On The Watch “It’s All About Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman”

WBC Junior Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Prime Video Main Event between WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Sebastian Fundora (24-1-1, 16 Kos) and former Unified Welterweight Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (31-2, 23 Kos), was another very impressive performance by “The Towering Inferno” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Keith talked a good game throughout the build-up to this bout but truth be told everybody in the building knew this was going to be a tall task from the jump as both men stood to confront one another inside that squared circle.

With Sebastian standing at a tall 6’5 ½ and Keith pushing 5’8 ½ the writing was already on the wall. As great and experienced Keith was as an opponent, he was severely outsized, outgunned and outmatched from every angle.

This was a one-sided beatdown where Keith was unable to conjure any type of a proper “game plan” to deter Sebastian from having his way with him. Sebastian boxed beautifully using his height and accurate jab effortlessly and cutting off the ring from every angle.

Sebastian’s jab alone was doing a number on Keith’s face and with the added punch output the inevitable was only a matter of time. As Sebastian continued to raise the bar and the action inside that squared circle continued, the referee felt the need to save Keith from any further damage and stopped the fight at the 1:17 mark of the sixth round.

For the first time in his career Keith “One Time” was stopped inside the squared circle by a man in Sebastian, who made it look easyyyyyyy. Real talk!

With this convincing win now under his belt, Sebastian is still standing tall as the WBC Junior Middleweight Champion of the World.

Well done, Champ!

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On The Watch “It’s All About Sebastian Fundora vs Tim Tszyu”

WBC Junior Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Prime Video PPV Co-Main Event between WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 Kos) and former foe Tim Tszyu (25-3, 18 Kos), was a very impressive showing by the Champion at the Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Fundora came into this rematch locked and loaded and ready to put a beating on his opponent, who talked a good game all the way to the build up but fell short of delivering the goods by the way this bout unfolded.

I’m not sure what kind of “game plan” Tszyu and his team concocted but this version of Tszyu compared to the version that challenged him in their previous time stood absolutely no chance of dethroning the Champion inside that squared circle last night.

This version of Tszyu regressed dramatically while Fundora stood there teeing off on him at will manhandling him round by round detonating an active jab while keeping his height and reach to his advantage at all times.

From the time Tszyu got dropped in the first round to a standing 8 count the writing was already on the canvas. Tszyu looked defeated and disengaged, unable to press the action and lacked the motivation to be competitive with a strong towering competitor firing shot at a high clip.    

At the end of the seventh round, the referee at hand approached Tszyu’s corner asking if they wanted to continue and to my surprise Tszyu’s answer was no.

Forcing Tszyu to quit on his stool is not something that I expected to happen but I most definitely tip my “B” hat to Fundora for this very impressive win and retaining his WBC Junior Middleweight Championship.

Now onto the next, Champ.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach”

WBA Lightweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Prime Video PPV Main Event between Undefeated WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0-1, 28 Kos) against WBA Super Featherweight Champion Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-2, 10 Kos), will forever be tainted by the unusual controversial outcome handed out at the result of this bout. Real Talk!

At the start of the bell Lamont came in focused with a very good “game plan” which he proceeded to use quite effectively while Gervonta took his time downloading his usual data but this time he was met with some resistance from Lamont who did not cooperate as anticipated by Gervonta.

Lamont had brought his “A” game on the night standing his ground and going toe-to-toe with the heavy handed “Tank” who uncharacteristically looked disengaged at times and was taking in more punches than usual. Lamont’s power didn’t seem to bother Gervonta but Lamont’s activity proved to be enough to sway the rounds in his favor.

Both combatants had their moments when exchanging blows where “Tank” showed some levels but was not convincing enough in my eyes. Lamont took in some heavy shots but the kid showed heart and grit and remained fixated at continuing with the “game plan” at hand.

A controversial incident occurred in the ninth round where Gervonta deliberately took a knee due to supposedly having a substance from his hair dripping into his eye which confused the referee Steve Willis, who had started a standing 8 count but changed his mind and allowed Davis to be illegally tended to by his cornerman. In all reality, this should had been called a 10-8 round for Lamont.

That being said, it was clear that Lamont had asserted himself pretty well and definitely became a threat inside that squared circle where Gervonta had tried to step his game up at times to regain the lead but was met with a tougher combatant than expected. Lamont fought with controlled aggression making the bout that much more entertaining than expected.

After 12 full rounds action one Judge scored it 115-113 for Davis while the other two Judges scored it 114-114 even, resulting in a majority draw.

