On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr.”

Light Heavyweight Unification Showdown

Last night’s intriguing Top Rank/ESPN Main Event between IBF/WBC/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 Kos) and WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 Kos) left the fans in attendance  with their jaws dropping by the total destruction witnessed at the hands of Beterbiev at the Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater.

I anticipated a stoppage happening throughout this bout but this total annihilation by Beterbiev took me by surprise. Artur is usually a slow starter but, on this night, he came out gunslinging with his hands of stone geared up to do some serious damage.

Joe, who is also known for his power in both hands, was caught off guard by the early aggressiveness of Beterbiev. Joe attempted to go blow for blow from the first round but felt the wrath of Beterbiev’s power late in the round when he suddenly got clipped for a quick 8 count with barely any time left but survived the round.

In the second round, Beterbiev wasted no time and went straight for the kill shot by landing straight right hands to the dome of Joe that dropped him for another quick 8 count but he bounced right back up to only get dropped seconds later by another right to the dome for another quick 8 count.


Beterbiev was in seek and destroy mode from this point on and continued to administer an onslaught of unanswered straight punches to the dome that shocked Joe so hard off balance that the referee jumped in and stopped the fight after seeing how badly hurt Joe was, wondering around spaced out inside that squared circle.

Beterbiev just took down the second hardest puncher in the Light Heavyweight Division and made it look easyyyyy. With this destructive win Artur has now snatched the WBO Belt from Joe Smith Jr. and retained his IBF/WBC and Ring Magazine Belt, leaving the WBA Super Belt held by Dmitry Bivol as the only missing piece to become Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol for Undisputed is the right fight to make but only time will tell if the possibility of this match up can ever come into fruition.

Until then, congratulations Artur on another conclusive win and getting one step closer at achieving your goal of Undisputed.

Blaze

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

Lightweight Unification Showdown

At last night’s Unification Lightweight Championship Top Rank/ESPN Main Event, we witness the dawn of a New King emerge when the self-proclaimed Emperor, Unified IBF/WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Champion and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion George Kambosos Jr. (20-1, 10 Kos), got systematically broken down round by round by WBC Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (28-0, 15 Kos) at the Marvel Stadium in Australia. Hands Down!

Devin singlehandedly silenced the 41, 000 plus fans in attendance at the Marvel Stadium by simply executing a flawless “game plan” with an exceptional display of boxing skills round after round. Devin’s jab was laser sharp and very active from the jump. His perfectly timed movements were causing Kambosos’ fits all night.

Kambosos was getting tagged all night frustrated that he couldn’t pin down or deter Devin from having his way. Kambosos and his team really botched their “game plan” this time around as the rounds progressed it was painfully visible to watch Kambosos be neutralized so easily with absolutely no answer to the problem at hand.

All the odds were against Devin when he stepped foot inside that squared circle, that being said the kid remained mentally strong and unfazed at the challenges in front of him. Devin took it all in with his million dollars smile on his face and showed the world that “dreams do come true” when he levelled up “Game 7 Style” and handily schooled the Champion on his own turf.

The outcome was inescapable. After twelve fully completed rounds, the Judges scored it 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 all in favor of Devin Haney. This type of scoring does not do Devin justice but the right combatant definitely won this bout.

With this convincing win Devin now becomes the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/ Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Devin on becoming the eight male combatants to ever capture this high-status
accomplishment of being Undisputed Champion. You and your dad had a “Dream” from day one and put into action and accomplished it, on the biggest stage of your career to date.

This was an historical victory well deserved. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Rolando Romero”

WBA “Regular” Lightweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Showtime PPV Main Event between WBA “Regular” Lightweight Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (27-0, 25 Kos) and challenger Rolando “Rolly” Romero (14-1, 12 Kos) packed the house at the Barclays Center with an attendance of 18,970 in the building.

Both combatants, known for having power, started the first round with caution reading each other’s movements while setting up their “game plan” into motion.

While the fans in attendance were expecting bombs to be flying left and right from the jump, I knew to expect the opposite considering the last thing you want to do is rush Davis inside that squared circle. There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night Davis proved just that.

While the bout seemed close round by round it was Davis who seemed to be sticking to the “game plan”, patiently waiting for the opportunity to strike with purpose.

“Rolly” started the bout with a good stiff jab but got away from it as the rounds progressed trying to land something hard with every punch thrown. “Rolly” is a big kid with size and power but lacked the discipline and the right fundamentals to compete with an “A” level type of combatant like “Tank”.

