On The Watch “It’s All About Yordenis Ugas vs Abel Ramos”

Vacant WBA “Regular” Welterweight Title

Last night’s main event at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California gave us a chance to see Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 Kos) outbox and dominate Abel Ramos (26-4-2, 20 Kos) for a full 12 rounds of none-stop action.

Ugas came out the gate and established his jab early with some well-timed combinations that clearly kept Abel off balance throughout the bout. Abel moved well inside that squared circle and did his best to attack Ugas when feasible, but Yordenis’ high guard and counterpunching made it real hard for Abel to land anything of significance to slow Yordenis down.

As dominant as Ugas was inside that squared circle, I personally felt he could have stepped on the gas a little more and upped his offensive output. To me, Ugas pretty much controlled the bout while still fighting in first gear. Had he pressed the action a little more we could have probably seen a stoppage by Ugas.

That being said, Yordenis clearly won this bout last night hands down. The Judges’ scores were 115-113, 115-113 for Yordenis and 117-111 for Ramos. I’m baffled by Judge Dr. Lou Moret’s card of 117-111 for Abel. No disrespect to Ramos but your Boy got done up by a superior boxer in Ugas in pretty much every round. Real Talk! There was absolutely no other way to tally the score in Ramos’ favor. None!

With this win, Yordenis is now the new WBA “Regular” Welterweight Champion. Congratulations “Champ”. You’ve grinded a long time and worked your way up to this point. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. You deserve it.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jose Ramirez vs Viktor Postol”

WBC/WBO Light Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank main event at the MGM Grand conference room in Las Vegas, Nevada, between WBC/WBO Light Welterweight Champion Jose Ramirez (26-0, 17 Kos) and Viktor Postol (31-3, 12 Kos) was a solid outing by the two combatants.

Postol, the older mandatory challenger, came out and performed exceptionally well and kept it quite interesting with his stiff jab connecting all night but Ramirez’s controlled aggression and power shot kept things honest between the two.

Ramirez quickly found out that Postol was the real deal as the rounds wore on. Postol may be older in age but his Ring IQ is quite unique and can be quite puzzling if you don’t possess the right tools to offset his approach.

That being said, Ramirez did struggle at times but eventually worked his inside game to the body and landed the more damaging shots that may have swayed the Judges in his favor. After 12 rounds of action the Judges scored it 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 for Jose Ramirez.

I tip my “B” hat to Postol who came out and gave the Champion a good run for his money and nearly pulled it off. Personally, with a performance like this one I wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch to clear the air.

Unfortunately for Postol, Ramirez has a Unification bout in mind with IBF/WBA Light Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor (16-0, 12 Kos), that is if Josh gets past his IBF mandatory Apinum Khongsong (16-0, 13 Kos) due next month on September 26, 2020.

Until then Jose, congratulations on retaining your WBC/WBO Light Welterweight Championship Belts! You could be one fight away from Undisputed.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Erislandy Lara vs Greg Vendetti”

WBA “Regular” Junior Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s main event at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles between WBA “Regular” Junior Middleweight Champion Erislandy Lara (27-3-3, 15 Kos) and contender Greg Vendetti (22-4-1, 12 Kos) was an impressive showing by the one they call “The American Dream”.

The much older but seasoned veteran Lara, showed us fans and the rest of the 154-Pound Division that he’s not to be slept on just yet. Your Boy Lara still got the goods to mix it up with the other champions in the Division, hands down.

Vendetti, a tough and durable contender did his best to disrupt Lara but simply lacks the Boxing IQ to beat a seasoned well-schooled veteran like Lara. No disrespect to Vendetti. He’s no slouch inside that squared circle and he did go 12 full rounds with “The American Dream” but painfully got out-boxed by a world class fighter.

Vendetti and his team clearly underestimated Lara’s abilities inside that squared circle considering Lara is getting up there in age. At 37 years old Lara may look ripe for the taking but not by your average fighter. Real Talk!

That being said, Lara is still top 3 in the 154-Pound Division and he’s out there looking for all the smoke. Lara is determined to reclaim the No. 1 Spot that he once held at the Junior Middleweight Division. To accomplish that, Lara will be looking to challenge the winner of the upcoming Junior Middleweight Unification bout between WBC Champion Jermell Charlo and IBF/WBA Super Champion Jeison Rosario.

The Junior Middleweight Division is “Blazing” right now and Erislandy Lara is still in the mix of it all.

Until then, stay locked in Lara you just might be next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Eleider Alvarez vs Joe Smith Jr.”

WBO Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator

Last night’s Top Rank main event between Eleider Alvarez (25-2, 13 Kos) and Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 Kos) at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, was well worth the wait. Real Talk!

This bout was non-stop action straight from the jump. Joe Smith who’s well known for having heavy hands held no punches throughout the night and displayed some great boxing improvement to go along with a flawless “game plan” that highlighted his strengths round by round.

Alvarez who was the more polished boxer of the two, played right into Joe Smith’s “game plan” and fell victim to his traps. The last thing you want to do when facing Jo Smith is to sit there and go toe to toe “phone booth” style with him. That is just what Alvarez did and he paid the price for it.

