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

WBC Super Middleweight Challenge

The co-main event on the Errol Spence Jr.-Shawn Porter pay-per-view card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles was blazing last night. David Benavidez (22-0, 19 Kos) regained his WBC Super Middleweight Belt in a conclusive fashion by stopping Two-Time Champion Anthony Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 Kos) by a 9th round TKO. Anthony’s corner had seen enough.

It was a beautiful display by Benavidez. Not an easy one but well worth the challenge. Dirrell stood his ground and seemed to be boxing and moving well and keeping the rounds close but Benavidez who was visibly stronger and taller than Dirrell, started breaking him down systematically and patiently round by round with some serious heavy hands.

To me the “game-changer” was the left hook that opened up a horrible cut over Dirrell’s right eye in the 6th round. It was downhill from that point on for Dirrell. The onslaught coming from Benavidez was too much and the fight was quickly looking one-sided as the rounds wore on.

Dirrell was being walked down and outgunned from every corner. It was only fitting for Dirrell’s corner to pull the plug in the 9th round and stop the bloodbath from continuing.

With this win Benavidez reclaims his WBC Super Middleweight Title and becomes one of the youngest Two-Time Champions to ever do it this good.

Congratulations Champ. Now on to the next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Erislandy Lara vs Ramon Alvarez”

Vacant WBA “regular” Junior Middleweight Title

Last night, at the Minneapolis Armory in Minnesota, Erislandy Lara (26-3-3, 15 Kos) picked up a much-needed win when he easily annihilated Ramon Alvarez (28-8-3, 16 Kos) in two rounds by TKO.

Ramon, who came in slightly over the contested weight, seemed quite big on the night but sluggish for the few rounds we got to see of him. Ramon was clearly outgunned and outclassed inside that squared circle. Lara was noticeably too much for him to handle from the jump. Personally, Ramon had absolutely no business challenging Lara on that night.

Lara desperately needed a convincing victory and he delivered on the task at hand. We didn’t get to see Lara’s full ammunition but did get a glimpse of his power when he staggered Ramon for a quick 8 count before the stoppage. Lara seemed to be sitting down more than usual on his punches making sure his opponent felt every bit of his power. This version of Lara could make his future bouts that more intriguing to watch if he continues with that type of approach.

With this win, Lara picked up the Vacant WBA “regular” junior middleweight Title
and rejoined the winner’s circle once again. That being said, in order to become the mandatory challenger to Unified WBA Super Junior Middleweight Champion Julian Williams, Lara will most likely set a date with fellow WBA Gold Junior Middleweight Champion Michel Soro (34-2-1, 23 Kos) to firmly establish who’s next in line.

Lara’s drive back to the top of the 154-pound Division is not an easy one but it’s definitely keeping him within the conversations amongst the top of the Division.

Seize the momentum Lara and keep focussed, until your next challenge.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Shawn Porter”

IBF/WBC Welterweight Title Unification

The Welterweight Division has been “Blazing” as of late and Premier Boxing Champions are to thank for that. The PBC brand has been setting up the matches that us fans truly want to see. The Pacquiao/Thurman bout this past Saturday night was worth the hype and excitement. To continue with the momentum the PBC are hitting us back to back with another Welterweight Unification bout between IBF Champion Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 Kos) and WBC Champion Shawn Porter (30-2,1, 17 Kos).

Both Champions are set to collide on Saturday night September 28, 2019 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Spence is looking to become the Undisputed Champion at the FOX Sports Pay-Per-View but in doing so, EJ will have to grab that WBC strap held by “Showtime” Shawn Porter, and that will not be an easy task to do.

Things got a little heated between the two at the press conference last Saturday afternoon at the MGM Grand. For two guys who usually keep their cool, they definitely tossed some verbal jabs at each other and are certainly heating up this bout with the trash talking back and forth. I mean talk is talk but them two Dudes are looking like they are about to shut it down when they lace up inside that squared circle.

