Devin from having his way inside that squared circle. Devin was sitting on his punches and walking through George like a punching bag. Devin’s work rate was efficient and dominant round by round.

It was too painfully obvious that Devin’s boxing IQ, speed and distance inside that squared circle were too much for George to overcome as the rounds progressed.

After 12 full rounds of nonstop one-sided punishment, the Judges at hand scored it 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110 unanimously for Devin Haney the Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/ Ring Magazine Champion of the World.

The “Dream” will once again continue to take on all comers waiting in line to dethrone Devin Haney, the Undisputed King of the Lightweight Division.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall”

IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO Unified Middleweight Championship Showdown

Tonight’s highly anticipated Sky Sports/Boxxer Main Event between IBF/WBA/WBC Middleweight Champion Claressa Shields (13-0, 2 Kos) and WBO World Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 Kos) was a bout that represented the best of the best on the biggest platform of them all.

The self-proclaimed GWOAT of women’s boxing walked it like she talked it and asserted herself right from the jump and took it straight to Savannah who had absolutely no answer to Claressa’s non-stop action.

Although Savannah was the bigger combatant inside that squared circle, it was Claressa who pressed the action from start to finish making it real unconfutable for Savannah to establish any type of consistent offensive attack. Real Talk!

Claressa’s high-volume punches prevented Savannah from settling in with her strong jab. For every jab Savannah landed Claressa answered with flurries of punches making every round that much harder for Savannah to establish her own “game plan”.

Claressa was focussed and on point round by round physically and mentally ready for everything Savannah was throwing at her. Claressa showed the World tonight what she was all about inside that squared circle. Savannah was in a real fight tonight and had no proper “game plan” to deter Claressa from having her way with her.

After 10 full rounds of non-stop action, the Judges at hand called it 96-94, 97-93, 97 -93 unanimously for Claressa Shields – the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO and Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion of the World. A beautiful display of boxing at its finest by the self-proclaimed GWOAT of women boxing to date.

Congratulations Claressa on another dominating performance. You truly are women’s boxing at its finest. Good luck to the competitors attempting to dethrone you.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Alycia Baumgardner vs Mikaela Mayer”


IBF/IBO/WBC/WBO Super Featherweight Unification Championship Showdown

Tonight’s Sky Sports/Boxxer Unification championship bout between Super Featherweight Champion IBF/WBO/Ring Magazine Mikaela Mayer (17-1, 5 Kos) and WBC/IBO Champion Alycia Baumgardner (13-1, 7 Kos) put it all on the line as co Main Event at the 02 Arena in London and did not disappoint.

This highly anticipated grudge match unraveled as a highly played out chess match with both girls executing their respected “game plan” round by round to a “T”. However, Alycia asserted herself as the aggressor right from the jump pressuring Mikaela with some very good combinations making it real uncomfortable for Mikaela to assess.

That being said, Mikaela did eventually figure out her range and jab her way out to make this fight quite interesting as the rounds progressed.

Both girls were letting their hands go from the phone booth to the outside administering some heavy blows coming from both sides. It was a calculative bout from the jump and both girls had their moments.

At times, both girls fought with caution making it real hard to call a clear winner of some rounds but after 10 full rounds of action the Judges at hand had a tough decision to make but called it 97-93 for Mikaela and 96-95 twice for Alycia making her the winner by split decision and New Unified IBF/IBO/WBC/WBO and Ring Magazine Super Featherweight Champion of the World.

Both combatants talked enough trash before this big night but it was Alycia Baumgardner who managed to pull off the narrow close win to walk away the Unified Super Featherweight Champion.

Well done, Alycia, you have clearly established yourself as the No. 1
Featherweight Champion of the Division. Undisputed is definitely in your near future.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Shakur Stevenson vs Robsen Conceicao”


WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Championship

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event between former WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson (19-0, 9 Kos) and Robsen Conceicao (17-2, 8 Kos) was simply a showcase type of an event for the homegrown combatant Shakur at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Due to Shakur missing weight for the contested bout of 130 pounds, Shakur was stripped of his WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Championship belts and was unable to defend them as Champion.

That being said, the bout continued as planned and Shakur proceeded to put on a hell of a performance in front of his hometown fans by easily dismantling his opponent like it was a sparring session.

No disrespect to Robson, who is a highly decorated Olympian and a very worthy opponent for Shakur, fell miserably short in his second attempt at a potential title opportunity.

What looked good on paper turned out to be a mismatch from start to finish. Robson simply did not have the right “game plan” to take such a skillful combatant like Shakur.