Personally, I was confused by Alvarez’s approach from the jump. Alvarez being the superior boxer of the two looked to bang it out with the wrong Dude on that night when he should have been boxing in and out, disrupting Smith’s come forward aggressive style.

Alvarez, not being able to do the proper adjustments inside that squared circle, caused him to get caught up in Joe’s physical roughness tactics. It was evident that Smith’s power was just too much for Alvarez to handle.

Joe’s pressure eventually overwhelmed Alvarez in the ninth round when Eleider succumbed to a hard right-left combination that dropped him down through the ropes for the count that prompted the referee to wave off the bout.

It was a very competitive bout and an impressive performance by Smith, who clearly showed vast improvement in his skill. With this strong win Joe advances to fight the winner of another WBO Light Heavyweight Elimination bout between contenders Umar Salamov (25-1, 19 Kos) and Maksim Vlasov (45-3, 26 Kos) for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Title.

Until then, congratulations on your amazing win Joe- job well done.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin”

WBC Diamond and Interim Heavyweight Challenge

In a surprising turn of events, the Heavyweight Division standing took another hit in tonight’s Heavyweight main event in the Matchroom Boxing Camp in Brentwood, Essex, UK, between Interim WBC Champion Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 Kos) and Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 Kos).

What started out has a sure shot win for the “Body Snatcher” Dillian ended up in a possible knockout of the year for Povetkin. Dillian came out of the gate controlling the rounds and even dropping Povetkin twice in the fourth round for a standing eight count. Dillian got a little too comfortable by the fifth round and got caught with a mean left uppercut from Povetkin that created a crime scene type knockout that left us fans watching with our mouths wide open when the referee stopped the fight after Dillian was unresponsive on the floor. Real Talk! (my girl Ang called it when she said in the previous rounds to watch out for that uppercut from Povetkin).

The way the fight was going Povetkin was looking tired and slow in the previous rounds and Dillian was looking like he was getting ready to stop the older warrior in Povetkin but truth be told Povetkin still had an ace up his sleeves in the form of a well-timed destructive well-placed uppercut that secured the win in the fifth round. Real Talk!

This bout was a perfect example of what can happen on any given night in the Heavyweight Division. Most of them Boys in the Division carry power and can never be counted out regardless of their age. Dillian talked a good game and performed well throughout the contested bout but clearly underestimated the power the older veteran Povetkin still possessed and paid dearly for it.

Povetkin’s resilience and pedigree showed up tonight and silenced all the naysayers who counted him out. What was supposed to be a walk-in park for Dillian turned out to be a nightmare of a night in the form of a devastating loss that will haunt him for quite some time.

That being said, congratulations are in order for the New WBC Diamond and Interim Heavyweight Champion Alexander Povetkin.

Job well done Alexander; you defied all odds and came out an Interim Champion. I’m not sure how much juice you got left in you but tonight you were the conqueror who dethroned the Interim Champ. Enjoy your winnings, you deserve it.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin”

WBC Interim Heavyweight World Title Challenge

Dillian Whyte (27-1, 18 Kos) will be looking to put his WBC Interim Heavyweight Title on the line against tough and seasoned veteran Alexander Povetkin (35-2-1 24 Kos) at Manchester Arena Saturday May 2, 2020, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

This is a very good Heavyweight bout where the experienced veteran Povetkin will have to dig deep to show the naysayers that he’s still got what it takes to compete with the likes of a Dillian Whyte. A win here for Povetkin would automatically set him up for the WBC Mandatory position to Tyson Fury’s full WBC Heavyweight Championship Title. As a former World Champion, Povetkin is focussed and determined not to let this opportunity pass him by, so I’m anticipating a competitive bout come fight night.

That being said, this bout will be Dillian’s first defence of his WBC Interim Heavyweight Belt. Whyte can’t afford a slip up here. In order to maintain his Mandatory status, he must keep on winning and challenging the likes of Alexander will not be a walk in the park, but a win here would definitely enhance his resume.

This bout is not your typical stay busy fight for either combatant. This is a dangerous 50/50 fight that could go all wrong for Dillian if he’s overlooking Povetkin due to his age. Personally, I wouldn’t sleep on Povetkin, he is very well-schooled inside that squared circle and does carry a mean left hook of his own and when timely connected, can end the night quickly.

So, don’t miss this exciting Heavyweight bout live on Sky Sports Box Office Saturday May 2, 2020 at Manchester Arena.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Regis Prograis vs Maurice Hooker”

Back With A Vengeance

An interesting match-up between two highly-rated former Junior Welterweight Champions Regis Prograis (24-1 20 Kos) and Maurice Hooker (27-1-3 18 Kos) has been set to take place at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Friday April 17,2020.

This bout right here is gonna be fire! Real Talk! Both combatants are attempting to skip the traditional line back to a championship bout by challenging each other rather than taking on an easy mark to boost their ego.

