On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith”

Super Middleweight Supremacy

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas between Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 Kos) and Callum Smith (27-1, 19 Kos) was the perfect way to end the Year 2020.

Canelo, who was clearly the shorter fighter standing at 5 foot 8 to the towering Callum at 6 foot 3, displayed some serious Boxing IQ that had Callum confused all night inside that squared circle. It was a thing of beauty to watch the smaller man walk down his opponent the way he did considering Callum had all the physical advantages coming into this bout.

I was surprised by the fact that Canelo showed absolutely no fear at all throughout the rounds. Canelo’s jab and body attack were so vicious and precise that Callum stayed on his back foot trying to avoid the heavy pounding he was receiving all night.

I expected Callum to be Canelo’s toughest challenge to date but judging on how Canelo dominated and dismantled Callum from round one to twelve, Canelo proved once again why he is the Pound-for-Pound best in the World today. Real Talk!

There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and Canelo’s masterclass performance last night showed us just how superior he can get when faced with so many drawbacks.

Callum, who was rated as the No. 1 Super Middleweight in the Division, took the worst beating I’ve ever seen him take in his career to date. The “game plan” that his corner drew up had absolutely no effect on Canelo whatsoever. Dude got heart though and he withheld the onslaught coming his way like the fighting man that he is.

That said, after 12 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges scored it 117-111, 119-109 and 119-109 in favor of Canelo. With this convincing win, Canelo is now the New WBC/WBA “Super” and Ring Magazine Champion of the World and now the No.1 168-Pounder in the Division.

With a new Division to dominate, Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion is the latest task at hand for the No. 1 Pound-for-Pound King they call Canelo Alvarez.

Congratulations Canelo on your latest accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Daniel Jacobs vs Gabriel Rosado”

Super Middleweight Grudge Match

Last night’s DAZN and Matchroom main event between Daniel Jacobs “The Miracle Man” (37-3, 30 Kos) and Gabriel Rosado (25-13-1, 14 Kos) at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida did not live up to the anticipated so-called grudge match up that we were all waiting for. Real Talk!

I’m a big fan of both them Dudes but real talk, neither one of them backed up their tough talk inside that squared circle. Them Dudes talked a heap of sh*t to each other to being out right disrespectful. Respect had to be earned and given so I was expecting some serious fireworks from round one but instead got two Dudes who barely threw any leather at each other.

Jacobs was treating this bout as a stay busy fight but clearly forgot the part about getting busy active wise inside that squared circle. I’m not sure if the fact that there was no crowd unmotivated him but he visibly didn’t look his usual self inside that squared circle.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and your boy Jacobs did not show any superior levels against Gabe last night. In fact, Rosado executed his “game plan” to a “T” and boxed a good fight with low output but he definitely didn’t look like someone who was not meant to be there.

Although the bout didn’t turn out the way we all expected, Gabe showed discipline and fought well enough to deserve the win or a draw in my eyes but, left in the Judges hands, two of them saw it 115-113 for Jacobs and 115-113 for Rosado. Definitely a disputable outcome.

Jacobs may have been declared the winner of this bout but if he has any aspiration of challenging any of the belt holders in the Super Middleweight Division, he needs to come in with his head in the game and with a way better “game plan” then what we saw last night cause this version of Jacobs doesn’t cut it at the top of the 168-Pound Division. Real Talk!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Caleb Plant vs Vincent Feigenbutz”

IBF Super Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s homecoming bout at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee between Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (20-0, 12 Kos) and Vincent Feigenbutz (31-3, 28 Kos) was a beautiful display of boxing skills by the homegrown fighter.

Caleb handed his mandatory challenger Vincent a one-on-one schooling session at its highest level. No disrespect to Vincent who was a tough and heavy fisted opponent who was simply short of being ready for an A+ fighter of Caleb’s caliber.

As big and strong as Vincent was inside that squared circle, it was clear from the jump that he did not possess the right attributes to hang with the Champ. Caleb systematically dismantled and abused Vincent from top to bottom with some well-placed combination punches that had Vincent confused and beaten at every corner of every round.

By the 10th round, it was clearly a no-win situation for Vincent who was a walking heavy bag for Caleb. The referee had seen enough and pulled the plug at 2:23 of the remaining round.

