On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Yordenis Ugas”

WBA “Super” welterweight Challenge

Last night’s PBC/FOX Sport Pay-Per-View Main Event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas between Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 Kos) and WBA “Super” Champion Yordenis Ugas (27-4, 12 Kos) was a shocking type of an event that saw the underdog Yordenis silence all the critics when he handily defeated the Legendary “Pacman” by unanimous decision.

It was a beautiful display of boxing by Ugas who stuck to the “game plan” from the jump and executed it perfectly. Ugas’ strong and steady jab was key all night in preventing Manny from rushing him with his flurry of punches. Ugas asserted himself and imposed and utilized his size and reach the right way.

Pacquiao looked surprisingly confused at times, not able to get into a proper offensive flow to offset Ugas, who kept it really simple but effective enough to trouble Pacquiao round by round.

I was very impressed by Ugas’ patience inside that squared circle, never letting the moment of fighting a legend deter him or distract him off his mission at hand.

Watching the way this bout unfolded it was evident to me that Pacquiao underestimated Ugas’ ability to box the way that he did. I tip my “B” hat to Ugas for showing us that he can still elevate his game as the competition steps up. Ugas came into this bout as the underdog but walked out earning Pacquiao’s respect the hard way, inside that squared circle.

After 12 full rounds of non-stop action, all three Judges scored it 116-112, 116-112, 115-113 in favor of Yordenis Ugas. By far the best win of his career to date.

With this convincing win, Yordenis retained his WBA “Super” Welterweight Title and reinforced his position in 147-Pound Division. With the momentum on his side, Ugas is now looking forward to a unification bout with WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 Kos) or an encounter with Unified IBF/WBC Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 Kos).

Regardless of the opponent, both combatants would have the making of an exciting bout.

Until then Yordenis congratulations on your latest triumph.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Virgil Ortiz Jr. vs Egidijus Kavaliauskas”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event at The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, was well worth the wait. Real Talk! Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 Kos) and Egidijus Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 Kos) showed us fans what two hungry fighters can produce when matched up properly.

The warrior that Egidijus is came out early and asserted himself quite well by pressuring Vergil in the first few rounds even catching him with a barrage of punches and a right uppercut on the chin that clearly dropped Ortiz but the referee called it a slip. That said, Ortiz survived the round and returned the favor in the third round when he also chinned Egidijus and dropped him for a quick 8 count right before the bell.

As the rounds were piling up so was the action inside that squared circle. Both combatants brought the “Heat”. Egidijus proved to be the test Virgil needed at this point but it was only a matter of time before he’d figured Kavaliauskas out.

As great as the back-and-forth action was inside that squared circle, Virgil’s power and precision shined bright in the eighth round when a well-placed left shot to the body dropped Egidijus for a quick eight count then a left hook to the chin for the second knockdown, another eight count then chinned checked again for a third knockdown, another eight count but then came the “End Game” a barrage of unanswered heavy punches dropped “Mean Machine” for the fourth and final time which then prompted the referee to officially stop the bout.

It was a beautiful display of boxing by Virgil who encountered some solid resistance but prevailed big time when it was all said and done.

That being said, Virgil wants next with WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 Kos) or any other Champions in the Division. Your Boy is out here looking for all that smoke.

Who really want it with the Kid Virgil Ortiz Jr. cause he got next!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Carlos Takam”

Heavyweight Showdown

Joe Joyce (13-0, 12 Kos) walked it like he talked it tonight when he stopped Carlos Takam (39-6-1, 28 Kos) as he predicted, in the sixth round at the SSE Arena in Wembley, England.

Watching Joe fight tonight wasn’t pretty but he did the job. Takam came in willing and able to trouble Joe who made it hard for Takam with his size and length but props still need to be given to Takam for pressuring Joe enough to actually winning rounds in my eyes.

As big as Joe was inside that squared circle, Takam’s movement and quicker hands did find a home landing on Joe quite frequently. Takam had the right “game plan” going for him but the pace he had to maintain to keep Joe from landing was visibly taxing him as the rounds were going.

