On The Watch “It’s All About The Day of Reckoning”

Saudi Arabia Takeover

The “Day of Reckoning” Grand Event in Saudi Arabia was officially announced at yesterday’s press conference at OVO Arena Wembley in London, when they unveiled a lineup of unexpected warriors grouped together for a night of action to remember on December 23, 2023.

To no one’s surprise, leading up the substantial card in a doubleheader will be former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 Kos) going against tough and durable Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 Kos). Wallin has shown some serious improvement fight by fight, enough for AJ to be concerned about and not to be overlooked come fight night. AJ needs to have his “A” game on and to make sure to secure the win without any controversy. While in the Co-Main Event, two other former World Champions in Deontay Wilder (43-2, 42 Kos) and Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 Kos) will be looking to steal the show on the same night. Wilder will be looking to add another body to his high knockout ratio while Parker will be looking to upset the heavy favorite Wilder on the biggest stage of the night. Not an easy task but definitely one he signed up for.

Although the Main Event and the Co-Main Event are the main attractions for the night, the supporting cast to this card carry enough weight on their own to create some interesting outcomes to give this historical night that much more value for your buck.

There are a few notable names on the card looking to state their presence on the night.
Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18 Kos) will be looking to get back to his winning ways by challenging undefeated Heavyweight Jarrell Miller (26-0, 22 Kos). This is a noteworthy bout to keep an eye on. Dubois needs a solid win here to stay amongst the top of the Heavyweight Division while Miller needs a good win over a credible opponent to get himself back into the mix. Judging by how Miller came into the press conference talking all that sh*t, it’s clear Dude is looking for all that smoke with Dubois so expect some serious fireworks to pop off when those two collide inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Undefeated WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 Kos) will be entering the ring for the first time this year to defend his Title against IBO Light Heavyweight Champion Lyndon Arthur (23-1, 16 Kos). An interesting matchup and a major step-up fight for Lyndon, but I personally don’t think that Lyndon is quite ready for that level of competition just yet but I do tip my “B” hat to him for taking this challenge on short notice.

Undefeated IBF Cruiserweight Champion Jai Opetaia (23-0, 18 Kos) will be looking to maintain his momentum by having to defend his Title for a second time against an undefeated challenger Ellis Zorro (17-0, 7kos) in a stay busy fight if you ask me.

Undefeated Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic (16-0, 13 Kos) will be looking to put up his IBF mandatory position on the line when he takes on Mark De Mori (41-2, 36 Kos). I see this one as a stay busy fight for Hrgovic.

Our own Canadian/Russian representative, undefeated Heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17 Kos) will be going into a step-up bout with undefeated Heavyweight veteran Agit Kabayel (23-0, 15 Kos). This one should be a crowd pleaser for as long as it lasts.

My sleeper of the night will be undefeated Heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez (23-0, 16 Kos) who will be looking to silence the crowd once again when he takes on Junior Fa (20-2, 11 Kos). Another mark on his way to the top of the food chain.

This is a showcase type of an event that deserves our full attention so tune in Saturday December 23, 2023, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Kingdom Arena for an intriguing “Day of Reckoning” to be remembered. Some of these outcomes could affect the landscape of the Heavyweight Division if one is not careful.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou”

Heavyweight Showdown

Yesterday’s Queensberry Promotion/Top Rank PPV Main Event between WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 Kos) and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou in his first professional boxing crossover bout at the Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, brought the fans in attendance to their feet for the entire bout.

Judging on how this bout unraveled from the jump, it was clear that the “Gypsy King” severely underestimated his opponent of the night. Ngannou surprised the boxing world by bringing the heat and his 6-foot-4, 272-pound frame to work by beating and muscling out Fury at his own game. Fury’s usual grappling tactic was ineffective and he learned the hard way by being beaten down and dropped in the third round by a vicious counter left hook that rocked the entire venue.

Ngannou shut the naysayers out on the night by the way he performed. Ngannou showed absolutely no fear and stood his ground round by round dishing out more then he received.

Tyson felt the pressure and tried to get into his bag of tricks but none of them worked because Ngannou was not fazed whatsoever by the man standing across from him. Ngannou, for a novice, asserted himself quite well and definitely won the boxing world over by giving the “Gypsy King” his toughest challenge in his last 5 fights. Real Talk!

What Fury did have going for him inside that squared circle was his experience to weather the storm when things got too heated and the position he holds as the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

After 10 rounds of exciting action the Judges at hand scored it 96-93, 95-94 for Fury and 95-94 for Ngannou giving the split-decision to Tyson. Unbelievable!

