On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Marcus Browne”

IBF/WBC Light Heavyweight Championship Challenge

Last night’s GYM Promotion/Top Rank Main Event between IBF/WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 Kos) and Marcus Browne (24-2, 16 Kos) at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada was the only bout on a horrendous card that made any sense. Real Talk!

No disrespect but whoever put this card together did a horrible job. None of these matchups on the card were competitive, that is until the Main Event.

The tough and durable Artur Beterbiev suffered an early cut in the fourth round when an accidental clash of heads cut him and Marcus up but saw Artur suffer the worst of it. Blood was gushing nonstop from Artur’s forehead blinding him at times, but it did not deter him from proceeding with the task at hand.

Marcus, who had a very good “game plan” kept poking in and out with a good jab and constantly moving, frustrating Artur. It was the type of “game plan” that required 100 % of your concentration and stamina to maintain throughout the night.

That being said, Artur kept his composure and continued to administer enough pressure with his heavy punches coming from all angles to slowly wear Marcus down round after round. Once Marcus felt the thumping power of Artur’s punches the original “game plan” went out the window.

Artur’s head to body attack eventually dropped Marcus in the seventh round for a quick 8 count but judging from the body language Marcus was displaying, the inevitable was near and by the ninth round a series of unanswered body shots dropped Marcus again. This time Marcus did not respond to the count forcing the referee to stop the bout.

At first glance Marcus showed he could hang with Artur but as the rounds progressed and the action picked up, it became quite clear that Artur was simply too strong of a resilient opponent for Marcus to overcome inside that squared circle. Bloodied and all, nothing was going to dissuade this man from walking out the Champion.

With this convincing win, Artur retained his IBF/WBC Light Heavyweight Championship belts and the No. 1 Spot in the 175-Pound Division.

Dethroning this man from his position will not be easy but I am looking forward to see who will attempt to try.

Until then congratulations Artur on another conclusive win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Richard Commey”

Vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Title

Vasiliy Lomachenko (16-2, 11 Kos) had himself another dominating performance last night on the Top Rank Main Event card at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, when he completely dismantled Richard Commey (30-4, 27 Kos) with ease.

Loma looked as sharp as ever and laser focussed from rounds one to twelve. His foot work from side to side with speed caused mad confusion to Richard who clearly had a hard time judging his distance, at times missing widely in the air.

Loma wasted absolutely no punches and his punch output was ridiculously troubling Commey who was getting lumped up from head to body at will.

As the rounds progressed, it became painfully clear that Commey did not belong with Loma inside that squared circle. By round seven, Loma applied some serious aggressive pressure with power behind every shot that dropped Commey cold for a quick 8 count. The resilient Commey survived the troubling round and actually proceeded to stay somewhat competitive enough to make it through the full 12 rounds of action.

All three Judges scored it 119-108, 119-108 and 117-110 unanimously for Lomachenko.

This hungry version of Lomachenko will definitely be a problem to the 135-Pound Division. Loma is not holding back and is looking for all the smoke with the top Lightweights in the Division hands down.

With this convincing win Loma picked up the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Title possibly giving him a clearer path at the new Unified IBF/WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Champion and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 Kos).

A very intriguing matchup if it ever comes to fruition in the near future.

Until then, congratulation Vasiliy on another overwhelming performance.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event between WBO Champion Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 Kos) and Shawn Porter (31-4-1, 17 Kos) at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena, was a statement-type performance by the Champion that definitely lived up to the hype. Real Talk!

Everybody in the building knew what Porter was going to bring inside that squared circle but nobody knew how Crawford was going to deal with it. Porter brought the heat straight from round one and on and didn’t stop applying pressure making it a real fight. The “game plan” looked simple on Porter’s side but he wasn’t dealing with an average-type of fighter in Crawford.

The key for Crawford was to not get caught up in Porter’s “game plan” but to settle down and execute his own by being patient and sticking to his exceptional boxing skills. He could not get caught stuck exchanging leather for leather letting himself open at times giving unnecessary opportunities which he did, giving Porter successful rounds.

The back and forth both combatants were dishing out was exciting and definitely crowd pleasing to the fans in attendance.

