On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Queensberry Promotions/DAZN Main Event between Joe “Juggernaut” Joyce (16-4, 15 Kos) and Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic (18-1, 14 Kos) was quite entertaining considering what these two combatants brought to that squared circle at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

Hrgovic, who took this bout on short notice, clearly wasn’t at his best on the night but did assert himself quite well considering the short three-week camp. Hrgovic conserved his energy by throwing calculated and effectives punches round by round making sure each and every one of them was felt.

As for Joyce, who may have looked the part, definitely looked like a fighter that has been regressing fight after fight as of late. Joyce understood the assignment and proceeded to press the action but to me he was getting hit way too cleanly round by round. Joyce was never a fast fighter but last night, although his punches still looked like they thumped with power, his slow movement and reaction made it painful to watch at times.

That said, Hrgovic may not have been in tip top shape but was good enough to go rounds with a slow looking “Juggernaut” and hammer in his punches as much as he could to edge out the rounds in my opinion.

Joyce showed us he could still take a heavy punch but at the cost of taking them he did not look good. After 10 brutal rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 98-92, 97-93 and 96-95 unanimously for Filip Hrgovic.

This was an important bout for both combatants. The winner can move forward to a brighter opportunity while the loser will fall down the Heavyweight Division standings and re-evaluate their future.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About William Zepeda vs Tevin Farmer”

WBC Interim Lightweight Challenge

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN rematch Main Event at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico between WBC Interim Lightweight Champion William Zepeda (33-0, 27 kos) and challenger Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 Kos), was more of a statement bout, than expected by the Champion Zepeda.

This time out Zepeda looked more like the warrior we are accustomed to seeing by the way he came out the gate with his controlled aggression and volume punches coming in from all angles catching Farmer off guard and unable to adjust on the fly.

Farmer, as competitive as he tried to be on the night, looked off and possibly injured his left arm and hand during the fight but nevertheless didn’t stop trying to hang in there with the super aggressive Zepeda who continued to press the action.

It was painful to watch at times considering Farmer was overmatched due to his injuries but I have to tip my “B” hat to Farmer for fighting through the pain and physical restrictions and still putting up a good fight while being compromised.

Farmer wasn’t visibly able to keep up with Zepeda’s work rate and aggression. Farmer was simply a wounded animal trying to survive but proceeded to do it in a way that you have to respect his “Gangsta” mentality made him refuse to concede at the hands of his opponent.

After 12 full rounds of action, one Judge had it 114-114 (suspect) while the other two Judges scored it 116-112 and 115-113 giving William Zepeda the majority decision.

I personally think that a healthier version of Tevin Farmer on the night would have given us a different result but this wasn’t the case. Zepeda did what was needed to be done to secure the win and can now look forward to a possible showdown with the full WBC Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 Kos).

Shakur vs Zepeda is an intriguing bout but only time will tell if and when the challenge will be accepted by both parties involved.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Alexis Barriere vs Ubaldo Ilagor Resendiz”

Heavyweight Showdown

In last night’s Groupe Yvon Michel/Matchroom/DAZN co-feature Main Event at the Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Canada (our own backyard), our Canadian prospect undefeated Heavyweight Alexis Barriere (12-0, 10 Kos) continued his apprenticeship by dispatching of his opponent Ubaldo Ilagor Resendiz (13-2, 12 Kos) in an impressive fashion.

Alexis is a breath of fresh air to the Heavyweight Division. He looks the part, asserts himself quite well inside that squared circle and with the late addition of Sugar Hill as head trainer, last night’s performance was a perfect example of their pairing.

Ubaldo, who came in this bout quite game, was met with a driven warrior in Alexis who had destruction written all over his face. Alexis, under the tutelage of Sugar Hill, looks calmer, patient and more disciplined inside that squared circle.

Armed with heavy hands and a very good punch selection, Alexis efficiently broke down his heavyset 291-pound opponent round by round. It was a thing of beauty. Ubaldo, armed with heavy hands himself couldn’t dodge away from Alexis punches. The head to body shots were taking a toll on him and by the sixth round Alexis dropped Ubaldo with a left hand towards the ropes prompting the referee to rule it a knock down and a standing 8 count. Remarkably, Ubaldo came back for more abuse and got dropped again for another standing 8 count near the end of the round.

Ubaldo wasn’t looking good and was taking a lot of unnecessary punishment. With that said Ubaldo’s corner decided to pull their fighter preventing him from sustaining any further damage.

Win this convincing win, Alexis collected another knockout to add to his bright and flourishing Heavyweight career. I can’t wait to see what is next to come.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II”

Undisputed Light Heavyweight Showdown

In tonight’s Main Event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 Kos) avenged his previous defeat by dethroning our own Russian/Canadian representative Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 Kos).

It was a continuation of their previous encounter where both combatants picked up where they left off but this time around Bivol made sure to be as active with his hands and feet more than before.

Beterbiev pressed the action as expected, stalking Bivol at every corner and landing the more telling punches but Bivol’s punch output and random combinations may have played a factor as the rounds progressed. Although Bivol’s punches weren’t visibly hurting Beterbiev the fact that he was more active did play a pivotal part.

Bivol used calculated movement to offset Beterbiev from landing his usual damaging blows but that did not deter Beterbiev from applying pressure. It was a close bout very much like their previous encounter where both combatants had their moments round by round.

