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

Undisputed Light Heavyweight Showdown

In tonight’s Main Event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 Kos) avenged his previous defeat by dethroning our own Russian/Canadian representative Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 Kos).

It was a continuation of their previous encounter where both combatants picked up where they left off but this time around Bivol made sure to be as active with his hands and feet more than before.

Beterbiev pressed the action as expected, stalking Bivol at every corner and landing the more telling punches but Bivol’s punch output and random combinations may have played a factor as the rounds progressed. Although Bivol’s punches weren’t visibly hurting Beterbiev the fact that he was more active did play a pivotal part.

Bivol used calculated movement to offset Beterbiev from landing his usual damaging blows but that did not deter Beterbiev from applying pressure. It was a close bout very much like their previous encounter where both combatants had their moments round by round.

After 12 full competitive rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113, giving the majority decision to Dmitry Bivol the new Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Personally, I think Beterbiev did enough to retain his Undisputed status but fair play to Bivol, this time around the Judges felt he had done enough and for that congratulations are in order. Well done!

A rubber match is definitely warranted.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole”

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Co-Main Event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 Kos) and late replacement “Boogeyman” Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 Kos), surpassed my expectations. Real talk!

I expected this bout to be highly competitive but what transpired shook the Heavyweight Division hands down. Parker faced the so called “Boogeyman” headstrong with absolutely no fear and handed Bakole his second defeat by dropping him with a heavy right hand in the second round that rattled him so hard that when he got to his feet his legs were out of it prompting his corner to waive the fight off.

Truth be told, Bakole took a risk by accepting this bout within 48 hours’ notice, but the reward would have all been worth it if things had gone his way. However, Parker was riding a five fight win streak and did not lose focus at the task at hand, handled business in a professional manner and dispatched of his opponent a very convincing fashion.

With this devastating win now under his belt, Parker has put the Heavyweight Division on notice and maintained his status as a sure shot challenger to either IBF Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois or Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk. One of them must answer that call.

Until then, congratulations Joseph on another very resounding win.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel”

Heavyweight Showdown

Agit Kabayel (26-0, 18 Kos) has been defying the odds and silencing the naysayers with another great performance at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as he once again put a stop to
Zhilei ”Big Bang” Zhang (27-3-1, 22 Kos).

Zhang, standing like a giant at 6ft 6in tall and at 287 lbs, tried to bully his way inside that squared circle and had some success and even managed to drop Kabayel in the fifth round to a standing 8 count but lacked the punch output and the stamina to finish Kabayel off.

That being said, that one moment was all Zhang had as Kabayel pretty much dominated every other round chopping the giant down with big heavy body shots clearly bothering Zhang whose punch output was going down.

The pressure that Kabayel was coming with was impressive. His relentless body attack paid dividends when he dropped Zhang in the sixth round and was unable to answer the count prompting the referee to halt the bout.

Peeps keep underestimating Agit Kabayel who’s been hovering under the radar but as of late his actions have been making all the noise in the Heavyweight Division. This real life “body snatcher” has been taking on all challengers with no hesitation and has cemented himself as a key player in the Heavyweight Division.

That being said, with this destructive win under his belt he has now captured the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title positioning himself in the queue at possibly challenging the Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Until then, congratulations Agit. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin”

IBF World Heavyweight Title Eliminator

In last night’s Queensberry Promotions/TNT Sports Main Event, Derek Chisora (36-13, 23 Kos) kept his old train going by defeating Otto Wallin (27-3, 15 Kos) in what was billed to be the British fighter’s final showdown in the United Kingdom at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

I didn’t know what to expect in this bout last night but the fans in attendance were not disappointed by Chisora’s labouring but entertaining performance.

41-year-old Chisora may have looked his age inside that squared circle but he brought that “WAR” ready mentality to the ring to deal with Wallin who surprisingly fought in a timid manner round by round. Chisora brought that “HEAT” with a labouring, aggressive style that was good enough to trouble Wallin who for some reason didn’t have the right “game plan” to deter the old man from having his way with him.

Although Wallin wasn’t able to deter Chisora for most of the rounds he did manage to damage and cut Chisora’s right eye which threatened the outcome of the bout. The ringside doctor had a look at it and allowed the fight to continue but that cut was a real concern throughout the remainder of the bout.

With his vision now impaired Chisora continued his aggression and finally landed a nice overhand right hand to the chin in the ninth round that stumbled Wallin down for a standing 8 count.

With the ninth round tucked in his back pocket Chisora looked rejuvenated and continued his assault in the championship rounds and was motivated by the crowd cheering him up. With his face covered in blood and the clock running out in the twelfth round Chisora looking fatigued, connected with a heavy right hand to Wallin’s dome that dropped him for the second time for another standing 8 count that ended the bout at the bell.

After 12 labouring but exciting rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 117-109,116-110 and 114-112 unanimously for Derek Chisora.

Chisora has been defying the odds in his last few fights as of late and for that I tip my “B” hat to the man for doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

That being said, I’m not sure what version of Chisora we’re going to see at his 50th and final bout but until then congratulations Chisora on another memorable performance.

