On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr.”

World Heavyweight Championship Challenge

Expect the unexpected. The Heavyweight Division has once again taken a major twist.
Late replacement and substantial underdog, Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 Kos) shook the world last night at the Madison Square Garden in New York City to a sell out crowd of 20,201 fans, when he defeated the No. 1 Unified IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 Kos) by TKO. Unbelievable!!

What started off slow quickly heated up in the third round when both fighters exchanged knock downs with AJ receiving the worst of it by hitting the mat twice to Ruiz’s heavy combination punches. Joshua landed the first knock down and immediately went in for the kill but ended up being careless and got caught paying the price.

Joshua’s approach was off from the jump. He did not impose his height and reach and fought too tentatively as the rounds wore on. To me AJ looked sluggish and slow while Ruiz showed patience with a sense of fearlessness while stalking AJ.

The underdog Ruiz had suddenly turned the odds around in his favour. Andy’s confidence was growing and his presence was being felt inside that squared circle. The pressure was working AJ and his energy was quickly dissipating, and in the seventh round, Anthony tasted the mat two more times in dramatic fashion, eventually leading to the referee calling to stop the fight. Just like that, Anthony Joshua got broken down.

I tip my “B” hat to Andy Ruiz Jr. He came in there with absolutely nothing to lose and walked away dethroning the No.1 Heavyweight in the game, Anthony Joshua, to now become History’s first Mexican descent Unified IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Champion of the world.

Congratulations Andy, your dreams have now become a reality. Enjoy the fruits of you labour, you deserve it!

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On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Amir Khan”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden in New York City was a disappointing one: and not because of Terence Crawford (35-0, 26 Kos), but because of his opponent for the night Amir Khan (33-5, 20 Kos).

Khan talked that talk but definitely didn’t back it up inside that squared circle. Khan came out the gate aggressive and fast but got caught nice and early in the first round and went down for an 8 count. From this point on it was clear that Khan was no match for Crawford.

As the bout wore on Khan was getting touched and broken down round by round. Khan looked weak and uncertain about how to proceed with the “Game Plan”. Crawford was having his way inside that squared circle and was boxing circles around Khan making him look out of place at times.

The “End Game” was bound to come but due to an accidental low blow to Khan, his corner informed the referee that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Just like that, the fight was over and Crawford retained his WBO Welterweight Belt by TKO in round six.

I personally expected a better effort from Khan but regardless of last night’s outcome, the end result would have been the same with Terence getting his hand raised when it’s all said and done.

Congratulations Champ now on to the next!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Jarrell Miller”

World Heavyweight Championship Challenge

It has officially been announced today that undefeated Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 Kos) will be making his U.S. debut June 1, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City against undefeated challenger Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (23-0-1, 20 Kos).

Judging from the first press conference, there is definitely a really thick build-up of animosity between the two boxers. Real Talk!

“Big Baby” looked like he was ready to rip AJ’s head off from the jump. The trash talking coming from “Big Baby” was real heavy and personally a little disrespectful to my liking but I get it, the adrenalin is running on a high and the big stage can do that to you.

That being said, this will be AJ’s first bout on American soil and AJ is welcoming the “HEAT” from “Big Baby” and can’t wait to put them paws on him. This bout might be a block buster in the making. Two very big undefeated warriors ready to do some unapologetic harm to one another inside that squared circle.

There will be some serious pressure on both combatants to show up and perform to their best abilities come fight night. Trash talking aside this is supposed to be Miller’s time to shine since he’s the Kid from Brooklyn and can’t afford to drop the ball on his biggest test of his career.

AJ is out to prove he’s the “Top Dog” on any block around the world. That being said AJ needs to be impressive on his U.S. debut establishing his presence by silencing Miller by convincingly beating him on his own home court, Brooklyn, New York that is.

Both fighters are extremely confident and talking that sh*t, now let’s see if both can keep that same energy come fight night. Tune in on DAZN Saturday June 1, 2019 or better yet see it LIVE at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Amir Khan”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

It has officially been confirmed today that Terence Crawford (34-0, 25 Kos) will be defending his WBO Welterweight Title against Amir Khan (33-4, 20 Kos) Saturday night April 20, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City or at one of the MGM Resorts’ International arenas in Las Vegas.

This is an intriguing bout with the possibility of being a great one depending on which Amir Khan shows up that night. If the explosive, fast handed slick fighter makes an appearance, we might just have a good match up. However, if Khan shows up with that weak performance like his last time out then your “Boy” might be in for a quick night? Real Talk!

