On The Watch ”It’s All About The Ring Magazine Fatal Fury in Times Square”

Ring’s Fatal Fury “City of the Wolves”

Last night’s three-card Fatal Fury in Times Square Main Event brought to us by his Excellency Turki Alashikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment, sadly, did not live up to the “HYPE” created by the unknown and the expected excitement.

The closed-out location at Times Square, the production and the Ring, created a different scene and atmosphere that will forever be remembered but where things went left is with the performances that some of the chosen talent for the night who neglected to perform at their peak form on this historical night. Real talk!

First up on the Main Event night was WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 Kos) defending his Championship Belts against undefeated mandatory challenger Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 Kos). Although Barboza earned his way to the mandatory position and talked a good game throughout the build-up, he quickly found out that there are levels to this boxing sh*t and on this night, Lopez produced a dominant performance that will forever haunt Barboza. Lopez outworked, outhustled, outboxed and outgunned Barboza who is a very good boxer but lacked the proper skill set and “game plan” to dethrone the Champ on the night. After 12 one-sided rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 unanimously for Teofimo Lopez. Well done!

Next up was Devin Haney (32-0, 15 Kos) and Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 Kos) who met up at a catch weight of 144 Lbs. Haney, who talked a good game during the build-up of the bout failed miserably to capture the hearts of viewers at home and in attendance. Neither combatant pressed the action or threw enough leather to land anything significant. I expected Devin, who hadn’t fought in a year, to come out the gate pumped up and ready for some action but what we got was a shell-shocked safety-first reluctant fighter, who put the viewers and fans in attendance to sleep. Ramirez did himself no favours as well with his own lack of activity. It was a very disappointing performance by both combatants on such a big stage like this. Nevertheless, the Judges at hand called it 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110 unanimously for Devin Haney.

The final bout of the night belonged to Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 Kos) and Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-2, 13 Kos) who met up at the Welterweight Division. With “Rolly” being counted out and labeled the underdog, he wasted no time asserting himself and pressed the action to score an impressive second-round knockdown over Garcia that changed the flow of the bout as it progressed. Garcia looked flat and disengaged, unable to pull the trigger on “Rolly” who was calm and disciplined out-boxing Garcia round by round. “Rolly” stuck with the “game plan” and executed it to a “T” and gained mad confidence round by round while Garcia neglected his corner’s instructions and urgency to let his hands go. Although neither combatant threw an abundance of leather, “Rolly” made his presence felt more than none by landing the more telling punches.

After 12 rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 118-109, 115-112 and 115-112 unanimously for Rolando “Rolly” Romero. You were counted out and you prevailed and silenced all the naysayers. With this impressive win under your belt, you are now the proud owner of the vacant WBA “Regular” Welterweight Championship Title. Well done Champ and enjoy this well-earned victory

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano III”

Undisputed Junior Welterweight Showdown

The rematch between Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 30 Kos) has officially been announced and they are going to go at it in a highly anticipated and well received trilogy showdown on an all-women’s card live on Netflix Friday July 11, 2025, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Judging by their first press conference, these two well-decorated warriors are definitely going to bring that “HEAT” when they step foot inside that squared circle. They’ll start right where they left off from their two highly-contested but controversial showdowns that keep us wanting more every time.

Throughout all the trash talking and the back and forth these two warriors were throwing at each other one thing was made certain by Katie, she is 2-0 over Amanda and will be looking to maintain that lead come fight night by making it 3-0.

That being said, Amanda is extremely determined to right the wrong this time around and prove to the naysayers that she is capable of dethroning Katie off her Queen’s chair and become once and for all the Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion. Those are her intensions but truth be told, Katie Taylor is no walk in the park type of an opponent. Katie is highly skilled in every department and equipped with the will of a Lioness who refuses to back down.

Regardless of their previous outings this trilogy is once again must-see TV. Another moment in time to be added to the History Books!

So, tune in live on Netflix Friday night July 11, 2025, from Madison Square Garden in New York City, and be part of this historical night of boxing.