Spence right now is that young powerful Welterweight who’s been punishing all his opponents in a convincing manner. Dude is “The Truth” inside that squared circle but he can’t sleep on Porter with his aggressive high-pressure style that’s made him a two-time Welterweight Champion.

This bout right here has fireworks written all over it. The one holding them two belts at the end of the night will unquestionably be the No.1 Welterweight in the Division. Many in the boxing community already have Spence as the best right now but it will be up to Porter to prove them all wrong by backing up them tough talks and predictions on who the best really is.

Its unification time, so tune in Saturday night September 28, 2019 on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman”

WBA Super Welterweight Champion

Once again Manny proved to his haters that age is just a number until he says so. Last night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 Kos) convincingly handed WBA Super World Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 Kos) his first professional defeat. Real Talk!

Manny and his “t-rex arms” caught “Mr. One Time” Keith Thurman nice and early with a right hook knock down in the first round. From that point on Manny controlled the tempo of the fight and continued to administer some heavy damage with those so called “t-rex arms”. That being said Keith found out how quick and strong Manny really is first hand.

Keith did his thing though and didn’t falter and fought a good one but didn’t have the right “game plan” as the rounds wore on. Keith had no real answer for Manny’s offense and found it painfully challenging to lay steady hands on Pacquiao. He did manage to land more punches, just not as effectively as Pacquiao’s power punches and his steady “t-rex jab” that looked noticeably agonizing.

It didn’t help that Keith got caught again with a mean body shot in the 10th round that had him running for dear life, but the warrior in Thurman wouldn’t let him bow down without a fight. That being said this bout was very competitive and showed just how cutthroat the 147-pound division is.

After the 12 tough rounds, two of the Judges scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao and one Judge had it 114-113 for Thurman. No disrespect to Keith but I personally think that Manny clearly won this bout hands down unanimously.

That being said, this bout did live up to the hype. Manny showed up and performed just as he said he would. This 40-year-old man still got the “Juice” and now with the full WBA Super World Welterweight Championship Title in his possession, Manny is steadily climbing the top of the Welterweight Division once again.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman”

WBA Super Welterweight Showdown

Ask and you shall receive. It has officially been announced. WBA Super World Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman (29-0, 22 Kos) will have an opportunity and the privilege of sharing the squared circle with the Living Legend WBA “regular” Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 Kos) on Saturday night July 20th at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

As it stands right now, Pacquiao is perceived as the underdog going into this bout, however, fresh off two back to back convincing wins, it’s clear to me that the “Pac Man” still has what it takes to upset the odds. Aside from their 10 years difference in age, I think they both match up pretty well. Both carry speed and legitimate power and know how and when to use it.

Personally, I think some major factors to look at is going to be their conditioning, the ring generalship and their Boxing IQ come fight night. Pacquiao, being the veteran has 30 years of experience on his side. Manny has seen it all by this point and fought the best in the game. Unlike Keith who is younger, undefeated but has been hit with some serious injuries that has slowed down his activity and momentum to date that could play an issue in their bout.

That being said, if the “One Time” Keith Thurman shows up on Saturday night July 20th, then your Boy “Pac Man” will be in for his toughest fight since the Mayweather Jr. bout. Real Talk!

Manny is out to prove the naysayers that he still got the “juice” and that he can still box with the best of them in any era. Taking down the undefeated Champion Keith Thurman would prove just that, he’s still the man to beat in the 147-pound Division.

I’m anticipating this bout to be action packed from start to finish. Keith been asking for crack at a “Legend” from time and now it’s here. Keith cannot drop the ball on this one. In order for him to regain his No. 1 Spot in the Welterweight Division he needs to win “Big” and in a convincing manner.

