On The Watch “It’s All About Brian Norman Jr. vs Devin Haney”

WBO Welterweight Showdown

The Co Main Event on “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” between undefeated WBO World Champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 Kos) and undefeated former two Division Champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (33-0, 15 Kos) was an intriguing bout at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the challenger silenced all the naysayers who doubted.

Both camps talked a good game towards the build-up of this bout but it was the Haney camp who had the last word by the way Devin proceeded to disarm Brian from all angles inside that squared circle.

I anticipated that Brian would bring the “HEAT” to Devin in a bullyish way inside that squared circle but to my surprise Devin was well prepared and focussed for that action and neutralized Brian from ever getting any type of traction at any time throughout the duration of the bout.

It was a one-sided boxing clinic by Devin who made the Champion look amateurish and dropped Brian early in the second round to earn his respect. That was the moment when Brian’s “game plan” went out the window.

Brian talked a good game and made some tough claims he couldn’t deliver on but Devin stayed true to his word and talked it like he walked it. Devin showed levels above his competition and delivered on the night and for that I gotta tip my “B” had to “The Dream”.

After 12 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand called it 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113 unanimously for Devin Haney.

With this convincing win Devin has now claimed a Championship in three different continents, the new WBO Welterweight Champion and became a three-Division Champion. Well done!

Congratulations Devin on another great accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vs Fernando Martinez”

WBA/WBC/WBO Junior Bantamweight Unification Showdown

The second fight on “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” was another continuation of the “Bam Rodriguez Show” when WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Bantamweight Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (23-0, 16 Kos) completely dominated WBA World Junior Bantamweight Champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez (18-1, 9 Kos) at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Martinez, a Champion himself, talked a good game during the build-up to this bout but the one who kept it true was Rodriguez who came into this bout laser-focused and on point as usual. Like I said before “Bam” is ahead of his time with his skill set is levels above his competition every time he enters that squared circle.

Martinez had absolutely no proper “game plan” to contest with “Bam” who completely dominated him and made it look effortless. It was like watching a sparring session where “Bam” toyed with his opponent and eventually sat him down for the count with a vicious left hand to end the night.  

With this convincing win now under his belt, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez snatched the WBA World Title from Martinez and added it to his WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles, leaving the last remaining piece to the puzzle for him to retrieve: the IBF World Junior Bantamweight Title held by Champion Willibaldo Garcia Perez (23-6, 13 Kos).

The road to Undisputed is getting closer and closer.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Abdullah Mason vs Sam Noakes”

Vacant WBO World Lightweight Challenge

First up in last night’s “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” were two undefeated warriors in Abdullah Mason (20-0, 17 Kos) and Sam Noakes (17-1, 15 Kos) vying for the Vacant WBO World Lightweight Title at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and boy did these two combatants put on a hell of a show. Real Talk!

Mason, who was the favourite on the night, walked in this bout full of confidence thinking this was going to be easy work but soon found out from the jump that Noakes wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Noakes proved to be a tougher combatant than his previous challengers because on this night Noakes brought the “HEAT” and forced Mason into a toe-to-toe type fight that his father/coach did not want for his son. Mason literally threw away the “game plan” and slugged it out with Noakes and brought the house up to their feet with the way these two tough warriors exchanged gloves from round to round.

A determined Mason dug deep and withstood all that was coming at him but gave out more of his own by pressing the action further in the championship rounds with some serious body and head shots clearly breaking the resilient Noakes down who refused to quit.

After 12 full rounds of nonstop action, the Judges at hand scored it 117-111, 115-111 and 115-111 unanimously for Abdullah Mason.

With this convincing win Mason picked up the Vacant WBO World Lightweight Title crowning him the youngest current male World Champion at 21 years old.

Congratulations Champ. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn 2”

Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/Boxxer/DAZN Main Event rematch between Chris Eubank Jr. (35-4, 25 Kos) and Conor Benn (24-1, 14 Kos) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, was more of a statement bout than a revenge bout by the way things unfolded. Real Talk!

I anticipated these two warriors to pick up the heat where they left off from their last encounter but what transpired was quite surprising. This time around Benn looked focussed and more calculative with his approach and a lot stronger at the weight. His controlled aggression and volume punches kept Eubank Jr. unsettled and unable to adjust on the fly like he did in the previous fight.

From the first bell Eubank Jr. looked uncharacteristically shaky and unsure of his own “game plan” by the way he attempted to box inside that squared circle. It was clear that the weight cut was once again a big issue. His punches looked weak and his usual punch output was non-existent this time around.

It was painful to watch at times as the bigger man was clearly getting bullied and manhandled by the smaller but stronger man round by round. Benn executed his “game plan” to a “T” and beat the usual tough and durable Eubank Jr. to the punch every time.

By the championship rounds it was clear that Eubank Jr.’s energy was completely depleted and his will was the only thing keeping him going and standing on his feet. Seeing what state Eubank Jr. was in, Benn proceeded to keep the pressure on for the remaining rounds and managed to score two knockdowns in the 12th round that sealed the deal in a very convincing fashion.