After 12 full competitive rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113, giving the majority decision to Dmitry Bivol the new Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Personally, I think Beterbiev did enough to retain his Undisputed status but fair play to Bivol, this time around the Judges felt he had done enough and for that congratulations are in order. Well done!

A rubber match is definitely warranted.

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 Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel”

Heavyweight Showdown

Agit Kabayel (26-0, 18 Kos) has been defying the odds and silencing the naysayers with another great performance at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as he once again put a stop to
Zhilei ”Big Bang” Zhang (27-3-1, 22 Kos).

Zhang, standing like a giant at 6ft 6in tall and at 287 lbs, tried to bully his way inside that squared circle and had some success and even managed to drop Kabayel in the fifth round to a standing 8 count but lacked the punch output and the stamina to finish Kabayel off.

That being said, that one moment was all Zhang had as Kabayel pretty much dominated every other round chopping the giant down with big heavy body shots clearly bothering Zhang whose punch output was going down.

The pressure that Kabayel was coming with was impressive. His relentless body attack paid dividends when he dropped Zhang in the sixth round and was unable to answer the count prompting the referee to halt the bout.

Peeps keep underestimating Agit Kabayel who’s been hovering under the radar but as of late his actions have been making all the noise in the Heavyweight Division. This real life “body snatcher” has been taking on all challengers with no hesitation and has cemented himself as a key player in the Heavyweight Division.

That being said, with this destructive win under his belt he has now captured the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title positioning himself in the queue at possibly challenging the Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Until then, congratulations Agit. Well done!

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 Jack Catterall vs Arnold Barboza Jr.”

Junior Welterweight Challenge

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBO International Junior Welterweight Champion Jack “El Gato” Catterall (30-2, 13 Kos) and WBO Intercontinental Junior Welterweight Champion Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 Kos), was an interesting bout where both combatants had to get creative with their approach inside that squared circle at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

This was a chess like match where both combatants had their moments as the rounds progressed. Being the away fighter, Barboza had no choice but to stay active with his hands but Catterall stood his ground and exchanged leather for leather as best he could.

You could see both combatants struggling to get an edge on one another as each looked equally matched inside that squared circle making it harder to call round by round. It was a very calculative type bout where every mistake made cost the opponent dearly.

Both combatants had their share of telling punches being thrown but as the championship rounds rolled out it was becoming clearer to the eye that Barboza was the one putting in that extra push to secure the defining rounds.

That being said, after 12 full rounds of action one Judge scored it 115-113 for Catterall while the other two Judges scored it 115-113 for Barboza giving him the split decision win and the right to claim the vacant WBO Interim Junior Welterweight Title.

It was a tight competitive bout from start to finish but I personally think the right man won on the night. With this win now secured by Barboza an official mandatory position has now been set to challenge for the full WBO World Junior Welterweight Title held by Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 Kos).

That said, will Teofimo accept the challenge? Only time will tell.

Until then, congratulations Arnold on another great win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II”

Undisputed Light Heavyweight Showdown

Former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 Kos) will be looking for his “get back” when he will face the only man to have beaten him in the professional ranks: Undefeated, Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 Kos), February 22, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

With this rematch now locked in, Bivol’s only mission is to rectify and avenge the result of his previous encounter with “King Arthur” and reclaim his WBA Light Heavyweight Title along with the remaining hardware, to become the New Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion.

A well thought out plan by Bivol with only one problem; our own Russian/Canadian representative reigning Undefeated Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the World “King Artur” has absolutely no intention of relinquishing his hard-earned Championship Belts any time soon.

Beterbiev understands that their previous encounter inside that squared circle was a highly-contested chess match that showed their respective skill sets but this time around Beterbeiv will be looking to tweak a few things and end all possible controversy by once again beating Bivol more convincingly.

That being said, Bivol will need to make the necessary adjustments and be prepared for a highly motivated and aggressive “King Artur” looking to administer some serious damage inside that squared circle.

Past controversy aside, this upcoming rematch bout is a sure shot so tune in Live on DAZN February 22, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and witness the outcome.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jai Opetaia vs David Nyika”

IBF Cruiserweight Challenge

This Morning’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF/Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Champion Jai Opetaia (27-0, 21 Kos) and late replacement challenger David Nyika (10-1, 9 Kos) was a perfect example of why there are levels to this boxing sh*t. Real Talk!

Nyika, who is a very big Cruiserweight standing at 6 foot 6, definitely looked the part and tried to walk the talk, was met with the very best at the Cruiserweight Division in Opetaia, who was defending his handwear at a homecoming bout at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

With all the pressure to resting on his back, Opetaia wasted no time and asserted himself from the first bell. He delivered on the night by applying nonstop pressure and breaking down the towering Nyika who brought his “A” game but not the right “game plan” to deter Opetaia from having his way with him.

Both combatants banged on one another from close range making this bout quite entertaining but the beneficiary of this type of action favored Opetaia, who had himself a spectacular but short night of action when he dropped Nyika with a barrage of heavy shots from head to body for a standing 8 count. Nyika was looking shaky on his legs – vulnerable and prime for the taking to which Opetaia obliged with a vicious uppercut and a one two combination that flattened Nyika lifeless in the fourth round ending the bout in a dramatic fashion.

With this striking performance, Opetaia retained his IBF/Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Championship Titles and proceeded to call out Unified WBA/WBO Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto Ramirez (47-1, 30 Kos) for a unification bout. Will this call out be answered? Nevertheless, this challenge needs to happen ASAP!

Blaze