Blaze

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 Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II”

Unified Heavyweight Championship

The highly anticipated Heavyweight Showdown rematch between Unified Heavyweight Champion IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 Kos) and former WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 Kos) lived up to the “HYPE” but not without some controversy at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Usyk came in this bout laser focused and clicking on all cylinders while Fury walked in much heavier and armed with a different “game plan” that had him stand his ground in a much more aggressive manner.

Tyson’s jab was on point and very active at keeping Usyk at bay but not enough to deter him from the task at hand. Usyk fought toe-to-toe with the Big Man and bobbed and weaved as best he could while Fury did his best at maintaining his distance while being more attentive round by round.

Both combatants had their moments round by round but as the fight progressed to the second half of the bout you could see Fury slowing his work rate down probably due the excess weight he was carrying.

Nevertheless, this bout was a highly contested showdown where both combatants had to work through their respective skill sets to cancel out one another in this chess like bout inside that squared circle. Both combatants threw enough leather at one another but the accuracy of the punch output favored Usyk.

This was a very close bout to call from start to finish but after 12 full rounds of action all three Judges at hand scored it unanimously 116-112 for Oleksandr Usyk.

Listen, I don’t have a problem with Usyk being declared the winner, but I personally think that Fury, in his second go around with Usyk did a lot better than being awarded only 4 rounds in this highly competitive bout.

Controversial scores aside, Usyk retained his IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship belts and is still King of the Heavyweight Division.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II”

Unified Heavyweight Championship

The highly anticipated rematch has officially been announced! Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 Kos) will be attempting his “get back” when he will face the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion but now Unified IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 Kos) on December 21, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

There wasn’t much trash talking done between the two at the press conference but it was clear that Tyson wasn’t looking like someone who wanted to play around. Tyson looked focused and determined to rectify the wrong that transpired on May 18, 2024.

As for Usyk, he walked in that press conference confident as ever looking like the Hitman from the character of the video game Hitman. Insinuating that he will be the hired Hitman to take the “Gypsy King” down once again.

Tyson learned very quickly from their last encounter that Usyk is a different breed, the most highly skilled assassin that he’s ever faced inside that squared circle. In order to beat this man, Tyson will have to be on point from round one and not slip up for one moment.

That being said, the Hitman Usyk will be expecting a highly motivated “Gypsy King” to bring the “HEAT” but Usyk will be fully prepared to defuse and halt the big giant from having his way with him inside that squared circle. That said, Usyk is sublimely making it be known, he’s coming for that knockout. Real Talk!

Speculations aside this second go around will be must see TV so tune in and witness the outcome, December 21, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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 Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora”

Heavyweight Showdown

Over the past weekend a ‘WAR’ ready Derek Chisora (35-13, 23 Kos) handed “The Juggernaut’ Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 Kos) his third defeat of his career at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.

Truth be told, this crossroads bout exceeded my expectation. Chisora showed me on Saturday night that he still had something left in him to pull it off. Chisora had absolutely no fear and stood his ground and banged toe-to-toe with the 281 pound “Juggernaut” who had the harder looking punches going for him but lacked severe hand speed at that weight.

It wasn’t a pretty fight to watch but watching Chisora hold his own and dishing it out at this age was quite entertaining. Chisora took in some heavy shots at times but his activity with his own punch output carried him over in a very tight bout.

Joe’s lack of defence cost him dearly once again as he got clipped and dropped for a quick standing 8 count in the ninth round which saw a tired Chisora still manage to maintain the momentum throughout the 10th round and finish the round strongly.

After 10 hard-hitting laboring rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 97-92, 96-94, 96-94 all in favor of Derek Chisora.

It was a physically tough bout on both warriors but the right combatant won this bout. Chisora went through hell and back on this one but silenced the naysayers who had counted him out. Well done!

Blaze

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

IBF World Heavyweight Challenge

With Oleksandr Usyk recently announcing that he has vacated the IBF Heavyweight Title, Interim IBF Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 Kos) has now been elevated to full IBF Heavyweight Champion of the World, clearing a perfect path to make the first defense of his Title against former Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 Kos) in an all-British Showdown on September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, courtesy of Riyadh Season.

This is a very intriguing matchup where both combatants look the part and carry the power to end the night in a dramatic fashion. The youth that Dubois has over AJ could come into play and the momentum that Dubois is rocking after stoppage wins over Jarell Miller and Filip Hrgovic has him feeling unbeatable.

That being said, Anthony himself has been looking on point in his last few fights as well and very much focussed on the task at hand. Regardless of the opponent across from him, his sole purpose is to dominate the Heavyweight Division once again and regain the Championship Titles by any means necessary.

The experience AJ has on the biggest stage will definitely play a part but the young Lion in Dubois will bring a significant amount of a challenge on the night. Both combatants have shown much improvement as of late with the confidence beaming from both sides, but the million-dollar question in the room is who will prevail victorious.

Tune in and be part of this mega British Heavyweight Showdown on September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Blaze