After 12 one-sided rounds of a systematic beatdown, the Judges scored it 119-107, 118-108 and 116-110, unanimously for Conor Benn. Well done!

Although these two combatants are now tied 1-1 between them, it is clear that Eubank Jr. is no longer able to make the middleweight Division and should forget about a trilogy and close the door on this rivalry.

As for Benn, he’s made it clear that the 147-Pound Division is where he’s heading back to and is looking to bring the “HEAT” to all the Champions in that Division.  

Blaze

On The Watch ”It’s All About Christian Mbilli vs Lester Martinez”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night our own Canadian representative, undefeated Christian Mbilli (30-0-1, 24 Kos) put his WBC Interim Super Middleweight Title on the line when he took on heavy-handed, undefeated challenger Lester Martinez (19-0-1, 16 Kos) on the undercard of the Canelo vs Crawford at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Them two combatants did not disappoint and definitely brought the “Heat” at the sound of the first bell when they touched gloves inside that squared circle. Both warriors knew what was at stake and proceeded to bang toe-to-toe with neither combatant giving up any breathing room while thrusting heavy leather at one another phone booth style from head to body.

I personally think that Martinez expected Mbilli to be easy work considering most of his opponents folded whenever they felt his power but he soon found out that Mbilli was not one to be taken lightly as his high-octane offense and his resiliency was a serious problem round by round.

Martinez had no choice but to match Mbilli’s energy making that bout that much all the more intriguing and competitive as the rounds progressed.  It was a tough back and forth that clearly entertained the fans in attendance.

Both combatants had their moments with neither showing signs of backing down at any point. That being said, after 10 hard rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it a draw, unable to pinpoint a clear winner on the night.

With this outcome, Christian Mbilli retained his WBC Interim Super Middleweight Title and still maintained his undefeated record while Lester Martinez proved his case at being a serious problem to content with in the 168-Pound Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford”

Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion

Last night’s Riyadh Season/Netflix Main Event between Undisputed Super Middleweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Canelo Alvarez (63-3-2, 30 Kos) and Former two- Division Undisputed Champion and four-time Division Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (42-0, 31 Kos), surpassed all my expectations by the way things unravelled at the Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

  This wasn’t a passing of the torch but rather a forceful “Takeover” at the hands of Crawford who systematically disarmed the “Kingpin” on Mexican Independence weekend, in front of

70, 000 fans, possibly the biggest stage he could have performed on in Las Vegas.

I personally anticipated a competitive bout from start to finish but what ‘Bud” brought inside that squared circle was very impressive. Real Talk! If Crawford was a Rubik’s Cube, Canelo had no clue or the proper “game plan” to solve the puzzle.

‘Bud” the smaller man who was moving up in weight, asserted himself quite well and stood his ground and fought the bully toe-to-toe while showing absolutely no fear as the rounds progressed. Crawford boxed and moved and kept his hands busy enough to stop Canelo from ever finding a good enough rhythm to mount a suitable attack.  

Crawford’s respectable power and punch output was key to carrying out their bullet proof “game plan” that had Canelo bewildered and confused round by round. Crawford had the look of a man on a mission and never folded at any time during the bout.  He stayed cool and under control at all times.

At the completion of the bout the Judges at hand scored it 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 unanimously for Terence “Bud” Crawford.

This was a career-defining historical moment where Terence Crawford became the first male combatant to be Undisputed Champion across three weight Divisions in the four-belt era. He slayed the reigning “Kingpin” and snatched away all the jewels of the IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championships to now become the Undisputed King of the Super Middleweight Division.

Congratulations Terence, you have definitely placed your name and accomplishments in the GOAT debate, hands down!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II”

Unified Heavyweight Championship Showdown

Last night’s Heavyweight Championship Main Event was a clinical beatdown by Unified IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 Kos) when he took down yet again, IBF World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 Kos) at the packed house of 90,000 plus fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

Dubois had previously worked his way back to Usyk by beating highly rated Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and former Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua to capture the IBF World Heavyweight Title that Usyk had vacated. Beaming with confidence after destroying three top Heavyweights in the game back-to-back, Dubois felt the time was right to right the wrong he succumbed to at the hands of Usyk his fist time out and redeem himself.   

That being said, as confident as Dubois felt going inside that squared circle last night, school was in full session from round one by the way Usyk controlled the ring. Dubois’ bullyish ways were ineffective as Usyk was boxing circles around him clearly frustrating him round by round enabling Dubois to properly detonate one of his signature bombs on him.

Dubois had improved in many ways but for some reason when facing Usyk, he looked lost and not properly prepared to handled what was transpiring inside that squared circle. 

 There are levels to this boxing sh*t and anyone facing Usyk inside that squared circle ends up finding out quickly how ahead of the game this man truly is. Usyk may not be known for packing a punch but he definitely knows how to close a show when the opportunity presents itself. The fifth round saw both combatants exchange heavily at one another but it was Usyk who connected first by chinning Dubois and dropping him for a quick standing 8 count only to see Dubois get back on his feet and wrongfully looking to go toe-to-toe with the cerebral assassin Usyk, who was locked and loaded and once again connected with a well-placed left hook right back on the chin of Dubois, dramatically dropping him for the count prompting the referee at hand to call the fight.

