On The Watch “It’s All About Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 Kos) and Javier Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 Kos) was a showcase type of an event by Ryan that satisfied all his home fans who came out and represented in his honor at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

This bout was supposed to be a proper test to gauge where Ryan was at this point in his career considering Fortuna was a well-seasoned opponent who had the experience and the skills to give Ryan that much needed work.

That being said, Ryan came out the gate with a hard stiff jab that couldn’t miss. Ryan controlled every round with ease and absolutely no resistance coming from Fortuna. Ryan handled the vet like a sparring match rather than a legit bout.

Fortuna looked unprepared and out of place inside that squared circle. Ryan’s power was too much for Fortuna to handle and surprising to watch considering Fortuna had already been in there with some very good talent with exceptional power of their own in the past and prevailed.

Simply, Ryan was too big, too strong and agile for Fortuna to deter inside that square circle. The way Ryan was having his way inside that squared circle it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. In the fourth round a well-placed left body shot dropped Fortuna for a quick 8 count that saw him survive the round only to get dropped again in the fifth round by another left hand to the dome for another 8 count.

Fortuna was getting dismantled piece by piece and round by round. By the sixth round another head shot to the dome and down goes Fortuna and out comes the mouth guard. The referee had seen enough and stopped the bout by knockout.

Ryan talked a lot of sh*t all the way to the bout but backed every single word inside that squared circle. I tip my “B” hat to Ryan for an exceptional performance because he made Fortuna looked average knowing that Javier is a respectable Dude in the Boxing Game and never an easy out.

With two back-to-back wins and his focus back on boxing, Ryan is feeling like targeting Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 Kos) as his next opponent. Now that’s a very interesting bout I would enjoy watching from the build-up to the night of but calling out “Tank” could be a risky move.

Can’t wait to see if this future bout can actually come to fruition.

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 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 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

On The Watch “It’s All About Gilberto Ramirez vs Sullivan Barrera”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Gilberto Ramirez (42-0, 28 Kos) and Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 Kos) at the Banc of California Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, was nothing more than some light sparring work for the one they call “Zurdo”. Real Talk!

I was expecting some serious leather to be thrown back and forth from these two combatants considering Barrera was a strong durable opponent who usually poses a threat when inside that squared circle but, what I actually witnessed was a quick one-sided thrashing coming from the hands of Ramirez.

Ramirez’s “game plan” was straight and simple to follow and didn’t take time to assess as he found the holes in Barrera’s defense and made him pay dearly with some serious body shots that dropped Barrera three times, including twice in the fourth round which then prompted the referee to stop the bout. Unbelievable.

I’ve watch many of Barrera’s bouts to date and never seen the man succumb to submission as easily as that. Gilberto Ramirez is a serious problem inside that squared circle. In only his third bout at the 175-Pound Division, Ramirez has definitely put the Champions on notice and directly called out WBA Super Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 Kos).

Now if Dmitry answers that call and accepts the challenge, them two inside that squared circle would unquestionably be a very intriguing matchup.

Let’s see if this bout can be made but, until then congratulations “Zurdo” on your latest win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jojo Diaz Jr. vs Javier Fortuna”

Vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Title

Jojo Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 Kos) came up a division last night to the 135-Pound Division to challenge Javier Fortuna (36-3-1, 25 Kos) for the WBC Interim Lightweight Title on the Golden Boy/DAZN co Main Event at the Banc of California Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, and did not disappoint.

Jojo stayed true to himself and came in tip top shape made weight comfortably and looked like a legit Lightweight inside that squared circle.

Jojo understood what this important bout meant to him and his future and wasted no time asserting himself inside that squared circle. Jojo needed a great performance last night and he made sure to deliver.

Both combatants threw some serious hands at each other going back and forth keeping things exciting but as the rounds were piling up you could clearly see Diaz getting a slight edge over Fortuna.

I don’t think Javier anticipated Diaz being so aggressive and active with his hands but them two combatants made it tough on each other with Diaz probably getting the better body work of the two. The phone booth style they had going at times was very impressive.

That being said, this was certainly a close bout and after 12 rounds of non-stop action the Judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 unanimously in favor of Jojo Diaz Jr. Personally, I thought the bout was a lot closer than that but the right warrior definitely won this fight.

With this great win Jojo picked up the Vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Title and is now looking to compete amongst the top of the 135-Pound Division of the likes of Ring Magazine and Unified “King Pin” Teofimo Lopez, WBC Champion Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

However, the two main combatants on his list as of today are Ryan Garcia or WBC Champion Devin Haney.

Let’s see who answers the call, until then congratulations Jojo you earned that one.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Kamil Szeremeta”

WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Title Defense

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion Jaime Munguia (37-0, 29 Kos) and Kamil Szeremeta (21-2, 5 Kos) at the Haskins Center, El Paso, Texas, was another showcase type of event for the Champion.

No disrespect to Szeremeta but he did not belong inside that squared circle with this young Lion Munguia. I personally think this bout was a step down from his previous outing. This bout was simply an open night to some light sparing session for Munguia.