Shakur’s surprising approach was to walk down and go through Robson’s offense with ease. Shakur hardly moved around the ring as he usually does and instead stood his ground going toe to toe administering non- contested punches to his opponent at will. That approach took Conceicao by surprise and left him bewildered and confused throughout the entire bout.

Whatever Conceicao did manage to land on Shakur had absolutely no effect whatsoever in deterring the Champ from having his way inside that squared circle. Shakur’s dominance from start to finish was impressive. Although Shakur was unable to stop Conceicao within the 12-round bout, his total dominance of his opponent could not be denied. Shakur was simply too big, too strong, too savvy inside that squared circle.

The Judges for the night had absolutely no trouble in scoring this bout 119-108, 118-108 and 117-109 unanimously for Shakur Stevenson.

Another easy night for the Kid – now on to new challenges at the 135-Pound Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin III”

Undisputed Super Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event trilogy bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas between Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 Kos) and Middleweight WBA/WBC Champion Gennadiy Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 Kos) who moved up to Super Middleweight, finally got put to bed once and for all.

Having seen two previously intriguing outings between Canelo and Golovkin, this version of “GGG” who showed up last night inside that squared circle was a shell of himself in my eyes. It was clear from the jump that Canelo was the aggressor proceeding with the “game plan” at hand while in a surprising way, Golovkin seemed tentative and unsure about how to proceed with his own “game plan”. Golovkin’s pistol jab was missing in action throughout the bout. His punch output was non-existent for most of the night.

Canelo was pretty much having his way round after round. His quickness and punch output were keeping Golovkin in retreat mode enabling him to get into any type of rhythm with his offence. Both combatants looked physically fit and ready to throw down but it was Canelo who had that focussed look of hunger and determination in his eyes.

As skillful as Golovkin is as an elite fighter, last night he looked slow, unsure, disengaged with no sense of urgency at what was unfolding inside that squared circle. Golovkin had absolutely no answer in trying to deter Canelo from having his way inside that squared circle. Thar said, Golovkin finally showed signs of the old “GGG” in the later rounds when he suddenly started to press the action by being a little more active with some aggression to gain some type of traction going his way.

It was the right idea but by then Canelo had already bagged enough deciding rounds to secure the bout. Golovkin put up a good effort in the championship rounds but a little too late in my eyes to sway the Judges. After twelve fully completed rounds the Judges scored it 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 unanimously for Canelo Alvarez.

This scorecard does not reflect what transpired inside that squared circle. The right combatant unquestionably won this bout but for these Judges to say this bout was that close of a fight is disrespectful to the winner. Canelo convincingly won this bout by a long slide Hands Down! The Chapter of Canelo vs Golovkin is officially closed.

With this conclusive win, Canelo successfully retained his Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Championship Titles.

Congratulations Canelo on another great performance.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Carlos Takam”

Vacant WBC Silver Heavyweight Title

Last night’s Eye of the Tiger Management Main Event that went down at the Montreal Casino, Montreal Quebec, Canada between undefeated Heavyweight Arslanbek “Lion”Makhmudov (15-0, 14 Kos) and veteran Heavyweight challenger Carlos Takam (39-7-1, 28 Kos), was not as eventful as I expected.

From the way this bout unfolded it was clear that Arslanbek underestimated Takam inside that squared circle. Although Arslanbek did drop Takam in the first few seconds of the first round and then again in the seventh round, Arslanbek was clearly in a fight that he was not anticipating of being so tough.

Takam may have had a slow start in this bout but his strength, durability and experience at this level paid dividends last night. As big as Arslanbek was inside that squared circle he felt Takam’s presence throughout every round. Takam took some serious shots but gave just as much of his own making this bout that much harder to call.

Takam’s awkward style made it hard for Arslanbek to land his thunderous punches he is known for. Arslanbek’s lack of movement and footwork were a major issues that will need to be addressed if he plans on competing with the other top Heavyweights in the Division.

I tip my “B” hat to Takam for going toe to toe with the big “Lion” and forcing his opponent to go 10 full rounds for the first time in his career to date. The Judges for the night scored it 96-92, 96-92 and 97-91 unanimously for Arslanbek Makhmudov. Personally, I think Takam outworked Arslanbek and aside from the two knockdowns, did enough to deserve a draw. No disrespect to Arslanbek but the “Lion” did not perform like a king inside that squared circle last night.

That being said, Arslanbek was awarded the win and now picked up the Vacant WBC Silver Heavyweight Title.

Blaze