On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II”

Undisputed Light Heavyweight Showdown

Former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 Kos) will be looking for his “get back” when he will face the only man to have beaten him in the professional ranks: Undefeated, Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 Kos), February 22, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

With this rematch now locked in, Bivol’s only mission is to rectify and avenge the result of his previous encounter with “King Arthur” and reclaim his WBA Light Heavyweight Title along with the remaining hardware, to become the New Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion.

A well thought out plan by Bivol with only one problem; our own Russian/Canadian representative reigning Undefeated Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the World “King Artur” has absolutely no intention of relinquishing his hard-earned Championship Belts any time soon.

Beterbiev understands that their previous encounter inside that squared circle was a highly-contested chess match that showed their respective skill sets but this time around Beterbeiv will be looking to tweak a few things and end all possible controversy by once again beating Bivol more convincingly.

That being said, Bivol will need to make the necessary adjustments and be prepared for a highly motivated and aggressive “King Artur” looking to administer some serious damage inside that squared circle.

Past controversy aside, this upcoming rematch bout is a sure shot so tune in Live on DAZN February 22, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and witness the outcome.

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!

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On The Watch “It’s All About Sunny Edwards vs Galal Yafai”

Flyweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between former IBF World Flyweight Champion “Showtime” Sunny Edwards (21-2, 4 Kos) and WBC International Champion Galal Yafai (9-0, 7 kos) definitely shocked the viewers at home and the fans in attendance by the surprising outcome of this bout at The Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.

I personally never anticipated this outcome but tonight I witnessed a one-sided beatdown being handed out by Yafai that clearly had Sunny contemplating life inside that squared circle. Yafai had that pressure style with his hands going from head to body right from the gate that didn’t let Sunny get any breathing room at any moment throughout the duration of the bout.

Sunny looked disengaged from round one and unprepared to handle the nonstop pressure that was coming at him which was quite surprising since Sunny had seen and dealt with many different styles prior to this bout but for some reason could not deal with what was coming at him on this particular night.

Sunny had always been known for his speed and exceptional defence but tonight, neither were on point. Sunny was getting touched up from left to right, head to body, consistently being manhandled while retreating on the ropes.

Yafai looked like a man possessed and determined to come out on top. Yafai’s nonstop unanswered onslaught and bullish ways towards Sunny in the sixth round prompted the referee to stop the fight to prevent Sunny from taking any further unnecessary abuse. This version of Sunny inside that squared circle tonight stood no chance at turning the fight into his favor.

With this very convincing win now under his belt, Galal picked up the Vacant WBC Interim World Flyweight Championship Title, positioning himself next in line at a chance at the full WBC Flyweight Title.

Congratulations Galal, you’ve officially announced yourself to the Flyweight Division. Well Done!

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 Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol”

Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion

Last night, we witnessed the crowning of the first Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion in the four-belt era when our own Russian/Canadian representative Undefeated IBF/WBC/WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 Kos) defeated highly skilled and Undefeated Super WBA/IBO Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 Kos) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This bout to me definitely lived up to the “HYPE” surrounding it. It was a long time coming but this high-level chess match unfolded in a competitive way that showed us just how great and exceptional these two warriors are inside that squared circle.

Bivol came out the gate with a busy jab and clever foot movement keeping Beterbiev at bay but not discouraged as Beterbiev maintained his own pressure with a very calculated jab.

Surprisingly Bivol sat down on his punches and exchanged toe-to-toe with the heavy-handed Beterbiev which made this bout that much more interesting but Beterbiev made his presence known despite Bivol’s “game plan”. Although Bivol was dishing out combinations after combinations, Beterbiev’s single shots resonated with thunderous power every time they landed.

Both combatants had their moments as the rounds progressed but it was very clear and visible that the pressure that Beterbiev was coming in with had some serious effect on the light footed Bivol.

