On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol”

WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN PPV Main Event between Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo (57-2-2, 39 Kos) and WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 Kos) at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, was a shocking and disappointing outcome to the pro-Canelo crowd in attendance. Real Talk!

Canelo may have been reaching a little too high when he attempted to recapture a title at his second run at Light Heavyweight by choosing to pry away the “Big Fundamental” Bivol’s WBA “Super” Title. Bivol wasn’t having it and defended his title like a champion should.

Canelo was met with a warrior in Bivol who did not play by his rules but instead proceeded to being quite the challenge Canelo was looking for. Hands Down!

A lot of boxing pundits discredited Bivol and had already counted him out but I personally thought all these people were dead wrong about him. Anyone who paid attention and actually watched how Bivol dismantled all of his previous opponents would know that Dmitry’s fundamental skills are flawless. He may not be the strongest or the fastest but his efficiency inside that squared circle remains unmatched.

Team Caleno severely miscalculated their “game plan” this time around as they were unable to deter Bivol’s steady nonstop pressure aided by a stiff pistol-like jab that stayed connecting all night. Bivol’s punch output and punch combinations were on point and definitely kept Canelo frustrated throughout the bout.

Bivol was impressive and showed absolutely no fear inside that squared circle, unlike some of Caleno’s past opponents who crumbled under the bright lights and the big stage.

Bivol silenced the pro-Caleno crowd who were privy enough to witness this masterclass performance unfolding right before their eyes. After 12 full rounds of action all three Judges scored it 115-113 in favor of Dmitry Bivol.

I’m a big fan of Caleno win or lose but this score card does not reflect what transpired inside that squared circle. This score card is way too close to my liking. Bivol owned this bout from start to finish in my eyes hands down! Let’s give the man the respect he is due. Bivol just took down the Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” on the biggest night of his career and retained his WBA “Super” Light Heavyweight Title in the process.

This outcome is nothing that Caleno can’t bounce back from. Maybe an immediate rematch to redeem himself will be in the works but until then congratulations Dmitry this was an incredible win that will last the test of time. Job well done.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano”

Undisputed Lightweight Championship Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between Undisputed Lightweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/ Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (21-0, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (42-2-1, 30 Kos), outdid themselves when they battled it out at Madison Square Garden in New York.

This was women’s Boxing at its highest level and both combatants showed the World and the fans in attendance a boxing match that will last the test of time. Real Talk! Amanda, who moved up in weight from the 126-Pound Division to the 135-Pound Division, did not look out of place exchanging leather for leather against the visibly bigger Champion in Katie Taylor.

Them two warriors gave it to each other right from the jump with neither combatant letting one another get the edge as the rounds progressed. Both had moments throughout the bout and both managed to impress me with the way they executed their respectable “game plan”.

Amanda, being the smaller opponent, performed exceptionally well and even had the Champ hurt a few times and could have put the Champ out if it wasn’t for the round being over at the right time giving Katie that out long enough to recover. Amanda’s power was real and looked quite effective and definitely bothered Katie whenever she got tagged hard enough.

That said, Katie is one resilient combatant who wasn’t about to be outdone on the biggest night of her career to date. Katie’s hand speed and punch output was quite efficient and definitely made it difficult for Amanda to match her punch for punch. Her foot work and conditioning were key points that carried her throughout the bout.

This was a tight bout to call from start to finish and both combatants had their respectable moments throughout the bout, but after 10 full rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand scored it 96-93, 97-93 for Taylor and 96-94 for Serrano, giving the edge and the win to Katie Taylor.

Listen, I’m a big fan of Katie but I personally think that Amanda edged this one, hands down!
Again, this was a tight bout from start to finish but Amanda did the better work round by round and clearly had Katie hurt numerous times and landed the more visible telling punches. Katie’s punch output was very good but Amanda stood her ground and showed her strength and power with clean punches that were too clean to be ignored by these two Judges’ score cards.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Blair Cobbs vs Alexis Rocha”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night the fast talking, trash talking Welterweight prospect Blair Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 Kos) got himself humbled when he took on Alexis Rocha (19-1, 13 Kos) inside that squared circle as the Main Event of the night at the USC Galen in Los Angeles, California on the Golden Boy/DAZN card.

