On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov”

WBA Junior Middleweight Challenge

His Excellency Turki Alashikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, will be bringing his Riyadh Season to its first overseas event in the United States on Saturday August 3, 2024, at the BMO Stadium, Los Angeles.

The Main Event of the night will consist of Pound-for-Pound former Undisputed Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 Kos) who will be moving up in weight to the Junior Middleweight Division in pursuit of another title in a fourth Division by challenging newly crowned WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 Kos).

That being said, Madrimov is a serious step up and a worthy challenger who will not be easily taken down. The hunger for greatness that Madrimov has been displaying as of late goes hand in hand with his physical strength and boxing IQ that this warrior will be walking in with come fight night. Madrimov is a well-schooled technically sound combatant who will definitely bring the “Heat” inside that squared circle.

Although Terence will have been out of the ring for a full year by the time these two combatants square up, the task at hand still remains the same, to conquer another Division by any means necessary and become Undisputed Champion in a third weight Division.

Crawford has been the underdog before and has proven the naysayers wrong as well. That’s why on August 3, 2024, he will show the world once again, why he’s one of the greatest Pound-for-Pound fighters to ever lace on a pair of gloves in this era.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo”

Undisputed vs Undisputed

It has now officially been announced. The “Kingpin” Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 Kos) will be defending his Crown in the Main Event of a Showtime PPV on Saturday night September 30, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 Kos), who will be moving up two Divisions to the 168-Pound Division and attempt at making history once again at becoming a two-weight Division Undisputed Champion.

This is an intriguing matchup bringing out all the talks. Two Undisputed Champions going head-to-head in the first matchup of the four-belt era is a game changer that will surely bring out the fans to witness this historical moment.

Two of the best in their respective divisions will be putting it all on the line and attesting to be the best of the best in the Pound-for-Pound discussion.

Some naysayers are already complaining about Jermell moving up from the 154-Pound Division to the 168-Pound Division, could be a hard task, but truth be told Jermell is naturally a “Big Boy” campaigning in the Junior Middleweight Division. Real Talk! Dude will look right at home come fight night on every level. Size will not be a deciding factor for Jermell.

That being said, what will be a factor is the experience, the boxing IQ and the skill level that will be displayed inside that squared circle on fight night. Who will prevail as the superior combatant when all is said and done and the one true Champion remains standing on the biggest stage?

Tune in Saturday night on Showtime PPV September 30, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and witness the outcome of this historical moment in Boxing History.

Who you got?

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On The Watch “It’s All About Naoya Inoue vs Paul Butler”

Undisputed Bantamweight Championship

The first-ever Undisputed Bantamweight Champion in the four-belt era was crowned last night when Undefeated Unified WBA/WBC/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion Naoya Inoue (24-0, 21 Kos) took on WBO Champion Paul Butler (34-3, 15 Kos) and completely outclassed him in front of his hometown at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

I expected to see two warrior Champions go blow for blow inside that squared circle vying for that Undisputed Crown but instead I witnessed the “Monster” Inoue establish immediate fear into his opponent causing him to retreat into survivor mode from round 1 and on.

For Butler to travel from the United Kingdom to Tokyo and not perform like the Champion that he is, was very disappointing. Butler talked a good game from the jump but failed miserably when faced head on with Inoue inside that squared circle.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and clearly Inoue was 10 notches above Butler who had absolutely no answer and lacked a “game plan” to contain or deter the stronger, faster, smarter combatant from having his way with him inside that squared circle.

Inoue’s punches were thumping with accuracy round by round and even when Butler attempted to utilize the ring by moving away, he was met with an aggressive flurry of punches at every corner. Butler looked like a moving punching bag trying to survive a never-ending onslaught.

Entering the 11th round Inoue was ready to close the show and close the show he did when the crowd in attendance rallied behind their star, motivating him to punish his opponent with a flurry of body to head shots breaking Butler down who was unable to answer the count by the referee.

