On The Watch ”It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov”

Heavyweight Showdown

In tonight’s Netflix Main Event we saw the return of Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (35-2-1, 24 Kos) get some much-needed rounds in when he took on our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek “Lion” Makhmudov (21-3, 19 Kos) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

I expected our towering and strong Arslanbek to at least put up a good fight but what transpired was very disappointing to say the least. Our so called “Lion” showed up as a “cub” who refused to listen to the instructions that his cornerman was dishing out to help direct him within the rounds.

Arslanbek lunged, grabbed and smothered his own work with very little skill displayed making the bout very ugly but perfect for Tyson who hadn’t graced the inside of a ring in 16 months, to stick his jab and move in and out all night.

Arslanbek, who looked the part, gassed out early in the rounds whereas Tyson, who didn’t look in peak physical shape, had the stamina and the punch output to keep Arslanbek confused and powerless inside that squared circle.

Arslanbek, who has power of his own, couldn’t land anything damaging enough to slow down “The Gypsy King” from having his way with him. Aside for showing a strong will to survive, Arslanbek got hit with uppercuts, body shots and jabs round after round.

This was a one-sided beatdown where Arslanbek pretty much showed up to collect a cheque and nothing else. After 12 labouring rounds of unrepresentative action the Judges at hand scored it 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109 unanimously for the Tyson Fury.

Although Tyson clearly won this bout, this was by no means a performance to be screaming out “The Gypsy King” is back. Who’s next?

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Derek Chisora vs Deontay Wilder”

Heavyweight Showdown

In tonight’s DAZN Main Event, Derek “War” Chisora (36-14, 23 Kos) entered that squared circle in his 50th contest and stayed true to himself and brought the “HEAT” from the first bell when he touched gloves with former WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay the “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (45-4-1, 43 Kos) at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.

Truth be told, this bout wasn’t a pretty fight to watch but both combatants had some flashing moments throughout the bout that kept the fans in attendance entertained. Chisora, the shorter combatant, pressed the action as much as possible to prevent Wilder from detonating on him as everyone expected. This strategy worked at times but the heavy-handed “Bronze Bomber” still managed to land some heavy shots that visibly effected on Chisora.

Nevertheless, Wilder’s power did not deter Chisora from standing his ground and dishing out some damaging shots of his own. As the rounds progressed it was clear that fatigue was playing a big factor on both warriors as there was a lot of holding from both combatants slowing the pace of the fight down.

Chisora did his best at getting to the body of Wilder and crowding him as often as possible to prevent Wilder from catching any type of a rhythm which proved efficient until Chisora eventually got caught by that right hand dropped through the ropes in rounds eight and eleven.

Chisora stood back up after both knockdowns and continued his relentless aggressive attack throwing wild punches from every corner. There was very little display of a technical bout from either combatant but a fight was on full display.

After 12 struggling rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 115-112 for Chisora and 115-111 and 115-113 in favor of Wilder giving him a split decision win.

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Queensberry Promotions/DAZN Main Event between undefeated Heavyweight Moses Itauma (14-0, 12 Kos) and Jermaine Franklin Jr. (24-3, 15 Kos), was another showcase type of an event for the young up-and-coming Heavyweight when he brought the house to their feet at Co-op Arena in Manchester, England. Real Talk!

Moses continued his destructive path without missing a beat when he entered that squared circle and completely annihilated tough and durable Jermaine Franklin by stopping him in the fifth round.

Jermaine had never been stopped before but then again, he hadn’t faced a young hungry warrior of the likes of Itauma. Moses systematically broke down the veteran combatant with ease by landing heavy destructive head shots that were visibly doing damage every time they landed. You could tell from the opening rounds that this was going to be quick night of action.

For a young combatant, Moses’ patience and discipline is key when he’s inside that squared circle. That being said, Jermaine was specifically brought in to test the young warrior but found out after being dropped in the third round by a heavy left hand that this youngin was the truth and a serious problem to solve.

Having felt the youngin’s power early in the bout, the inevitable was on the horizon. Moses continued to apply his controlled aggression with accurate hard punches and eventually connected with a well-placed left uppercut that laid Jermaine out for the count which then prompted the referee to stop the bout in the fifth round.

This was an impressive showing by Moses. Jermaine had gone the distance with both Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua in a respectable showing but was unable to withstand the heavy onslaught that Moses Itauma brought on the night.

Well done, Moses. Statement made.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Queensberry Promotions/DAZN Main Event between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 Kos) and undefeated WBA Interim Heavyweight Champion Fabio Wardley (20-0, 19 Kos), surpassed all my expectations when these two Heavyweights collided at the O2 Arena in London.

Both combatants went into this bout with the utmost confidence and displayed it right from the jump as both warriors wasted no time at establishing their respective “game plan”. Parker was visibly the bigger man but Wardley who was not intimated at all stood his ground round by round.