Heavy leather was being thrown from both combatants but the stress of the pace of the bout seemed more taxing on Bivol who had to keep constant movement to offset Beterbiev who was building up steam round by round.

The more Bivol stood his ground the more punishment Beterbiev administered. Both combatants showed no fear as the rounds progressed but fatigue looked to be weighing on Bivol as his high punch output diminished in the later rounds. That being said Bivol and Beterbiev did continue to bring the “HEAT” in the championship rounds.

After 12 rounds of competitive action the Judges at hand scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 in favor of Artur Beterbiev.

This was a highly contested bout from start to finish where both combatants brought their “A” game but when all was said and done there could only be one true winner and that is “King Artur” the first and new Undisputed IBO/IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Well done, Champ. You’ve collected all the hardware piece by piece from every champion out there to now being “The Last Man Standing” in the Light Heavyweight Division.

Congratulations, Artur on an achievement well deserved.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois”

IBF World Heavyweight Challenge

Former Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 Kos) got himself a serious reality check when he brutally succumbed at the hands of IBF World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 Kos) at tonight’s Main Event at the sold-out Wembley Stadium in London, England, courtesy of Riyadh Season.

This all-British Showdown surpassed all expectations and attendance at the same time. Dubois, who came in the ring looking hungry and laser-focussed, surprisingly kept things simple but efficient. Dubois’ “game plan” was obvious from the jump: to seek and destroy his opponent by all means necessary and the young Lion did just that. Real Talk!

Both combatants looked fit and strong but it was Dubois who imposed himself from the first round by chin checking AJ to a standing 8 count right before the bell ended the round. It was a wrap from that point on.

AJ looked lost and confused from round one and had no proper “game plan” to deter Dubois who was coming at him from all corners with some serious aggression. Dubois refused to give AJ any breathing room round by round. The pressure was real and the power shots that Dubois was landing on AJ were visibly taxing as AJ could not stand toe-to-toe with Dubois and eventually got clipped once again in the third round to another standing 8 count.

The inevitable was near and in the fifth round when AJ attempted to open up with his offence, Dubois landed a “Dynamite” of a right hand that chin checked Anthony cold to the floor prompting the referee to count him out.

Although Anthony showed a lot of heart tonight by rising up every time he got dropped, this version of AJ was the worst I’ve ever seen get into that squared circle. Dubois manhandled and dominated AJ from rounds 1 to 5 which is not an easy task to do but Dubois made it look effortless and for that I tip my “B” hat to the young Lion. You silenced the naysayers and myself, and put the Heavyweight Division and the boxing world on notice that Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois is the real deal. Real Talk!

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Diego Pacheco vs Maciej Sulecki”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 Kos) and seasoned veteran Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12 Kos) lived up to the hype when they met up inside that squared circle at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.

Pacheco handled this bout like a true professional and patiently dissected his opponent round by round with a mean jab that couldn’t miss. Sulecki tried hard to stand his ground landing some decent shots and making it interesting as much as he could but the heavy punches coming from Pacheco were a clear indication that this was going to be a quick night of action.

The inevitable was creeping in and with Pacheco being able to land right uppercuts and heavy right-hand shots at will and breaking down Sulecki, Diego deployed a perfectly well-placed left hook to the body in the sixth round that crushed Sulecki straight to the canvas unable to answer the 10-count.

It was a dominant performance by Pacheco who became the first to knock out Sulecki in his career to date. With this win, Pacheco remains the mandatory challenger to the “Kingpin” Unified WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

That being said, I personally don’t think challenging the “Kingpin” this early in his young career would be a wise decision but this undefeated contender in Diego Pacheco is looking for all the smoke and calling out anyone in the top 10 Super Middleweight Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga”

WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight Challenge

It has now officially been announced: the “Kingpin” Unified WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 Kos) will be defending his Crown on September 14, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 Kos) giving us that feel of Mexico vs Puerto Rico to look forward too.

