On The Watch “It’s All About Miguel Cotto vs Sadam Ali”

WBO Super Welterweight Championship

Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 Kos) promised the fans a surprise last night in his farewell final bout into retirement at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Instead, it was an early Christmas gift to Sadam Ali (26-1, 14 Kos) in the form of the now new WBO Super Welterweight Champion.

Miguel Cotto ended his soon to be Hall of Fame 16 year career last night with a close 12 round unanimous decision loss to an underdog in Sadam Ali. Many thought this was going to be an overmatched type bout for Cotto to finish up his career but lets be real this is boxing anything can happen in that squared circle and Sadam made sure to silence the critics and seize the opportunity with an iron fist.

Cotto came out to give his loyal fans a good show. He looked good out there. He fought a competitive fight but I gotta tip my “B” hat to Sadam for never backing down or feeling overwhelmed by the amount of love that was in the air that night for Cotto.

Sadam stepped his game up last night and performed in an impressive manner. He looked strong, comfortable and smart within that squared circle. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He just defeated a living legend in Miguel Cotto in his first time out in the Super Welterweight Division. Your stock has just risen overnight. That’s something to be proud of Champ.

Win or lose Miguel Cotto was a warrior through thick and thin who had an amazing career. Retirement is just another chapter in your life; enjoy your family along with the fruits of your labor.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Sergey Kovalev vs Vyacheslav Shabranskyy”

WBO Light Heavyweight Championship

After suffering two humiliating defeats to now-retired Andre Ward, a determined and now refocused Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev is on a mission to regain the top position in the Light Heavyweight Division once again.

Last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 Kos) had the opportunity to regain his first title he ever won, the WBO Light Heavyweight Belt back once again by defeating Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-2, 16 Kos).

On paper Shabranskyy looked like a formidable opponent to challenge and test Kovalev but to our surprise Shabranskyy found out the hard way that the so-called “Krusher” was not done yet. I’ve said this before and I’m gonna keep on saying it, there are levels to this Boxing Game and last night Shabranskyy was soundly out boxed and outclassed simply by a more seasoned and proven veteran fighter, hands down.

Sergey seemed to have gotten his swagger back by dismantling his opponent in less than six minutes. He knocked down Shabranskyy three times in the first round before the referee stopped the bout in the second round.

This was just what Kovalev needed, an impressive comeback fight with the WBO Light-Heavyweight Belt back under his waist. Congratulations on your emphatic win Sergey.

The road back to the top of the Division will not be an easy one. Dmitry Bivol holds the WBA Belt, Artur Beterbiev holds the IBF Belt and our Canadian Champion Adonis Stevenson has held the WBC Belt since 2013. The challenges are there and none of those Kats are easy marks but who will want to attempt at unifying the Division? All these Kats are talking a good game about it but who will actually do it?

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Enrico Koelling”

IBF Light Heavyweight World Title

There is a new player in the Light Heavyweight Division ready to shake things up. With Andre “SOG” Ward now retired the IBF Light Heavyweight World Title was up for grabs last night at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California.

Undefeated #2 IBF two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (12-0, 12 Kos) and Enrico Koelling (23-2, 6 Kos) were the two fighters enlisted to take part for the IBF Light Heavyweight World Title.

Beterbiev has won on every level he has competed at to date and this opportunity wasn’t about to be any different. His dream of becoming a World Champion was his for the taking by any means necessary.

That being said, in a not so exciting bout Beterbiev quietly dismantled Koelling by dropping him two times in the 12th round when the referee decided enough was enough and halted the bout. The fans in attendance weren’t too impressed with Artur’s performance on that night but having seen first hand how Beterbiev usually handles his opponents, I wouldn’t stress this one too tough cuz your Boy Artur can crack with extreme power and box very well. I personally would worry about the next Dude to duke it out with him because the Light Heavyweight Division is in trouble once this Dude gets it going. REAL TALK!

Congratulations “King Artur” on becoming the New IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Deontay Wilder vs Bermane Stiverne”

WBC Heavyweight Title Challenge

Due to Luis Ortiz recent failed drug test, Deontay’s challenger on Saturday night November 4, 2017 at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn New York, became none other than his original mandatory in Bermane Stiverne (25-3-1 21Kos).

With the disappointment of the highly anticipated fight between Luis Ortiz and Wilder (39-0 38Kos) being cancelled, Deontay wanted to take his ever-growing frustration out on Stiverne and make a statement in the Division.

Now keep in mind that this fight was a rematch of their 2015 meeting, when Wilder first captured the WBC Title from Stiverne with a twelve round unanimous decision. At the time Stiverne was the only opponent to date who hadn’t been knocked out by Wilder.

Both fighters had something to prove. Stiverne wanted to avenge his loss and recapture his WBC Belt while Wilder wanted to finish the job in an even more convincing manner then the previous time.

Now with that being said Deontay Wilder successfully defended his WBC Heavyweight Title by dropping Bermane Stiverne three times in a dramatically vicious fashion, which prompted the referee to intercede with only seconds left in the first round. Unbelievable!! Personally I thought that Stiverne would have learned something from the 12 previous rounds with Wilder but damnnnn three knockdowns in the first round is a hell of an assertion.

