On The Watch ”It’s All About Diego Pacheco vs Maciej Sulecki”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 Kos) and seasoned veteran Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12 Kos) lived up to the hype when they met up inside that squared circle at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.

Pacheco handled this bout like a true professional and patiently dissected his opponent round by round with a mean jab that couldn’t miss. Sulecki tried hard to stand his ground landing some decent shots and making it interesting as much as he could but the heavy punches coming from Pacheco were a clear indication that this was going to be a quick night of action.

The inevitable was creeping in and with Pacheco being able to land right uppercuts and heavy right-hand shots at will and breaking down Sulecki, Diego deployed a perfectly well-placed left hook to the body in the sixth round that crushed Sulecki straight to the canvas unable to answer the 10-count.

It was a dominant performance by Pacheco who became the first to knock out Sulecki in his career to date. With this win, Pacheco remains the mandatory challenger to the “Kingpin” Unified WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

That being said, I personally don’t think challenging the “Kingpin” this early in his young career would be a wise decision but this undefeated contender in Diego Pacheco is looking for all the smoke and calling out anyone in the top 10 Super Middleweight Division.

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Christian Mbilli vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 Kos) and tough and durable Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-6, 10 Kos) was a very entertaining bout for all who attended at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

It was announced at the conclusion of the bout that both combatants had sustained injuries throughout the night but the performance that both warriors gave was quite impressive.

As the rounds progressed it was quite evident that Derevyanchenko had suffered a left bicep injury as he was no longer using his left hand to deter the aggressive Mbilli from pouring on his offensive shots.

‘The Technician” that Derevyanchenko is, continued to fend of his attacker with just his right arm and still making the bout quite competitive with his footwork intact, still being able to land decent shots helping him stay competitive round by round.

Although Derevyanchenko was severely outgunned by being unable to use both his arms, the display of pure will, strength and determination this man possessed to fight through the pain inside that squared circle while fending off a hungry heavy fisted warrior like Mbilli was enough for me to appreciate the heart of a Lion that this man possessed.

As hurt as Derevyanchenko was Mbilli could not put the old Lion down. Mbilli banged hard on “The Technician” hitting him with every punch combination possible and still Derevyanchenko refused to bow down. He stood his ground and fought toe-to-toe and made it the final bell.

After 10 rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand scored it 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92, all in favor of Christian Mbilli.

Mbilli, the younger warrior, clearly won this bout quite handily but it would have been interesting to see what a healthy looking Derevyanchenko would have looked like but nevertheless he did push Mbilli to the extreme with only one healthy arm.

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Guido Vianello”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Co Main Event between our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 Kos) and Guido Vianello (13-2, 11 Kos) was another unexpected shocker when we witnessed Makhmudov yield to his second defeat of his career at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Although Makhmudov rebounded from his fist defeat at the hands of Agit Kabayel this past May when he defeated Miljian Rocvcanin by stoppage, this version of Makhmudov who entered the squared circle last night seemed to have regressed dramatically from the usual destructive “Lion” we are accustomed to seeing.

Vianello entered that squared circle with the utmost confidence and proceeded to box and move in a tactical way that kept Makhmudov bewildered and off balance all night. Vianello put a beating on our “Big Guy” from the jump, controlling every round while administering some heavy damage to the more imposing opponent. It was a very impressive display of one-sided action.

By the third round, Makhmudov’s left eye was swelling up and clearly affecting his eyesight when he couldn’t get out the way of all the heavy punches he was absorbing from left to right. Makhmudov looked slow and unsteady at times and unable to impose himself or mount any type of consistent offense to win a round.

Vianello’s jab and movement was key and by aiming that steady jab at Makhmudov’s left eye and eventually closing it completely, this prompting the referee to call in the ringside doctor at the start of the eighth round who then had a closer look at it and signalled the referee to halt the bout due to medical advice.

It was a dominant performance by Vianello where the ‘The Gladiator” was able to tame “The Lion’ in a very convincing fashion.

Well done Guido Vianello.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Serhii Bohachuk vs Virgil Ortiz Jr.”

WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 Kos) and challenger Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 Kos) was better than advertised when them two warriors finally laced up and met toe-to-toe inside that squared circle at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

This was a tough bout from start to finish but most entertaining to watch considering the favorite Ortiz Jr. really had to grind hard in this bout making it his most challenging test of his young professional career to date.

The defending WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Champion Bohachuk brought his A game on the night and fought tooth and nail never backing down going blow for blow standing his ground round after round making sure his presence was felt.

Although Ortiz Jr. looked like he was the one carrying the most power it was actually Bohachuk who was able to drop Ortiz Jr. with a left hook in the second round prompting Ortiz Jr. to his feet protesting the call then fueling him to get his get back in the remaining round.

