On The Watch “It’s All About Queensberry vs Matchroom 5 vs 5”

Queensberry vs Matchroom 5 vs 5

Thank you to his Excellency Turki Alashikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority for hosting another great show at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. By facilitating two of the biggest promoters in boxing in Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn to go head-to-head, Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Boxing came up with an intriguing and competitive “5 vs 5” that definitely brought the “HEAT” inside that squared circle.Although the outcome of it all was surprisingly one-sided, the anticipation brought forward was well worth it.

First up on the night representing Queensberry was Light Heavyweight Willy Hutchinson (18-1, 13 Kos) who took on Matchroom representative Light Heavyweight Craig Richards (18-4-1, 11 Kos). Hutchinson, who was the underdog on paper talked the most sh*t on the build-up to the fight undermining the more proven fighter, Richards. This was a good domestic dust up to start the night where both combatants had their moments but Hutchinson, the younger warrior seemed to be one step ahead all night making it look easy outmanoeuvring his opponent at will inside that squared circle. Richards, although he tried, did not have the right “game plan” on the night to sway the Judges. After 12 rounds of one-sided action the Judges at hand called it 119-109, 117-111, 116-112 unanimously for Willy Hutchinson. With this win under his belt Willy is now the proud owner of the vacant WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Championship. Well done.

Next up was WBA Featherweight Champion Raymond Ford (15-1-1, 8 Kos) representing Matchroom defending his recently earned title against the always ready Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 Kos) representing Queensberry who himself recently had to settle for a draw against WBC Featherweight Champion Rey Vargas in his prior attempt at obtaining a Championship Title. On this night, knowing you don’t always get a second chance that quick at a title opportunity, Nick wasted no time at pressing the action right from the jump. Nick’s style is simple but effective if you can’t deter him from coming forward. Nick throws punches in bunches with some pop behind every punch. Although Nick is short in stature, his presence inside that squared circle seems to always be too much for his opponents to handle. Although Raymond did do his best at standing his ground going toe-to-toe with Nick and having some moments, it was visibly Nick having the more telling effects as the rounds progressed. Nick made it very uncomfortable for Raymond to maintain any type of consistent momentum round after round. After 12 rounds of action one Judge called it 115-113 for Raymond while the other two Judges called it 115-113, 115-113 for Nick giving him the split decision win and the New WBA Featherweight Champion of the world. Well done, Champ!

Next up in a WBC Middleweight Title Eliminator we had Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0, 16 Kos) representing Queensberry taking on Austin Williams (16-1, 11 Kos) representing Matchroom in what was a very entertaining bout where both combatants had their moments. Austin pressed the action early with his aggressive style while Sheeraz remained patient throughout the bout and controlled his distance with a stiff but heavy jab. The action was nonstop round after round but nearing the end of the tenth round, Sheeraz caught Austin with a quick right hand that dropped him for a standing 8 count at the sound of the bell. At the beginning of the eleventh round the inevitable was around the corner. Seeing that Austin hadn’t clearly recovered from being dropped in the previous round Sheeraz wasted no time and went in for the kill and detonated heavy unanswered shots to the head of Austin who was about to get dropped prompting the referee at hand to step in and halt the bout at the 45 second mark of the opening round. This was a competitive bout from start to finish but Sheeraz clearly showed his superiority with his power to close the show. Well done.

Next up in an Interim IBF Heavyweight Championship we had Filip Hrgovic (17-1, 14 Kos) representing Matchroom going at it with Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 Kos) representing Queensberry. Many thought that Dubois would be outclassed by the former 2016 Olympian Hrgovic but what transpired on the night was quite the opposite. Although both combatants did come out the gate throwing heavy leather at each other looking to do harm, it was Dubois who administered the most visible damage having Hrgovic bleeding from both eyes. Personally, I think Hrgovic didn’t look battle ready to handle Dubois. Hrgovic in the later rounds looked battered and exhausted unable to deter Dubois who was coming in stronger as the rounds progressed. Hrgovic was looking so weather-beaten by the eighth round that the referee had the ringside doctor examine his cuts who then recommended that the bout be halted. I expected Hrgovic to bring the “HEAT” on the night but this version of Hrgovic was not it. Dubois impressed me some more on the night and fought fearlessly against a very worthy opponent. Dubois kept his foot on Hrgovic’s neck and delivered a very good win which turned him into an Interim IBF Heavyweight Champion. Well done. Who’s next?