Factor in the missed 10-8 round by the referee and there could have been a clearer winner, nevertheless, with this draw, Gervonta retained his WBA Lightweight Title while Lamont earned the respect of his peers and the boxing community for an outstanding outing of a night.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jose Valenzuela vs Gary Antuanne Russell”

WBA Super Lightweight Challenge

It’s unusual for a fighter coming back from a loss and an opportunity to fight for a WBC Interim World Super Lightweight Title to automatically receive another great occasion to contest for another Title, but the opportunity did present itself for Gary Antuanne Russell (18-1, 17 Kos) to challenge yet again for a Title, the WBA Super Lightweight Belt being held by Jose Valenzuela (14-3, 9 Kos) as the Co-Main Event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Gary Antuanne understood the task at hand and the opportunity given so he did not want to fail at his second attempt at becoming Champion. Gary Antuanne preceded to execute a flawless “game plan” that could not be deterred by Jose who clearly did not prepare for this type of an attack.

Jose, who himself possesses very good boxing skills equipped with power, could not fend off the heavy onslaught coming his way. Gary Antuanne’s punch output along with the power and the clip they were coming at was simply too much for Jose to contend with. Jose was getting outworked and outpunched from every corner and was unable to respond with any type of calculated “game plan”.

The pressure that Jose was dealing with inside that squared circle was real and Gary Antuanne showed Jose absolutely no respect by the way he handed out this one-sided beatdown.

After 12 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand scored it 120-108, 119-109 and 119 109 unanimously for Gary Antuanne Russell.

With this convincing win now under his belt, Gary Antuanne can now be crowned the new WBA Super Lightweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Gary Antuanne. A unification bout is definitely on the horizon.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About David Benavidez vs David Morrell”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/PPV Prime Video Main Event between WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez (30-0, 24 Kos) and WBA “Regular” Light Heavyweight Champion David Morrell (11-1, 9 Kos) was a very entertaining bout from start to finish that lived up to the “HYPE” at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both combatants wasted no time with the introduction once the first bell rang and proceeded to throw mad leather to feel each other’s power right from the jump. Two very big and strong combatants with different skill sets trying to earn each other’s respect inside that squared circle.

Morell showed power, intelligence and durability and a different type of resistance that Benavidez wasn’t used to dealing with inside that squared circle but what Morell lacked was the professional experience to deter a strong and active warrior with Benavidez’s experience.

Morell found out that going toe-to-toe with the “Mexican Monster” wasn’t the brightest idea. Benavidez’s punch output was key last night. Morell had a hard time keeping up punch for punch with Benavidez as the rounds progressed. Although Morell had his moments and made it a lot tougher on Benavidez, the activity of Benavidez punch connection ratio swayed the rounds in his favor. Those uppercuts and straight body shots landing at will by Benavidez could not be ignored.

That being said, Morell did do good work at times landing some good heavy shots, clearly showing his power and even scored a knock-down with a quick right hook on Benavidez in the 11th round that had the crowd on their feet but surprisingly, the benefit of the knock-down was useless when the referee penalized Morell for hitting after the bell. A suspect call if you ask me.

Benavidez got seriously touched up last night but his offence did a good job at hiding his lack of defence but proved once again that he’s a tough Dude with a higher work rate than most of his opponents inside that squared circle.

That said, after 12 full rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 115-111, 115-111 and 118-108 unanimously for David Benavidez. I don’t have a problem with Benavidez being declared the winner but that score of 118-108 is straight out of pocket!

With this solid win now under his belt Benavidez retained his WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Title and snatched the WBA “Regular” Light Heavyweight Championship Title from Morell, giving him an even clearer path to challenge the winner of the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship between Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on February 22, 2025, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

Until then, congratulations David.

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On The Watch “It’s All About David Benavidez vs David Morrell”

Light Heavyweight Showdown

A very interesting match up has officially been announced. WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 Kos) will be putting his undefeated record on the line once again by challenging the strong and powerful undefeated WBA “Regular” Light Heavyweight Champion David Morrell (11-0, 9 Kos) on February 1, 2025, in a PPV on PBC/Prime Video Main Event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Although Morrell has only been in the professional ranks for a short period of time, he has been yearning for a chance to take down Benavidez and prove to the world that although Benavidez is one of the “top dogs” in the Division, he is not the “Mexican Monster” or the “Boogieman” that some in the boxing community perceive him to be.

That being said, Benavidez is a proven warrior who has been taking out the willing contenders brave enough to challenge him one by one. Benavidez is a big Dude who puts his punches together in such a fashion that usually overwhelms his opponents into submission.

Benavidez’s style is what makes this bout interesting to me because Morrell is also big and strong at the weight and has exceptional boxing skills to go along with his own power that could give Benavidez some serious problem on the night.

The trash talking was heavy at the press conference, but one thing was clear to me is that both combatants seemed confident and showed no fear of backing down from one another.

A lot of questions will be answered at the conclusion of this bout. Is this fight too soon for Morrell? Has Benavidez truly met his match by facing Morrell? Who will prevail the No. 1 challenger to the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev?

Tune in on PBC PPV Prime Video Saturday night February 1, 2025, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and witness this very intriguing showdown unfold.

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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.

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