That said, as the rounds were piling up, I could sense Crawford needed to do something spectacular to slow down the momentum Porter had going for himself at that point. Crawford needed to remind the Boxing World why he was on the Pound-for-Pound list.

In the 10th round, Crawford caught Porter with a well-placed short left to the dome that sat him down for a quick 8 count. Porter, who looked surprised, bounced right back up on his feet but the inevitable was looming over Porter’s head. Porter proceeded to go at Crawford with aggression only to be met with a heavy two-piece combo that severely rocked a still concussed and frustrated Porter to the floor for second time. Although Porter managed to beat the 10 count, Shawn’s Dad, Kenny Porter had seen enough and waved the referee to stop the bout. Just like that Crawford put an end to “Showtime” Shawn Porter by TKO in the 10th round.

This was the type of a performance that Terence needed to silence all the naysayers that doubted his greatness inside that squared circle. Porter brought the “heat” and asserted himself quite well but Terence showed to have the equalizer to shut the show down.

This was by far the most noteworthy and hardest combatant to date in Terence’s career and he prevailed in an impressive fashion.

Congratulations Terence on retaining your WBO Welterweight Championship. You truly are one of the Pound-for-Pound greats in the game today.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Mikaela Mayer vs Maiva Hamadouche”

Junior Lightweight IBF/WBO Unification Championship

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event between WBO Junior Lightweight Champion Mikaela Mayer (16-0, 5 Kos) and IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Maiva Hamadouche (22-2, 18 Kos) at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas was a perfect display of what two of the best female boxers can produce when matched perfectly.

The undefeated Champion Mikaela showed us a different aspect of her boxing game when she elected to bang toe to toe with the always ready known banger Maiva, inside that squared circle. I was quite surprised and impressed to see that Mikaela stood her ground and asserted herself quite well in a tough battle with the shorter but ferocious Maiva.

Maiva came out the gate real aggressive and pressed the action from the jump. Maiva did her best to neutralize Mikaela’s reach but Mikaela’s patience and ring IQ played dividends when she opted to fight fire with fire disrupting Miava’s “game plan”.

This bout was nonstop action with heavy leather being thrown from round 1 to 10 with either combatant letting one another room to breathe. Although both combatants, threw an abundance of punches, it was Mikaela who seemed to land the more telling body to head punches as the rounds progressed.

That being said, after 10 full rounds of action, the Judges scored it 100-90, 99-91, 98-92 unanimously for Mikaela Mayer.

I personally felt that the score card was a lot closer than what they had but I have no dispute with the winner. This bout was by far one of the best fights for the year 2021.

Mikaela fought hard and dug deep for this one and overcame a worthy Champion in Maiva.

Congratulations Mikaela on becoming the New Junior Lightweight IBF/WBO Champion of the World.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jamel Herring vs Shakur Stevenson”

WBO Junior Lightweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta between WBO Junior Lightweight Champion Jamel Herring (23-3, 11 Kos) and Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 Kos) became a showcase type bout for the youngin dubbed the “Fearless”.

Shakur had seek and destroy written all over his face right from jump. Shakur showed Jamel absolutely no respect and continued to apply nonstop pressure with quick and strong punches from head to body.

Whatever “game plan” Jamel’s team came up with was none-existing for the simple fact that Shakur was just too strong and too fast for Jamel to content with. No disrespect to Jamel but the unusual stay in the pocket style that Shakur applied for this bout completely took Jamel by surprise and made him gun shy and unable to counterpunch when he needed to.

That being said, the “Fearless” did just that and showed absolutely no fear towards his opponent and proceeded to completely dismantle the older but more experienced Champion piece by piece.

By the 10th round the inevitable was seconds away. Jamel looked tired and beaten sitting there taking punishment without fighting back. The referee had seen enough and jumped in to stop the unanswered onslaught on Jamel.

This was the type of performance Shakur needed to bring inside that squared circle to silence the critics who doubted him. He fought toe to toe and banged on his opponent in a very dominant fashion.

With this impressive win over Jamel, Shakur now becomes a two weight Division Champion and the New WBO Junior Lightweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Shakur on your latest achievement – now on to a unification bout.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oscar Rivas vs Ryan Rozicki”

Vacant WBC Brigerweight Championship

Last nights’ WBC inaugural Brigerweight Championship bout Main Event between Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (28-1, 19 Kos) and Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (13-1, 13 Kos) at the Olympia Theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was nothing short of pure entertainment at its finest. Real Talk!