Keith already started the heavy trash talking out the gate at the press conference but we all know that talk is cheap if you don’t back it up 100 % come fight night. So, you know I’ll be tuning in Saturday night July 20th on Fox Sport pay-per-view.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jarrett Hurd vs Julian Williams”

IBF/IBO/WBA Junior Middleweight Challenge

The Junior Middleweight Division is “Blazing Hot” right now. Last night’s Main Event at the EagleBank Arena, in Fairfax, Virginia, between IBF/IBO/WBA Super Junior Middleweight Champion Jarrett Hurd (23-1, 16 Kos) and Julian Williams (27-1-1, 16 Kos) was a thing of beauty. Real Talk!

J-Rock who was a 5-1 underdog from the jump, walked into the Champion’s own turf (game 7 style) and claimed all the gold by defeating Hurd by unanimous decision with the scores off 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112. Unbelievable!

J-Rock’s performance was on point from the jump. He executed their “game plan” to a “T”. Julian was calm, focused and definitely well prepared physically and mentally. Being visibly smaller than Jarrett, Julian still had enough power nice and early to drop Hurd down for an 8 count in the second round.

To me, that was the game changing moment right there. From that point on, them two warriors entered the phone booth and exchanged some serious leather back and forth. The up close and personal style usually favours Hurd but, on this night, J-Rock had his number.

Round by round Williams stayed busy with his hands at all times. His defence was tight and making Hurd miss while still staying composed whenever Hurd did land something of significance.

Williams went toe to toe with the heavy fisted Champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd and out boxed him at his own game. Hurd took a lot of punishment last night and it cost him dearly as the rounds wore on.

Personally, I’m thinking Jarrett underestimated J-Rock’s ring generalship and in doing so succumbed to his first professional loss.

That being said, with this win, Julian is now the New IBF/IBO/WBA Super Unified Junior Middleweight Champion. A feat well deserved.

Congratulations Julian, you defied the odds and fulfilled your dreams of becoming a Champion.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Danny Garcia vs Adrian Grenados”


Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Main Event at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California was well worth it.
Danny Garcia (35-2, 21 Kos) showed up and reaffirmed his position in the Welterweight Division by being the only fighter to date to administer Adrian Grenados (20-7-2, 14 Kos) his first defeat by knockout. Real Talk!

Danny got busy from the jump and laid some heavy gloves on Grenados and dropped him twice in the second round. The first knockdown came off a heavy precise left hand, while the second knockdown came from a well-timed right hand. Your Boy Danny was on point and had that hunger back in his eyes.

It looked like Granados miscalculated his approach last night and in doing so got dismantled by Garcia who was determined to put the hurting on him. It was a statement bout that Garcia desperately needed and in stopping a tough and rugged Grenados the way that he did was very impressive.

By round 7, the referee had seen enough and jumped in and pulled the plug. Grenados was looking like a punching bag getting hit with some real heavy shots from left to right. There was no coming back at this point. Danny had convincingly proved his point. Garcia is back and looking for that smoke!

With this win Danny may have secured himself a rematch with Sean Porter for the WBC Welterweight Title. However, Danny has made it clear that he’s calling out all Champions in the Welterweight Division.

Until then, congratulations on your win Danny, now keep the momentum going.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Mikey Garcia”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Last night at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Errol Spence Jr. (25-0, 21 Kos) retained his IBF Welterweight Title by masterfully breaking down and shutting out Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 Kos) by a unanimous decision. All three Judges scored it 120-107, 120-108 and 120-108.

I’m in agreeance with the Judges’ score cards but definitely tip my “B” hat to Mikey standing up throughout the full 12 rounds. Mikey is a great fighter and deserving to be on the pound-for-pound list hands down but on this night, Mikey was reaching wayyyy out of pocket in attempting to unseat EJ inside that squared circle.

Mikey had absolutely no answer to Errol’s steady jab and powerful body shots all night. It was clear that EJ was just too big, too strong and too long for Mikey to lay any type of offence with all these disadvantages going against him. In the past Mikey had always figured out his opponents but this time he was met with a superior boxer in Errol Spence Jr. Real Talk!

