On The Watch “It’s All About Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 Kos) and Javier Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 Kos) was a showcase type of an event by Ryan that satisfied all his home fans who came out and represented in his honor at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

This bout was supposed to be a proper test to gauge where Ryan was at this point in his career considering Fortuna was a well-seasoned opponent who had the experience and the skills to give Ryan that much needed work.

That being said, Ryan came out the gate with a hard stiff jab that couldn’t miss. Ryan controlled every round with ease and absolutely no resistance coming from Fortuna. Ryan handled the vet like a sparring match rather than a legit bout.

Fortuna looked unprepared and out of place inside that squared circle. Ryan’s power was too much for Fortuna to handle and surprising to watch considering Fortuna had already been in there with some very good talent with exceptional power of their own in the past and prevailed.

Simply, Ryan was too big, too strong and agile for Fortuna to deter inside that square circle. The way Ryan was having his way inside that squared circle it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. In the fourth round a well-placed left body shot dropped Fortuna for a quick 8 count that saw him survive the round only to get dropped again in the fifth round by another left hand to the dome for another 8 count.

Fortuna was getting dismantled piece by piece and round by round. By the sixth round another head shot to the dome and down goes Fortuna and out comes the mouth guard. The referee had seen enough and stopped the bout by knockout.

Ryan talked a lot of sh*t all the way to the bout but backed every single word inside that squared circle. I tip my “B” hat to Ryan for an exceptional performance because he made Fortuna looked average knowing that Javier is a respectable Dude in the Boxing Game and never an easy out.

With two back-to-back wins and his focus back on boxing, Ryan is feeling like targeting Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 Kos) as his next opponent. Now that’s a very interesting bout I would enjoy watching from the build-up to the night of but calling out “Tank” could be a risky move.

Can’t wait to see if this future bout can actually come to fruition.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai”

WBC Junior Bantamweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBC Junior Bantamweight Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (16-0 11 Kos) and former two-time WBC Junior Bantamweight Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1 43 Kos) definitely lived up to the top billing at the Tech Port Arena, San Antonio.

Rungvisai came into this bout over confident thinking his superior boxing experience and his well-known power were going to be enough to snatch back the WBC Junior Bantamweight Title from the kid “Bam”, but found out quite early that he heavily miscalculated his approach by getting dominated from the jump.

“Bam” came into this bout with a flawless “game plan” and executed it to a “T”. “Bam” boxed and moved beautifully and made the seasoned veteran look pedestrian inside that squared circle. Rungvisai’s lack of a proper “game plan” was quite evident with him being a step behind every time he attempted to land anything at all.


“Bam” was too quick and alert inside that squared circle landing heavy shots from head to body from every corner at will round by round. The Kid showed Rungvisai he had some pop in them hands when he dropped him in round seven for a quick 8 count.

“Bam” was systematically breaking Rungvisai down as the rounds progressed. It was only a matter time before the inevitable happened and by the eighth round Rungvisai got trapped in the ropes at the receiving end of an onslaught of unanswered punches coming from head to body forcing the referee to jump in to wave off the bout. Unbelievable.

If this kid decides to stay in the 115-Pound Division he will definitely be a problem.
After taking out two well-seasoned veterans back-to-back with such ease and retaining his newly acquired WBC Junior Bantamweight Belt, ‘Bam” has unquestionably put the Bantamweight Division on notice. Good luck to the competition because this Kid is ready for all the smoke!

Congratulations on your win Jesse you’re definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin III”

Undisputed Super Middleweight Challenge

It has officially been announced, the trilogy bout between Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 Kos) who will be looking to get back on a winning streak when he faces Middleweight WBA/WBC Champion Gennadiy Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 Kos) who will be moving up to Super Middleweight to get his get back from his only defeat at the hands of Canelo Alvarez 4 years ago.

Quite a few fans in the boxing industry have mixed feelings regarding this trilogy match up but truth be told them two combatants have a serious dislike for one another that can only be settled inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Golovkin never accepted his loss to Canelo and campaigned heavily for a do over that has now been accepted by Canelo. Alvarez has heard the plea and the trash talking from team “GGG”, enough that he now wants to put an end to it once and for all by administering a convincing beating that will end all talk on Saturday September 17, 2022 on DAZN Pay-Per-View from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This trilogy bout has a lot at stake for Canelo considering he is coming from a loss after moving up to the Light Heavyweight Division at a failed attempt to dethroning WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol. Dmitry made Canelo look bad in his defeat and that is not something Canelo is accustomed to. Therefore, Canelo must win and win in a conclusive fashion to silence the skeptics who think Canelo has lost a step since his previous defeat.

That said, Golovkin clearly doesn’t care at what weight this bout will be at, he just wants another opportunity to rectify his previous outing against his nemesis Canelo. With Canelo coming to this bout after a loss and “GGG’ from a win, this trilogy has now become must see tv.

Tune in Saturday night September 17, 2022 on DAZN Pay-Per-View from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and witness the outcome of this intriguing matchup.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua”

IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Rematch Challenge

It has officially been announced, the highly anticipated Heavyweight rematch between newly crowned undefeated unified IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 Kos) and former Heavyweight Champion and challenger Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 Kos), has now been set for August 20th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This bout is a very important bout for both combatants but more so for the Heavyweight Division in general as the winner of this bout will most likely be looking to unify the Division with WBC/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 Kos).

That said, looking ahead is irrelevant at this point without first seeing the outcome of this rematch. Usyk has proven to all the naysayers that he is a legit Heavyweight worthy of the Heavyweight Crown by the way he systematically broke down Anthony round by round in their previous outing. Usyk is a very skillful combatant with the attributes to adapt to any scenario. A focussed Usyk is a difficult man to beat inside that squared circle.

That said, AJ will need to produce the right “game plan” in order to beat this version of the “War Machine” dedicated to representing his country by all means necessary. With a new trainer, Robert Garcia now running the camp, I anticipate a more aggressive, active, focussed and better prepared AJ to be ready to do whatever it takes to be victorious on August 20th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

We already know what Usyk will be bringing into that squared circle and judging by the odds makers favoring Usyk, they too are assuming a second victory over Anthony is inevitable. It will be up to AJ to defy all odds and execute the right plan at hand to avenge his loss and recapture the missing belts from his previous conqueror.

So much at stake and so many questions, tune in on DAZN Saturday August 20th from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to see who will reign supreme when the “Rage of the Red Sea” settles.

Blaze

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