The Main Event and the final showdown of the “5 vs 5” came down to former Interim WBO Heavyweight Champion Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 Kos) representing Queensberry going up against former WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 kos) representing Matchroom. Two very hard-hitting punchers looking to keep their careers alive. A lot was said about this matchup on whether retirement might be nearing considering their age but the outcome of this bout proved once again that “Big Bang” Zhang is still very relevant in today’s Heavyweight contention. The action was slow out the gate as both combatants were very aware of the power they both possess but it was only a matter of time before one of them connected with anything to garner the right attention. Wilder looked timid, disengaged and gun-shy every time he even attempted to throw anything solid, unlike Zhang who threw his punches with the purpose of doing bodily harm with every punch thrown. Wilder came to life in the fifth round attempting to let his hands go and getting the crowd involved only to be brought right back to reality by a heavy right hook by Zhang causing Deontay to contemplate life while spinning around lost in space defenseless and open for a detonating right hand that knocked him down flat on his back like a crime scene. Although a shaky looking Wilder made it back to his feet the referee pulled the plug preventing Deontay from absorbing any further damage. Wilder’s power has always been the key to his victories but last night Wilder was severely outsized and outgunned by Zhang who was determined to close the show the “Big Bang” way. Well done.

With this win now secured, Frank Warren and his Queensberry Promotions team had themselves a clean sweep of the first of many “5 vs 5” event with Matchroom Boxing.

Great night of Boxing!

Blaze

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

Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

The highly anticipated Undisputed Heavyweight Showdown between WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 Kos) and undefeated Unified Heavyweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 Kos) definitely brought the house down at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Them two Champions did the Heavyweight Division justice last night by bringing their best foot forward along with their “A” game that kept the tension in the building on high level for the duration of the entire bout.

In an impressive fashion, Usyk the smaller combatant, pressed the much bigger combatant Fury all night throwing punches in bunches creating havoc, attempting to disrupt Fury from having any type of comfortability inside that squared circle.

That said, Tyson came out the gate with a very good stiff jab that occasionally did tag Usyk but did not discourage him from sticking to the “game plan” of constantly applying pressure round after round.

Aside from the off and on showboating that Fury was attempting to distract the laser focussed Usyk, Tyson fought a very good fight for most of the night. Where I think Fury went wrong is thinking he was going to walk right through Usyk with ease and overwhelm him with his speed and size.

Tyson underestimated the skill set that Usyk possessed but quickly found out how levels above Usyk truly is inside that squared circle. As the rounds progressed, Usyk’s pressure and power punches were having a visible effect on the “Gypsy King” who was caught retreating from the smaller man whose pressure was becoming unavoidable at times.

Although Usyk did have to work extremely hard to crack a dent in the towering “Gypsy King”, Usyk systematically made the right adjustments needed to hurt Fury and had him physically out on his feet in the ninth round only being held up by the ropes prompting the referee to rule it a knockdown and handing him an 8-count saving Fury from having Usyk finish him off.

The proceeding rounds showed us once again that Usyk was the aggressor with a seek and destroy attitude clearly troubling the badly hurt Fury who looked puzzled by what was transpiring inside that squared circle. The “Gypsy King” was in a real fight this time around and was noticeably outgunned and outmatched by a determined warrior inside that squared circle.

After 12 exciting rounds of action, the Judges at hand called it 115-112, 114-113 for Usyk and 113-114 for Fury proclaiming the winner by split decision and the New Undisputed IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion of the World Oleksandr Usyk!
This win now places Usyk as a former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion and now an Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. An incredible feat to place amongst the elite of the elite in boxing history.

Well done, Champ, you deserve every accolade earned. You traveled from country to country to vanquish the best of the best. You truly are “The Last Man Standing”.

Congratulations Champ. Enjoy this moment for yourself and your country!

Blaze

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 “It’s All About Daniel Dubois vs Jarrell Miller”

Heavyweight Showdown

With his back to the wall Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 Kos) found some kind of redemption by stopping the trash talking Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (26-1-1, 22 Kos) on his time slot on the card of the “Day of Reckoning” at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dubois set the stage early by letting his hands go and never looking back. I had anticipated Jarrell would be the one applying the pressure but for some reason Jarrell was looking to tire Dubois out by letting him use up his energy in the earlier rounds but as the rounds started to pile up it was Dubois who was the one banking up the rounds by being the more active fighter with his punches.

Both combatants looked tired at times, but it was Daniel who weathered the storm and continued to go blow for blow as the rounds progressed. Daniel had to dig deep for this bout, but he stood his ground and put a beating on “Big Baby” that had him looking depleted.

Jarrell looked desperate in the final round and lacked the energy or the power to deter Daniel from having his way while continuing to receive an onslaught of unanswered punches prompting the referee at hand to stop the fight.

Miller talked that talk but failed to back it up when the going got tough. Props to Dubois for proving the naysayers wrong. You still have that fire left in you.

Well done, Daniel.