Surprisingly, EJ didn’t try to go for the “endgame” like he usually does and instead chose to show off his boxing skills while administering heavy punishment to his opponent. It was a glorified sparing bout at its finest with EJ never taking his foot off the gas all night. Errol literally toyed with Mikey round by round making it real painful to watch at times.

This type of schooling that Mikey took last night reinforces why weight divisions are to be respected. Mikey may have lost this fight but he is still a Champion in the Lightweight Division and going back down might be the most logical thing to do.

With this win and dominant performance by EJ now out of the way, he is now back on the prowl looking for that smoke with any of the top welterweights and his first target on sight is none other than Manny Paquiao.

The call out was officially made last night inside that squared circle in front of 47,525 fans, now let’s see if this bout comes into fruition.

Until then, congratulations on your win Errol, job well done.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Shawn Porter vs Yordenis Ugas”

WBC Welterweight Title Defence

Last night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, Shawn Porter (30-2-1, 17 Kos) defended his newly acquired WBC Welterweight Title against a formidable opponent in Yordenis Ugas (23-4, 11 Kos).

It was a tight bout from start to finish that saw Porter successfully retain his WBC Belt with a split decision with the score of 116-112 for Porter, 117-111 for Ugas and 115-113 for Porter.

The score card doesn’t tell the whole story cause this bout was very interesting and could have easily gone either way or to a draw if you ask me.

Ugas, the underdog, came out and executed his “game plan” and asserted himself quite well. His body shots were there all night, he fought smart and was under control. To me he was the stalker moving in on Porter with efficiency and accuracy.

To my surprise Porter was doing a lot more movement and fighting on the back foot while loading up way more on his punches. He fought under control but seemed to me a little more hesitant than usual. His typical aggressive style seemed to pop up in sporadic stretches unlike his customary approach. That being said he still fought under control but with less urgency from round to round.

Ugas may have come up short last night but he definitely showed the rest of the Welterweights that he belonged amongst the top in the 147-pound Division. Real Talk! He should keep his head up high and welcome all challengers ahead.

As for Porter, whether he believes it or not, he dodged a real close call last night. Holding on to that WBC Title might prove to be a tougher task than expected in the near future.

That being said, congratulations are still in order Shawn on securing your first tile defence.

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Brian Castano vs Erislandy Lara”

WBA Junior Middleweight Challenge

Fresh of his gruelling unification defeat of April 2018 to Jarrett Hurd, Erislandy Lara (25-3-3, 14 Kos) jumped right back into the mix and into that squared circle last night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to challenge younger unbeaten WBA (regular) Junior Middleweight Champion Brian Carlos Castano (15-0-1, 11 Kos).

Both combatants came out their respective corners with one thing in mind: to prove that they belong amongst the best in the 154-pound Division. The end result after 12 hard rounds was an unsettled split draw. One Judge had it 115-113 for Lara, one Judge had it 115-113 for Castano and the third Judge had it dead even 114-114.

Real Talk! I can’t front, it was a real tight fight with both warriors having their way from time to time but personally I think Lara had the cleaner work. Lara was way more accurate with his punch selection while Castano not as precise but definitely more aggressive with his punch output.

Castano’s stalking tactics throughout the bout is what kept him in the “Game” all night. His “phone booth” style of fighting was very effective but Lara’s defense was also keeping Castano from administering heavy pain.

That being said, Castano’s performance last night proved that he can definitely hang with the “top dogs” in the 154-pound Division. Going 12 tough back and forth rounds with “The American Dream” Erislandy Lara is no easy task.

With no clear winner or loser on the night, Castano retained his WBA (regular) Junior Middleweight Championship Title in the hope of securing a unification bout with the other Champions in the 154-pound Division or better yet a rematch with Lara to clear the air?

Your thoughts on this one?

Blaze