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Jack Catterall vs Arnold Barboza Jr.”

Junior Welterweight Challenge

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBO International Junior Welterweight Champion Jack “El Gato” Catterall (30-2, 13 Kos) and WBO Intercontinental Junior Welterweight Champion Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 Kos), was an interesting bout where both combatants had to get creative with their approach inside that squared circle at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

This was a chess like match where both combatants had their moments as the rounds progressed. Being the away fighter, Barboza had no choice but to stay active with his hands but Catterall stood his ground and exchanged leather for leather as best he could.

You could see both combatants struggling to get an edge on one another as each looked equally matched inside that squared circle making it harder to call round by round. It was a very calculative type bout where every mistake made cost the opponent dearly.

Both combatants had their share of telling punches being thrown but as the championship rounds rolled out it was becoming clearer to the eye that Barboza was the one putting in that extra push to secure the defining rounds.

That being said, after 12 full rounds of action one Judge scored it 115-113 for Catterall while the other two Judges scored it 115-113 for Barboza giving him the split decision win and the right to claim the vacant WBO Interim Junior Welterweight Title.

It was a tight competitive bout from start to finish but I personally think the right man won on the night. With this win now secured by Barboza an official mandatory position has now been set to challenge for the full WBO World Junior Welterweight Title held by Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 Kos).

That said, will Teofimo accept the challenge? Only time will tell.

Until then, congratulations Arnold on another great win.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano II”

Undisputed Junior Welterweight Challenge

The highly anticipated and rescheduled rematch unraveled last Friday night to a packed house at the AT & T Stadium when Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 30 Kos) picked up the “HEAT” right where they left off from their last encounter two years ago at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This Co-Main Event should have been the original Netflix Main Event of the night by the way these two warriors rigorously fought toe-to toe from start to finish entertaining all who took the time to enjoy this great battle.

Both combatants came into this challenge with an extra sense of confidence and familiarity of one another but it was Serrano, coming up three Divisions and the smaller fighter, who actually had more pop at the weight. Serrano’s punches stunned Katie early and set the stage for the night.

A relentless Katie refused to backdown and stood her ground and exchanged leather going back and forth. However, a severe clash of heads opened up a cut over Serrano’s right eye that threatened the continuation of the bout but a persistent Serrano refused to bow out this way and insisted on going on with the fight.

The cut eventually opened up some more due to further clashes of heads by Taylor that looked deliberate at times but nevertheless did not deter Serrano from imposing her will. Both combatants threw a combined 1,263 punches between the two but it was Serrano who outpunched Taylor 324 to 217 and handed out the more telling damage.

After 10 very competitive rounds of nonstop action, the Judges at hand all scored it 95-94 in favor of Katie Taylor, once again giving us a controversial ending to another great bout.

With this win, Katie Taylor retained her Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles but in my opinion, I feel that Amanda did enough to dethrone Taylor on the night due to her higher work rate and her stronger finish in the championship rounds.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between Jack Catterall (30-1, 13 Kos) and former two-time Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis (29-3, 24 Kos) was a statement bout that both fighters needed in order to move forward but on this night at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, Catterall prevailed.

Catterall was in a fight tonight and got dropped for the first time in his career to date in the fifth round but got up and continued to gain momentum as the rounds progressed. At that point, both combatants had their highs and lows throughout the rounds but Catterall kept his cool and picked his spots just right to even the score.

The ninth round was a game changer for Catterall who dropped Prograis twice in the round and abused him from that point on. Prograis’ defense and stamina looked shaky and he failed to even out the score with his lack of action in the later rounds. Knowing he was heavily down on the score cards Regis should have pressed the action but Jack stayed ahead of the game and made things hard for Prograis simply by moving around where Prograis was unable to land anything significant enough to do damage.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 117-108, 116-109 and 116-109 unanimously for Jack Catterall.

