On The Watch “It’s All About Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez”

WBC Super Featherweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event bout between WBC Super Featherweight Champion Miguel Berchelt (37-2, 34 Kos) and Oscar Valdez (29-0, 23 Kos) at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, did not disappoint.

Oscar, the underdog of the night executed their “game plan” to a “T” from start to finish. Oscar boxed and moved beautifully with a steady and accurate jab that prevented Miguel from effectively settling into his own offence.

Miguel who was visibly the bigger guy inside that squared circle, was unable to assert himself physically to use his well-known power. The “game plan” that Oscar was displaying all night was clearly keeping Miguel overthinking his options inside that squared circle which cost him dearly in the fourth round when Oscar connected with a vicious left hook that sent Miguel staggering off the ropes. This prompted the referee to give Miguel a standing 8 count since the ropes saved him from falling out of the ring.

It was a technical matchup where the more elusive fighter in Valdez, was gaining more confidence as the rounds wore on. Although Miguel did have some moments inside that squared circle, it was clear that Oscar’s power shots were breaking Miguel down round by round.

In the 9th round Oscar connected with a nasty three-punch combination that sent Miguel straight down for his second knockdown of the night but Miguel’s resilience beat the 8 count to see the next round.

Miguel was clearly taking too much punishment and his corner contemplated stopping the bout but still sent him out there in the 10th round. Oscar saw a wounded combatant ready to be dispatched and Oscar did just that when he landed a devastating left hook that closed the show indefinitely. Miguel dropped flat on his face knocked out cold as the referee waved it off.

With this emphatic win, Oscar now becomes the new WBC Super Featherweight Champion of the world.

Job well done Oscar. You defied all odds and proved the naysayers wrong while putting the 130-pound Division on notice. There’s a New Champion on deck and he goes by the name of
Oscar Valdez.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Adrien Broner vs Jovanie Santiago”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Showtime Main Event between Adrien Broner (34-4-1, 24 Kos) and Jovanie Santiago (14-1-1, 10 Kos) from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut wasn’t as eventful as I expected. Real Talk!

Broner, who hadn’t graced the inside of a squared circle in more than two years, may have looked the part last night but definitely didn’t look like the AB that I grew to appreciate throughout his career. AB still got “problems” letting his hands go.

It’s clear that things haven’t been the same for AB since his loss to Marcos Maidana which to me was a respectable loss cause AB fought his heart out that night and simply got beaten by the better man. That’s the version of AB that could still be a “Problem” to anybody stepping inside that squared circle with him.

That being said, the AB who showed up last night was a shell of the Broner I grew accustomed to seeing. Real talk! Although AB was awarded the win last night, I personally think he failed to show us the work rate that would have sealed the deal convincingly.

Broner clearly landed the harder shots throughout the bout but Santiago was visibly the more consistent with his work rate round by round. The Judges clearly didn’t appreciate Jovanie’s activity and determined aggression when they scored it 117-110, 116-111, 115-112 all in favor of Broner.

Let’s keep it real, that’s some serious suspect scoring and I’m an AB fan from time. A draw in my eyes would have been more acceptable.

Activity is key for you AB so make it happen for yourself Money! You are way too skilled to be having questionable fights like this one.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell”

Interim WBC Lightweight Championship

Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 Kos) is no longer a contender. Tonight’s Main Event at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas between Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell (20-4, 16 Kos) lived up to the hype as expected.

The unbeaten young warrior “King Ryan” had himself a true test inside that squared circle tonight when he exchanged leather with a formidable opponent in the two-time title contender Campbell.

Straight from the jump, Ryan thought sh*t was going to be nice and easy until he found himself in uncharted territory when he got dropped early in the 2nd round for a quick 8 count. Being that this was the first time Garcia had ever tasted the canvas, Ryan bounced right back up and shook it off.

Luke’s confidence was up from dropping Garcia in the second round but it wasn’t enough to deter Ryan from moving forward on him like a lion on a hunt for his kill. Luke had the right “game plan” throughout the rounds and fought exceptionally well, while still holding his ground efficiently.

