On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN/Queensberry Promotions Main Event between former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 Kos) and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou (0-2) surpassed expectation by creating a type of crime scene scenario that brought the house down at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It was a very intriguing matchup that had every fight fan’s attention on edge but the highly motivated “Predator” in Francis, the immovable force had finally met a man superior than him inside that squared circle.

Ngannou and his team overplayed their hand and did not prepare for this type of force from AJ to be this strong on fight night. Ngannou’s overconfidence cost him dearly but the performance that Anthony brought inside that squared circle is exactly what was needed to be done to save boxing from any further embarrassment.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou had envisioned himself knocking AJ out and to taking over the Heavyweight Division by storm from that point on but what transpired was the complete opposite. The laser focused AJ put the entire Heavyweight Division on his back and put the nonsense talk to bed by emphatically dropping “The Predator” three times on the night with the same vicious right hand that eventually put his lights out for good in the second round forcing the referee to officially wave the bout off.

Anthony walked it like he talked it and executed the “game plan” to a “T” and silenced all the naysayers out there who doubted the fact that he could pull this off in such a convincing fashion. Nobody in the MMA world has ever manhandled Ngannou this way prior to this beating but that being said, the respect was rightfully earned when Francis came back to his senses.

This version of Joshua under the leadership of Ben Davison is a dangerous man inside that squared circle and I can’t wait to see who his next target will be.

Until then, congratulations Anthony on another great performance.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker”

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN/Queensberry Promotions Co-Main Event Between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 Kos) and challenger Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 Kos) once again shook the Heavyweight Division up with an unpredicted outcome of this bout at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Zhang, fresh off two back-to-back dominant knockout performances over the “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce, had been feeling himself too much and did not approach his latest challenge the right way. Zhang, who anticipated to dispatch of Parker with ease, found out that this combatant was as resilient as they come.

This version of “Big Bang” on the night heavily relied on his power to take over and proceeded to do the job by dropping Joseph for a quick standing 8 count in the second round and once again in the eighth round but the resistance Parker fought with made things a lot harder than expected. Parker stood his ground and picked himself off the floor to win rounds by simply being active with his hands – unlike Zhang who barely let his hands go as the rounds progressed.

It was uncharacteristic of Zhang to not go for the kill or to not be active with his hands. Parker took full advantage of the situation and boxed and pressed the action in a very convincing way by clearly out landing Zhang in the championship rounds.

After 12 completed rounds, the Judges at hand called it 113-113, 114-112 and 115-111 in favor of Joseph Parker.

Zhang dropped the ball on this one and only has himself to blame for the outcome while Joseph can continue his “Cinderella story” by becoming a full fledged Heavyweight Champion again after picking up the WBO Interim Heavyweight Title from the “Big Bang” Zhang.

A rematch is already in play for the two combatants to meet again but until then, well done Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou”

Heavyweight Showdown

It has been officially announced! The former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou (0-1) will be getting another golden opportunity at derailing yet another highly ranked opponent in former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 Kos) from continuing his mission at regaining the Championship Titles he lost to current IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Unified Champion Oleksandr Usyk in year 2021.

Ngannou shut out the naysayers out when he made his professional Boxing debut last year against the “Gypsy King” WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 Kos) and nearly pulled what would have been the biggest upset by giving the “Gypsy King” the toughest challenge in his last five fights. Ngannou stood his ground on the night and proved to the Boxing World that he could compete with the best of them in the Heavyweight Division, Hands Down!

This is why we are here today. After a stellar performance against Fury in a controversial loss, Turki Alalshik of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has taken upon himself to bring the intrigue to life by pinning AJ vs Ngannou for “Riyadh Season”.

The trash talking has already begun from Ngannou. Much has been said about AJ’s chin and punch resistance being questionable and Francis has made it a point that he will be looking to test AJ’s chin come fight night. Although Ngannou is a novice in the Boxing World he does believe he has the right amount of power to keep AJ down for good.

That being said, Anthony is well aware of the capabilities of his opponent but does not seem threatened or bothered but rather focussed on the task at hand. Joshua reiterated that his sole purpose is to dominate the Heavyweight Division once again and regain the Championship Titles he lost regardless of who stands in his way of his quest.