On this historical night both combatants put up one hell of a show from start to finish. Rozicki who was previously campaigning as a Cruserweight moved up in weight to challenge Rivas who moved down from Heavyweight to now campaigning in this New Division of the Brigerweight. The size difference was quite visible as Rozicki weighed in at 203 and Rivas a hulking 222 on fight night.

Judging by the size difference between the two warriors, I didn’t think this bout was about to go down as entertaining as it was at first site but boy was I wrong.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Roziki cause this Boy came to fight and did not disappoint with his performance. Dude came in bangin on Rivas and going toe to toe “phone booth” style round after round.

Rivas clearly had the more telling punches whenever they were exchanging but you could clearly see that Rivas wasn’t expecting Roziki to be so strong and resilient inside that squared circle.

Both combatants made it a fight inside that squared circle. Whenever Roziki looked like he was about to fade he would find another boost of energy out of nowhere and answer Rivas right back.

Rivas, who looked quite gassed early in the bout, had to dig deep to maintain the slight edge he had at the midpoint of the bout. Roziki wouldn’t stop pressuring Rivas but Rivas’ strong jab was doing visible damage all night.

After 12 rounds of nonstop action the Judges scored it 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112 crowning Oscar Rivas as the first titlist in the WBC new Brigerweight 224-Pound Division Champion.

This Championship bout will go down in the record book with Rivas’ name attached to it as the first to don the Brigerweight Belt.

Congratulations Oscar, you earned that one hands down and stamped your name in this 18th new Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder”

WBC Championship Heavyweight Throwdown

Last night’s PBC/Top Rank Main Event Heavyweight Championship bout between WBC/Ring Magazine Champion Tyson Furry (31-0-1, 22 Kos) and Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 Kos) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, was a proper showdown that will definitely last the test of time in the Heavyweight Division. Real Talk!

This trilogy bout lived up to the hype from start to finish. Tyson walked in as a “Spartan” and clearly silenced “The Bronze Bomber” without any dispute. Although Deontay was able detonate two heavy bombs on Tyson that dropped him in the fourth round, Deontay was not able to empty the artillery needed to keep Fury from coming forward with controlled aggression.

Deontay came out the gate with the right “game plan” but neglected to utilize it to its fullest and stick with the task at hand as the tiredness and the rounds became harder to endure as Fury maintained constant pressure on him.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Deontay cause Dude was getting manhandled inside that squared circle but his strong heart and sheer will wouldn’t let him bow down without a fight. Deontay was on shaky legs early in the bout and took some heavy punishment while handing some of his own as well,  but the “Spartan” warrior that Tyson is proved to be the better prepared combatant on the night. Hands down!

Once again, the strongest puncher in the Heavyweight Division Deontay Wilder got broken down and dropped three times by the so called “pillow-fisted” Tyson Fury who dramatically put a stop to the bout with a devastating knockout in the 11th round. Unbelievable!

I gotta tip my “B” hat to the “Gypsy King”. This man walks it like he talks it inside that squared circle. With another convincing win over the “Bronze Bomber” Tyson successfully defended his WBC Heavyweight Championship and Ring Magazine Belt.

With Boxing Trainer SugarHill Steward in the Gypsy’s corner, it’s going to be hard pressed to remove the WBC Heavyweight Championship and Ring Magazine Belt from this man’s possession. Good luck to the competition.

Until then, congratulations Tyson on another historical type performance. You are truly the man to beat in the Heavyweight Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Frank Sanchez vs Efe Ajagba”

Heavyweight Throwdown

In a battle of unbeaten Heavyweight Prospects at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 Kos) put on a boxing clinic when he dropped and dismantled hard hitting Efe Ajagba (15-1, 12 Kos) to a clear-cut unanimous decision win.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and although both combatants are fairly new to the professional game, Sanchez showed he was levels above Ajagba inside that squared circle by boxing and moving beautifully with ease round after round administering nonestop action.

Ajagba, who is known for his power, was unable to let go of the hammer, and when he did let loose, he quickly got countered with a barrage of punches that eventually cost him in the seventh round when he got caught and dropped.