However, I was impressed by Garcia throughout the rounds. Garcia kept it cool and worked his way back on the cards with a steady jab along with some very good power shots while still maintaining his height and reach advantages. It was only a matter of time before Ryan caught up with Campbell.

That being said, Garcia’s non-stop pressure eventually overwhelmed Luke in the 7th round to where Ryan was able to pick up a spectacular left body knockdown that had Luke gasping in pain for air which then prompted the referee to stop the bout since Luke was unable to beat the count.

It was an intriguing bout from start to finish. Both combatants showed up and performed exceptionally well. This was an important fight for Ryan, one that he needed to win in a convincing fashion to show his worth in the Lightweight Division.

With this imposing victory, Ryan now possesses the Interim WBC Lightweight Championship giving him a guaranteed mandatory shot at the WBC Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (25-0, 15 Kos).

Although the mandatory position is his for the taking, Ryan seems adamant on calling out and facing WBA “Regular” Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 Kos). Whichever opponent accepts the challenge, Ryan will have his hands full.

Until an official opponent is confirmed, congratulations Ryan on your latest accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith”

Super Middleweight Supremacy

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas between Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 Kos) and Callum Smith (27-1, 19 Kos) was the perfect way to end the Year 2020.

Canelo, who was clearly the shorter fighter standing at 5 foot 8 to the towering Callum at 6 foot 3, displayed some serious Boxing IQ that had Callum confused all night inside that squared circle. It was a thing of beauty to watch the smaller man walk down his opponent the way he did considering Callum had all the physical advantages coming into this bout.

I was surprised by the fact that Canelo showed absolutely no fear at all throughout the rounds. Canelo’s jab and body attack were so vicious and precise that Callum stayed on his back foot trying to avoid the heavy pounding he was receiving all night.

I expected Callum to be Canelo’s toughest challenge to date but judging on how Canelo dominated and dismantled Callum from round one to twelve, Canelo proved once again why he is the Pound-for-Pound best in the World today. Real Talk!

There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and Canelo’s masterclass performance last night showed us just how superior he can get when faced with so many drawbacks.

Callum, who was rated as the No. 1 Super Middleweight in the Division, took the worst beating I’ve ever seen him take in his career to date. The “game plan” that his corner drew up had absolutely no effect on Canelo whatsoever. Dude got heart though and he withheld the onslaught coming his way like the fighting man that he is.

That said, after 12 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges scored it 117-111, 119-109 and 119-109 in favor of Canelo. With this convincing win, Canelo is now the New WBC/WBA “Super” and Ring Magazine Champion of the World and now the No.1 168-Pounder in the Division.

With a new Division to dominate, Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion is the latest task at hand for the No. 1 Pound-for-Pound King they call Canelo Alvarez.

Congratulations Canelo on your latest accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev”

IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Challenge

Last night’s Heavyweight Bout inside the SSE Arena, Wembley in London, UK was a homecoming fight for Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (24-1, 22 Kos) and Kubrat Pulev (28-2, 14 Kos) that did not disappoint.

AJ looked good last night, focussed, assertive, poised and did not deviate from the “game plan“ at hand. His jab and uppercut were key last night and he handled his opponent the right way, dropping Pulev four times throughout the bout to a convincing stoppage in the 9th round.

Pulev, a worthy opponent, tried to keep up with AJ but was simply met with a better, complete and motivated fighter in AJ. Anthony worked the ring well and controlled every round while wearing Pulev down.

Kubrat couldn’t put any type of a convincing offence together long enough to deter Anthony who showed much improvement in his repertoire. Pulev showed some durability at times throughout the bout but Anthony’s size and power proved to be too much.

The “End Game” was inevitable and in the 9th round when AJ connected with a vicious strong and accurate right hand to Kubrat’s jaw that put him down indefinitely for the 10 count.

With this emphatic win by AJ, he now retains his IBF/IBO/WBA “Super” and WBO Heavyweight Titles. This was a much-needed win for Anthony last night. He needed to make a statement of Pulev and show the Heavyweight Division that he is nothing to play with inside that squared circle. The road to undisputed is still the mission at hand.

Congratulations AJ on finishing this turbulent year 2020 in a strong fashion.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Danny Garcia”

IBF/WBC Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Main Event between Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 Kos) and Danny Garcia (36-3, 21 Kos) at Arlington Texas inside the AT&T Stadium, answered a lot of questions that we the fans had when it came to EJ. After 12 rounds of action all was revealed to the boxing world.

EJ dusted off his shoulders last night inside that squared circle and showed all the doubters and his supporters that your Boy was back 100%. Spence’s car accident in October 2019 left a lot of us fans wondering if Errol could ever get back to his championship form, he once held before the car crash and, with last night’s dominant performance against Danny, your Boy EJ defied all odds.

EJ is “The Truth” inside that squared circle hands down. Errol made Danny, who is one of the top strong Welterweights, in the Division, looked like a pedestrian inside that squared circle. Spence kept that pressure on Danny all night with a stiff effective jab that prevented Danny from applying any type of successful offence.

Whatever “game plan” Danny’s corner constructed for the night became obsolete the minute EJ’s jab started touching Danny at will. EJ’s jab was key last night and clearly marked Danny up from all angles. Danny showed some grit and a strong will to compete but just didn’t have the right output to keep up with EJ. Had Danny applied more pressure the outcome could have definitely been different.

That being said, EJ showed us once again that he’s levels above all competitors who dare to challenge him for that No. 1 Spot inside that squared circle. The Judges were all in agreeance tonight with the score of 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111 for Errol Spence Jr.

With this dominant performance by Spence, he now retains his IBF and WBC Titles while putting the 147-Pound Division back on notice that “The Truth” is back like he never left.

Congratulations Errol on another great performance.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Yard vs Lyndon Arthur”

Light Heavyweight British Throwdown

Another intriguing outcome presented itself tonight at Church House, Westminister in London when Anthony Yard (20-2, 19 Kos) and Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 Kos) entered that squared circle.

The underdog Lyndon came in with a very good “game plan” and executed it to a “T”. Lyndon’s stiff and steady jab was a key factor tonight. Lyndon boxed well and kept a cool head throughout the rounds.

Anthony, on the other hand, came out the gate with no real sense of urgency which may have cost him a few early rounds. That said, Yard did pick up the pace as the rounds wore on and did manage to land the more telling power punches but the jab, he was eating all night from Lyndon clearly dictated what the Judges were taking into account.

The bout seemed to get a lot closer to call in the later rounds but truth be told, I personally think that Anthony rallied a little too late and did not press the action in his usual dominating ways.

After 12 rounds of action the Judges called it a split decision. One Judge had it 117-111 for Yard and the other two Judges had it 115-114 for Lyndon.

Yard, who was clearly the stronger fighter, did not have the right “game plan” on the night. Yard may have landed the more power shots but it was Lyndon who controlled most of the rounds with good ring generalship and a steady and accurate jab.

Lyndon kept it simple but effective and never wavered from the original “game plan” and for that Lyndon handed Anthony his second defeat.

Congratulations Lyndon. With this win you now retain your Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Title and picked up the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Title and move up one step closer to a World Championship opportunity.

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jermell Charlo vs Jeison Rosario”

WBC/WBA/IBF Junior Middleweight Unification Challenge

Wowwwwwwww! Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions Showtime PPV main event at the Mohegan Bay Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, between WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo (34-1, 18 Kos) and WBA Super/IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Jeison Rosario (20-2-1, 14 Kos) will definitely be an event to be remembered.

First off, I was little concerned on how the night was going to go when Referee Harvey Dock gave Jermell credit for a knockdown on Jeison that clearly looked like a slip.

Rosario bounced back from round one and proceeded to apply some good pressure boxing smarts and making Jermell feel uncomfortable with some really good effective combination and body shots that clearly bothered Jermell.

As Rosario was winning rounds, Jermell never lost focus and continued moving around while administering a vicious power jab that clearly showed effect every time it landed. It was clear on that night that Jermell was the stronger fighter inside that squared circle.

By round six, Jermell’s “game plan” showed bright when he caught Rosario with a brutal two-piece combination that rattled Rosario straight down for an 8 count. Game changer!

Rosario came back in the seventh round and kept things competitive while still moving forward and boxing while stalking Jermell who was being smart patiently waiting for an opportunity.

Come to round eight, now with only 21 seconds into the round, Jermell hit Rosario with a jab to the face then to the body that sent him straight down into some type of body seizure that did not need a count. Real Talk! Your Boy Jeison was out cold and it did not look normal to me.

I know Jermell’s, got pop and hits hard but that jab to the body didn’t look that damaging but definitely did the job. Personally, I think something else health-wise was going on with Rosario at that moment.

That being said, your Boy Jermell Charlo did what he said he would do inside that squared circle. He clearly conquered his opponent and in doing so retained his WBC Junior Middleweight Title and collected some serious hardware in the IBF, The WBA Super and the prestige Ring Magazine Belt. Nuff said!

Your Boy Jermell is officially the Unified “King” of the Junior Middleweight Division. Hands down.

Congratulations Jermell, Lions Only is in the building!

Now who’s next?

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jermall Charlo vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

WBC Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions Showtime PPV co-main event at the Mohegan Bay Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, between WBC Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22 Kos) and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-3, 10 Kos) was pure fireworks from start to finish. Real Talk!

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night Jermall showed us just that by clearly dominating the “Technician” Derevyanchenko by a unanimous decision.

Jermall’s pistol-like jab worked over Derevyanchenko from the jump. The snap and power Jermall had behind that jab did not go unnoticed as the rounds wore on. Jermall got pushed inside that squared circle last night by a really tough warrior in Derevyanchenko who clearly came to throw down with him but fell short in his third attempt at a winning a belt.

Sergiy was by far Jermall’s toughest opponent to date hands down. Sergiy banged and boxed blow for blow with the lion Jermall but simply couldn’t deter the “Champ” to win enough rounds. It was a tough night of action where both combatants went hard at each other. Real Talk!

In my eyes, Jermall’s power punches and accuracy are what separated the two. Although Derevyanchenko had some good moments at some stretches throughout the bout, Jemall’s “game plan”, patience, pure strength and ability to absorb Sergiy’s attack is what carried him over for the win.

The Judges’ scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112. Absolutely no complaints here.

With this convincing win over a top tier adversary, Jermall retained his WBC Middleweight Title and reasserted himself has a true Champion in the Middleweight Division.

Congratulations Jermall on another great convincing win.

Who’s next?

Blaze

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

WBC Welterweight Champion

“Showtime” Shawn Porter (29-2-1, 17 Kos) and Danny “Swift” Garcia (34-2, 20 Kos) showed up last night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and rocked the house just as expected.

Danny came out the gate as the aggressor but as the rounds got going Porter turned it around on Danny and reverted to his usual aggressive ways and started to step it up with his heavy work rate. It soon became clear just how active Porter is inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Danny seemed to be the more accurate boxer at times and had the heavier punches but Porter was just too relentless with his tactics. His determination and hunger showed up as the rounds crept up.

It was a very close fight to call and exciting to watch and it could have easily been called a draw in my eyes but with that being said, you got to give it up to your Boy “Showtime” for staying true to himself and the game plan at hand. Porter went at it with a Grade “A” fighter in Danny and pulled it off when it counted the most.

Congratulations Shawn on becoming the New WBC Welterweight Champion of the World. With your call out of IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21Kos), you’ve put the 147-Pound Division on notice and definitely looking for that “smoke” with the best of them. Real Talk!

I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

Blaze