Both combatants look the part and have the goods to end the night in a dramatic fashion but the question remains who will prevail victorious on the night? Tune in and be part of one of the most captivating Heavyweight Throwdown Showdown on March 8, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Blaze

On The Watch “Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin”

Heavyweight Showdown

Tonight’s final PPV Showdown Main Event at the “Day of Reckoning” between former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 Kos) and Otto Wallin (26-2, 14 Kos) did not disappoint at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With the pressure of success weighing heavily on his back, AJ made sure to bring his “A” game on the night and proceeded to bring the “Heat” to Otto straight from the jump. AJ knew the importance of this bout and stayed locked in with an accurate heavy jab that did the damage very early into the bout.

AJ looked sharp with calculated aggression that took Otto by surprise. Although Otto tried his best to stand his ground, AJ’s offensive approach prevented him from being able to assert himself in a competitive manner. AJ boxed beautifully and administered a one-sided beatdown round by round that was very impressive to watch.

AJ was systematically breaking his opponent down visibly having his way with him inside that squared circle. It was painfully obvious that the usually tough and durable Otto Wallin had absolutely no answer to derail Anthony inside that squared circle.

The inevitable was closing in and by the end of the fifth round, Otto’s corner had seen enough and prevented him from coming out in the sixth round giving AJ the win by technical knockout.

This was the type of performance that AJ’s fans were craving for. A strong and aggressive AJ that beats his opponents down in a convincing fashion. Just the type of performance needed to close out an amazing historical great night of boxing.

Well done Anthony, you played your position right and delivered on the biggest night of Boxing.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Regis Prograis vs Devin Haney”

WBC Junior Welterweight Champion

Last night’s DAZN/Matchroom PPV Main Event between Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 Kos) and challenger former Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (31-0, 15 Kos), was the type of homecoming any young champion moving up in weight would love to have in front of their fans at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Real Talk!

The undefeated former Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney ascended into the 140-Pound Division with a “BANG” and completely dominated the Champion Regis on the biggest stage. Devin walked it like he talked and tamed, boxed, dropped, embarrassed, and utterly disarmed the “Rougarou” inside that squared circle.

Devin showed growth last night and had himself a flawless performance where he made the Champion look like an amateur who did not belong in the ring with him. Regis talked a lot of sh*t in the build-up to the fight but had absolutely no answer or the right “game plan” to keep up with Devin on the night. Regis looked out of place and uncomfortable after being dropped in the third round and rocked multiple times throughout the bout. It was clear that his confidence was nowhere to be found.


After 12 one-sided rounds of domination, the Judges at hand unanimously called it a shutout 120-107 for the New WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Devin Haney.

With this compelling performance Devin now becomes a two-weight Division Champion and should be worthy of a spot on everybody’s Pound for Pound list hands down.

Congratulations Devin on another great win. I can’t wait to see what your next challenge will be.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chantelle Cameron vs Katie Taylor”

Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion

Tonight’s rematch Undisputed Junior Welterweight redemption showdown between Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Chantelle Cameron (18-1, 8 Kos) and Undisputed Lightweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 Kos) was exactly the redemption that Katie was looking to bring her fans in attendance at 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland.

Both combatants came into this bout with the utmost confidence but it was Katie who has carried a chip on her shoulders for the past six months coming from a loss and fought like someone who needed to unleash havoc on her opponent of the night.

Both warriors threw heavy leather at each other right from the jump and did not stop giving each other time to breath which made the action inside that squared circle that much more interesting round by round.

Katie’s aggression this time around was key as she constantly kept her hands going and landing punches with combination that kept Chantelle on her toes but did not deter the champion from throwing her own heavy shots during the exchanges.

Chantelle showed her power early by dropping Katie clean but the referee at hand ruled it a slip which I personally think was the wrong call and may had caused Chantelle to lose focus for the remainder of the bout as the referee continuously ignored the constant head butting and holding that Katie was doing throughout the bout.

Chantelle did good work and kept the fight close but seemed distracted by the way the referee was calling the fight. That being said, Katie bit down on her gum shield and fought toe to toe and accepted every advantage going her way and executed her “game plan” round by round.

Things got rough and ugly inside that squared circle but both combatants put on a hell of a show. After 10 full rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand called it 98-92 and 96-94 for Taylor while the third Judge had a draw 95-95 giving Katie the majority decision.