Both have suffered a recent and acceptable loss but have maintained their respectable rankings within the different sectioning bodies due to still being the best at the 140-Pound Division.

Styles make fights and these two combatants have the right skills and attributes to cancel each other out at any time. They both want that heat and know what’s at stake for the winner down the line. Their crowd-pleasing styles are a shot recipe for a good night of boxing full of action whenever you can get two former Champions to share the same squared circle.

To keep things fair and interesting both warriors have agreed to a catchweight of 143 pounds, in order to keep their options open to move up or down a Division if need be to chase the next big challenge ahead.

This is a long-time coming type bout with some high-risk implications added to it so don’t miss the live action on DAZN Friday night April 17, 2020 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury”

WBC Heavyweight Title Challenge II

Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 Kos) delivered on his promise and bullied the WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 Kos) on his own soil. Last night’s Main Event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada was nothing short of an exciting showdown between two of the biggest Heavyweight Boxers in the game today.

The “Gypsy King” came into this bout with a new trainer and a flawless “game plan” that Tyson executed to a “T”. I gotta tip my “B” hat to Fury for delivering such a one-sided beat down on one of the most heavy-fisted Boxers in the game today. Tyson’s approach this time around took Wilder by surprise. Tyson stood his ground early and physically asserted himself to the point of doing the impossible and actually dropping Wilder in the third round for a quick standing 8 count from which Wilder never fully recovered. Wilder looked tired and was on shaky legs from that point on. Definitely unusual territory for the Champ.

Tyson was putting his hands all over Wilder and all over that squared circle with no real resistance from the Champ. The power puncher last night was Furry who literally manhandled and dominated Wilder to a second knock down in the 5th round. The pressure was looking like it was too much for Wilder who looked gassed as the rounds wore on and truth be told, to everybody’s surprise, Wilder’s corner threw in the towel to stop the unanswered onslaught in the 7th round. Unbelievable! Deontay got hella heart and clearly wanted to go out on his shield but pulling him out in that 7th round was the right move to do to save him from any further injuries.

I never expected to see the so-called “pillow-fisted” Fury stopping the Champ in such a convincing fashion. With this win, the “Gypsy King” dethroned the “Bronze Bomber” and picked up the WBC Heavyweight Championship Title along with the Ring Magazine Belt and now becomes a two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations on your latest accomplishment Tyson. This rematch will unquestionably go down in Boxing History as one of the greatest battles. You walked in on a throne and left that squared circle the “Gypsy King” of the Ring.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Caleb Plant vs Vincent Feigenbutz”

IBF Super Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s homecoming bout at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee between Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (20-0, 12 Kos) and Vincent Feigenbutz (31-3, 28 Kos) was a beautiful display of boxing skills by the homegrown fighter.

Caleb handed his mandatory challenger Vincent a one-on-one schooling session at its highest level. No disrespect to Vincent who was a tough and heavy fisted opponent who was simply short of being ready for an A+ fighter of Caleb’s caliber.

As big and strong as Vincent was inside that squared circle, it was clear from the jump that he did not possess the right attributes to hang with the Champ. Caleb systematically dismantled and abused Vincent from top to bottom with some well-placed combination punches that had Vincent confused and beaten at every corner of every round.

By the 10th round, it was clearly a no-win situation for Vincent who was a walking heavy bag for Caleb. The referee had seen enough and pulled the plug at 2:23 of the remaining round.

With this win Caleb successfully retained his IBF Super Middleweight Title and is now welcoming all other Super Middleweight Champions to the round table. Caleb is looking for that smoke and that unification bout.

That being said, Caleb is shaping up to be a real threat of a Champion in the Super Middleweight Division. He’s got that “it” factor with that determination and hunger to run the 168-pound Division as the No. 1 guy.

Caleb is looking like a complete fighter right now. It’s gonna take a special fighter to derail this confident Champion from his seat at the round table.

WBC Super Middleweight Champion David Benavidez is looking forward to oblige Caleb’s request of a future bout and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

Until then, congratulations on your convincing win Caleb.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Eleider Alvarez vs Michael Seals”

Light Heavyweight Challenge

Eleider Alvarez (25-1, 13 Kos) got himself back into the winners circle last night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino when he slept hard hitting Michael Seals (24-3, 18 Kos) in the 7th round.

For someone who hasn’t fought since February 2019, Alvarez showed absolutely no rust inside that squared circle. Alvarez asserted himself early and moved and jabbed inside out with no real resistance from Michael, which was very surprising. Considering all the trash talking Seals was doing, I expected fireworks.

That being said, Alvarez wasn’t inside that squared circle to play. When the opportunity presented itself in the 7th round, Alvarez caught Seals with a straight powerful right hand that dropped him for the count and just like that, the night was over.

With this win, Eleider picked up the Vacant WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight Title and the Vacant WBO Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Title. If Alvarez can keep these wins coming, he will definitely be right back in line for a possible opportunity at a full title shot with the WBC/WBO, whichever one comes first.

Until then, congratulations Eleider, now on to the next one.

Blaze