Khan has been searching for that legacy fight and now his call has been answered. Crawford is rated as one of the top Pound-for-Pound boxers in the game, so you know he’ll be looking for that work when he steps into that squared circle with Khan. If Khan were to pull off an upset win here, this would lead to further lucrative bouts amongst the top-heavy hitters in the Welterweight Division.

As for Crawford, a win here won’t do much to enhance his status but add another marquee name to his unblemished record. Real Talk! Crawford is seen by many as the favourite while Khan is seen as the underdog.

However, Crawford does need a dominant performance to entice the other Champions in the Welterweight Division. For some odd reason the other Welterweight Champions refuse to acknowledge the fact that Terence is a major player in the 147-pound Division.

Khan strongly believes that he’s still top 10 in the Welterweight Division. With an opportunity to win a world title he could easily climb back up top of the 147-pound Division and silence the naysayers who doubt he’s still got it.

Nevertheless, Crawford is up for the challenge and about that business inside that squared circle. I just hope that Khan comes with it and doesn’t disappoint because this could possibly be his last chance at a World Title.

Now let’s see it!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding”

WBA Super Middleweight Champion

Last night, in his first time Main Event at the sold-out Madison Square Garden, Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 Kos) did not disappoint the masses in attendance. Canelo, the Unified Middleweight “King”, moved up to the Super Middleweight Division and dismantled WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Champion Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15 Kos). Real Talk!

It took Canelo only three rounds to complete the task at hand but it was clear from the first-round body shot take down that the game plan was to stop Rocky. Attack the body and he will crumble. It was obvious that Rocky was not physically or mentally prepared for an aggressive heavy fisted Canelo. Rocky did not use his height, reach or weight to his advantage at all. Whatever game plan Rocky’s corner had went straight out the window once Canelo started landing the heavy shots to the head and body with bad intention at will.

Alvarez simply bullied the bigger fighter inside that squared circle and overwhelmed him with his power. Having seen Rocky go down four times and take a knee in less than three rounds, the referee saw no point in continuing the bout and waived it off without a count at the 2:38 mark of the third round. Nuff said.

With this win Canelo claims the WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Title and now becomes a Three Division Champion and current Title Holder in two Weight Divisions. Impressive!!

Congratulations Canelo on achieving another great milestone in your extensive career.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Vasyl Lomachenko vs Jose Pedraza”

Lightweight Title Unification Challenge

Last night, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, WBA Lightweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (12-1, 9 Kos), fresh off a seven-month layoff due to shoulder surgery, performed exceptionally well to outgun WBO Lightweight Champion Jose Pedraza (25-2, 12 Kos) and unify the Lightweight Division.

It was a very interesting bout that was definitely more competitive than expected. Pedraza showed heart and determination and undeniably fought like a willing opponent out there but simply was met with a much more cerebral opponent in Loma. This kid is the truth inside that squared circle. There are levels to this “Boxing Game” and he knows too well how and when to step it up.

Loma systematically broke down Pedraza as the rounds wore on and punished him with a fury of combination punches that knocked him down twice in the 11th round. That being said I still tip my “B” hat to Pedraza for enduring the 11th round beating and completing the full 12 rounds on his feet like a true warrior.

With this win Loma is now Unified WBA/WBO Lightweight Champion and once again confirming his seating on the Pound-for-Pound list.

Congratulations Champ on securing another great accomplishment.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding”

WBA Super Middleweight Challenge

Fresh off his biggest win to date against Gennady Golovkin for the Middleweight “Supremacy”, Canelo (50-1-2, 34 Kos) has now decided to go one step higher towards the Super Middleweight Division and challenge Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 Kos) for his WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Title.

This will be a quick turnaround for Canelo considering he just came back from a war with “GGG” last September, but the thought of making his first appearance at the historic Madison Square Garden Saturday December 15, 2018, has motivated him to make history and to be one of the top 10 Mexican fighters to become a Three-Division World Champion.

The boxing critics will be out there voicing their displeasure on Canelo challenging WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight Champion Rocky, but truth be told this bout will not be a cake walk for Canelo. Rocky will have a great size advantage on him to go along with his height and reach.

To me, this is an intriguing fight where Canelo will definitely be out of his usual comfort zone. Alvarez is one of the best technical Pound-for-Pound boxers in the “Game” to date so Rocky will unquestionably have his hands full trying to retain his WBA “Regular” Super Middleweight belt. As it stands right now Rocky will be the underdog against Canelo. However, this bout is an immense opportunity for Rocky and if he were to pull off a major upset on the biggest stage of his career by dethroning the face of Boxing in Canelo that is, this could be a life changing moment for Fielding that could positively catapult his career to new heights.