This Kat Deontay is the truth in that squared circle hands down. He walks it like he talks it and keeps on chopping all his opponents down like trees. REAL TALK! I can’t front it would have been nice to see how he would have fared with the likes of “King Kong” Luis Ortiz.

With his mandatory out the way now his main focus is unifying the Heavyweight Division. He’s calling out Anthony Joshua for all them Belts. The question remains, will AJ answer that call and take the challenge?

Congratulations Champ, way to finish the year 2017 “Bomb Squad”.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam”

IBF, IBO, WBA Heavyweight Championship

Due to Kubrat Pulev’s injury sustained two weeks or so before the fight a mandatory late replacement was found in the shape and form of # 3 IBF Carlos Takam (35-4-1, 27 Kos). The Frenchman stepped in to become Joshua’s worthy challenger at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Saturday night October 28, 2017.

Having seen how tough and durable Takam is, tonight he did not disappoint me despite the referee stopping the bout in the 10th round. Going toe-to-toe with AJ is not an easy task to do and Takam showed heart and courage tonight but just didn’t have enough in the form of power or proper game plan to put AJ out.

Tonight, AJ performed beautifully by winning every round and never losing control inside that squared circle. Although AJ scored a knockdown in the fourth round, the boxing fans at ringside booed the stoppage of round 10, as they felt that AJ should have been allowed to try and finish Takam, who was still on his feet at the time but in the referee’s opinion was taking too much punishment.

I personally think it was a great fight. AJ needs rounds like these to help him build and improve on his boxing skills as a fighter. With that being said AJ successfully defended his IBF, IBO and WBA Heavyweight Titles and kept his flawless knockout record intact (20-0, 20Kos).

Congratulations Champ now on to 2018!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Billy Joe Saunders vs David Lemieux”

WBO Middleweight Title Challenge

It’s official. We Canadian Boxing fans will have the privilege of witnessing first hand two of the world’s top Middleweights in WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 kos) and David Lemieux (38-3, 33 Kos) do battle Saturday December 16, 2017 at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.

I have to tip my “B” hat to Billy Joe Saunders for being real to his words and stepping his Game up with a serious competitor like David Lemieux. Agreeing to a title defense in an opponent’s backyard is proof enough for me to see that BJ is really about that life and is actually daring himself to be great.

A bout against the homegrown heavy fisted David Lemieux in Canada is a dangerous fight but one that can definitely create a certain amount of buzz within the Division. To go into someone else’s house and beat them speaks volume in this Game. REAL TALK!

Styles make fights and this one here has the potential of being a very interesting one. REAL TALK! We got BJ as the slick savvy boxer-puncher going toe-to-toe with Lemieux, a persistent banger who only knows how to move forward with hard blows and a dirty left that’s been known to cripple quite a few opponents.

There is a lot at stake here for both fighters. For BJ, a win against Lemieux would definitely make his stock rise and show the Middleweight Division that he’s not just all talk and should be taken as a major player from this point on. For Lemieux, a win against BJ would give him the status of a Two-Time World Champion, the WBO World Middleweight belt in hand and the main piece to lure a rematch against Gennady Golovkin or a title fight with Canelo Alvarez.

BJ is promising to do a lot of damage to Lemieux even to the point of beating him to a stoppage. Now I know that BJ has found himself being rejuvenated under the tutelage of trainer Dominic Ingle but damn his confidence is on 100 right now.

Listen all I know is that BJ better not underestimate Lemieux come fight night cause your Boy David is a proven warrior whose conquered some heavy hitters in the game and has the track record to prove it. Don’t be fooled by his three losses but do pay attention to his “33 Kos”. This Kat can seriously crack at any given time in that squared circle.

As the Middleweight Division is stacking up with new faces, this fight is a great opportunity for David and BJ to show the rest of the Division what level they’re on by giving us a hell of a showdown. May the best man win!

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Showtime Premier Boxing Champions”

Super Welterweight Division

Wow!!! Last night, Saturday October 14, 2017, Showtime Premier Boxing Champions gave us the fans an incredible tripleheader at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn New York. REAL TALK!
Six of the top Super Welterweights graced that squared circle and all performed stunningly on that stage.

First up was undefeated Jarrett Hurd (21-0, 15 Kos) the International Boxing Federation Titleholder who successfully defended his belt vs former World Champion Austin Trout (30-4, 17 Kos).
This bout was about a young hungry gunner climbing his way to the top of the food chain with no regard to whatsoever to any savvy proven veteran standing in his way. REAL TALK! Trout is a proven warrior and one of the best at that but your Boy Hurd was just too big and strong on that night. Austin brought his “A “ Game but was cut short by the 10th round. Hurd’s onslaught on Trout was just too much to handle.
Jarrett Hurd becomes the first fighter to beat Austin Trout by knockout or technical knockout. Congratulations on your win Champ.

