On the Watch “It’s All About Natasha Jonas vs Lauren Price”

Welterweight Unification Showdown

Last night’s Boxxer/Sky Sports Main Event between IBF/WBC Welterweight Champion Natasha Jonas (16-3-1, 9 kos) and IBO/WBA/Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion Lauren Price (9-0, 2 Kos) was not a passing of the torch but rather a coronation of a new Queen in the Welterweight Division at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

Lauren came out the gate with the utmost confidence looking to prove her dominance over her fellow Champion Natasha. Lauren’s “game plan” was simple but effective and very well executed.

Natasha, the 40-year-old veteran Champion had met her match on the night. As seasoned and competitive as Natasha was, she found out quickly that she could not compete with the younger combatant inside that squared circle.

Lauren was a serious force to contend with, where Natasha simply could not deter the stronger and extremely accurate warrior from having her way with her.

Natasha got outworked and outhustled from every corner and had absolutely no proper “game plan” to keep up with Lauren. It was a dominant performance by Price from start to finish where she showed levels way above what Natasha was accustomed to.

Simply put, Lauren made it look easy. After 10 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand scored it 100-90, 98-93 and 98-92 unanimously for Lauren Price.

With this impressive statement win now under her belt, Lauren retains her
IBO/WBA/Ring Magazine Welterweight Titles, snatched the IBF/WBC Welterweight Titles from Natasha and unified the Welterweight Division.

Well done, Lauren. Undisputed should be next on the horizon but until then good luck to the competition.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn”

Middleweight Showdown

The highly anticipated domestic grudge match between IBO Middleweight Champion Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 Kos) and Conor Benn (23-0, 14 Kos) has officially been announced and set to take place on Saturday night April 26, 2025, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Conor has agreed to move up to the middleweight Division where both combatants will meet up to settle their differences once and for all. However, judging by their two press conferences and with Chris cracking an egg on Conor’s face, it’s clear to say that this grudge match has just elevated to a 100% “heat check” at this point.

The respect is clearly out the window for this one. The trash talking between the two combatants has been going on for quite some time and the time is now here for them two warriors to end all talks inside that squared circle.

Chris has a lot at stake for this bout aside from a great payout. At 35 years old, a loss here could see the end of his career in a detrimental way unlike Chris, at 28 years old, and fighting out of his usual welterweight Division, who could always bounce back from a loss and rebuild his career at his natural weight.

That being said, Conor is very strong minded and determined to upset Chris for the sake of his family where his father, Nigel Benn fought Chris Eubank Sr. twice in memorable bouts but failed to secure a victory.

All falls on Conor’s shoulders now and standing in his way is Chris Eubank Jr. who is naturally bigger and in his natural weight Division, will fight his heart out to maintain superiority over the Eubank/Benn saga.

Conor is labelling Chris as a shot fighter at this point in his career while Chris will be out to prove Conor and the naysayers wrong by showing the British fans in attendance and around the world that he’s still got enough in the tank to give Conor his first loss.

This will be very intriguing bout where these two born enemies are guaranteed to shake up that squared circle so tune in live on DAZN Saturday night April 26, 2025, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole”

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Co-Main Event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 Kos) and late replacement “Boogeyman” Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 Kos), surpassed my expectations. Real talk!

I expected this bout to be highly competitive but what transpired shook the Heavyweight Division hands down. Parker faced the so called “Boogeyman” headstrong with absolutely no fear and handed Bakole his second defeat by dropping him with a heavy right hand in the second round that rattled him so hard that when he got to his feet his legs were out of it prompting his corner to waive the fight off.

Truth be told, Bakole took a risk by accepting this bout within 48 hours’ notice, but the reward would have all been worth it if things had gone his way. However, Parker was riding a five fight win streak and did not lose focus at the task at hand, handled business in a professional manner and dispatched of his opponent in a very convincing fashion.

With this devastating win now under his belt, Parker has put the Heavyweight Division on notice and maintained his status as a sure shot challenger to either IBF Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois or Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk. One of them must answer that call.

Until then, congratulations Joseph on another very resounding win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joshua Buatsi vs Callum Smith”

WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Challenge

Today’s British domestic dust up between undefeated WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Champion Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 Kos) and challenger Callum Smith (31-2, 22 Kos), got the night started on the right foot when these two warriors stepped foot inside that squared circle at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Both combatants wasted no time at getting busy right from the jump. Both combatants exchanged leather for leather letting their hands go from head to body round by round with a hefty pace that neither fighter could maintain throughout the progressing rounds.

Both combatants had their moments throwing and landing some serious shots at one another which made the bout that much more interesting to call but to me one of the defining factors was the body work being administered by both fighters.

Both combatants clearly hurt one another inside that squared circle but the more visible damage may have been administered by Callum who although looked very tired, he did land the noticeable stronger punches with further lasting effects on Joshua who himself looked quite tired as well.

After 12 full competitive rounds the Judges at hand scored it 119-110, 116-112 and 115-113 unanimously for Callum Smith.