Munguia may not be quite ready for the belt holders in the Division but the kid needs to be fed with better competition. You can clearly see he’s eager to test his skills with the best of them.

Szeremeta had absolutely nothing to offer him. Munguia was having his way with him with little to no resistance coming back Munguia’s body and head attacks were simply too strong for Szeremeta to withstand. It was like watching Munguia hit the heavy bag at will. It didn’t take long for Szeremeta’s corner to pull the plug at the end of the 6th round. The onslaught was just too painful to watch. Real Talk!

The kid needs to be unleashed and properly tested. Hopefully his next bout will do just that.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Bektemir Melikuziev vs Gabe Rosado”

Vacant WBO International Super Middleweight Title

Veteran Gabe Rosado (26-13-1, 15 Kos) proved to still be a formidable opponent on any given night when he dropped and stopped the young and previously undefeated Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 Kos) in dramatic fashion at the Don Haskins Center, EL Paso, Texas, last night.

The matchmakers for Melikuziev saw Rosado as a name they could use to keep busy and by the way, Melikuziev started the first round with some heavy punches going from head to the body and eventually dropping Rosado for a quick 8 count. Many thought it would be another quick night of action for Melikuziev.

That being said, Rosado stood his ground and weathered the early onslaught from the young warrior but in doing so also capitalized on the Bully’s mistakes and bad habits when he connected with a strong right hand to the dome in the third round that knocked out the bigger and stronger Bektemir for the count. Lights out!

This was by far Rosado’s most impressive win to date. They underestimated Gabe and treated him as a folder type opponent and found out it was simply too soon of a challenge for Melikuziev to take at this point in his early career.

With this emphatic win Gabe now picked up the Vacant WBO International Super Middleweight title. Well done.

Congratulations Gabe on your latest win. Keep working hard and proving your naysayers wrong.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell”

Interim WBC Lightweight Championship

Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 Kos) is no longer a contender. Tonight’s Main Event at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas between Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell (20-4, 16 Kos) lived up to the hype as expected.

The unbeaten young warrior “King Ryan” had himself a true test inside that squared circle tonight when he exchanged leather with a formidable opponent in the two-time title contender Campbell.

Straight from the jump, Ryan thought sh*t was going to be nice and easy until he found himself in uncharted territory when he got dropped early in the 2nd round for a quick 8 count. Being that this was the first time Garcia had ever tasted the canvas, Ryan bounced right back up and shook it off.

Luke’s confidence was up from dropping Garcia in the second round but it wasn’t enough to deter Ryan from moving forward on him like a lion on a hunt for his kill. Luke had the right “game plan” throughout the rounds and fought exceptionally well, while still holding his ground efficiently.

However, I was impressed by Garcia throughout the rounds. Garcia kept it cool and worked his way back on the cards with a steady jab along with some very good power shots while still maintaining his height and reach advantages. It was only a matter of time before Ryan caught up with Campbell.

That being said, Garcia’s non-stop pressure eventually overwhelmed Luke in the 7th round to where Ryan was able to pick up a spectacular left body knockdown that had Luke gasping in pain for air which then prompted the referee to stop the bout since Luke was unable to beat the count.

It was an intriguing bout from start to finish. Both combatants showed up and performed exceptionally well. This was an important fight for Ryan, one that he needed to win in a convincing fashion to show his worth in the Lightweight Division.

With this imposing victory, Ryan now possesses the Interim WBC Lightweight Championship giving him a guaranteed mandatory shot at the WBC Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (25-0, 15 Kos).

Although the mandatory position is his for the taking, Ryan seems adamant on calling out and facing WBA “Regular” Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 Kos). Whichever opponent accepts the challenge, Ryan will have his hands full.

Until an official opponent is confirmed, congratulations Ryan on your latest accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Spike O’Sullivan”

Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s DAZN’s Main Event at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas between Jaime Munguia (35-0, 28 Kos) and Spike O’Sullivan (30-4, 21 Kos) did not disappoint.

Munguia, in his first Middleweight debut, asserted himself quite well against the tough and seasoned veteran O’Sullivan. It wasn’t a walk-in park for Munguia but a stiff challenge type introduction to letting him know what is to come in the 160-Pound Division.

Spike did his best at keeping up with Munguia and making it quite interesting in the early rounds with his counter punches but as the rounds wore on Munguia started to feel more and more comfortable in there. Munguia showed improvement with his speed and movement but the main and obvious factor causing Spike all his problems was Munguia’s power. Munguia’s steady jab and overhand right was landing at will last night and Spike had no real answer for it.

Although Spike showed tough grit in there and the willingness to compete, the non-stop onslaught he was receiving by the 11th round had him out on his feet which then prompted O’Sullivan’s corner to throw in the towel.

With his first win at the Middleweight Division, Jaime Munguia has officially arrived. His youth, size, speed and strength appear to fit the 160-Pound Division just right. The Kid is nice with it and feeling himself rightfully so. But calling for all that smoke with all the Champions at the Middleweight Division (not called Demetrius Andrade) might be a step too early.

That said, congratulations on your victory Jaime, I can’t wait to see who will step up to the plate and accept that challenge.

Blaze