Although this bout was an exhibition and a non-title fight, last night we all witnessed the unofficial slaying of the “Gypsy King”. That being said, due to the politics of boxing Ngannou got robbed of his victory but gained my respect and the respect of all the boxing community by proving the naysayers he can definitely rock with the best of them in the game today.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Zhilei Zhang vs Joe Joyce 2″

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotions/ESPN+ Main Event between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1 21 Kos) and challenger Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 Kos) at the Wembley Arena, Wembley, London, UK, exceeded all expectation in my eyes.

This rematch between these two Heavyweight mammoths had a lot on it riding tonight. The winner gets to move one step closer to a chance at a full-fledged Championship opportunity while the loser would have to fall back deep at the end of the line in the hopes of working their way back into the Heavyweight rankings, a destination that would look quite bleak considering their age at this point in their career.

That being said, the elder and WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei wasted no time in executing the proper “game plan” and proceeded to continue his assault and sheer domination from their previous encounter by completely destroying the “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce in a quicker fashion this time around. Real Talk!

Joe, who weighed in this time about 25 pounds heavier at 281 pounds, had the right idea but not the right “game plan” to even bother the even heavier Zhang at 287 pounds. Zhang’s last win over Joe was a beautiful display of boxing at its best for a Heavyweight but this time around, Zhang wasted very little time inside that squared circle and made quick work of Joe by stopping him once again but in a much more dramatic fashion. Only three rounds were needed and a perfectly placed right hook to the chin closed the show for good. Unbelievable!

Joe, who had never been dropped in his career to date could not answer the count in time enough to prove to the Judge at hand that he was fit and ready to go. Joe’s unsteady legs were clear enough for the referee to wave the bout off.

As a strong 40-year-old, Zhang has once again proven to the boxing world and the Heavyweight Division, that as long as he’s got them hands and that power behind that punch, he will be a problem for anyone who steps foot inside that squared circle against him.

With this devastating win now secured under his belt for the second time, Zhang now retains his
WBO Interim Heavyweight Championship and hopes one day to be able to challenge Unified IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk or WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury inside that squared circle.

Until then, enjoy this victory Zhilei, your time is now!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois”

IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Heavyweight Championship Main Event at the Stadion Wroclaw, Poland, between Undefeated Unified IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 Kos) and WBA World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18 Kos), was a very entertaining bout but will forever be tainted by what transpired in the fifth round.

Usyk, who came out the gate confident as ever, dominated his opponent with ease as the rounds progressed but was met with a controversial incident in the fifth round when Dubois connected with a vicious body shot that brutally dropped Usyk to the ground to which the referee on hand shockingly ruled a low blow when it was clearly a well-placed legal body shot.

That moment was suspect if you ask me but the time that Usyk was permitted to recover before the fight resumed was just enough for him to return to form and continue his dominance.

Dubois failed miserably to capitalize on the fact that Usyk was still hurt from the body shot and showed no sense of real urgency round by round. Usyk on the other hand showed even more aggression while putting his own punches together throwing four-piece combinations and dropping Dubois for a quick 8 count late in the eighth round. Dubois was unraveling and showing fatigue and signs of breaking down. The inevitable was near and by the ninth round Usyk applied the right amount of pressure and connected with a well-placed right jab straight to the chin of Dubois dropping him once again but this time refusing to answer the count prompting the referee to wave the bout.

Although Usyk showed levels above Dubois inside that squared circle tonight and retained his IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles, the wrong call in the fifth round will always be in the back of everybody’s mind.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jared Anderson vs Charles Martin”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event was a homecoming bout set up for the young and upcoming Heavyweight prospect Jared “Big Baby” Anderson (15-0, 14 Kos) to show off his skills against seasoned veteran and former IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin (29-4-1, 26 Kos) at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.

Charles, who accepted the task on 12 days’ notice but was visibly already in great shape, made sure to give Jared a tougher challenge than his previous 14 marks who got dissipated brutally by knockouts.

Jared is a “Big Boy” inside that squared circle with size, strength and a good number of skills that are still developing for a young man his age. Martin had to be strategic with his approach and may have been a little too cautious in the opening rounds restricting his punch output but making Jared work to get his offence going.

That said, it didn’t take long for Jared to land something significant that knocked Martin down in the third round for a quick 8 count but had Martin bounce back still willing and able to stand his ground and put in that work.