It was only a matter of time before the “Juggernaut” caught him and seconds into the sixth round Joe did just that when he connected with a heavy left hook to Takam’s dome that rocked him so hard that he started Crip walking on shaky legs leaving himself open to a series of unanswered punches that hastily prompted the referee to stop the bout.

Takam did not agree with the stoppage and rightfully so since he was still standing but judging by the way Joe was picking up steam in the sixth round, the inevitable ending was bound to happen.

As slow and predictable as Joe looked inside that squared circle tonight, one thing for sure is he carries some serious power in those hands and when he connects you definitely feel it.

With this win, Joe continues his winning streak and maintains his WBO mandatory position to challenge the winner of the Anthony Joshua IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion and Oleksandr Usyk future bout.

Until then, congratulations Joe on another great win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano”

Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event Junior Middleweight Unification Championship bout between WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 Kos) and WBO Champion Brian Castano (17-0-2, 12 Kos) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, was nothing short of exciting from start to finish but did end with controversy.

A lot of people in the boxing community expected “Iron Man” Jermell to completely and easily destroy Castano on his way to Undisputed but things didn’t go as planned. Castano showed up last night and was a real live aggressive body inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

I’m not sure if Jermell underestimated Castano but his passive/aggressive approach may have cost him at times inside that squared circle. Jermell, who was clearly the bigger fighter of the two combatants, had a visibly hard time with Castano’s pressure style of fighting. Although Jermell’s jab and long range made it harder for Castano, the man still found his way in time and time again with some serious controlled aggression.

Both combatants threw some serious leather at each other. Jermell’s punches looked more telling at times but Castano’s controlled aggressive offensive output could not go unnoticed. I gotta tip my “B” hat to Castano cause Dude was definitely touching Charlo and making this fight tough as hell for the Unified Champ inside that squared circle.

Jermell showed his own toughness withstanding Castano’s onslaught cause say what you want the Kid Castano can pop. That being said, this bout was tight from the jump. Charlo had himself two very telling rounds when he clipped and wobbled Castano early in the second round and when he threw some serious combinations in the tenth round that had Castano retreating to survive the round. As good as these two telling rounds were, Charlo was not able to stop Castano.

That being said, Castano had his moments as well actually clipping and hurting Jermell when he was working his inside game whenever he had Jermell on them ropes. In my eyes, Castano’s non-stop pressure for the bulk of the bout clearly showed who controlled the fight inside that squared circle.

After 12 full rounds of non-stop action the Judges scored it 114-113 for Castano, 117-111 for Charlo and 114-114, a split decision draw. Listen, I’m ok with them Judges scoring the championship rounds for Jermell but that 117-111 is straight up OUT OF POCKET!! A ridiculous score if you ask me.

Controversial ending aside, both Champions leave with their titles in hand. Jermell is still WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion and Castano WBO Champion.

Congratulations to both combatants for putting on an exciting show from start to finish, hopefully part two will be in the near future.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gilberto Ramirez vs Sullivan Barrera”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Gilberto Ramirez (42-0, 28 Kos) and Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 Kos) at the Banc of California Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, was nothing more than some light sparring work for the one they call “Zurdo”. Real Talk!

I was expecting some serious leather to be thrown back and forth from these two combatants considering Barrera was a strong durable opponent who usually poses a threat when inside that squared circle but, what I actually witnessed was a quick one-sided thrashing coming from the hands of Ramirez.

Ramirez’s “game plan” was straight and simple to follow and didn’t take time to assess as he found the holes in Barrera’s defense and made him pay dearly with some serious body shots that dropped Barrera three times, including twice in the fourth round which then prompted the referee to stop the bout. Unbelievable.

I’ve watch many of Barrera’s bouts to date and never seen the man succumb to submission as easily as that. Gilberto Ramirez is a serious problem inside that squared circle. In only his third bout at the 175-Pound Division, Ramirez has definitely put the Champions on notice and directly called out WBA Super Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 Kos).