With this convincing win now under his belt Jack picked up the vacant WBO International Junior Welterweight Title positioning himself one step closer to a possible opportunity at the full Championship Title being held by Teofimo Lopez (21-1- 13 Kos).

Jack is deserving of this opportunity especially after defeating two highly ranked former champions in Josh Taylor and now Regis Prograis in back-to-back wins but only time will tell if the opportunity will be granted to him.

Until then, congratulations Jack on a very impressive win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

The highly awaited rematch between Former Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 Kos) and Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 Kos) took a couple of years to get here but with tonight’s final result at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, it was well worth it.

Although no titles were on the line this time around, Jack treated this revenge match like his life depended on it. This bout was personal for both warriors considering their previous encounter was highly controversial.

The built-up anger that Jack retained from their previous showdown was quite evident by the way he pressed the action from round to round. Jack basically picked up the action from their last meeting and kept that intolerable feeling at Josh’s neck keeping him from getting into any type of a flow inside that squared circle.

Throughout the many struggles that Josh was dealing with inside that squared circle he still managed to stand his ground and bang toe-to-toe with Catterall. Both combatants had their moments exchanging heavy leather with serious battle wounds to show for it but this time around, Jack made sure he was the one with the eye-catching shots to help sway the Judges.

After 12 full completed rounds of action, the Judges at hand called it 117-111, 117-111, 116-113 unanimously for Jack Catterall. Although this bout was a lot closer than the score card suggest, I personally agree with the overall outcome.

With this credible win now under his belt, Jack believes that a title opportunity against the WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 Kos) is warranted but after Josh Taylor’s promoter Bob Arum’s outburst of disappointment after the scorecards were revealed, I can’t see Bob gifting Jack that much meriting opportunity any time soon.

I’m not sure what is to come next for Jack but until then, congratulations on a very good win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

The promotional build up to this bout was quite awkward but last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, between WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Devin Haney (31-1, 15 Kos) and Ryan Garcia (25-1, 20 Kos) definitely surpassed my expectations. Real Talk!

Ryan the underdog came out the gate with some serious aggression and rocked Devin with a serious left hook that dictated what was to come. Ryan’s power was quite evident but Devin regrouped and started using his boxing to survive the round.

As the rounds progressed Devin continued to box as expected while Ryan remained calm, waiting for the counterpunch to present itself. Both combatants showed no fear but the power punches were coming from Ryan whenever he let his hands go.

You could see Devin getting into his comfort zone inside that squared circle as the rounds were advancing but Ryan’s confidence never wavered, looking like an animal stalking his prey.

By the 7th round Devin fell asleep at the wheel and got caught with a mean left hook that dropped him, giving him his first standing 8 count in the professional ranks. Ryan had Devin on full survival mode clinching on Ryan for dear life.

The action picked up in the proceeding rounds with both combatants going back and forth but Ryan’s power punches and speed was clearly becoming a factor.

Devin’s defense wasn’t looking as tight as usual because Ryan’s left hand was “Money” and cashed in heavily once again knocking Devin down in the 10th round and the 11th round whenever he landed. Ryan’s equalizer secured the bout for me on this night. Devin could not stand up to Ryan’s power but truth be told he didn’t stay down. Real Talk!

After 12 completed action packed rounds, the Judges at hand called it 115-109, 114-110 and 112-112, giving the majority decision to “KingRy”. The Judge who scored it 112-112 is straight out of pocket for that score card but the right man definitely won this bout. Hands Down!

Due to the fact that Ryan missed the 140-Pound weight limit by 3.2 pounds, Devin remains the WBC Junior Welterweight Champion in defeat.

Belt or no Belt, Garcia proved the naysayers wrong and shocked the Boxing World last night by picking up his biggest win in his professional career to date.

Well done, Ryan, you definitely impressed me with this one!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia”

WBC Junior Welterweight Showdown

It has been officially announced! WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Devin Haney (31-0, 15 Kos) will be defending his newly acquired Championship belt against Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 Kos) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Saturday night April 20, 2024, on DAZN PPV.