Martin’s punch output wasn’t the best but he did manage to connect and stagger Jared at times throughout the bout. As the rounds progressed Martin’s unwillingness to submit to Jared made things inside that squared circle quite entertaining.

For the first time in his professional career to date, Jared was met with a formidable opponent who was battle tested, savvy and willing to go toe to toe, blow for blow and actually give some heat right back to Jared without folding under the pressure of the youngin.

Jared showed growth in this bout and proceeded to get the job done as instructed by his corner man. After 10 fully completed rounds the Judges at hand scored it 99-90, 99-90 and 98-91 unanimously for Jared Anderson. Going the full 10 rounds for the first time in his early career was the best thing that could have happened for Jared. He got in some quality rounds and felt some real heat from an ex-champion that will only make him better the next time out.

Congratulations on your win Jared, last night you got tested inside that squared circle and passed with flying colours. Now on to the next youngin.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang”

WBO Interim-Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotions/ESPN + Main Event between WBO Interim-Heavyweight Champion Joe Joyce (15-1, 14 Kos) and challenger Zhilei Zhang (25-1-1, 20 kos) at the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick, London, Uk, was a case of a cherry pick by Joe’s team gone wrong. Real Talk!

Joyce walked inside that squared circle with absolutely no respect for his opponent but quickly found out within minutes of the first round that he was in there with a “Big Bang” of an opponent who was gamed and willing to bang toe-to-toe with the “Juggernaut”.

Zhang stood his ground early and asserted himself quite well-hitting Joyce flush with some serious heavy shots straight to the dome and drawing first blood from his nose. It was clear to me from the first two rounds that Joyce’s team definitely drew up the wrong “game plan” cause Joyce was there boxing but looking shaky every time he got hit hard.

It was certainly unfamiliar ground for Joyce who was caught off guard at the receiving end of a game warrior. Zhang showed absolutely no fear inside that squared circle. Zhang welcomed the opportunity presented to him and broke Joyce down round by round.

Although Joyce looked more active with his hands, it was Zhang who was doing the most damage with his. Zhang’s power punches completely closed Joyce’s right eye out prompting the ring physician to check his eye in between rounds to eventually having the referee stop the bout in the sixth round.

Nobody in attendance expected this bout to unravel like this but tonight the “Juggernaut” had met his match and succumbed to the hands of the “Big Bang” Zhang.

Congratulations Zhilei Zhang on becoming the New WBO Interim-Heavyweight Champion of the World. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin”

Heavyweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between former Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 Kos) and Jermaine Franklin (21-2, 14 Kos) was a much-needed reception that AJ required to have in his own backyard at the 02 Arena, Greenwich, London, UK to uplift his spirit. Real Talk!

Everyone in attendance and me included expected to see AJ dispatch of his opponent in a very quick and destructive fashion but instead we got to see Anthony display a little of what he’s been working with alongside his new trainer Derrick James.

The detractors are going to be going for AJ’s head for not taking Jermaine out before the last bell but let’s keep it real AJ is on his third head trainer change and needed to execute the “game plan” at hand and build from there.

I personally would have appreciated seeing AJ being a little more aggressive in this bout but Franklin was not some chump who was inside that squared circle to lay down without a fight. Franklin did his best and stood up going toe to toe with the hulking AJ for 12 full rounds.

Franklin showed AJ no respect inside that squared circle but lacked the power to deter Anthony from having his way with his own stiff and heavy jab alongside some serious power combination shots as the rounds progressed. Had AJ sat on his punches with a little more aggression I believe he could have collected his 23rd knockout. Real talk!

At the completion of this bout, the Judges at hand scored it 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111 unanimously for Anthony Joshua. Although we didn’t get to see a destructive performance by Anthony, he did what was necessary to secure a much-needed win under his belt.

My personal opinion after watching this bout is that with Derrick James having more time with Joshua, I expect to see a much more improved and imposing Anthony in his next bout.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker”

WBO Interim Heavyweight Title

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotion Main Event between Joe Joyce (15-0, 14 Kos) and former WBO Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker (30-3, 21 Kos) was a hell of a dominating performance by the “Juggernaut” at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Tonight, Joe stayed true to his moniker “The Juggernaut” and ran through the durable opponent Parker with steady offense that couldn’t be deterred. Joe’s offensive pressure was too much for Parker to contain round by round. I’m not sure what kind of “game plan” Parker’s team had in mind but judging by what transpired inside that squared circle, Parker’s “game plan” was non-existent by the way he was getting manhandled by Joe inside that squared circle.