As the rounds were piling up, it was clear that Ajagba lacked the proper preparation to compete with a superior technical boxer of Sanchez’s caliber.

After 10 rounds of one-sided action all three Judges scored it 98-91, 98-91 and 97-92 all in favor of Frank Sanchez.

It was a very impressive showing by Sanchez who exhibited exceptional offensive and defensive skills inside that squared circle.

Can’t wait to see what comes after this imposing victory. Until then, congratulations Sanchez.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Shakur Stevenson vs Jeremiah Nakathila”

WBO Interim Junior Lightweight Championship

Last night’s Main Event between Shakur Stevenson (16-0, 8 Kos) and Jeremiah Nakathila (21-2, 17 Kos) at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Nevada was another example of how defensively minded Shakur can be when met with an opponent with serious power. Real Talk!

Jeremiah was supposed to be a real tough test for Shakur and was coming off a 10-fight knockout winning streak. Jeremiah had envisioned putting them paws all over Stevenson’s face but was met with a superior opponent for the first time inside that squared circle.

As good and strong as Jeremiah was, he was clearly outmatched by the younger Stevenson who was elusive and untouchable the entire bout. This bout definitely wasn’t fan friendly to watch but one has to admire the ring generalship Shakur possesses at such a young age.

Jeremiah had absolutely no proper “game plan” to disrupt Shakur’s steady attack. Jeremiah’s frustration was becoming more and more visible as the rounds progressed. His desperate actions made him exposed and susceptible in the fifth round and got caught with a right hook to the chin that dropped him for a quick eight count near the end of the round.

Stevenson showed he was levels above Jeremiah throughout the entire bout of so-called action. Shakur’s defence was impeccable. Had he would have pressed the action and closed the show, the fans in attendance would have been more appreciative of his talent.

That being said, after 12 full rounds of action, the Judges scored it 120-107 unanimously in favor of Shakur Stevenson. With this win, Shakur is now the WBO Interim Junior Lightweight Champion of the World and mandatory challenger to the full WBO Junior Lightweight Champion Jamel Herring (23-2, 11 Kos).

Being that Stevenson may have the option to confront WBC Junior Lightweight Champion Oscar Valdez (29-0, 20 Kos), I can surely anticipate a much better competitive and entertaining bout regardless of which Champion Shakur decides to challenge.

Until then, congratulations on your latest win Shakur.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Josh Taylor vs Jose Ramirez”

Junior Welterweight Unification Championship

Last night’s Main Event at the Virgin Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada between Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/Ring Magazine Champion Josh Taylor (18-0, 13 Kos) and Junior Welterweight WBC/WBO Champion Jose Ramirez (26-1, 17 Kos), lived up to the hype.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Josh for walking it like he talked it. Dude is a bad man inside that squared circle. His confidence never waivers inside or outside the ring. He’s an exceptional boxer with a high boxing IQ that benefited him well in last night’s Unification clash with Jose.

Jose fought well and stood his ground and asserted himself when it got rough, aside from a few lapses that eventually cost him dearly. Both combatants went blow for blow dropping heavy bombs, at times making the rounds entertaining and hard to score.

As close as the rounds were, Josh separated himself when he scored a knockdown in the sixth round and the seventh round. Both knockdowns were sharp and right on the money and clearly hurt Jose, but Ramirez’s strong will to compete carried him to stay competitive throughout the later rounds.

After 12 full rounds of action all three Judges scored it unanimously 114-112 in Josh Taylor’s favor. Jose definitely had his moments but those two knockdowns had sealed his fate.

With this convincing win, Josh collected the WBC/WBO Belts and retained his IBF/WBA/Ring Magazine Championship Belts to now becoming the Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion of the World. Josh has officially cemented his name in the record books by joining such a prestigious man club that houses the names of Terence Crawford, Oeksandr Usyk, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor and now Josh Taylor as the only five fully unified Champions in any Division during boxing’s four-belt era. Not bad company for the New Champ.

Further congratulations to Josh on also becoming the first Scottish fighter to don all 4 Major Sanctioning Belts in any Division. You deserve all accolades earned Champ. Job well done.

Blaze