Although Butler did not behave like a Champion on this night, he did prove to be a tough Dude to withstand such a one-sided beatdown for eleven rounds at the hands of Naoya “Monster” Inoue – the New Undisputed WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF and Ring Magazine Bantamweight Champion of the world.

Congratulations Naoya on you latest history making accomplishment.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs David Avanesyan”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s BLK Prime Main Event between WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 Kos) and challenger David Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17 Kos) was an event that Terence’s home-grown fans in attendance fairly enjoyed at the CHI Health Center.

The night in particular was an exciting event leading up to the showdown that Terence closed out in emphaptic fashion. I witnessed a man who hadn’t fought in over 13 months showing no rust whatsoever when he systematically broke down his opponent round by round, never looking rattled or bothered by Avanesyan’s aggression at times.

Terence was cool and calm and in control, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to close it out at his own will. As much as Avanesyan tried to deter Terence by landing a few good shots, none of them affected “Bud” inside that squared circle. No disrespect to Avanesyan who is a tough competitor and fresh off six straight knockout wins, but when faced with an elite combatant in Crawford, David was levels below the reach.

That said, when “Bud” was done toying with Avanesyan he shut the whole show down in a dramatic fashion with a well-placed left uppercut-right hook combination that sat Avanesyan down for the count in the 6th round forcing the referee to call an end to the bout.

With this resounding win Terence has now defended his WBO Welterweight Championship Belt for the sixth time and recorded his 10th straight knockout. Pound-for-Pound one of the best to ever do it inside that squared circle, Hands Down!

Congratulations Terence, you did your city proud on this one.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank Main Event between WBO Champion Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 Kos) and Shawn Porter (31-4-1, 17 Kos) at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena, was a statement-type performance by the Champion that definitely lived up to the hype. Real Talk!

Everybody in the building knew what Porter was going to bring inside that squared circle but nobody knew how Crawford was going to deal with it. Porter brought the heat straight from round one and on and didn’t stop applying pressure making it a real fight. The “game plan” looked simple on Porter’s side but he wasn’t dealing with an average-type of fighter in Crawford.

The key for Crawford was to not get caught up in Porter’s “game plan” but to settle down and execute his own by being patient and sticking to his exceptional boxing skills. He could not get caught stuck exchanging leather for leather letting himself open at times giving unnecessary opportunities which he did, giving Porter successful rounds.

The back and forth both combatants were dishing out was exciting and definitely crowd pleasing to the fans in attendance.

That said, as the rounds were piling up, I could sense Crawford needed to do something spectacular to slow down the momentum Porter had going for himself at that point. Crawford needed to remind the Boxing World why he was on the Pound-for-Pound list.

In the 10th round, Crawford caught Porter with a well-placed short left to the dome that sat him down for a quick 8 count. Porter, who looked surprised, bounced right back up on his feet but the inevitable was looming over Porter’s head. Porter proceeded to go at Crawford with aggression only to be met with a heavy two-piece combo that severely rocked a still concussed and frustrated Porter to the floor for second time. Although Porter managed to beat the 10 count, Shawn’s Dad, Kenny Porter had seen enough and waved the referee to stop the bout. Just like that Crawford put an end to “Showtime” Shawn Porter by TKO in the 10th round.

This was the type of a performance that Terence needed to silence all the naysayers that doubted his greatness inside that squared circle. Porter brought the “heat” and asserted himself quite well but Terence showed to have the equalizer to shut the show down.

This was by far the most noteworthy and hardest combatant to date in Terence’s career and he prevailed in an impressive fashion.

Congratulations Terence on retaining your WBO Welterweight Championship. You truly are one of the Pound-for-Pound greats in the game today.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Caleb Plant”

Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship

History was made at last night’s Showtime PPV Main Event from the MGM Grand Garden when Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” Unified Super WBA/WBC/WBO and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 Kos) defeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant (21-1, 12 Kos) to become the first ever Undisputed Middleweight Champion in the four-belt era. Unbelievable!

It was a cerebral type of performance by Canelo that required patience round by round. Caleb was a formidable opponent with exceptional ring IQ inside that squared circle that needed to be broken down before fully engaging.