In the co-feature, (which could have easily been the main event on any other night), WBC Super Welterweight Titleholder Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (30-0, 15 Kos), also successfully defended his belt in an astonishing fashion by demolishing previously unbeaten No. 1 contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (18-1, 13 Kos) in the first round. Nuff Said!
Your Boy Jermell is the truth. The kid walks it like he talks it. He once again silenced all the critics and the haters who just can’t seem to come to grip that this kid is the real deal. The 154-pound Division has a real problem on their hands and he goes by the name of Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo. Good luck to the competition. Congratulations Champ!

In the main event, WBA/IBO Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy Lara (25-2-2, 14 Kos) successfully defended his belts by knocking down previously unbeaten Terell Gausha (20-1, 9 Kos) on the way to a 12-round unanimous decision.
Listen his fight wasn’t as exciting as Jarrett or Jermell’s previous title fights but we can’t wrong the man for making it look so easy cause he’s still the top dude in the Division. We all know that styles make fights so lets hope his next performance is up to par to a real Champs standard. Congratulations Champ.

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About George Groves vs Chris Eubank Jr.”

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

In his first fight of the World Boxing Super Series Saturday night October 14, 2017, George Groves’ (27-3, 20 Kos) number one seed and WBA Super Middleweight Titleholder successfully defended his title by knocking out previously undefeated challenger Jamie Cox (24-1 13 Kos) in just four rounds at Wembley Arena in London, United Kingdom. Congratulations George for this emphatic statement.

To me size and experience played a major factor in this bout. Jamie Cox looked good in short spurts but definitely not long enough to do any serious damage to Groves.
Tonight George was just too strong and physical for a limited and inexperienced Jamie Cox. Maybe the stage and the moment were just too much for Cox to take in.

With this win Groves will now advance to the World Boxing Super Series Semi-Finals where a very eager fellow British countryman, IBO Super Middleweight Titleholder Chris “Next Gen” Eubank Jr. (26-1, 20 Kos) is awaiting to take his beloved WBA strap away from him.

The Semi-Finals of the World Boxing Super Series Groves vs Eubank Jr., in January or February if all goes according to plan will be a very intriguing fight considering they have past sparring history with stories for days depending on who you ask.

Styles make fights and this domestic bout between them two Kats on such a big stage is bound to be breathtaking. Eubank Jr. is the newbie in the Middleweight Division while Groves has been vacationing in the Division far longer then him. Groves is the No. 1 seed in the tournament trying to carve his name in the History books while Eubank Jr. is on a mission of attempting to take over the Division the only way he knows how with a high work rate style unmatched by his opponent.

When this bout comes into fruition it might just be the most highly anticipated matched up of the World Boxing Super Series. Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chris Eubank Jr. vs Avni Yildirim”

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

Tonight, Saturday October 7, 2017, at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer in Stuttgart, Germany, Chris Eubank Jr. (26-1, 20Kos) successfully defended his IBO Super Middleweight World Title vs Avni Yildirim (16-1, 10Kos) in taking part of the quarterfinals of the Super Middleweight Division in the World Boxing Super Series.

From the jump Eubank Jr. showed Yildirim what it meant being in the ring with him. There are levels to this sh*t. Eubank Jr. came in that squared circle focused, determined and ready to put on a show.

Tonight, Chris Eubank Jr.’s performance was proof of that flawlessness when he dismantled previously undefeated Avni Yildirim with a third round knockout. REAL TALK!

With such a convincing win Chris has put the other competitors in the Super Middleweight Tournament on notice. Congratulations Champ you are one-step closer to your goal. Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Vasyl Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux”

“History In The Making”

I can’t front on Boxing this year 2017, the Boxing Gods have given us entertaining bouts after bouts every month to date. REAL TALK!

One of the highly anticipated clashes of the year has finally been set. WBO Super Featherweight Titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1-0 7 KOs) and WBA Super Bantamweight Titleholder Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0-0 11KOs) are set to collide in that squared circle on Saturday December 9, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Rigondeaux will be moving up two weight Divisions to 130-pounds to challenge Lomachenko for his WBO Super Featherweight Belt. This is another history fight in the making considering that this will be the first time a pair of two-time Olympic Gold-Medal winners will be sharing that squared circle together.

Their amateur careers speak volumes. Lomachenko was (396-1) as an amateur and Rigondeaux was (463-12) as an amateur. To top it all off, they also won two World Amateur Championship apiece-Nuff said! To me they are arguably two of the greatest utmost skilled amateur boxers in history to ever lace up some gloves.

Regardless of the weight class, these two combatants are ready to match it up skill for skill and deliver us an unforgettable high-octane performance.

So far, Lomachenko is seen by many experts in the Boxing community as the favourite in this match up but personally, I don’t think peeps should be sleeping and overlooking Rigondeaux on what he brings to the table. The way Rigodeaux moves and thinks in that squared circle is like a cerebral assassin. Will Lomachenko’s “Matrix” style be enough to penetrate Rigondeaux’s impenetrable style of defense? Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze