On The Watch “It’s All About Dmitry Bivol vs Jean Pascal”

WBA Light Heavyweight Challenge

WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (15-0, 11 Kos) had himself another dominating performance last night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City when he easily dismantled former Champion Jean Pascal (33-6-1, 20 Kos).

As dominant as Bivol was last night it was certainly not his best performance to date. Bivol has shown us time and time again that he is fundamentally sound with a very high Boxing IQ inside that squared circle; however, I still think he’s holding back at times when he’s got his opponent hurt.

I was confused by Pascal’s game plan or lack thereof. Dude had heart but absolutely no jab or strategic offence whatsoever? It was embarrassing to see a former Champion go out the way he did. Real Talk! Sporadic bursts of punches doesn’t do anything if you’re not consistent with your pressure throughout the rounds!!

Bivol clearly outclassed Pascal inside that squared circle last night but seemed to have run out of juice in the championship rounds. As polished as Bivol is as a fighter, there are still some unanswered questions that can hopefully be addressed as his competition improves.

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Adrien Broner”

WBA Welterweight Challenge

It’s official, the “living legend” Manny Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 Kos) will be defending his WBA (regular) Welterweight Title against Adrien Broner (33-3-1 24 Kos) Saturday January 19, 2019 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena.

This bout right here has the potential of being a blockbuster if both combatants show up and perform to the best of their abilities come fight night. Real Talk!

Aside from the WBA belt being on the line there is a lot at stake here for both combatants. A win here for Pacquiao would silence his naysayers and prove to the boxing community that the “Pacman” still got it and still has more to add to his legacy.

As for AB a win against a living active legend like Paquiao would bring him right back up into the mix with the rest of the top Welterweights. This is the type of bout that AB needs to bring the best out of him. The big stage, the glitter, the lights and a convincing win could just be what he needs to get him back focus on his career 100%.

That being said, we can’t front on Pacquiao. His last demolition of Lucas Matthysse four months ago showed us that “Pacman” still got the goods and the skills to hang with the best of them young or old. It will be up to Broner to show him a “Problem” that he can’t solve inside that squared circle come Saturday night January 19, 2019, live on Showtime PPV in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Mikey Garcia”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Ask and you shall receive. It’s now officially been announced; the highly questionable match up between IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 Kos) and WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 Kos) is scheduled to take place on March 16, 2019 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mikey is a proven and established warrior who’s held World Titles at Featherweight, Super Featherweight, Lightweight and Super Lightweight. With this challenge ahead, he is now looking to claim a Title in his fifth weight class Division by attempting to dethrone IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr.

Mikey has been calling for this fight for a minute now and the call has finally been answered. To me this is a tough task considering Mikey will be going up two weight Divisions to take on Errol. Real Talk! I personally rate Mikey as pound-for-pound one of the best within his primary weight class in this era hands down but taking on the “Boogie Man” of the Welterweight Division is a challenge beyond belief.

The weight difference between the two combatants is a major factor. Mikey won’t just be dealing with a heavier Dude but also one that carries crack with every punch he throws. I know that styles make fights and that Mikey is technically sound and strong within his own right but the size and power that Errol walks with might just be too much for Mikey inside that squared circle.

That being said, if Mikey were to pull off the unthinkable and give Spence his first loss, he would be joining a prestigious circle of the likes of Sugar Ray Lenard, Tommy Hearns, Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. who’ve all won World Titles in five different weight classes. Not bad company if you ask me.

On paper and amongst the boxing community, Spence looks like a clear winner. It will be up to Garcia to prove all the naysayers and doubters wrong come fight night. Will the little man beat the bigger guy?

Tune in Saturday night March 16, 2019 on FOX pay-per-view and witness possibly the most intriguing bout of the New Year.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew”

Undisputed Cruiserweight Championship Challenge

Tonight, at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 Kos) still remained unbeaten and Undisputed Cruiserweight King after demolishing a very worthy opponent in Tony Bellew (30-3-1, 20Kos).

Tony came out of the gate aggressive and was looking to land heavy punches to the body every chance he got, but the crafty Champion Usyk kept it real cool and level headed round by round. In the early rounds Tony was establishing himself as the stronger fighter between the two but as the rounds wore on, Usyk started to raise his punch output and started landing some effective jabs that bothered Bellew’s offence.

Tony was doing a good job trying to box with the better boxer but by the eighth round Bellew was visibly looking tired on his feet and Usyk simply jumped on him and battered him with two heavy left-hand shots that connected perfectly to knock him out for the count.

Tonight, Tony stepped his game up and gave it a good run but as the saying goes there are levels to this boxing sh*t and Usyk proved it once again that he’s one notch above Bellew in that category and rightfully Undisputed Cruiserweight King because of it.

That being said, Usyk will now be eyeing the Heavyweight Division as his next big challenge. The year 2019 will be a new chapter for one of the fastest rising stars in the “Boxing Game” to date but until then, enjoy all your great achievements, you deserve it Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jeremih”

Jeremih, a talented gifted singer/songwriter and producer from Chicago’s South Side, has been keeping the airwaves, the streets and the clubs blazin’ at a steady pace since his debut in 2009. He’s dealt with some obstacles throughout his career but through the good times and the bad times nothing deterred this Kat from either “penning” or being a featured in top charting hit records alongside some of the heavy hitters in the game today. This Kat is nice with it and the game knows too well what this “R&B Thug” can bring to life when he blesses a track. This Kat can sometimes be misunderstood from the outside looking in but bullsh*t aside his body of work to date is nothing to f*ck with. Real Talk! His latest offering in collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign “MihTy” is another R&B Album that will definitely pass the test of time. Sh*t is tight from top to bottom. The production is on point and the way these two Kats vibe out and complement each other on them tracks, is a win-win situation for the both of them. Trust me, peeps need to cop this Album “MihTy” asap. If you’re still not sure about Jeremih, peep my DJ Blaze/Jeremih set on my mixtapes section and have a good listen. Real Hip Hop/R&B heads will know what I’m talking about. Don’t sleep on this Kat. Real Talk!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Daniel Jacobs vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

IBF Middleweight Title

Last night, on HBO at the Madison Square Garden in New York, Daniel Jacobs (35-2, 29 Kos) once again became Middleweight Champion by defeating a very worthy opponent in Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10 Kos) for the vacant IBF Belt.

This was by far his toughest opponent since his last bout with Gennady Golovkin.
Jacobs came out the gate early by dropping Sergiy in the first round and establishing himself from that point on. Sergiy, a familiar sparring partner bounced back and composed himself and made the fight as competitive as expected. Sergiy maintained an aggressive approach round by round but Jacobs’ experience and slick boxing made it very difficult for Sergiy to land any real significant punches all night. In my eyes Jacobs’ ring generalship combine with precise and accurate punches was what separated both warriors in a very tight bout.

Jacobs fought a brilliant fight against a very determined adversary who laid it all on the line. It was a very technical bout but the more seasoned Jacobs executed the game plan at hand to perfection to secure the victory when it counted under the bright lights.

Sergiy proved to masses in attendance that he belonged amongst the top of the Middleweight Division and can definitely bounce back from this defeat. He needed this fight just as much as Jacobs.

With this win and the IBF Middleweight Title in his possession, Jacobs has good options ahead for himself; a rematch against “GGG” might be on the horizon or possibly a unification bout against newly crowned WBO Middleweight Champion (if the price is right) or a date with the “King” in the Middleweight Division, Lineal Champion, IBO, WBA and WBC Title holder Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 Kos).

Until then, congratulations on a great win Daniel; you belong in the “winner’s circle”.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Demetrius Andrade vs Walter Kautondokwa”

WBO Middleweight Championship

Last night, at TD Garden in Boston, Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 Kos) was supposed to make a mandatory defense of the WBO Middleweight Title against Demetrius Andrade (26-0, 16 Kos) but due to Saunders testing positive for a banned stimulant, on the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association banned substances, BJ voluntarily gave up his WBO Middleweight Title.

With the WBO Middleweight Title now vacant, top-ranked Andrade challenged the WBO’s No. 2 contender Walter Kautondokwa (17-1, 16 Kos) last night and he did not disappoint us.

For someone who last fought a year ago, Andrade showed absolutely no signs of rust. Andrade dominated Kautondokwa from start to finish. As good as Walter’s record stood, he was simply outclassed by a top-rated Boxer of Andrade’s caliber.

Demetrius established himself early by dropping Walter’s in the opening round, the third round and twice again in the fourth round. That being said I still gotta tip my “B” hat to Kautondokwa for having a heart of a “Lion” to withstand such punishment and still stand tall for the full twelve rounds. Walter’s took this opportunity on a two-week notice and did the best he could. He showed up and proved he belonged in this Division just not quite ready for this level of competition.

In an exciting and convincing performance, Andrade is now a Three Time Two Division World Champion by picking up the vacant WBO Middleweight Title.

Congratulations Champ, now stay active and keep this momentum going.

Now on to the next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding”

WBA Super Middleweight Challenge

Fresh off his biggest win to date against Gennady Golovkin for the Middleweight “Supremacy”, Canelo (50-1-2, 34 Kos) has now decided to go one step higher towards the Super Middleweight Division and challenge Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 Kos) for his WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Title.

This will be a quick turnaround for Canelo considering he just came back from a war with “GGG” last September, but the thought of making his first appearance at the historic Madison Square Garden Saturday December 15, 2018, has motivated him to make history and to be one of the top 10 Mexican fighters to become a Three-Division World Champion.

The boxing critics will be out there voicing their displeasure on Canelo challenging WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Champion Rocky, but truth be told this bout will not be a cake walk for Canelo. Rocky will have a great size advantage on him to go along with his height and reach.

To me, this is an intriguing fight where Canelo will definitely be out of his usual comfort zone. Alvarez is one of the best technical Pound-for-Pound boxers in the “Game” to date so Rocky will unquestionably have his hands full trying to retain his WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight belt. As it stands right now Rocky will be the underdog against Canelo. However, this bout is an immense opportunity for Rocky and if he were to pull off a major upset on the biggest stage of his career by dethroning the face of Boxing in Canelo that is, this could be a life changing moment for Fielding that could positively catapult his career to new heights.

This is uncharted territory for both combatants but the risk vs reward for both competitors makes this bout that much attractive.

Madison Square Garden Saturday night December 15, 2018 is the place to be at but you can definitely cop this bout on the DAZN streaming app.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA Season 2018/2019”

The NBA Season is set to start this upcoming Tuesday night October 16, 2018, and the back-to-back Defending Champs Golden State Warriors will be looking to start the season once again as the team to beat. The Warriors still have the tightest squad across the board. Them “Boyz” are truly battle tested and are destined for another unforgettable journey-type NBA Season. Real Talk!

The Houston Rockets will be looking to pick up where they left off last season. The Rockets were one game away from dethroning the Defending Champs but fell short when it counted the most. That being said, the Rockets have reloaded and are ready to give another memorable run at it with no excuses. Them “Boyz” can ball in Houston and it’s time to put it all together and show out.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be coming from the bottom to the top with their latest addition of LeBron James. The “King” has officially taken his talent to the WESTSIDE. This Dude joining the Lakers is beyond a game changer. LeBron’s track record has shown us in the past that his presence brings success and high expectations. That being said the Western Conference is the toughest side to ball in and only time will tell if the Lakers will have enough ammunition to compete at the top of the Western Conference.

It’s clear and understood that the Western Conference is no cake walk for any team, but expect the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and the rest of the western teams to compete every night at a high level in the hopes of establishing themselves as the next team on the come up!

With the departure of “King James” to the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference is now open season. The most notable team expecting to strong hold the Division is the healthy -looking Boston Celtics. With their full squad intact for the upcoming season their sole destination is nothing short of the NBA Finals. The rumblings have already started. Boston vs Golden State has already been mentioned as a possible NBA Finals.

That being said the Eastern Conference has showed much improvement the last few years. Our own Canadian team the Toronto Raptors will be looking to recapture their No.1 Spot from last year, as well as the steady play of Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons. These teams seem to have it going on the right track at being competitive enough to make it interesting. Any one of these teams can give Boston a good run for their money, but the question still remains, which team will step up to the plate and deliver the goods.

Tune in Tuesday night October 16, 2018 and be part of the “New Wave” taking over the league.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr.”

WBO Welterweight Championship

Last night at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Terence Crawford (34-0,25 Kos) shut the place down in a spectacular fashion by dropping down previously unbeaten Jose Benavidez (27-1, 18 Kos) to the point of stoppage at 2:42 of round 12.

Benavidez who trashed talked his way into a bout with Crawford showed a lot of heart and durability throughout the fight but damn was I ever confused by their game plan! Benavidez taunted Crawford into a fight but didn’t seem to have a plan “B” when Crawford got into his groove and started laying combination after combination on his ass round after round.

Don’t get me wrong, I rate Benavidez as a very good fighter but last night proved that Crawford is truly levels above most competitors when they’re inside that squared circle with him, Real Talk! Terence is that silent assassin toying with his prey waiting for that right moment to put you down. Henceforth in round 12 when he administered that timely snapping uppercut that took Benavidez straight up off his feet and straight down for an 8 count which then led to a flurry of unanswered punches until the referee officially stopped the fight. Nuff Said!

Last night, Crawford showed Benavidez and us fans that he truly walks it like he talks it. He specifically told Benavidez he was going to knock him out and he delivered as promised.

With this win Terence retained his WBO Welterweight Title and once again puts the Welterweight Division on notice that he’s definitely looking for that work.

Who’s up next?

Blaze