That being said, “Tank” fought a smart fight relying on his boxing IQ to dictate the action inside the squared circle. By the way “Rolly” was throwing reckless wide haymakers, it was only a matter of time before “Tank” landed something significant enough to do damage and in round six, the inevitable happened when Gervonta landed a blast of a counter left hand straight to the dome sending Rolando down into the ropes struggling to get back up during the 8 count prompting the referee to have a real good look at him. Since Rolando was visibly hurt and still on shaky legs, the bout was instantly stopped for not being able to respond to the referee’s command in a convincing manner.

“Rolly” talked a good game and pressed the action at times but it was “Tank” who walked it like he talked it and closed the show in an emphatic fashion. With this definite win, Gervonta retained his WBA “Regular” Lightweight Title.

Congratulations Gervonta on another great win. I can’t wait to see who signs up to be the next contestant to grace that ring opposite of you.

Blaze

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

WBC Interim Super Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event was a showcase type of event when undefeated David Benavidez (26-0, 23 Kos) completely annihilated our own Canadian star David Lemieux (43-5, 36 Kos) by stoppage at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

The outcome of this bout was already written the day David signed up for this bout. No disrespect to David but our Canadian representative was a mismatch from the jump.

David talked a good game and fought with the heart and will of a warrior but was simply met with a combatant who was too strong and too big for him to deter inside that squared circle. Don’t get me wrong, David has taken on plenty of bigger guys throughout his career but none were ever this ferocious as Benavidez was on that night.

Benavidez toyed with David from round one with a series of heavy punches being handed towards David with absolutely no answer and came close to being stopped in the first round if it wasn’t for the bell saving David from being laid out. The second round was a continuation of round one where David attempted to defend himself but couldn’t get by Benavidez’s busy hands and nonstop onslaught coming at him from all corners – from the body to the head and through the ropes and onto the floor for a quick eight count.

The inevitable was apparent. Benavidez was breaking Lemieux down easier than expected and by the third round, David was simply in survivor mode fighting off adrenaline, absorbing uppercuts, body shots and straight head shots bouncing off the ropes with utterly no sense of defence which then prompted Lemieux’s corner to stop the bout.

This one-sided beatdown handed down by Benavidez reaffirmed his position in the Super Middleweight Division. With this win Benavidez picked up the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Belt, bringing him one step closer to challenging the Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 Kos).

This is a bout that needs to happen. David Benavidez can no longer be avoided. Canelo needs to answer this challenge to silence the cynics who think he is afraid of the possible obstacle ahead in the form of David Benavidez.

Until then, congratulations Benavidez on your latest convincing victory.

Blaze

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

Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Rematch bout between Unified WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 Kos) and WBO Champion Brian Castano (17-1-2, 12 Kos) at the Dignity Sports Park, Carson, California was definitely a bout to remember as we finally witnessed the crowning of the first Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion since the four-belt era.

This time around both combatants came out the gate with a different approach. Castano’s punch output was visibly less while Charlo stepped up his boxing and moving being more aggressive from the jump.

Charlo’s jab was very effective and definitely gave Castano a harder time at getting on the inside but that being said, both combatants had their moments making this bout quite exciting as the rounds progressed with both warriors dropping some heavy bombs on one another up close and personal.

With the rounds heating up, it was Charlo who walked it like he talked it and made sure to keep the Judges out of the equation this time around when he viciously dropped Castano heavily in the tenth round twice as Castano resisted to get to his feet a second time visibly still hurt from the knockdowns which then prompted the referee to stop the electrifying bout.

It was an action-packed event that saw Jermell defend his WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Championships and seize the WBO Belt from Brian to now becoming the first Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion of the World since the four-belt era.

With this convincing win and major achievement in your career to date, you are now part of one of the most prestigious clubs in Boxing and join the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Josh Taylor and Terence Crawford to become Undisputed Champions in the four-belt era.

Congratulations Jermell, you cleaned out the 154-Pound Division and now reign supreme. You earned that one the hard way. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol”

WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN PPV Main Event between Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo (57-2-2, 39 Kos) and WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 Kos) at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, was a shocking and disappointing outcome to the pro-Canelo crowd in attendance. Real Talk!

Canelo may have been reaching a little too high when he attempted to recapture a title at his second run at Light Heavyweight by choosing to pry away the “Big Fundamental” Bivol’s WBA “Super” Title. Bivol wasn’t having it and defended his title like a champion should.