Caleb made things interestingly difficult at first with a busy jab, boxing and moving never staying stationary long enough to prevent Canelo from landing anything too damaging at first. It was the right “game plan” to use against Canelo but it was one that required absolutely no room for any slip-up and to stay switched on round after round.

As expected, Canelo’s calculated pressure with some timely power punches visibly started to slow Caleb down in the later rounds. Canelo could sense Caleb mentally starting to show signs of breaking down and the “end game” was only a matter of time.

That being said, by the 11th round the inevitable happened when Canelo connected heavily on his chin and dropped Caleb for an 8 count that saw Caleb get up staggering across the ring hurt but still wanting to continue when the referee asked him. Canelo then went into “Beast Mode” and ferociously attacked Caleb with shots to the head and neck that dramatically knocked him down for the count.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and Caleb Plant’s performance last night proved to me and the boxing world that he belongs at the top and earned Canelo’s respect. There is absolutely no shame in your game if you fall short to the “Kingpin” of the Super Middleweight Division Canelo Alvarez.

With this historical victory, Canelo now becomes the first Mexican combatant and the first Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion to hold the IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO and the Ring Magazine Belt concurrently.

Congratulation Canelo on becoming one of the six male combatants to ever capture the prestigious accomplishment of being Undisputed Champion. You have successfully completed your goal.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Josh Taylor vs Jose Ramirez”

Junior Welterweight Unification Championship

Last night’s Main Event at the Virgin Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada between Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/Ring Magazine Champion Josh Taylor (18-0, 13 Kos) and Junior Welterweight WBC/WBO Champion Jose Ramirez (26-1, 17 Kos), lived up to the hype.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Josh for walking it like he talked it. Dude is a bad man inside that squared circle. His confidence never waivers inside or outside the ring. He’s an exceptional boxer with a high boxing IQ that benefited him well in last night’s Unification clash with Jose.

Jose fought well and stood his ground and asserted himself when it got rough, aside from a few lapses that eventually cost him dearly. Both combatants went blow for blow dropping heavy bombs, at times making the rounds entertaining and hard to score.

As close as the rounds were, Josh separated himself when he scored a knockdown in the sixth round and the seventh round. Both knockdowns were sharp and right on the money and clearly hurt Jose, but Ramirez’s strong will to compete carried him to stay competitive throughout the later rounds.

After 12 full rounds of action all three Judges scored it unanimously 114-112 in Josh Taylor’s favor. Jose definitely had his moments but those two knockdowns had sealed his fate.

With this convincing win, Josh collected the WBC/WBO Belts and retained his IBF/WBA/Ring Magazine Championship Belts to now becoming the Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion of the World. Josh has officially cemented his name in the record books by joining such a prestigious man club that houses the names of Terence Crawford, Oeksandr Usyk, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor and now Josh Taylor as the only five fully unified Champions in any Division during boxing’s four-belt era. Not bad company for the New Champ.

Further congratulations to Josh on also becoming the first Scottish fighter to don all 4 Major Sanctioning Belts in any Division. You deserve all accolades earned Champ. Job well done.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders”

WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight Title Unification

Last night’s DAZN/Matchroom Main Event card at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, between Pound-for-Pound “Kingpin” Unified Super WBA/WBC and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 Kos) and WBO Super Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders (30-1, 14 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype in front of a record-breaking indoor crowd of 73,126 in attendance.

This bout was an intriguing-type fight, a high played chess match executed on the biggest stage that required both combatants to strategize every move countered by each other. Billy showed up big tonight and proved to be a worthy opponent with exceptional skills that made things quite tricky at times with his elusive ways. Billy fought well, boxed and moved with the right “game plan” at hand until Canelo started to set Billy up by applying calculated pressure with some heavy body punches that really troubled Billy as the rounds were piling up.