This was a beautiful display of greatness at its best. Usyk proved to the world and his peers why he is the true King of the Heavyweight Division, hands down! This win solidified Usyk as a two-time IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Edgar Berlanga vs Hamzah Sheeraz”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Ring III Main Event between Edgar Berlanga (23-2, 18 Kos) and British contender Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 Kos), surpassed all expectations and surprised quite a few people by the performance delivered at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York City.

After watching this bout unfold, it was clear from the jump that Edgar “The Chosen one” Berlanga had clearly underestimated his opponent and came in with the wrong “game plan” and did not adjust appropriately to content at any time throughout the duration of the bout.  

The brash talking self-proclaimed “King of New York” got found out last night when he attempted to go toe-to-toe with Sheeraz and felt the power coming his way was real and heavy. Berlanga, with his flawed “game plan”, found himself getting bullied inside that squared circle.

Sheeraz was putting gloves on Berlanga at will controlling every angle and abusing him from head to body with crazy combinations clearly stopping Berlanga from having any type of success. Sheeraz’s jab was key as he was able to control the distance and kept it busy enough to set up that three-piece combination with that hook that dropped Berlanga to a standing 8 count in the fourth round. As quickly as Berlanga rose to his feet is as quickly as he got clipped again with another left and dropped to a standing 8 count.

Berlanga managed to survive the fourth round but entering the fifth round it was clear that Berlanga was there for the taking. A keen looking Sheeraz obliged with open arms and detonated on Berlanga, viciously droppING him again prompting the referee to stop the bout and save Berlanga from sustaining any further unnecessary abuse.

This was a very impressive win for Sheeraz who proclaimed his entrance to the competitive 168-Pound Division.

Well done, Hamzah Sheeraz.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda”

WBC Lightweight Showdown

In the Co-Main Event on last night’s Ring III card, WBC Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 Kos) silenced all the naysayers and detractors with an impressive performance when he took on heavy-headed, undefeated William Zepeda (33-1, 27 Kos) and challenged him at his own game at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York City.

Everyone in the building expected Shakur, primarily known as a defensive fighter to play spoiler against an offensive machine-like Zepeda but what transpired was the complete opposite as Shakur came in this bout guns blazing. Shakur stood his ground and fought toe-to-toe with the pressure fighter and proved to be quite formidable banging back and forth with the known bully Zepeda.

Zepeda was his usual self and throwing punches in bunches but to his disbelief Shakur was right there pinpointing accurate shots right back at him at a higher-than-normal clip. It was a very competitive and entertaining bout despite what the critics in attendance were proclaiming.

Shakur was in a serious fight where the pressure was real and coming at him in an abundance of speed and pace. Shakur weathered the storm and asserted himself quite well under the nonstop pressure to the point where it was Zepeda who had to slow down his own punch output in the later rounds because Shakur showed levels above Zepeda in the later rounds of the bout.

Although Shakur is not known for having heavy hands, Zepeda had no choice but to respect what was coming at him. Shakur’s punches were precise, affective and consistent round after round.

After 12 rounds of engaging action, the Judges at hand scored it 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110 unanimously for Shakur Stevenson. Personally, I think this score card does not do William Zepeda any justice but I have no problem with Shakur walking away the winner and retaining his    WBC Lightweight Championship Title.

Well done, Champ, point taken!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II”

Unified Heavyweight Championship

Redemption is on the horizon as an intriguing rematch has officially been announced between IBF World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 Kos), who will be looking to avenge his previous loss to Undefeated Unified IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 Kos) on Saturday night July 19, 2025, at the Wembley Stadium in London.

Dubois has worked his way back in an impressive fashion by beating highly rated Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and completely annihilating former Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua to capture the IBF Heavyweight Title. These back-to-back wins have created a “Monster” in Daniel Dubois.

Since becoming a Champion, Dubois’ confidence has been on 100% screaming at anybody who would listen to him to bring him Oleksandr Usyk so he could right the wrong and claim Undisputed by dethroning the King of the Heavyweight Division.

A tough task if you ask me, considering Usyk has already run the gauntlet by defeating Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury (twice). This man Usyk is a one-man army ready and always willing to accept any and all challenges regardless of the obstacle.

Usyk has shown us time and time again that he is levels above all competitors who dare to contest him and on Saturday night July 19, 2025, at the Wembley Stadium in London, Usyk will be looking to become a two-time Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World by beating Daniel Dubois convincingly and reclaiming his IBF World Title that Dubois has been keeping warm for him.

That being said, this version of Dubois is a Champion this time around and a highly motivated one desperately looking to put a beating on Usyk and to prove to himself and the naysayers that his time is now.

Can’t wait to see if Dubois can walk it like he talked it so tune in to DAZN on Saturday night July 19, 2025, at the Wembley Stadium in London and witness the outcome.

Blaze