With this win Caleb successfully retained his IBF Super Middleweight Title and is now welcoming all other Super Middleweight Champions to the round table. Caleb is looking for that smoke and that unification bout.

That being said, Caleb is shaping up to be a real threat of a Champion in the Super Middleweight Division. He’s got that “it” factor with that determination and hunger to run the 168-pound Division as the No. 1 guy.

Caleb is looking like a complete fighter right now. It’s gonna take a special fighter to derail this confident Champion from his seat at the round table.

WBC Super Middleweight Champion David Benavidez is looking forward to oblige Caleb’s request of a future bout and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

Until then, congratulations on your convincing win Caleb.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr.”

IBO Super Middleweight Championship

Tonight’s domestic British dust up at the O2 Arena between James DeGale (25-3-1, 15 Kos) and Chris Eubank Jr. (28-2, 21 Kos) wasn’t pretty but definitely a good showing by Eubank who dropped DeGale two times to win the bout by unanimous decision with the score of 114-112, 115-112 and 117-109.

Eubank showed a lot of patience under new Head Coach Nate Vasquez. As the rounds wore on you could see Eubank working his way through the “Game Plan” as required. DeGale tried hard by making it real ugly with his excessive holding but Eubank stuck with it and out-work and out-punched DeGale round by round.

At times Eubank threw some heavy wild punches but when composed, he connected efficiently and made them count. Eubank pretty much controlled the bout from start to finish and was never in any danger.

As for DeGale, he looked like a shell of himself, he fought tentatively and seemed to be in retreat mode throughout the entire fight. It was sad to see such a decorated British boxer succumb to this at this point in his career. No disrespect, but this loss will require DeGale to do some serious soul searching and re-evaluate his future in Boxing. James talked a good game to the build-up of it but failed miserably under the bright lights tonight.

That being said, this bout was by far Eubank’s most improved showing to date. It’s clear he’s still a work in progress under Coach Nate Vasquez but tonight’s convincing victory over DeGale is a good sign of better things to come.

Congratulations Chris on becoming once again IBO Super Middleweight Champion. Now on to the next!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr.”

Super Middleweight Challenge

Rumors have been swirling around for quite some time and now it has officially been confirmed. The domestic British dust up between James DeGale (25-2-1, 15 Kos) and Chris Eubank Jr. (27-2, 21 Kos) is set to take place on February 23, 2019 at London’s O2 Arena.

The trash talking between the two combatants has been going on for years and it’s only fitting to end all talks inside that squared circle. There’s a lot on the table here. A loss for either combatant will have a serious gut check when it’s all said and done.

This bout is more about “Pride Fighting” then “Prize Fighting”. A lot has been said about where both warriors are at in their respective careers to date. Some in the boxing community see DeGale as a shot fighter on the decline while others in the boxing community see Eubank Jr. as an underachiever who chokes when tested by legitimate competitors.

I personally, see this bout as an opportunity for either combatant to show the naysayers that they still got what it takes to get bigger and better fights in the Super Middleweight Division. It’s “Show and Prove” time. Enough with the talking it’s time to step up and back it up.

Eubank Jr. is the younger of the two with less mileage. He’s at a peak point of his career and has serious skills inside that squared circle when focused. with a full-time trainer now by his side, it’s time for Eubank Jr. to perform and steal the show.

DeGale keeps talking about this bout being a “retirement fight” for the loser but truth be told he needs to step up his own game up to avoid that specific outcome on February 23, 2019. He could be the odd man out if he doesn’t come correct and focused come fight night.

There is absolutely no shortage of confidence when it comes to these two opponents, but truth be told the pressure is on 100 for them two to deliver and look convincing doing it.

The winner at the O2 Arena on Saturday night February 23, 2019 will get a positive boost within the Super Middleweight Division and possibly a Championship bout looming on the horizon?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About George Groves vs Callum Smith”

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

Tonight, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at King Abdulla Sport City Arena, the long-awaited World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight Tournament came to an end in an impressive fashion.

The No. 1 Seed in the Tournament George Groves WBA Super World Super Middleweight Champion (28-4, 20 Kos) succumbed to the gloves of the No 2 Seeded Callum Smith WBC Super Middleweight Diamond Champion (25-0, 18 Kos). The underdog in the betting circuit silenced all naysayers and non-believers on the biggest stage of his career.