Canelo is a different “Beast” inside that squared circle and Billy found out just how tough of an opponent Canelo can be when pressed to go toe to toe. Canelo kept it cool round by round but never wavered when Billy had his moments in spurts building his own confidence up. However, it was only a matter of time before Canelo eventually caught up to Billy. That being said a devastating right uppercut to Billy’s right eye did just that in the 8th round and undeniably changed the momentum in Canelo’s favor. The “End Game” was inevitable.

That particular punch instantly swelled Billy’s eye shut. Due to the heavy damage sustained, Billy retired on his stool following the end of the 8th round, unable to continue.

With this stoppage Canelo was awarded the TKO victory and awarded the WBO Super Middleweight Belt to be added to his collection alongside his Super WBA/WBC and Ring Magazine Titles. Once again Canelo captures the “0” of another undefeated and worthy Champion in Billy Joe Saunders.

The road to Undisputed is still the task at hand. In order to attain the last remaining Title, Canelo will need to Unify the 168-Pound Division by Challenging the IBF Champion Caleb Plant (21-0, 12 Kos). Another captivating bout to look forward too.

History is on your horizon Canelo, until then, congratulations on another convincing win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Amanda Serrano vs Daniela Bermudez”

WBC/WBO Featherweight Title Defence

Last night’s Ring City USA Main Event at Plaza del Quinto Centenario, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, between WBC/WBO Featherweight Champion Amanda Serrano (40-1-1, 30 Kos) and Daniela Bermudez (29-4-3, 10 Kos) was a showcase type of event for the one they call “The Real Deal” Serrano. Real Talk!

There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and Amanda displayed just that when she dismantled from top to bottom her highly decorated three-division champ Daniela in such a convincing matter. Daniela stood her ground and exchanged leather from the jump but her unconventional stance and lack of adaptation cost her dearly when confronted with someone as seasoned as Amanda.

Amanda was visibly quicker and accurate with her punch selections and definitely had more sting at the end of it as well. Amanda’s inside game was very impressive as well, considering Daniela’s “game plan” was to keep Amanda close but clearly didn’t anticipate Amanda taking advantage of her inside game as easily as she did.

That being said, Daniela was outmatched and outgunned at every corner. Daniela was visibly defeated and ready to concede. The “End Game” was near and came in the 9th round when Amanda landed a two-punch unbearable body combination that led to a delayed reaction from Daniela who then took a knee and got counted out.

It was a beautiful display by Amanda. With this win she retained her WBC/WBO Featherweight Titles and picked up the vacant IBO Featherweight Belt. Job well done!

Congratulations Amanda on another Pound-for-Pound exceptional performance. the road to Undisputed is on your horizon.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim”

WBA/WBC Super Middleweight World Challenge

Last night’s DAZN/Matchroom Main Event between Pound-for-Pound “KingPin” Unified WBA Super/WBC and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 Kos) and Avni Yildirim (21-3, 12 Kos) at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, was a necessary mandated WBC title defense that could not be avoided.

That being said, it was clear from round one that Avni had absolutely no business inside that squared circle opposite of Canelo. For someone who had the privilege of being in camp with Canelo in the past and shared quite a few rounds with the “Champ” you would think that the fear factor would be nonexistent but that was not the case last night.

Avni, who was visibly the bigger fighter got bullied and abused straight from jump with little to no resistance which made it painful to watch. Avni stood there like a punching bag while Canelo battered him on all angles from the head to the body.

The onslaught by Canelo continued in the third round where Alvarez dropped Avni with a devastating right hand to the dome for an 8 count that saw him survive the round. However, Joel Diaz, Avni’s trainer had seen enough in his non-responsive fighter and pulled the plug before the 4th round even started.

With this successful defense of the WBA “Super”/WBC and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Championships, Canelo now has a clear path to a unification bout against WBO slick Champion Billy Joe Saunders (30-0, 14 Kos) which has already been set for May 8, 2021 Cinco De Mayo weekend.

Billy Joe is no cakewalk when focussed inside that squared circle. I’m anticipating a calculated and exciting bout between them two come fight night.

Congratulations Canelo. The road to “Undisputed” is that much closer. Now on to the next.

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