Berlanga, who has been chasing this opportunity for quite some time now will be competing in his first world title bout come fight night. Berlanga has been talking up a storm about how he’s the chosen one to beat Canelo and dethrone him of his Crown and No. 1 spot in the Super Middleweight Division but backing those tough talks is a whole different story when you step foot inside that squared circle with the ‘Kingpin” opposite of you.

Mexico vs Puerto Rico has always been a good sell in boxing but the hate that Berlanga has been receiving for being Canelo’s chosen opponent is overshadowing the possibilities this bout could actually bring. Berlanga has no choice but to prove the naysayers wrong by bringing his A game and his best performance come fight night.

We already know what Canelo brings every time out. He takes no opponent lightly and always performs at his best on the biggest stage. This may not be the fight that everyone was looking for but regardless of his opponent Canelo will make this event memorable for all fans in attendance.

Tune in on DAZN/PBC on Prime Video PPV Saturday night September 14, 2024, live at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jaron Ennis vs David Avanesyan”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF Welterweight Champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 Kos) and David Avanesyan (30-5-1, 18 Kos) (the one who replaced mandatory challenger Cody Crowley) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, was more or less a showcase type of an event that saw his hometown fans in attendance looking quite satisfied by the performance of their Champion.

Jaron pressed the action from the first bell and never looked back while David embraced the pressure and dished out some of his own to show Jaron he wasn’t here to lay down as everyone expected.

David tried heavily to stand his ground in a bravado way but Jaron was simply too big, too strong and too skillful to be contained by him. No disrespect to David but Jaron pretty much toyed with him inside that squared circle. As tough and durable as David usually is, on this night he was severely outgunned and outmatched with simply no answer to the problems that Jaron was throwing his way.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and on this night, David found out the hard way that he did not belong inside that squared circle with Jaron. When “Boots” decided to stop playing with his food in the fifth round he caught David with a hard overhand left and dropped him for a standing 8 count that saw him rise up to further punishment that lasted the entire remaining round.

Having assessed the situation after the fifth round, David’s corner and the ringside Doctor both agreed that any further assault at the hands of “Boots” would be futile and it was best to call an end to the bout.

With this very convincing stoppage win Jaron defended his IBF Welterweight Title and picked up another TKO to be added to his ever-growing knockout percentage to date.

Jaron is the total package. Skillful, powerful and blessed with levels above his opposition on the ring IQ inside that squared circle. Good luck to the competition trying to derail this Dude on their way up.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Juan Francisco Estrada vs Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez”

WBC Junior Bantamweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBC/Ring Magazine Junior Bantamweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada (44-4, 28 Kos) and undefeated challenger Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (20-0, 13 Kos) was a situation where the Champion did not want to relinquish the mantle but was forced into doing so at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

The legend that Estrada is, put everything on the line and stood his ground and banged toe to toe with a much younger Lion who brought the “heat” like no other inside that squared circle.

It was a beautiful display of tactical boxing from both combatants who tried strategically to outmaneuver each other round by round. As experienced as Estrada is inside that squared circle, he had yet to meet up with an exceptional slick and strong boxer like “Bam” who had the patience and the right skill set to deter the Champion from having his way.

“Bam” was making it look easy boxing circles around Estrada who had absolutely no answer, that is right until the sixth round when he connected with a flash knockdown that sat “BAM” down for the first time in his career but did not deter him from strongly finishing the round.

Tasting the floor for the first time was all the motivation “Bam” needed to further press the action his way. “Bam” regrouped and proceeded to put his punches together with a lot more authority and power behind every shot, eventually connecting with a powerful left hand to the body forcing Estrada to the canvas where he couldn’t beat the referee’s count in the seventh round.

It was a very dominant performance by “Bam” where we witnessed another living legend get taken down by the young lion looking to take over the Bantamweight Division. By becoming the New WBC/Ring Magazine Junior Bantamweight Champion, Jesse is definitely on the right path.

Congratulations Champ!

Blaze