Both combatants came to the press conference talking real greasy about one another, but truth be told both Dudes are willing to back every word up. They’ve met in the amateur ranks 6 times in the past and duked it out, splitting the encounters to three apiece. The deciding factor will now be settled on the professional stage with a high pay day, the WBC Junior Welterweight Title and the bragging rights all at stake come fight night.

Devin is the proven Champion and warrior at this point in their respective careers to date. It will be up to Ryan to prove the naysayers wrong by bringing his best performance ever inside that squared circle to even have a chance at defeating the Champ on the big night.

Both combatants are out there promising knockouts on the night creating the intrigue of two young fighters willing to put it all on the line this early in their careers. A big statement will be made on the night. At first sight, Devin looks to be the better skilled and battle-tested combatant while Ryan will be looking at his speed and power along with the right “game plan” to prevail on the night. That being said, the pressure falls more heavily on Ryan’s shoulders than Devin’s to show up correct and focused on a career defining moment as this is a must win fight for “KingRy”.

Tune in Saturday night April 20, 2024, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York live on DAZN PPV and witness the outcome of this interesting Junior Welterweight Showdown.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz”

WBO Junior Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 Kos) and challenger Jamaine Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 Kos) did not live up to the hype brought in by the Champion at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Throughout the buildup of this match up Teofimo and Jamaine both talked a good game and promised excitement and pure domination from both sides however, what transpired on the night was a pretty doleful outing for a Main Event that had the crowd booing and showing their disappointment.

No disrespect to both combatants but this was not what we the fans expected on the night.
Jamaine had a very good “game plan” working for him where he boxed and moved well, frustrating Lopez constantly throughout the night and picking up rounds in my eyes but failed to sit down on his punches to assert himself at times.

Lopez on the other hand, had the wrong “game plan” on the night. He did not expect Jamaine to come out the gate fighting southpaw all night causing him confusion. He lacked the proper knowhow to cut off the ring on Jamaine who was using a lot of movement enabling him to set his own offence up.

Although Teofimo did have his moments inside that squared circle he looked lost and discouraged on how the bout was unfolding. Teofimo was the aggressor inside that ring but lacked the right tactics to show dominance over his opponent.

After 12 completed rounds the Judges on hand called it 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 all in favor of Teofimo Lopez. Personally, I think neither combatant deserved a win here and that score of 117-111 was way out of pocket.

Nevertheless, with this win Teofimo made his first defense of his WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Titles and retained the hardware to see another day as Champion.

That being said, Teofimo’s call out of Unified Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 Kos) at a catchweight after a lacklustre performance like that is troublesome if you ask me.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez”

WBO Junior Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event showdown between WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor (19-1, 13 Kos) and Challenger Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 Kos) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, was a “Takeover” well executed by Teofimo.

There was a lot of trash talking from both combatants throughout the build-up but when the time came, it was Lopez who surprisingly backed up his words inside that squared circle.

Taylor came out the gate real aggressive with bad intentions on his mind but it was Lopez’s well executed “game plan” and ring generalship that controlled the rounds from that point on.

Lopez impressed me last night and came into this bout laser focussed and stayed on track. Josh had absolutely nothing to deter Teofimo from having his way inside that squared circle. As the rounds progressed, Teofimo’s confidence grew round by round.

Lopez showed completely no fear to the man across from him. Taylor, who was naturally the bigger, longer and stronger man inside that squared circle, in my eyes, could not land anything significant enough to win rounds. Taylor’s usual dominance was non-existent and was easily outworked by the younger and driven warrior in Teofimo.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and after 12 fully completed rounds of action the Judges at hand called it 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 unanimously for Teofimo Lopez, the New WBO and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion of the World and now a two-weight Division Champion.

Well done, Teofimo. You defied the odds and silenced the critics who doubted you. You dominated the night and clearly defeated the former Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion to now becoming the “Top Dogg” of 140-Pound Division.

Who’s next?

Blaze