As the rounds progressed you could see Ortiz Jr. going off script constantly chasing that knockdown pressuring Bohachuk trying to break him down with his heavy blows. The disciplined and well-schooled Bohachuk remained poised letting his hands go giving back just as much as he was taking.

Bohachuk’s persistence with his own assault charge in the eight-round managed to knock Ortiz Jr. down with a swift right hand for the second time creating a hysterical moment that had the crowd in attendance in a frenzy by what was transpiring inside that squared circle.

Both combatants had their moments and the action was nonstop from start to finish making it that much harder to call but after 12 full rounds of entertaining action the Judges at hand called it 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112 edging the majority decision in Vergil Ortiz Jr. favor.

The outcome of this bout is very debatable in my opinion but nevertheless what we have here today is a new WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Champion in Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga”

WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight Challenge

It has now officially been announced: the “Kingpin” Unified WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 Kos) will be defending his Crown on September 14, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 Kos) giving us that feel of Mexico vs Puerto Rico to look forward too.

Berlanga, who has been chasing this opportunity for quite some time now will be competing in his first world title bout come fight night. Berlanga has been talking up a storm about how he’s the chosen one to beat Canelo and dethrone him of his Crown and No. 1 spot in the Super Middleweight Division but backing those tough talks is a whole different story when you step foot inside that squared circle with the ‘Kingpin” opposite of you.

Mexico vs Puerto Rico has always been a good sell in boxing but the hate that Berlanga has been receiving for being Canelo’s chosen opponent is overshadowing the possibilities this bout could actually bring. Berlanga has no choice but to prove the naysayers wrong by bringing his A game and his best performance come fight night.

We already know what Canelo brings every time out. He takes no opponent lightly and always performs at his best on the biggest stage. This may not be the fight that everyone was looking for but regardless of his opponent Canelo will make this event memorable for all fans in attendance.

Tune in on DAZN/PBC on Prime Video PPV Saturday night September 14, 2024, live at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov”

WBA Junior Middleweight Champion

Last night’s Riyadh Season’s Main Event between former Undisputed Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 Kos) and WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

It was a chess match from the jump where both combatants executed their respective “game plan’ to a ‘T” pushing one another to put their boxing IQ to the test. Although Crawford was the one moving up in weight, he definitely held his own with the bigger fighter Madrimov who constantly pressed the action.

Madrimov was resilient and very patient inside that squared circle but was met with a very strong and determined combatant in Crawford who surprisingly stood his ground and fought him toe-to-toe showing absolutely no fear.

Neither combatant had sole control of the bout but both did have their moments making it really hard to determine a clear winner after every rounds. Madrimov’s punch accuracy was on point while Crawford made sure to answer every call given his way with his own power punches clearly marking Madrimov’s face.

Both combatants made it tough on one another while dishing out hard leather from head to body. If you were one the peeps thinking this bout was going to be a cake walk for Crawford then you were all for a major shock cause that Boy Madrimov took in the challenge with open arms and kept things very interesting round by round.

That being said, Crawford showed us all why he is one of the Pound-for-Pound greats in the game today and possibly closed out the championship rounds in convincing fashion. After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 all in favor of Terence “Bud” Crawford.

I tip my ‘B” hat to Israil Madrimov for standing his ground and testing his skills with one of the greats in the game today. You showed up and gave us fans a hell of a fight where you proved all who doubted you that you belong with the top dogs of 154-Pound Division, hands down!

That said, congratulations to Terence for conquering his fourth Division and becoming the new WBA Junior Middleweight Champion and WBO Interim Junior Middleweight Champion as well.

You walk the talk and back it up every time out, good luck to the competition trying to derail this Champion because this version of “Bud” is looking for all the smoke!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jared Anderson vs Martin Bakole”

Heavyweight Showdown

His Excellency Turki Alashikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Entertainment Authority did it again but this time he brought his first overseas Riyadh Season to the United State and blessed us boxing fans with an incredible competitive undercard at the sold-out BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

First up on the night and probably the most intriguing bout in my opinion was Heavyweight “The Real Big Baby” Jared Anderson (17-1, 15 Kos) taking on the hard-hitting Heavyweight Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 Kos).

This was a case of greatly underestimating your 284-pound monster standing across from you. At the first bell Jared started off well with a stiff jab changing levels head to body with good movement while Martin stayed surprisingly very stationary with a bait of a right hand looking to detonate which he eventually landed with a vicious uppercut and a three-punch combo that dropped Jared for the first time and a quick standing 8 count.

This was the beginning of the end for Jared who proceeded to ignored his coach’s instructions and decided to get his “get back” by going toe-to-toe with the Big Boy. Jared had his moments landing some big shots but Martin took them clean and brushed them off while landing his own hard hitting and destructive shots

As the rounds progressed the action started to look one sided for Bakole who was having his way with Jared busting him up from all angles. Jared refused to bow down and showed some serious toughness but going toe-to-toe with Bakole was not the right plan.