Blaze

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

Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

It has been officially announced! The road to Undisputed for the Heavyweight Division between Undefeated WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 Kos) and Undefeated Unified Heavyweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO and Ring Magazine Champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 Kos), will face off once and for all on February 17, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This is what the boxing world has been waiting for, the first Undisputed Champion to be crowned in the 21st century. Both Champions feel destined to become the chosen one to achieve this great feat in today’s time but there can only be one true winner.

The odd makers as of today favor Tyson to come out on top due to his pure size and skill set. However, the former Undisputed Cruiserweight King and now Unified Heavyweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO and Ring Magazine Champion has proven time and time again that he is nothing to play with inside that squared circle. Usyk is a proven warrior who has been in there with bigger and stronger men than him and still overcame the obstacles. To Usyk, Fury is just another big mountain that he will need to climb and tear down on his way to Undisputed.

Tyson is clearly not intimidated by Usyk, but truth be told, Usyk has undoubtedly adjusted to the Heavyweight Division by the way he recorded his two convincing victories against former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua and broke down and knocked out Daniel Dubois in his last outing. Usyk always seems to find a way to silence all doubters making this bout that much more intriguing. Usyk is not a big talker but his work inside that squared circle speak volumes.

Tyson will have his work cut out for him but who will have the right “Game Plan” the night of February 17, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia?

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 Zhilei Zhang vs Joe Joyce 2″

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotions/ESPN+ Main Event between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1 21 Kos) and challenger Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 Kos) at the Wembley Arena, Wembley, London, UK, exceeded all expectation in my eyes.

This rematch between these two Heavyweight mammoths had a lot on it riding tonight. The winner gets to move one step closer to a chance at a full-fledged Championship opportunity while the loser would have to fall back deep at the end of the line in the hopes of working their way back into the Heavyweight rankings, a destination that would look quite bleak considering their age at this point in their career.

That being said, the elder and WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei wasted no time in executing the proper “game plan” and proceeded to continue his assault and sheer domination from their previous encounter by completely destroying the “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce in a quicker fashion this time around. Real Talk!

Joe, who weighed in this time about 25 pounds heavier at 281 pounds, had the right idea but not the right “game plan” to even bother the even heavier Zhang at 287 pounds. Zhang’s last win over Joe was a beautiful display of boxing at its best for a Heavyweight but this time around, Zhang wasted very little time inside that squared circle and made quick work of Joe by stopping him once again but in a much more dramatic fashion. Only three rounds were needed and a perfectly placed right hook to the chin closed the show for good. Unbelievable!

Joe, who had never been dropped in his career to date could not answer the count in time enough to prove to the Judge at hand that he was fit and ready to go. Joe’s unsteady legs were clear enough for the referee to wave the bout off.

As a strong 40-year-old, Zhang has once again proven to the boxing world and the Heavyweight Division, that as long as he’s got them hands and that power behind that punch, he will be a problem for anyone who steps foot inside that squared circle against him.

With this devastating win now secured under his belt for the second time, Zhang now retains his
WBO Interim Heavyweight Championship and hopes one day to be able to challenge Unified IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk or WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury inside that squared circle.

Until then, enjoy this victory Zhilei, your time is now!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang”

WBO Interim-Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotions/ESPN + Main Event between WBO Interim-Heavyweight Champion Joe Joyce (15-1, 14 Kos) and challenger Zhilei Zhang (25-1-1, 20 kos) at the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick, London, Uk, was a case of a cherry pick by Joe’s team gone wrong. Real Talk!

Joyce walked inside that squared circle with absolutely no respect for his opponent but quickly found out within minutes of the first round that he was in there with a “Big Bang” of an opponent who was gamed and willing to bang toe-to-toe with the “Juggernaut”.

Zhang stood his ground early and asserted himself quite well-hitting Joyce flush with some serious heavy shots straight to the dome and drawing first blood from his nose. It was clear to me from the first two rounds that Joyce’s team definitely drew up the wrong “game plan” cause Joyce was there boxing but looking shaky every time he got hit hard.

It was certainly unfamiliar ground for Joyce who was caught off guard at the receiving end of a game warrior. Zhang showed absolutely no fear inside that squared circle. Zhang welcomed the opportunity presented to him and broke Joyce down round by round.

Although Joyce looked more active with his hands, it was Zhang who was doing the most damage with his. Zhang’s power punches completely closed Joyce’s right eye out prompting the ring physician to check his eye in between rounds to eventually having the referee stop the bout in the sixth round.

Nobody in attendance expected this bout to unravel like this but tonight the “Juggernaut” had met his match and succumbed to the hands of the “Big Bang” Zhang.

Congratulations Zhilei Zhang on becoming the New WBO Interim-Heavyweight Champion of the World. Well done!

Blaze