The Judge scoring it 119-110 is a little too wide in my opinion considering this was a very tight bout but nevertheless, Callum handed Joshua his first lost and picked up the WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Championship belt in the process, now positioning him for a potential bout against the winner of the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship showdown between Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

Until then, congratulations Callum. Well done!

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Jessica McCaskill vs Lauren Price”

IBO/WBA Welterweight Challenge

A new Champion was crowned tonight when previously Undisputed Welterweight Champion Jessica McCaskill (12-4-1, 5 Kos) put up what was left of her titles, the IBO/WBA/Ring Magazine belts on the line to challenge undefeated Lauren Price (7-0, 1 Ko) at the Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, Wales.

Lauren put her best foot forward on the night and never looked back when she entered that squared circle and executed a flawless game plan. Lauren was aggressive, patient, stronger and faster than the champion who looked like an armateur on the night.

Truth be told, Jessica hasn’t looked like herself or the champion who dethroned the previous Undisputed Champion Cecillia Btacekhus. This version of Jessica had absolutely nothing going for herself or the right “game plan” to stand a chance against Lauren.

Jessica looked lost and lacked the activity to keep up with the younger combatant who possessed the quicker footwork, the quicker hand speed and the right punch selection to deter the Champion from ever getting any type of momentum. Real Talk!

Skill for skill, Jessica was simply outgunned and outmatched on the night. To make things worse both combatants had a clash of heads giving the Champion Jessica the worst of it handing her a severe swollen eye visibly affecting her eye sight and her productivity while she desperately attempted to go toe-to-toe with the gritty challenger.

As the rounds proceeded, the referee kept a close watch on Jessica’s eye which was looking worse round by round. Jessica eye was shutting out and she was taking some serious punishment.

By the start of the ninth round, the referee called up the Doctor on hand to have a look at the swelling of Jessica’s eye and instructed the referee that the bout could no longer continue.

Due to Jessica’s sickening swollen eye being completely shut by an earlier clash of heads, the Judges ruling went to the cards 90-82, 90-82,90-82 scoring it unanimously for Lauren Price.

With this dominant performance now under her belt Lauren is now the New IBO/WBA and Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion of the World.

Well done, Lauren, you did your home fans and country proud. With only seven bouts under your belt your future is looking brighter by the day. Congratulations.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

Tonight’s British domestic Boxxer/Sky Sports Main Event between Joshua Buatsi (18-0, 13 Kos) and British & Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Azeez (20-1, 13 Kos) was an interesting bout that had the attention of all the fans in attendance at the OVO Arena in London, England.

Both combatants came out with a very good “game plan” that had both opponents exchanging blows back and forth round-by-round while holding their respective ground inside that squared circle.

Although both combatants each had their moments inside that squared circle, Buatsi, to me had the more telling type punches with the speed and accuracy giving him the edge as the rounds were piling up.

Buatsi’s level of experience was quite evident between the two combatants. Buatsi stayed level-headed and continued with the “game plan” as instructed by his cornerman unlike Azeez who was unable to deliver the bodywork his corner was requesting of him.

Both combatants did throw nuff hard leather shots at each other in the later rounds but it was Buatsi’s power punch that eventually got through and dropped Azeez twice in the eleventh round for two quick 8 counts. Water on the floor may have played a part in the knockdowns but nevertheless both were counted in Buatsi’s favor.

That being said, both combatants finished the last round strongly going toe-to-toe and bringing the crowd in attendance to their feet. After 12 full rounds of action the Judges at hand called it 117-109, 117-109 and 116-110 unanimously for Joshua Buatsi.

It was a very good domestic bout, one that the winner can definitely build onto bigger and better things. With this win Buatsi picked up the British & Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Championship belts and secured himself a mandatory position to challenge undefeated WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 Kos) for his title.

Only time will tell if this opportunity will be granted sooner rather than later.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Tonight’s Boxxer/Sky Sports/ESPN + Main Event between IBF Welterweight Champion Natasha Jonas (15-2-1, 9 Kos) and challenger Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

Both combatants brought the “HEAT” straight from the first bell and never letting their feet of the gas pedal. Heavy bombs coming at each other from both sides round by round with neither combatant giving an inch of breathing room.

Natasha, the Champion and the natural welterweight, found herself in a serious shootout with Mikaela who moved up to the Welterweight Division ready and willing to dethrone the Champion with a steady pace of aggressive offence proving to be effective as the rounds progressed.

Both combatants stood their ground hammering some serious shots from body to head making this bout that much more exciting for the fans and for the judges to call.

Although both combatants were going toe to toe inside that squared circle, I personally feel that Mikaela was the one edging out the better imposing work rate and administering the most visible damage.

That being said, after 10 exciting action-packed rounds, the Judges at hand called it 96-95, 96-94 for Jonas and 97-93 for Mayer, giving Natasha Jonas the spilt decision.

It was a very close fight to call where I could definitely see Mikaela walking away with the win but nevertheless Natasha retained her IBF Welterweight Belt and recorded a great victory over an elite warrior.

Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr. 2″

Middleweight Throwdown

Tonight’s Sky Sport/Boxxer Main Event was a much-needed rematch between Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 Kos) and Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 Kos) at the AO Arena in Manchester Lancaster, UK where the outcome of this bout was completely different from their first encounter.