By the fifth round the inevitable was nearby. Bakole landed a well-placed left uppercut
That dropped Jared for the second time. A shaky looking Jared beat the count and was willing to continue only to be met with a barrage of unanswered punches dropping him again for the third time.

Jared once again beat the count to continue but the onslaught of heavy damaging punches coming his way forced the referee to step in and put a stop to the bout.

This was a very entertaining bout from start to finish but truth be told Bakole was simply too much too soon for Jared to handle.

A statement was made on the night that Bakole is a serious threat to anyone in the Heavyweight Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora”

Heavyweight Showdown

Over the past weekend a ‘WAR’ ready Derek Chisora (35-13, 23 Kos) handed “The Juggernaut’ Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 Kos) his third defeat of his career at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.

Truth be told, this crossroads bout exceeded my expectation. Chisora showed me on Saturday night that he still had something left in him to pull it off. Chisora had absolutely no fear and stood his ground and banged toe-to-toe with the 281 pound “Juggernaut” who had the harder looking punches going for him but lacked severe hand speed at that weight.

It wasn’t a pretty fight to watch but watching Chisora hold his own and dishing it out at this age was quite entertaining. Chisora took in some heavy shots at times but his activity with his own punch output carried him over in a very tight bout.

Joe’s lack of defence cost him dearly once again as he got clipped and dropped for a quick standing 8 count in the ninth round which saw a tired Chisora still manage to maintain the momentum throughout the 10th round and finish the round strongly.

After 10 hard-hitting laboring rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 97-92, 96-94, 96-94 all in favor of Derek Chisora.

It was a physically tough bout on both warriors but the right combatant won this bout. Chisora went through hell and back on this one but silenced the naysayers who had counted him out. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Claressa Shields vs Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse”

WBC Heavyweight Challenge

Over the past weekend we witnessed the self-proclaimed GWOAT Claressa Shield (15-0, 3 Kos) conquer yet another Division when she moved up to Heavyweight and challenged our own Canadian WBC Heavyweight Champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-2-2, 2 Kos) at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Listen I’m a supporter of our Canadian athletes that get down and represent us to the fullest but this particular Heavyweight Showdown was a mismatch from the jump. No disrespect to Vanessa who was game to the challenge but truth be told she had nothing to deter Claressa from having her way with her inside that squared circle.

Although Claressa was the one moving up in weight, she was the bigger and stronger boxer of the two and wasted no time asserting herself by pressing the action from the first bell dishing out heavy punches from all angles clearly taking Vanessa by surprise.

Vanessa looked shaky and by the second round Claressa went in for the kill by dropping Vanessa with a heavy counter right hand off the ropes for a quick 8 count. When Vanessa rose back up she got dropped again by another right hand and a second standing 8 count. With Vanessa now looking defeated Claressa hit her up with a barrage of unanswered shots dropping Vanessa for the third time and prompting the referee and Vanessa’s corner to stop the fight.

This is a very impressive version of Claressa where she continues to add to her historical career by adding the WBC Heavyweight Title and the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Title, now crowning her a four Division Champion.

Congratulations Claressa on another dominating performance. Good luck to the challengers attempting to dethrone this version of the self-proclaimed GWOAT, she definitely walks it like she talks it, Hands Down!

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jaron Ennis vs David Avanesyan”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF Welterweight Champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 Kos) and David Avanesyan (30-5-1, 18 Kos) (the one who replaced mandatory challenger Cody Crowley) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, was more or less a showcase type of an event that saw his hometown fans in attendance looking quite satisfied by the performance of their Champion.

Jaron pressed the action from the first bell and never looked back while David embraced the pressure and dished out some of his own to show Jaron he wasn’t here to lay down as everyone expected.

David tried heavily to stand his ground in a bravado way but Jaron was simply too big, too strong and too skillful to be contained by him. No disrespect to David but Jaron pretty much toyed with him inside that squared circle. As tough and durable as David usually is, on this night he was severely outgunned and outmatched with simply no answer to the problems that Jaron was throwing his way.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and on this night, David found out the hard way that he did not belong inside that squared circle with Jaron. When “Boots” decided to stop playing with his food in the fifth round he caught David with a hard overhand left and dropped him for a standing 8 count that saw him rise up to further punishment that lasted the entire remaining round.

Having assessed the situation after the fifth round, David’s corner and the ringside Doctor both agreed that any further assault at the hands of “Boots” would be futile and it was best to call an end to the bout.

With this very convincing stoppage win Jaron defended his IBF Welterweight Title and picked up another TKO to be added to his ever-growing knockout percentage to date.

Jaron is the total package. Skillful, powerful and blessed with levels above his opposition on the ring IQ inside that squared circle. Good luck to the competition trying to derail this Dude on their way up.

Who’s next?

Blaze