On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II”

Unified Heavyweight Championship

The highly anticipated Heavyweight Showdown rematch between Unified Heavyweight Champion IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 12 Kos) and former WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 Kos) lived up to the “HYPE” but not without some controversy at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Usyk came in this bout laser focused and clicking on all cylinders while Fury walked in much heavier and armed with a different “game plan” that had him stand his ground in a much more aggressive manner.

Tyson’s jab was on point and very active at keeping Usyk at bay but not enough to deter him from the task at hand. Usyk fought toe-to-toe with the Big Man and bobbed and weaved as best he could while Fury did his best at maintaining his distance while being more attentive round by round.

Both combatants had their moments round by round but as the fight progressed to the second half of the bout you could see Fury slowing his work rate down probably due the excess weight he was carrying.

Nevertheless, this bout was a highly contested showdown where both combatants had to work through their respective skill sets to cancel out one another in this chess like bout inside that squared circle. Both combatants threw enough leather at one another but the accuracy of the punch output favored Usyk.

This was a very close bout to call from start to finish but after 12 full rounds of action all three Judges at hand scored it unanimously 116-112 for Oleksandr Usyk.

Listen, I don’t have a problem with Usyk being declared the winner, but I personally think that Fury, in his second go around with Usyk did a lot better than being awarded only 4 rounds in this highly competitive bout.

Controversial scores aside, Usyk retained his IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship belts and is still King of the Heavyweight Division.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Bruno Surace”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 Kos) and Bruno Surace, (26-0-2, 5 Kos) at his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, turned out to be a cherry pick gone wrong for the homegrown fighter.

This bout was meant to be a stay busy fight with no real threat ahead but what transpired was quite different when the little-known Frenchman, Surace asserted himself quite well and surprised the opposition.

Although Munguia did score an early knock down in round two with a powerful left hook, he was unable to get the Frenchman out of there. Surace stood his ground and fought toe-to-toe and took some abuse but fended off the attack quite well.

Surace, who is not known for being a power puncher did have quickness and good punch selection making this bout quite interesting at times. Munguia was physically the bigger and stronger combatant but still had to work inside that squared circle with his opponent showing much resistance.

Judging by how the bout was unfolding, it was clear that Munguia did not respect Surace’s power and that cost him dearly in the sixth round when he got caught with his hands wide open to a counter one two combination straight to the chin that dropped Munguia to the floor struggling to get up to the referee’s count who inevitably stopped the bout before he could come to his senses.

No one anticipated this type of an outcome but Surace and his team who had never fought outside of France before seized the opportunity bestowed to them and accepted the challenge with open arms and silenced all naysayers who had counted them out. Surace, who is not a true Super Middleweight proved to be a formidable opponent on the night and for that I tip my “B” hat to him for handing us possibly the Upset Of The Year.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Emanuel Navarrete vs Oscar Valdez II”

WBO World Super Featherweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Mexican Rematch Showdown Main Event between WBO World Super Featherweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 Kos) and challenger former WBO Featherweight Champion, Oscar Valdez (32-3, 23 Kos) was a continuation of their last meeting where both combatants picked up where they left off at round 13 with only one difference: Navarrete’s power was on full display at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Navarrete wasted no time asserting himself from the jump and proved to be too strong for Valdez who got dropped in the opening round while being dominated from that point on. Navarrete’s unorthodox style continued to be a problem that Valdez and his corner had no clue how to deter this combatant from having his way. Although Valdez tried his best to stay competitive, it was painfully obvious that he stood no chance on the night.

Valdez’s power had utterly no effect and his aggressive attempts only opened him up to being dropped once again by a vicious right uppercut that indicated the inevitable was nearby. By the sixth round the onslaught coming towards Valdez was a tough one to watch but a well-placed body shot by Navarrete dropped Valdez for the third time who could not answer the count administered by the referee who called an end to the bout.

This was a very impressive and dominating performance by Navarrete proving that when he’s 100% inside that squared circle, he could well be unbeatable.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Liam Paro vs Richardson Hitchins”

IBF Junior Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Liam Paro (25-1, 15 Kos) and challenger Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 Kos) was a technical matchup that greatly favoured the challenger at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I was impressed by Richardson who walked it like he talked it and handled his business inside that squared circle like a “G”. Richardson told anybody that would listen that he was levels above Liam and backed every word of it when the time came to prove it.

It took Richardson a few rounds to figure Liam out but once he did it was a boxing session where Richardson outboxed Liam with ease and conviction that he could not be denied. Richardson’s jab was on point along with his punch selection and accuracy that clearly bothered Liam who had no answer to slow down this determined combatant from having his way with him.

“Game Plan” for “Game plan”, Richardson had the right formula. After 12 full rounds of action the Judges on hand called it 117-111 for Liam, 116-112 and 116-112 for Richardson.

The Judge who had it 117-111 for Liam was out of pocket for that but nevertheless, with this convincing win under his belt Richardson is now the new IBF Junior Welterweight Champion of the World. Well done!

A hyped up and full of confidence Richardson wasted no time in calling out his next future challenger, if possible, in WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 kos).

That’s a unification bout that would be fun to watch but will Teofimo answer the call? Only time will tell.

Until then, congratulations Richardson and enjoy this great well-earned victory.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach”

WBA Lightweight Showdown

Undefeated WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 Kos) will be looking to defend his Championship Belt against WBA Super Featherweight Champion Lamont Roach (25-1-1, 10 Kos), who will be moving up in weight to attempt to dethrone “Tank” on Saturday night March 1, 2025, on PBC on Prime Video PPV at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Real Talk! Peeps in the boxing community aren’t looking too impressed with this match up but I personally think it might be interesting to see how it goes down considering the two combatants have history dating back to the amateur days.

Lamont may be the clear underdog in this bout but Dude can fight and definitely got the skills to hang with the best of them on any given night. Yet, the main question remains: will he have the right “game plan” to prevent “Tank” from having his way with him inside that squared circle?

We all know too well what “Tank” brings every time out. While each of his past opponents have banked on him starting slow, “Tank” and his exceptional skill set equipped with that equalizer, haven’t failed him yet.

Lamont will seize this opportunity and try to prove Gervonta and the naysayers wrong but truth be told, I think it’s going to take a lot more than a bag of tricks to derail this “Tank”.

That being said, tune in Saturday night March 1, 2025, on PBC on Prime Video PPV at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and witness the showdown unfold.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Sunny Edwards vs Galal Yafai”

Flyweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between former IBF World Flyweight Champion “Showtime” Sunny Edwards (21-2, 4 Kos) and WBC International Champion Galal Yafai (9-0, 7 kos) definitely shocked the viewers at home and the fans in attendance by the surprising outcome of this bout at The Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.

I personally never anticipated this outcome but tonight I witnessed a one-sided beatdown being handed out by Yafai that clearly had Sunny contemplating life inside that squared circle. Yafai had that pressure style with his hands going from head to body right from the gate that didn’t let Sunny get any breathing room at any moment throughout the duration of the bout.

Sunny looked disengaged from round one and unprepared to handle the nonstop pressure that was coming at him which was quite surprising since Sunny had seen and dealt with many different styles prior to this bout but for some reason could not deal with what was coming at him on this particular night.

Sunny had always been known for his speed and exceptional defence but tonight, neither were on point. Sunny was getting touched up from left to right, head to body, consistently being manhandled while retreating on the ropes.

Yafai looked like a man possessed and determined to come out on top. Yafai’s nonstop unanswered onslaught and bullish ways towards Sunny in the sixth round prompted the referee to stop the fight to prevent Sunny from taking any further unnecessary abuse. This version of Sunny inside that squared circle tonight stood no chance at turning the fight into his favor.

With this very convincing win now under his belt, Galal picked up the Vacant WBC Interim World Flyweight Championship Title, positioning himself next in line at a chance at the full WBC Flyweight Title.

Congratulations Galal, you’ve officially announced yourself to the Flyweight Division. Well Done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About David Benavidez vs David Morrell”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

A very interesting match up has officially been announced. WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 Kos) will be putting his undefeated record on the line once again by challenging the strong and powerful undefeated WBA “Regular” Light Heavyweight Champion David Morrell (11-0, 9 Kos) on February 1, 2025, in a PPV on PBC/Prime Video Main Event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Although Morrell has only been in the professional ranks for a short period of time, he has been yearning for a chance to take down Benavidez and prove to the world that although Benavidez is one of the “top dogs” in the Division, he is not the “Mexican Monster” or the “Boogieman” that some in the boxing community perceive him to be.

That being said, Benavidez is a proven warrior who has been taking out the willing contenders brave enough to challenge him one by one. Benavidez is a big Dude who puts his punches together in such a fashion that usually overwhelms his opponents into submission.

Benavidez’s style is what makes this bout interesting to me because Morrell is also big and strong at the weight and has exceptional boxing skills to go along with his own power that could give Benavidez some serious problem on the night.

The trash talking was heavy at the press conference, but one thing was clear to me is that both combatants seemed confident and showed no fear of backing down from one another.

A lot of questions will be answered at the conclusion of this bout. Is this fight too soon for Morrell? Has Benavidez truly met his match by facing Morrell? Who will prevail the No. 1 challenger to the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev?

Tune in on PBC PPV Prime Video Saturday night February 1, 2025, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and witness this very intriguing showdown unfold.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gilberto Ramirez vs Chris Billam-Smith”

WBA/WBO Cruiserweight Unification

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Latino Night Main Event between WBA Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 Kos) and WBO Cruiserweight Champion Chris Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 Kos) was a very competitive throwdown at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Judging by how this bout unraveled, it was clear to me that Chris’ team underestimated what “Zurdo” brought inside that squared circle. Chris’ team assumed that Gilberto wouldn’t be able to stand toe-to-toe with a true Cruiserweight since “Zurdo” was coming from the lower Division of Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight to now Cruiserweight but failed to understand that “Zurdo” was always big and strong at those weights and damn near a weight bully who truly belonged in the Cruiserweight Division.

Prior to this bout, Gilberto defeated Arsen Goulamirian and relieved him from his WBA Cruiserweight Title which brought us to this Unification bout where Gilberto, a seasoned warrior did not back down from the challenge, but did step towards it with his gloves up.

Both combatants had their moments but it was Gilberto who boxed and moved and pressed the action going toe-to-toe outworking Chris, proving himself to be worthy of the Division.

Both warriors banged hard, throwing heavy punches at one another but as the rounds progressed it was Chris who started fading in the later rounds giving the edge to “Zurdo”. That being said I tip my “B” hat to Chris for never succumbing to the pressure when things looked bleak and ending the tough fight on his feet.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 116-112, 116-112 and 116-113 unanimously for Gilberto Ramirez.

This was a tough and taxing bout for Gilberto but the reward at the end of it was well worth the challenge. With this win “Zurdo” is now a Unified WBA/WBO Cruiserweight Champion and looking to contest the No.1 Dude in the Division, IBF/Ring Magazine Champion Jai Opetaia (26-0, 20 Kos).

Until then, congratulations Gilberto on a very impressive win.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano II”

Undisputed Junior Welterweight Challenge

The highly anticipated and rescheduled rematch unraveled last Friday night to a packed house at the AT & T Stadium when Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 30 Kos) picked up the “HEAT” right where they left off from their last encounter two years ago at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This Co-Main Event should have been the original Netflix Main Event of the night by the way these two warriors rigorously fought toe-to toe from start to finish entertaining all who took the time to enjoy this great battle.

Both combatants came into this challenge with an extra sense of confidence and familiarity of one another but it was Serrano, coming up three Divisions and the smaller fighter, who actually had more pop at the weight. Serrano’s punches stunned Katie early and set the stage for the night.

A relentless Katie refused to backdown and stood her ground and exchanged leather going back and forth. However, a severe clash of heads opened up a cut over Serrano’s right eye that threatened the continuation of the bout but a persistent Serrano refused to bow out this way and insisted on going on with the fight.

The cut eventually opened up some more due to further clashes of heads by Taylor that looked deliberate at times but nevertheless did not deter Serrano from imposing her will. Both combatants threw a combined 1,263 punches between the two but it was Serrano who outpunched Taylor 324 to 217 and handed out the more telling damage.

After 10 very competitive rounds of nonstop action, the Judges at hand all scored it 95-94 in favor of Katie Taylor, once again giving us a controversial ending to another great bout.

With this win, Katie Taylor retained her Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles but in my opinion, I feel that Amanda did enough to dethrone Taylor on the night due to her higher work rate and her stronger finish in the championship rounds.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between Jack Catterall (30-1, 13 Kos) and former two-time Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis (29-3, 24 Kos) was a statement bout that both fighters needed in order to move forward but on this night at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, Catterall prevailed.

Catterall was in a fight tonight and got dropped for the first time in his career to date in the fifth round but got up and continued to gain momentum as the rounds progressed. At that point, both combatants had their highs and lows throughout the rounds but Catterall kept his cool and picked his spots just right to even the score.

The ninth round was a game changer for Catterall who dropped Prograis twice in the round and abused him from that point on. Prograis’ defense and stamina looked shaky and he failed to even out the score with his lack of action in the later rounds. Knowing he was heavily down on the score cards Regis should have pressed the action but Jack stayed ahead of the game and made things hard for Prograis simply by moving around where Prograis was unable to land anything significant enough to do damage.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 117-108, 116-109 and 116-109 unanimously for Jack Catterall.

With this convincing win now under his belt Jack picked up the vacant WBO International Junior Welterweight Title positioning himself one step closer to a possible opportunity at the full Championship Title being held by Teofimo Lopez (21-1- 13 Kos).

Jack is deserving of this opportunity especially after defeating two highly ranked former champions in Josh Taylor and now Regis Prograis in back-to-back wins but only time will tell if the opportunity will be granted to him.

Until then, congratulations Jack on a very impressive win.

Blaze