Cobbs talked the talk but clearly underestimated his opponent when he first stepped foot inside that squared circle. Cobbs boxed and moved not looking too concerned about his opponent, right until he got caught and chin checked in the second round which opened up a clear flaw in Cobbs defense as the rounds progressed.

Alexis’ left hand was landing at will all night clearly rocking Cobbs who then started to move way too much to win any rounds. Cobbs was having some serious problems figuring out Alexis who was growing stronger as the rounds progressed.

Alexis’ “game plan” was simple but effective. His patience and steady aggressive approach troubled Cobbs enough to land another hard left chin checked and dropped Cobbs for a quick 8 count in the eighth round. Cobbs, who was clearly hurt struggled heavily to survive the end of the round.

The “End Game” was near and in the ninth round a visibly weakened Cobbs continued to absorb a burst of unanswered punches from body to head and again chin checked out on his feet prompting the referee to call an end to the bout.

Prior to the bout, Alexis had promised to hurt Blair inside that squared circle but went a step further and silenced the flamboyant one permanently.

This bout was a reality check for Cobbs who prior to the bout was calling out the top Welterweights in the Division. There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and this one showed you where you at, but it’s nothing you can’t bounce back from. Keep your head up Blair.

As for Alexis, congratulations on your convincing win keep up the momentum.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Roman Gonzalez vs Julio Cesar Martinez”

Vacant WBC Diamond Junior Bantamweight Title

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California was initially supposed to be a highly anticipated third rematch between WBA “Super” Junior Bantamweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28 Kos) and former Four Division World Champion Roman Gonzalez (51-3, 41 Kos), however due to Juan Francisco testing positive for Covid-19 back in January he had no choice but to withdraw. In order to save the card replacement combatant Flyweight WBC champion Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 Kos) moved up in weight on a six weeks’ notice to challenge “Chocolatito”.

While many boxing pundits envisioned that the younger and fresher Martinez would be too much for the aging warrior, fans in attendance received a hell of show when Gonzalez handed the Flyweight young gunner a clinical beating from rounds 1 to 12.

Experience, timing and controlled aggression with precise accurate punches were all on display when “Chocolatito” easily dismantled the overmatched but tough warrior Martinez.

Martinez stood his ground and fought well at times but lacked the right “game plan” or the experience to deter the crafty veteran from having his way with him inside that squared circle.

Gonzalez owned the ring last night and looked like a rejuvenated combatant who had found the fountain of youth by the way he fought and moved inside that squared circle.

Although Martinez came in well over the contractual Junior Bantamweight limit of 115 lbs, the added weight had absolutely no effect on Gonzalez who withstood the power punches coming his way with no real issues and simply outworked the bigger fighter.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 all in favor of Roman Gonzalez.

This was an exceptional performance by the aging warrior who proved to still have the goods to the get the job done. I’m not sure how much “juice” Gonzalez has left at this point in his career but a rescheduled rematch with WBA “Super” Junior Bantamweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada would definitely keep that fire blazing for one more unique show if a final curtain call was ever to be in his near future.

Until then congratulations Roman on another brilliant display of skills.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Devin Hayne vs JoJo Diaz Jr.”

WBC Lightweight Challenge

WBC Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (27-0, 15 Kos) kept his “Dream” of one day becoming Undisputed Lightweight Champion alive last night when he successfully defeated always tough and durable JoJo Diaz (32-2-1, 15 Kos) by unanimous decision on the Matchroom/DAZN Main Event card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

JoJo came out the gate attempting to establish himself early but it was Devin who responded with a very accurate and steady jab that kept JoJo from landing anything damaging enough to deter Devin’s steady offense round by round.

Devin boxed and moved beautifully with some very good combinations from head to body keeping JoJo in the high guard position trying to block most of the shots coming his way.

JoJo showed toughness and resilience but his punch output to connection ratio was a little off, giving Devin the edge due to his higher punch output and connection ratio being on point round by round.

That said JoJo still made it tough on Devin. This was not a clear-cut easy fight for Devin – it was a good solid test where Devin got tagged quite a few times and never wavered. Devin showed his own toughness as well especially in the Championship rounds when JoJo pressed the action.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 117-111, 117-111, 116-112 unanimously for Devin Haney. No dispute there. JoJo made it a fight but fell short but should still keep his head up cause this Dude is no walk in the park inside that squared circle for anybody.

Job well done Devin – now on to Undisputed.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All about Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr.”