Parker’s approach was all wrong, thinking he could stand there going toe to toe with a wrecking ball like Joe Joyce was the absolute means to his demise. Joe Joyce was simply too big, too strong and simply too durable to be handled in such a crazy manner.

Parker showed some courage in attempting to go blow for blow with “The Juggernaut” but being at the receiving end of a steady heavy accurate jab, has a funny way of ending wrong for the opponent getting abused round by round.

It was quite evident that as the rounds progressed Parker’s confidence was starting to dwindle round by round. Parker had absolutely no answer to Joe’s steady onslaught and after being battered and beaten up from start to finish, Parker eventually succumbed to a heavy left hook to the dome that put him down for the count prompting the referee to halt the bout in the 11th round.

Joe’s jab was key at breaking down Parker from top to bottom. The “Juggernaut” has once again proven to be a serious problem to the Heavyweight Division by easily dismantling a worthy top 5 Heavyweight with such ease.

With this convincing win Joe has now picked up the WBO Interim Heavyweight Title, positioning himself to a clear path to a date with the Undefeated Unified IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Oleksander Usyk (20-0, 13 kos).

Congratulations Joe, you are definitely on the right path to the Heavyweight Mountain top.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Carlos Takam”

Vacant WBC Silver Heavyweight Title

Last night’s Eye of the Tiger Management Main Event that went down at the Montreal Casino, Montreal Quebec, Canada between undefeated Heavyweight Arslanbek “Lion”Makhmudov (15-0, 14 Kos) and veteran Heavyweight challenger Carlos Takam (39-7-1, 28 Kos), was not as eventful as I expected.

From the way this bout unfolded it was clear that Arslanbek underestimated Takam inside that squared circle. Although Arslanbek did drop Takam in the first few seconds of the first round and then again in the seventh round, Arslanbek was clearly in a fight that he was not anticipating of being so tough.

Takam may have had a slow start in this bout but his strength, durability and experience at this level paid dividends last night. As big as Arslanbek was inside that squared circle he felt Takam’s presence throughout every round. Takam took some serious shots but gave just as much of his own making this bout that much harder to call.

Takam’s awkward style made it hard for Arslanbek to land his thunderous punches he is known for. Arslanbek’s lack of movement and footwork were a major issues that will need to be addressed if he plans on competing with the other top Heavyweights in the Division.

I tip my “B” hat to Takam for going toe to toe with the big “Lion” and forcing his opponent to go 10 full rounds for the first time in his career to date. The Judges for the night scored it 96-92, 96-92 and 97-91 unanimously for Arslanbek Makhmudov. Personally, I think Takam outworked Arslanbek and aside from the two knockdowns, did enough to deserve a draw. No disrespect to Arslanbek but the “Lion” did not perform like a king inside that squared circle last night.

That being said, Arslanbek was awarded the win and now picked up the Vacant WBC Silver Heavyweight Title.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Luis Ortiz”

WBC Heavyweight Title Eliminator

Last night’s PBC/Fox PPV Main Event between former Unified Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 Kos) and Luis Ortiz (33-3 28 Kos) at the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, was an interesting bout that saw “King Kong” be at the receiving end of three knockdowns during the 12-round contest. Unbelievable.

I’m not sure if Ortiz underestimated Ruiz inside that squared circle but after seeing the canvas twice in round two, Ortiz awoke and realized quickly that Andy was coming for him by all means necessary. It took Ortiz some time but he eventually gathered himself and adjusted his “game plan” by working his jab while boxing and moving around making Andy rethink his approach.

That said this version of Andy last night was patient, less active with his hands but more calculative with his approach making sure when he pressed the action, his presence was felt with every punch landed. Ruiz’s hand speed and counter punching was the key to his success.

Both combatants fought with caution and at a slower pace than expected at times but both still had signs of success whenever they did connect blows back and forth. That being said, Andy’s counter punching speed and power was quite evident when he once again dropped Ortiz in round seven for a quick 8 count, but Ortiz bounced backed up and completed the tough round.

Ortiz regrouped and managed to build up some momentum throughout the later rounds with an effective jab keeping Ruiz at bay but he lacked that extra bounce in the back of his jab to put Ruiz down whenever the opportunity presented itself.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 115-110, 114-111, 113-112 unanimously in favor of Andy Ruiz Jr.

Although Ruiz managed to drop Ortiz multiple times throughout the bout, this was by far one of his toughest battles to date. With this WBC Heavyweight Title Eliminator win under his belt Andy creeps closer to an official WBC World Championship opportunity down the road.

Congratulations Andy on your latest win.

Blaze