Katie, who came into this bout as the underdog for the first time, took charge and never wavered when the going got tough and gave out an amazing winning performance in front of her adoring fans to now being called a two weight Undisputed Champion by snatching away the Junior Welterweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine titles from Chantelle Camron. Unbelievable.

Katie showed up tonight and redeemed herself on the same grounds where she took her first loss and for that I tip my “B” hat to Taylor. Congratulations Katie on becoming the New Junior Welterweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion of the World.

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

On The Watch “It’s All About Regis Prograis vs Devin Haney”

WBC Junior Welterweight Challenge

It has been officially announced! WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis (29-1, 24 Kos) will be defending his Championship belt Saturday night December 9, 2023, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California against the Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (30-0, 15 Kos), who will now be moving up in weight in pursuit of becoming a two-Division World Champion.

This matchup is very interesting to me because Devin is the one who surprisingly called out the Champ. Choosing a heavy fisted Champion like Prograis for your first fight at a heavier weight is telling me that your confidence is at 100% from the jump. As skilled as Devin is he needs to be mindful of Prograis because this Dude is no walk in the park inside that squared circle. Prograis is strong, durable and aggressive with them hands once he gets going.

That being said, Devin is on a mission to take over the Junior Welterweight Division and his first mark is Prograis. Judging by how the press conference unfolded today, there is definitely no love lost here. The disrespect displayed today will certainly have to be settled inside that squared circle, hands down.

Prograis will have to make sure to be ready for everything Devin brings to the table because your Boy Dev got the right attributes and the skill set to possibly offset Regis’ strength if he’s not well prepared. Regis considers himself the best in the Division and it will be up to him to walk it like he talks it and deter the young hungry lion from using him as a stepping stone to the top of the Division.

Tune in Saturday night December 9, 2023, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California and live on DAZN PPV, and witness the outcome of this intriguing Junior Welterweight Showdown.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington”

WBA Featherweight Challenge

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBA Featherweight Champion Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 Kos) and challenger Josh Warrington (31-3-3-1, 8 Kos) brought the house to its feet at the Sheffield Arena, with a surprising ending. Real Talk!

Josh came out the gate like the warrior he is and proceeded to put hands from all angles on Leigh who kept his cool maneuvering throughout the aggressive attacks coming his way.

Leigh fought back round by round but at first sight, Leigh’s punches looked weak but were still able to land good shots. However those punches did not have enough spice to deter Josh who was coming in with a relentless style.

It looked like it was going Josh’s way inside that squared circle but throughout all the rough rounds Leigh never gave up and continued to fight fire with fire with an effective jab doing some good work.

At the start of the seventh round, Leigh was clearly down on the cards but fought hard and didn’t let the moment get to his head. As the clock was winding down in the round, Leigh unleashed a vicious combination of punches that stunned Josh cold on his feet. He crumpled to the floor only to hastily get up to his feet drunk and walking back to his corner while the referee was administering a standing 8 count. The referee eventually ruled that Josh was in no position to continue and waved the bout off.

It was an astonishing finish exactly at the 3-minute point of round seven. With this unbelievable win now under his belt, Leigh retained his WBA Featherweight Title to continue this “Cinderella” version of his boxing career.

Well done, Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Mauricio Lara vs Leigh Wood”

WBA Super Featherweight Challenge

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBA Super Featherweight champion Mauricio Lara (26-3-1, 19 kos) and challenger Leigh Wood (27-3, 16, Kos) was a rematch that desperately needed to be rectified by Leigh at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Having succumbed to an upsetting stoppage by Lara back in February 2023, Leigh wasted no time at applying the “game plan” at hand right from the jump. Leigh’s confidence was on point and looked quite focussed and determined to remedy the mishap of their last meeting.

Lara talked a good game prior to this bout but surprisingly did not back it up inside that squared circle. Lara looked slow, disengaged and one step behind every move Leigh had for him inside that squared circle.

Leigh looked stronger on the night and managed to dropped Lara twice early in the second round for two quick 8 counts but to me, it was the exceptional boxing skills displayed on the night and bewildering Lara round after round that sealed the deal. Leigh’s patience and determination was key to securing the win after 12 fully completed rounds of action with the Judges at hand calling it 118-109, 118-109 and 116-111 unanimously for Leigh Wood.

With this convincing win now under his belt, Leigh is now a two-time WBA Super Featherweight Champion of the World with an even brighter future ahead.

Congratulations Leigh Wood. Well done!

Blaze