Tonight, Callum’s approach vs George were executed perfectly. He fought a smart, technical fight all while using his height and range to his advantage. George fought well with some aggression but had a hard time figuring Callum out. Heavy blows were thrown from both combatants, at times with some very good exchanges but to my surprise Callum’s punches looked to sting just a little more than what Groves expected. Callum seemed relaxed and poised round by round unlike George who looked uncomfortable and desperate at times. By the seventh round, George got complacent and lost focus and got caught with a heavy left hand followed by a burst of punches that sent him down for the count.

It was a beautiful display by an underdog in Callum Smith who has now risen to the top and taken claim of the World Boxing Super Series Muhammad Ali Trophy, the WBA Super World Super Middleweight Championship, The Ring Magazine Belt and retained his WBC Diamond Super Middleweight Title.

With this trifecta of a night you have singlehandedly sky rocketed your position as the top “Dog” in the Super Middleweight Division. Real Talk!

Congratulations Champ for this historical achievement, you deserve it.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About George Groves vs Chris Eubank Jr.”

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

Tonight at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, George Groves (28-3, 20Kos) humbled Chris Eubank Jr. (26-2, 20Kos) by successfully defeating him for the IBO and Super WBA Super Middleweight titles.

This bout wasn’t a pretty one but I have to tip my “B” hat to Groves for sticking to the game plan and neutralizing Eubank’s high volume offence. There are levels to this boxing sh*t and Groves backed it up by proving to all the naysayers and myself that he’s a notch above what Eubank possesses. The better man literally won tonight hands down.

I was confused and disappointed by Eubank’s passive approach. He did not have the right game plan to stunt on Groves’ tonight. Eubank talked a good game to the build up of the bout but simply got outclassed on that big stage come fight night. This was supposed to be a big bout for Eubank but tonight my man dropped the ball heavily. He let an extremely great opportunity slip through his hands.

Tonight’s World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight semifinals winner George Groves proved to the remaining competitors why he’s the number one seed in the Muhammad Ali Tournament.

Congratulations Groves on your highly convincing win tonight, now on to the Finals.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Chris Eubank Jr. vs Avni Yildirim”

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

Tonight, Saturday October 7, 2017, at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer in Stuttgart, Germany, Chris Eubank Jr. (26-1, 20Kos) successfully defended his IBO Super Middleweight World Title vs Avni Yildirim (16-1, 10Kos) in taking part of the quarterfinals of the Super Middleweight Division in the World Boxing Super Series.

From the jump Eubank Jr. showed Yildirim what it meant being in the ring with him. There are levels to this sh*t. Eubank Jr. came in that squared circle focused, determined and ready to put on a show.

Tonight, Chris Eubank Jr.’s performance was proof of that flawlessness when he dismantled previously undefeated Avni Yildirim with a third round knockout. REAL TALK!

With such a convincing win Chris has put the other competitors in the Super Middleweight Tournament on notice. Congratulations Champ you are one-step closer to your goal. Who’s next?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Light Heavyweight Champion”

Light Heavyweight Champion

Last Saturday night we saw Sergey “ Krusher” Kovalev get overthrown by the now New IBF/WBA/WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Andre S.O.G. Ward. It was a classic matchup of Puncher vs Boxer, Power vs Supreme defensive skills and Brawn vs Brain. The “Boogieman” of the Light Heavyweight Division finally met his match in Andre Ward.

The two unbeaten boxers put it all on the line last night and gave us a Supreme Chess match to be remembered. With that being said a second go around will most likely be needed to truly identify the No. 1 Pound –For Pound. All three Judges scored the fight 114-113 for Andre Ward. Personally I think it could have definitely been a draw. REAL TALK!

It was that close of a fight. To the boxing world a rematch is the only way to silence the critics who considered this Fight of The Year a controversial one. Skeptics aside we have to congratulate Ward for stepping up to the plate by moving up in Weight Class and delivering Kovalev his first lost by digging deep down within himself and grinding it out and standing his grounds in a highly competitive battle. Regardless of what the cynics have to say Andre S.O.G. Ward will go down as a two Division Champion from the former Undisputed Super Middleweight Division to now Light Heavyweight Champion. An accomplishment well deserved. REAL TALK!

Blaze