This is uncharted territory for both combatants but the risk vs reward for both competitors makes this bout that much attractive.

Madison Square Garden Saturday night December 15, 2018 is the place to be at but you can definitely cop this bout on the DAZN streaming app.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jorge Linares vs Vasyl Lomachenko”

WBA Super World Lightweight Championship

Listen!!! Last night’s fight between Jorge Linares (44-4, 27 Kos) vs Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 Kos) at the Madison Square Garden in New York city was amazing from the jump Real Talk!!

This Kat Lomachenko had himself a fight. Linares proved himself to be a worthy opponent but real talk Lomachenko is the truth inside that squared circle and last night Lomachenko came back from a knock down in the 6th round to knockdown Linares and stopped him in the 10th with a wicked body shot. Real Talk!

Lomachenko moved up to the 135-pound Division and showed the world what he was all about last night, he kept his patience and stayed focus and was the aggressor throughout the bout. I was impressed with this fight from both fighters; it was a very competitive bout from round to round.

Last night, Lomachenko defeated in my eyes his most worthy opponent to date, and in doing so he now becomes the WBO Super World Featherweight Champion and WBA Super World Lightweight Champion.

I have to tip my “B” hat to this Kat hands down! History has once again been written last night. A two–time Olympian gold medalist, in just his 12th professional bout, Lomachenko becomes the fastest Three-Division Champion to achieve this goal and secure his pound-for-pound claim in this here Boxing Game. Nuff said!

Congratulation Champ for another extraordinary performance, now who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Miguel Cotto vs Sadam Ali”

WBO Super Welterweight Championship

Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 Kos) promised the fans a surprise last night in his farewell final bout into retirement at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Instead, it was an early Christmas gift to Sadam Ali (26-1, 14 Kos) in the form of the now new WBO Super Welterweight Champion.

Miguel Cotto ended his soon to be Hall of Fame 16 year career last night with a close 12 round unanimous decision loss to an underdog in Sadam Ali. Many thought this was going to be an overmatched type bout for Cotto to finish up his career but lets be real this is boxing anything can happen in that squared circle and Sadam made sure to silence the critics and seize the opportunity with an iron fist.

Cotto came out to give his loyal fans a good show. He looked good out there. He fought a competitive fight but I gotta tip my “B” hat to Sadam for never backing down or feeling overwhelmed by the amount of love that was in the air that night for Cotto.

Sadam stepped his game up last night and performed in an impressive manner. He looked strong, comfortable and smart within that squared circle. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He just defeated a living legend in Miguel Cotto in his first time out in the Super Welterweight Division. Your stock has just risen overnight. That’s something to be proud of Champ.

Win or lose Miguel Cotto was a warrior through thick and thin who had an amazing career. Retirement is just another chapter in your life; enjoy your family along with the fruits of your labor.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Vasyl Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux”

“History In The Making”

I can’t front on Boxing this year 2017, the Boxing Gods have given us entertaining bouts after bouts every month to date. REAL TALK!

One of the highly anticipated clashes of the year has finally been set. WBO Super Featherweight Titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1-0 7 KOs) and WBA Super Bantamweight Titleholder Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0-0 11KOs) are set to collide in that squared circle on Saturday December 9, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Rigondeaux will be moving up two weight Divisions to 130-pounds to challenge Lomachenko for his WBO Super Featherweight Belt. This is another history fight in the making considering that this will be the first time a pair of two-time Olympic Gold-Medal winners will be sharing that squared circle together.

Their amateur careers speak volumes. Lomachenko was (396-1) as an amateur and Rigondeaux was (463-12) as an amateur. To top it all off, they also won two World Amateur Championship apiece-Nuff said! To me they are arguably two of the greatest utmost skilled amateur boxers in history to ever lace up some gloves.

Regardless of the weight class, these two combatants are ready to match it up skill for skill and deliver us an unforgettable high-octane performance.

So far, Lomachenko is seen by many experts in the Boxing community as the favourite in this match up but personally, I don’t think peeps should be sleeping and overlooking Rigondeaux on what he brings to the table. The way Rigodeaux moves and thinks in that squared circle is like a cerebral assassin. Will Lomachenko’s “Matrix” style be enough to penetrate Rigondeaux’s impenetrable style of defense? Your thoughts on this one?

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