Canelo was met with a warrior in Bivol who did not play by his rules but instead proceeded to being quite the challenge Canelo was looking for. Hands Down!

A lot of boxing pundits discredited Bivol and had already counted him out but I personally thought all these people were dead wrong about him. Anyone who paid attention and actually watched how Bivol dismantled all of his previous opponents would know that Dmitry’s fundamental skills are flawless. He may not be the strongest or the fastest but his efficiency inside that squared circle remains unmatched.

Team Caleno severely miscalculated their “game plan” this time around as they were unable to deter Bivol’s steady nonstop pressure aided by a stiff pistol-like jab that stayed connecting all night. Bivol’s punch output and punch combinations were on point and definitely kept Canelo frustrated throughout the bout.

Bivol was impressive and showed absolutely no fear inside that squared circle, unlike some of Caleno’s past opponents who crumbled under the bright lights and the big stage.

Bivol silenced the pro-Caleno crowd who were privy enough to witness this masterclass performance unfolding right before their eyes. After 12 full rounds of action all three Judges scored it 115-113 in favor of Dmitry Bivol.

I’m a big fan of Caleno win or lose but this score card does not reflect what transpired inside that squared circle. This score card is way too close to my liking. Bivol owned this bout from start to finish in my eyes hands down! Let’s give the man the respect he is due. Bivol just took down the Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” on the biggest night of his career and retained his WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Title in the process.

This outcome is nothing that Caleno can’t bounce back from. Maybe an immediate rematch to redeem himself will be in the works but until then congratulations Dmitry this was an incredible win that will last the test of time. Job well done.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez”

WBC/WBO Super Featherweight Unification Championship

Last night’s Top Rank’s Main Event Unification bout between WBO Super Featherweight Champion Shakur Stevenson (18-0, 9 Kos) and WBC Super Featherweight Champion Oscar Valdez (30-2, 23 Kos) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, was a clinical beatdown bestowed by Shakur on the biggest night of his career to date. Real Talk!

Shakur’s boxing IQ was on full display last night. I was expecting Shakur to box and move all night but instead Shakur stood his ground right from the jump and patiently dismantled his opponent round by round with a stiff powerful jab that couldn’t miss or be deterred by Valdez, who was stuck all night clueless behind an ineffective high guard that left his face visibly touched up at the end of the night.

Shakur walked it like he talked it and shut down Valdez who looked defeated as the rounds progressed. Valdez was unable to stop Shakur from having his way inside that squared circle. Valdez’s “game plan” or lack thereof was non-existent. Valdez looked lost inside that squared circle with absolutely no guidance from his corner. Unbelievable.


Shakur was always two steps ahead of Valdez all night. Stevenson stood his ground and beat the power puncher at his own game. After 12 full rounds of schooling, the Judges scored it 118-109, 118-109 and 117 110 all in favor of Shakur Stevenson.

With this convincing win by Shakur, he is now the new WBO/WBC and newly acquired Ring Magazine Unified Super Featherweight Champion of the World.

With the way Shakur made this bout look so effortless, I can’t see anybody beating this kid in the 130-Pound Division. Real Talk! The road to undisputed just got clearer for Shakur. Good luck to the competition.

Congratulations Shakur on your latest triumph.

Blaze

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

Undisputed Lightweight Championship Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between Undisputed Lightweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/ Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (21-0, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (42-2-1, 30 Kos), outdid themselves when they battled it out at Madison Square Garden in New York.

This was women’s Boxing at its highest level and both combatants showed the World and the fans in attendance a boxing match that will last the test of time. Real Talk! Amanda, who moved up in weight from the 126-Pound Division to the 135-Pound Division, did not look out of place exchanging leather for leather against the visibly bigger Champion in Katie Taylor.

Them two warriors gave it to each other right from the jump with neither combatant letting one another get the edge as the rounds progressed. Both had moments throughout the bout and both managed to impress me with the way they executed their respectable “game plan”.

Amanda, being the smaller opponent, performed exceptionally well and even had the Champ hurt a few times and could have put the Champ out if it wasn’t for the round being over at the right time giving Katie that out long enough to recover. Amanda’s power was real and looked quite effective and definitely bothered Katie whenever she got tagged hard enough.

That said, Katie is one resilient combatant who wasn’t about to be outdone on the biggest night of her career to date. Katie’s hand speed and punch output was quite efficient and definitely made it difficult for Amanda to match her punch for punch. Her foot work and conditioning were key points that carried her throughout the bout.