Unified Lightweight Championship

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, in New York, NY, between Unified IBF/WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Champion and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (16-1, 12 Kos) and mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 Kos) was a surprising and shocking type of an event that was well worth the wait. Real Talk!

This bout was unexpectedly action packed from start to finish. Kambosos, the underdog, came in this bout with the mentality of a warrior with only one mission in mind: to succeed by any means necessary. There was evidence of that in the first round when Teofimo was in attack mode looking for a quick knockout landing heavy punches with Kambosos startlingly absorbing every shot quite well and dishing out his own and shockingly scoring the first knockdown of the night in doing so. Unbelievable!

The crowd in attendance went crazy. As the rounds progressed Teofimo was looking for that get back but was met with a hungry combatant who had a strict “game plan” and the right boxing tactics, keeping Teofimo at bay eating some very good shots round after round from Kambosos.

Kambosos showed Teofimo that he was way tougher than he expected absorbing and defending most if not all of what Teofimo was dishing out. Kambosos made this bout a war and as the rounds were piling up, Kambosos was the one winning the rounds in my eyes.

The visibly smaller man inside that squared circle was putting in that work on Teofimo bodying him up with some very good shots. Teofimo clearly misjudged his opponent’s skill and durability when pushed inside that squared circle. As the bout went on you could plainly see that although Teofimo was the bigger and stronger combatant, he was the one showing fatigue and taking the most punishment from Kambosos.

That being said, in the 10th round Teofimo finally got his get back by dropping Kambosos with a hard right hand for a quick 8 count. Even after being dropped, Kambosos showed some serious determination and survived the round and continued on in the championship rounds by going toe to toe and standing his ground in a convincing manner.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Kambosos’ performance last night, Dude came inside that squared circle and fought his heart out and showed up B.I.G. on the biggest stage of his career to date.

After 12 full rounds of none stop action, the Judges scored it 115-111 for Kambosos, 114-113 for Teofimo and 115-112 for Kambosos who is now the New Unified IBF/WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Champion and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion of the World.

Teofimo seriously dropped the ball on this one and is now paying a hefty price. Maybe the inactivity over the year or the weight cut to 135 pounds was an issue. One thing is for sure: Teofimo did not prepare himself properly for this title defense.

Congratulations George! You walked it like you talked it and backed every word with the performance of your life on the biggest night of your career. You earned this one Hands Down!

Can’t no one take this victory away from you. You silenced all the naysayers who doubted you and now sit atop like an Emperor of the 135-Pound Division. Well done.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Demetrius Andrade vs Jason Quigley”

WBO Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBO Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade (31-0, 19 Kos) and Jason Quigley (19-2, 14 Kos) at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, was a short but impressive night for the Champion.

Andrade handled his WBO mandatory challenger like the professional Champion that he is, easily dismantling Jason in two rounds by dropping him once in round 1 and twice in round two with a barrage of punches prompting the referee to stop the unanswered onslaught from administering any further damage.

That being said, with no disrespect to Jason who earned his way to a mandatory position, he clearly did not belong with Andrade inside that squared circle. Jason is a good solid well-rounded fighter but levels below the A+ cerebral assassin that Demetrius is.

Peeps keep complaining about Andrade’s lack of competition but the Dude is always out here calling for ALL THE SMOKE with the other Champions in the Division with no one answering his call.

With this statement win, Demetrius retained his WBO Middleweight Title and defended it for the fifth time. Being one of the most avoided Champions in Boxing can be a frustrating feeling but your Boy Andrade handles it like a “G”, a true professional inside that squared circle.

Keep stacking up them wins Demetrius and the so-called elite fighters out there will have to see you soon.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Gabriel Rosado”

WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Championship

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Jaime Munguia (38-0, 30 Kos) and Gabriel Rosado (26-14-1, 15 Kos) at the Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, did not lack excitement. Real Talk!

Them two warriors fought their hearts out inside that squared circle from start to finish. Nonstop action coming from both sides with heavy leather being thrown with bad intentions.

Fight by fight you can see the improvements Munguia has been making and last night all was on display. His defence was always questionable but noticeably improved in my eyes. His durability and the crazy punch output with the combinations and his heavy hands, is what separates him inside that squared circle. This Kid is something special and definitely has a crowd-pleasing style to keep you on the edge of your seat.

