On The Watch “It’s All About Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian”

Cruiserweight Showdown

Last night’s Zuffa Boxing/Paramount +/DAZN Co-Main Event between Ring Magazine/Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight Champion Jai Opetaia (31-0, 24 Kos) and WBC Cruiserweight Champion Noel Mikaelian (28-4, 12 Kos) was quite interesting at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Noel, known for his durability and good boxing mind, came into this bout with the utmost confidence and stood his ground as best he could but quickly found out that there are levels to this boxing sh*t and when entering that squared circle opposite of Jai Opetaia, you are bound to find out the hard way.

Jai is rated as the best in the Cruiserweight Division. His skill set does the talking inside that squared circle. That being said, Jai boxed and broke down Noel round by round. Noel did his best to survive and fought back gracefully but eventually succumbed at the hands of the superior combatant. Jai was simply too good and too strong to deterred inside that squared circle.

The pace the combatants were fighting at was simply too much for Noel to keep up with. Noel’s defence was suffering for it and cost him dearly in the ninth round as he got pressed with a barrage of well-placed punches that dropped him into the ropes forcing a standing 8 count where the referee felt Noel hadn’t regained enough of his senses to continue and decided to waive the bout at the 1:30 mark of the round.

With this win, Jai administered Noel his first TKO of his career, retained his Ring Magazine/Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight Championship Titles but was robbed of receiving Noel’s WBC Cruiserweight Title due to the politics of the sanctioning body. Unbelievable!

Only time will tell who will be the last man standing above the Cruiserweight Division when Jai Opetaia and David Benavidez finally collide, but until then, congratulations Jai on another impressive win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jai Opetaia vs David Nyika”

IBF Cruiserweight Challenge

This Morning’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF/Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Champion Jai Opetaia (27-0, 21 Kos) and late replacement challenger David Nyika (10-1, 9 Kos) was a perfect example of why there are levels to this boxing sh*t. Real Talk!

Nyika, who is a very big Cruiserweight standing at 6 foot 6, definitely looked the part and tried to walk the talk, was met with the very best at the Cruiserweight Division in Opetaia, who was defending his handwear at a homecoming bout at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

With all the pressure to resting on his back, Opetaia wasted no time and asserted himself from the first bell. He delivered on the night by applying nonstop pressure and breaking down the towering Nyika who brought his “A” game but not the right “game plan” to deter Opetaia from having his way with him.

Both combatants banged on one another from close range making this bout quite entertaining but the beneficiary of this type of action favored Opetaia, who had himself a spectacular but short night of action when he dropped Nyika with a barrage of heavy shots from head to body for a standing 8 count. Nyika was looking shaky on his legs – vulnerable and prime for the taking to which Opetaia obliged with a vicious uppercut and a one two combination that flattened Nyika lifeless in the fourth round ending the bout in a dramatic fashion.

With this striking performance, Opetaia retained his IBF/Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Championship Titles and proceeded to call out Unified WBA/WBO Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto Ramirez (47-1, 30 Kos) for a unification bout. Will this call out be answered? Nevertheless, this challenge needs to happen ASAP!

Blaze

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