We had a serious shootout on the night with heavy shots coming from both sides. Both combatants had their moments throughout the night but what surprised me the most was how both warriors withstood each other’s heavy shots. Every round had a dramatic impact right before the bell.

Parker’s experience showed dividends as the rounds progressed. Parker was very efficient and calculative with his punch selection and power shots as the bigger man but Wardley’s chin, durability and will to win alongside his own power, could not go unnoticed.  

Wardley is as tough as they come and tonight, he laid it all on the line inside that squared circle. The clock was ticking and desperation was creeping into the back of Wardley’s mind. Entering the 11th round, Wardley brought forth a devastating attack that clipped Parker and sent him in retreat mode to the ropes absorbing and at times avoiding an abundance of unanswered heavy shots coming his way, prompting the referee to jump in and halt the fight before any further damage could be done.

Some will argue that the stoppage may have been premature considering Parker was up on the card but the unanswered onslaught dished out at the time was quite convincing.

With this imposing win under his belt, Wardley has now positioned himself as the No. 1 opponent to challenge the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk. In doing so, he’s definitely put the heavyweight Division on notice.

Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Alexis Barriere vs Guido Vianello”

Heavyweight Showdown

In last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Co-Feature Main Event at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, our own Canadian prospect Alexis Barriere (12-1, 10 Kos) was dealt a minor setback at the hands of Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello (14-3, 12 Kos).

No one anticipated ever seeing this outcome but truth be told, Guido was never going to be an easy out for anybody in the Heavyweight Division on any given night. Coming off a tough 10 round loss to Heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr., Guido desperately needed a win to keep himself going in the Heavyweight conversations.

Giving what was at stake, Guido proceeded to dish out his best work by dismantling Alexis from head to body inside that squared circle. Alexis looked outgunned and unprepared for the pressure and the heavy shots that were coming his way.

Usually, Alexis is the hunter inside the squared circle but on this night, he was the hunted being outboxed and outhustled from every angle. Guido’s speed and power played a major factor as he was able to drop Alexis in the fourth round and stop Alexis in the fifth round after the referee waved it over preventing any further onslaught. This was a tough loss for Alexis and a teaching lesson that he will bounce back from but this was definitely a great win for Guido.

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Dave Allen vs Arslanbek Makhmudov”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between Dave “White Rhino” Allen (24-8-2, 19 Kos) and our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2, 19 Kos), was an entertaining bout that had the 9,000 fans in attendance on the edge of their seats at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.

Dave, fresh off stopping the young and upcoming Heavyweight Johnny Fisher in his last bout, was feeling like the stars were aligning themselves in his favour and proceeded to tackle another hefty challenge in the form Arslanbek Makhmudov and chopping down the big “Lion” that most would opt to avoid on their road to redemption.

The “White Rhino” went into this bout with the utmost confidence but was met with a force that refused to succumb and in return Arslanbek gave Dave a good beating throughout the duration of the bout.

Dave showed us once again that his chin is a hell of a tough one to take down but that steady heavy jab that Arslanbek was dishing out round by round was quite affective and consistent at preventing Dave from getting to him.  At times things got ugly inside that squared circle as Arslanbek did a lot of holding and eventually lost a few points because of it.

Dave had a few sporadic moments throughout the bout but was not active enough with his hands when the opportunity presented itself. Although Arslanbek looked tired in the later rounds his work rate over all could not go unnoticed.

After 12 full rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 117-109, 116-110 and 115-111 unanimously for Arslanbek Makhmudov.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek Makhmudov showed just that by beating a tough and durable warrior in Dave Allen.

Blaze

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 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 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 Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Guido Vianello”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Co Main Event between our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 Kos) and Guido Vianello (13-2, 11 Kos) was another unexpected shocker when we witnessed Makhmudov yield to his second defeat of his career at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Although Makhmudov rebounded from his fist defeat at the hands of Agit Kabayel this past May when he defeated Miljian Rocvcanin by stoppage, this version of Makhmudov who entered the squared circle last night seemed to have regressed dramatically from the usual destructive “Lion” we are accustomed to seeing.

Vianello entered that squared circle with the utmost confidence and proceeded to box and move in a tactical way that kept Makhmudov bewildered and off balance all night. Vianello put a beating on our “Big Guy” from the jump, controlling every round while administering some heavy damage to the more imposing opponent. It was a very impressive display of one-sided action.

By the third round, Makhmudov’s left eye was swelling up and clearly affecting his eyesight when he couldn’t get out the way of all the heavy punches he was absorbing from left to right. Makhmudov looked slow and unsteady at times and unable to impose himself or mount any type of consistent offense to win a round.

Vianello’s jab and movement was key and by aiming that steady jab at Makhmudov’s left eye and eventually closing it completely, this prompting the referee to call in the ringside doctor at the start of the eighth round who then had a closer look at it and signalled the referee to halt the bout due to medical advice.

It was a dominant performance by Vianello where the ‘The Gladiator” was able to tame “The Lion’ in a very convincing fashion.

Well done Guido Vianello.

Blaze