That being said, Gabe ain’t no walk in the park for anybody inside that squared circle and last night Gabe put that impressive pressure style of fighting on Munguia round after round, determined to make his presence felt inside that squared circle. Gabe did a hell of a job and showed his toughness with his own durability as well. Gabe dished it just as much as he was taking.

The only drawback for Gabe was that he needed to be a tad busier cause the Kid Munguia had them punch combinations coming in bunches whenever Gabe hit him with a good one, which clearly swayed the Judges.

After 12 full rounds of nonstop action, the Judges scored it 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 all unanimously for Jaime Munguia. I don’t have a problem with the winner but this type of score card is disrespectful. Win or lose Gabe made this bout a lot closer than what these Judges saw, HANDS DOWN!

Munguia got tested last night in probably his biggest fight to date. With this win he now becomes the new WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion, giving him a clear path to WBO Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade or WBC Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo. Given these two options, Munguia is still hoping for a chance at IBF Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin.

Regardless of the path Jaime decides to take on, anyone of these three Champions will guaranty an exciting bout.

Until then, congratulations on your win Jaime.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Mikey Garcia vs Sandor Martin.”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at the Chuckchansi Park, Fresno, CA, between former 4-Division World Champion Mikey Garcia (40-2, 30 Kos) and virtually unknown EBU European Super Lightweight Champion Sandor Martin (39-2, 13 Kos) was a perfect example of a cherry pick gone wrong. Real Talk!

A lot of people lost B.I.G. last night when they expected Mikey to have an easy stay-busy fight in front of his home crowd but then soon found out that Sandor wasn’t coming to lay down without a fight.

This was by far Sandor’s biggest moment of his career and he wasn’t about to drop the ball on the biggest stage with the lights and cameras all focussed on him. Sandor and his team came up with the perfect “game plan” which he executed to a “T”, offsetting the surprised Garcia round by round boxing and counterpunching, never letting Mikey get comfortable enough inside that squared circle.

Mikey’s usual punch output connection rate was non-existent at times and he was getting countered with some heavy, precise punch combinations that kept him from settling into any type of an offensive rhythm.

Mikey, the veteran boxer that he is, was shockingly getting outboxed by Sandor who was gaining more and more confidence as the rounds were piling up. Mikey had himself a few good looks at times but not enough momentum to disrupt Sandor’s aggressive approach.

After 10 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 95-95, 97-93, 97-93 all in favor of the underdog Sandor Martin.

The right combatant won this bout hands down. Mikey simply didn’t do enough in my eyes to secure the win. Maybe the long layoff played a part in his lackluster performance but my personal opinion is that Mikey simply overlooked his opponent and paid the price inside that squared circle.

That being said, I tip my “B” hat to Sandor for sticking with the “game plan’ and pulling off one the best wins of his career to date. You touched down in the United State for the first time in your career and left a lasting impression with a great victory.

Congratulations Sandor you truly earned this one, job well done.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Virgil Ortiz Jr. vs Egidijus Kavaliauskas”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event at The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, was well worth the wait. Real Talk! Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 Kos) and Egidijus Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 Kos) showed us fans what two hungry fighters can produce when matched up properly.

The warrior that Egidijus is came out early and asserted himself quite well by pressuring Vergil in the first few rounds even catching him with a barrage of punches and a right uppercut on the chin that clearly dropped Ortiz but the referee called it a slip. That said, Ortiz survived the round and returned the favor in the third round when he also chinned Egidijus and dropped him for a quick 8 count right before the bell.

As the rounds were piling up so was the action inside that squared circle. Both combatants brought the “Heat”. Egidijus proved to be the test Virgil needed at this point but it was only a matter of time before he’d figured Kavaliauskas out.

As great as the back-and-forth action was inside that squared circle, Virgil’s power and precision shined bright in the eighth round when a well-placed left shot to the body dropped Egidijus for a quick eight count then a left hook to the chin for the second knockdown, another eight count then chinned checked again for a third knockdown, another eight count but then came the “End Game” a barrage of unanswered heavy punches dropped “Mean Machine” for the fourth and final time which then prompted the referee to officially stop the bout.

It was a beautiful display of boxing by Virgil who encountered some solid resistance but prevailed big time when it was all said and done.

That being said, Virgil wants next with WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 Kos) or any other Champions in the Division. Your Boy is out here looking for all that smoke.

Who really want it with the Kid Virgil Ortiz Jr. cause he got next!

Blaze