This was a tight bout to call from start to finish and both combatants had their respectable moments throughout the bout, but after 10 full rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand scored it 96-93, 97-93 for Taylor and 96-94 for Serrano, giving the edge and the win to Katie Taylor.

Listen, I’m a big fan of Katie but I personally think that Amanda edged this one, hands down!
Again, this was a tight bout from start to finish but Amanda did the better work round by round and clearly had Katie hurt numerous times and landed the more visible telling punches. Katie’s punch output was very good but Amanda stood her ground and showed her strength and power with clean punches that were too clean to be ignored by these two Judges’ score cards.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte”

WBC Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotion/Top Rank Main Event between WBC/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 Kos) and Mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte (28-3, 19 Kos) at the Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London, UK, with an attendance of 94,000 fans definitely lived up to the hype. Hands Down!

The “Gypsy King” defended his Championship belts for the second time and did it in style by boxing circles around “The Body Snatcher” Dillian who had absolutely no proper “game plan” in keeping Tyson from having his way inside that squared circle.

It was a boxing clinic by Tyson who kept Dillian at bay with a very effective jab, enabling Dillian from landing anything significant enough to deter Tyson from pressing the action from round one and on.

Tyson looked good from the jump boxing and moving at ease inside that squared circle. Dillian tried numerous times to land that heavy left hand but with no avail constantly missing and swinging at air whenever Tyson moved with grace avoiding every power shot coming from Dillian.

Tyson’s size, reach and boxing IQ inside the ring was simply too much of a puzzle for Dillian to overcome. Tyson always seemed to be two steps ahead of Dillian’s every move. Dillian was outmatched and outwitted inside that squared circle. To me this bout looked like a sparring session gone wrong for Dillian. It was only matter of time before the inevitable happened and by the 6th round, Tyson connected with a vicious right uppercut straight to the chin that dropped Dillian who then managed to get up before the count but was on shaky legs to continue. This prompted the referee to call the bout in fear for his safety. Game over!

This was a long overdue mandatory position that Dillian Whyte rightfully deserved from time but fell short on the biggest night of his career to the so-called pillow fisted “Gypsy King”. I tip my “B” hat to Fury for successfully defending his WBC/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Championship Titles and walking away from the game still undefeated and on his own terms in the presence of 94,000 fans at the Wembley Stadium in London.

Job well done Tyson, now enjoy your retirement.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Yordenis Ugas”

WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Unified Champion

Last night’s Showtime PPV Main Event between WBC/IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 Kos) and WBA “Super” Welterweight Champion Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 Kos) at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, was simply an excellent display of how great Errol can be when dialed in inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Both combatants showed up in tip top shape ready to go to war with one another but it was Errol who hadn’t fought in over 16 months, and had to recover from retina surgery to be back healthy for this bout he had the look and the aura of a man who wasn’t going to be deterred by no means, regardless of the opponent inside that squared circle.

Errol let his hands go early and did not stop pounding his opponent right from the jump. Both combatants surprisingly fought from the “phone booth” style not giving each other an inch but it was Spence who was getting most out of that tactic due to the higher volumes of punches being thrown with power.

I was surprised by Ugas’ “game plan” or lack of considering going toe to toe with Errol requires you to dish out a punch output to at least deter him from coming forward. Ugas gave back but was looking more at placing his punches rather than keeping up with Spence. Allowing Spence to have his way helps him build his confidence and encourages him to keep applying nonstop pressure with no real fear of anything coming at him.

Ugas had some moments inside that squared circle and even caught Spence slipping in the 6th round with a couple of heavy shots that caught Spence’s attention and visibly hurt him, but Ugas didn’t capitalize on that momentum and once Spence shook it off, he went back into “beast mode” throwing heavy punches looking for that get back.

As the rounds progressed Ugas’ right eye was swollen shut from the pounding, he was receiving from Spence who by then was breaking his opponent down round by round. The inevitable was near.

By the tenth round Ugas became a punching bag, absorbing punishment after punishment coming from all angles prompting the referee to send Yordenis to the ringside Doctor who than decided Ugas could no longer continue seeing out the right eye. Errol won by technical knockout and became the New Unified WBA “Super”/WBC/IBF Welterweight Champion of the World. Well done.

Errol Spence Jr. is “The Truth” hands down inside that squared circle. This performance by Spence last night proved once and for all that your Boy is back 100% from all previous setbacks. The only thing next to do is to challenge WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 Kos). Two undefeated Champions laying it all on the line for Undisputed.

Who you got?

Blaze