Tonight, Eubank Jr. came into this bout calm and laser focussed with one mission in mind, to rectify and redeem himself from the brutal loss obtained from Liam’s hands seven months ago.

With new head trainer Brian “Bomac” McIntyre leading his corner, Eubank showed dominance once again right from the jump but this time followed the “game plan” constructed and did not miss a beat. Eubank systematically broke Liam down round by round disabling his opponent from ever getting his offense going. Eubank showed way more activity with his punch output and a strong steady jab that kept Liam covered up with nothing to answer with. This version of Eubank seemed too much for Liam inside that squared circle. Liam was being battered around like a punching bag round by round and eventually succumbed to a right uppercut that dropped him for a quick 8 count. However, he survived the round due to the referee taking his sweet time collecting his displaced gum shield and bringing it to his corner giving Liam more time to recover.

Regardless of the referee’s stalling tactics, Eubank continued his dominance by administering constant pressure with some very good work from the body to the head coming from all angles with no real resistance from his opponent. This was a one-sided beatdown that continued all the way to the tenth round where Liam was at the receiving end of a barrage of punches that eventually sat him down once again for another 8 count that saw him rise up to his feet only to again receive another onslaught of abuse prompting the referee to step in and stop the bout.

With this dominant performance over Liam, Eubank has now silenced all the naysayers who doubted his capabilities inside that squared circle. This was a must win for Eubank and tonight he showed improvement and discipline under the guidance of McIntyre.

I’m intrigued to see how well this partnership can be, until then congratulations Chris on another resounding performance.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith”

Middleweight Throwdown

Tonight’s Sky Sports/Boxxer Main Event between Chris Eubank Jr. (32-3, 23 Kos) and Liam Smith (33-3-1, 20 Kos) at the Manchester Lancaster, UK was a proper domestic showdown that shocked the fans in attendance and the world watching. Real Talk!

Former WBO Light Middleweight Champion Liam moved up in weight to challenge the former WBA Interim Middleweight Champion Eubank Jr. at the full Middleweight Division and asserted himself quite well at the new weight and stood his ground going toe-to-toe with the naturally bigger man inside that squared circle.

While Eubank used a nice stiff jab from the jump to keep Liam at bay, Smith kept coming forward never deterred in applying as much pressure as he could round by round.

Both combatants had their moments looking very active with their hands but in the third round, it looked like Eubank was about to take the lead until the unexpected happened throughout the fourth round when Liam backed Eubank to the corner and teed off on him with a series of accurate punches that dropped Eubank for the first time in his career. Although Eubank did get up, he clearly had no legs or the sense to survive the round. Seeing Eubank visibly hurt, Liam wasted no time at putting Eubank out of his misery by seizing the moment and dropping him to the canvas one more time prompting the referee to stop the bout at 1:09 of round four. Unbelievable!

No disrespect to Liam who is a good fighter, I never anticipated this type of finish by his hands. Liam flattened Eubank who was said to be the bigger and stronger fighter of the two in such a devastating fashion never seen before by any of his previous opponents. This is the type of finish that has you rethinking what the hell went wrong.

The build-up to this bout had a lot of heat from both sides but it was Liam who walked it like he talked it and stole the show in the blink of an eye.

This bout was a great domestic win for Liam but it was also the type of win that will bring up even greater opportunities ahead in the 154- or 160-pound Division.

Congratulations Liam, you walked inside that squared circle the underdog but walked out the “Top Dog” of the night. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall”

IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO Unified Middleweight Championship Showdown

Tonight’s highly anticipated Sky Sports/Boxxer Main Event between IBF/WBA/WBC Middleweight Champion Claressa Shields (13-0, 2 Kos) and WBO World Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 Kos) was a bout that represented the best of the best on the biggest platform of them all.

The self-proclaimed GWOAT of women’s boxing walked it like she talked it and asserted herself right from the jump and took it straight to Savannah who had absolutely no answer to Claressa’s non-stop action.

Although Savannah was the bigger combatant inside that squared circle, it was Claressa who pressed the action from start to finish making it real unconfutable for Savannah to establish any type of consistent offensive attack. Real Talk!

Claressa’s high-volume punches prevented Savannah from settling in with her strong jab. For every jab Savannah landed Claressa answered with flurries of punches making every round that much harder for Savannah to establish her own “game plan”.

Claressa was focussed and on point round by round physically and mentally ready for everything Savannah was throwing at her. Claressa showed the World tonight what she was all about inside that squared circle. Savannah was in a real fight tonight and had no proper “game plan” to deter Claressa from having her way with her.

After 10 full rounds of non-stop action, the Judges at hand called it 96-94, 97-93, 97 -93 unanimously for Claressa Shields – the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO and Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion of the World. A beautiful display of boxing at its finest by the self-proclaimed GWOAT of women boxing to date.

Congratulations Claressa on another dominating performance. You truly are women’s boxing at its finest. Good luck to the competitors attempting to dethrone you.

Blaze