Now if Dmitry answers that call and accepts the challenge, them two inside that squared circle would unquestionably be a very intriguing matchup.

Let’s see if this bout can be made but, until then congratulations “Zurdo” on your latest win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jojo Diaz Jr. vs Javier Fortuna”

Vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Title

Jojo Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 Kos) came up a division last night to the 135-Pound Division to challenge Javier Fortuna (36-3-1, 25 Kos) for the WBC Interim Lightweight Title on the Golden Boy/DAZN co Main Event at the Banc of California Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, and did not disappoint.

Jojo stayed true to himself and came in tip top shape made weight comfortably and looked like a legit Lightweight inside that squared circle.

Jojo understood what this important bout meant to him and his future and wasted no time asserting himself inside that squared circle. Jojo needed a great performance last night and he made sure to deliver.

Both combatants threw some serious hands at each other going back and forth keeping things exciting but as the rounds were piling up you could clearly see Diaz getting a slight edge over Fortuna.

I don’t think Javier anticipated Diaz being so aggressive and active with his hands but them two combatants made it tough on each other with Diaz probably getting the better body work of the two. The phone booth style they had going at times was very impressive.

That being said, this was certainly a close bout and after 12 rounds of non-stop action the Judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 unanimously in favor of Jojo Diaz Jr. Personally, I thought the bout was a lot closer than that but the right warrior definitely won this fight.

With this great win Jojo picked up the Vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Title and is now looking to compete amongst the top of the 135-Pound Division of the likes of Ring Magazine and Unified “King Pin” Teofimo Lopez, WBC Champion Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

However, the two main combatants on his list as of today are Ryan Garcia or WBC Champion Devin Haney.

Let’s see who answers the call, until then congratulations Jojo you earned that one.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Mario Barrios”

WBA Super Lightweight Championship

Last night’s PPV PBC/Showtime Main Event matchup between Gervonta Davis (25-0, 24 Kos) and WBA “Regular” Super Lightweight Champion Mario Barrios (26-1, 17 Kos) at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, definitely lived up to the hype. Real talk!

Davis, who last fought in the 130-pound Division, moved up two weight Divisions to challenge tough and powerful Barrios for his WBA “Regular” Super Lightweight Title. As expected, this bout wasn’t no cakewalk for Davis. Barrios the much taller and rangier fighter of the two, kept things quite interesting and competitive for as long as he could inside that squared circle.

Barrios came to fight and stood his ground like the Champion that he was. Barrios boxed and moved and made things challenging for the shorter Davis. Although Barrios stayed disciplined throughout the rounds you could sense Davis getting comfortable and adjusting his “game plan” as the rounds progressed.

Once Davis’ range and power punches started connecting, you could visibly see Barrios feel the power “Tank” was landing from head to body. It was only a matter of time before Barrios slipped and in the 8th round, a two-piece combo from “Tank” straight to Barrios’ dome dropped him for a quick 8 count.

Impressively, Barrios survived the round and continued to stand his ground in a competitive fashion all the way to the 10th round like a warrior on a mission to live. That being said, by the 11th round the “End Game” was inevitable. Davis’ pressure and heavy onslaught was too much for Barrios to endure. A well-placed vicious uppercut to the solar plexus dropped Barrios hard to the ground but still Barrios rose up after the 8 count only to be dropped again by a series of heavy unanswered punches which then prompted the referee to stop the fight at the 2:13 mark of the 11th round.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Barrios, Dude came in a Champion and fought like a Champion. This was by far Davis’ biggest test to date which he passed with flying colors. The naysayers will try to discredit Gervonta’s latest accomplishment but this was not an easy task. “Tank” showed up last night and proved to be levels above his competition. With this convincing win “Tank” becomes the new WBA “Regular” Super Lightweight Champion of the world and a three-Division World Champion.

Peeps need to stop hating on the young man and appreciate the talent this Kat brings inside that squared circle time and time again. Real talk!

Congratulations “Tank” on another impressive victory, now on to the next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani”

Lightweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event saw the return of Vasiliy Lomachenko (15-2, 10 Kos) taking on
Masayoshi Nakatani (19-2, 13 Kos) at the Virgin Hotels, in Las Vegas Nevada.

“Loma” came into this bout with a chip on his shoulders and showed us what a fully healed driven fighter can accomplish when no existing lingering injuries are present.

No disrespect to Nakatani, but last night Masayoshi was merely a prop for Loma’s 2.0. version of the “Matrix” inside that squared circle. Loma broke down the bigger, rangier and taller combatant piece by piece at will from head to body round by round.

There was absolutely nothing Nakatani could do to stop the smaller “Loma” from having his way with him inside that squared circle. Punches were coming from all corners with speed and precision. “Loma” looked surprisingly sharp for someone who just came back from shoulder surgery.

Nakatani looked lost and puzzled with no real “game plan” to stop the offensive onslaught coming his way. By the 9th round Nakatani was pretty much out on his feet from the barrage
he was absorbing and eventually dropped to the canvas which then prompted the referee to stop the bout.

This was a masterful performance by “Loma” hands down against a worthy opponent. With this convincing win “Loma” has rightfully reinserted himself back into title contention once again.

It will be interesting to see if IBF/WBA/WBO/WBC Franchise Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 Kos) offers Lomachenko that rematch he’s been asking for.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Erickson Lubin vs Jeison Rosario”

WBC Junior Middleweight Eliminator

Last night’s PPV PBC/Showtime Co Main Event between Erickson Lubin (24-1, 17 Kos) and Jeison Rosario (20-3-1, 14 Kos)  at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, was a statement type bout that was much needed in the Division.

It didn’t take much time for the two warriors to start exchanging leather back and forth, the only looming question was who would be able to withstand the onslaught.

Erickson looked more patient with his approach while Rosario pressed the action leaving quite a few holes open for Erickson to capitalize on. Although both combatants landed quite a few heavy shots on one another it was Rosario who seemed, to me, to have lost some serious punch resistance.

Once Erickson realized that Rosario’s punch resistance was shot it was only a matter of time before he connected on something significant. By the 6th round Erickson pressed the action and landed some serious head and body shots that sent Rosario down for a quick 8 count but then once up couldn’t sustain further body shots that sent him down for the second time and a full unanswered count.

With this win “The Hammer” may have scored his most impressive win to date over former unified World Champion Jeison Rosario. Now it’s about taking this WBC No. 1-Ranked contender position and push for that the rematch to avenge his only loss to WBC/WBA/IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo.

Until then, keep killing your opposition.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jermall Charlo vs Juan Macias Montiel”

WBC Middleweight Title Defense

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event between WBC Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 Kos) and Juan Macias Montiel (22-5-2, 22 Kos) turned out to be a better show than expected at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The “Hit Man” was definitely in a fight last night and although he clearly won the bout, I gotta tip my “B” hat to Montiel for making it exciting. Montiel came to fight and made it quite interesting. If Charlo was looking for an easy fight last night Montiel made sure to make it tough for him at least as best he could. Montiel showed some serious durability in this bout. Dude refused to bow down to the “Hit Man”. Charlo hit this Dude with everything from head to body with some serious sting behind it and Montiel, although clearly buzzed out at times looking punch drunk, still fought back and held his own. Montiel definitely earned my respect with this one.

Montiel never stopped coming forward throughout the bout. After 12 rounds of non-stop action, the Judges scored it 120-108, 119-109, 118-109 unanimously in favor of Jermall Charlo. With this win Charlo retained his WBC Middleweight Title. Well done.

Montiel proved to be a hell of a tough competitor but Charlo demonstrated to be levels above inside that squared circle.

Congratulations Champ, can’t wait to see who’s next for the “Hit Man”.

Blaze