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.

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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.

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On The Watch ”It’s All About Diego Pacheco vs Steven Nelson”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 Kos) and undefeated Steven Nelson (20-1, 16 Kos) was a very interesting bout that tested the young contender at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The undefeated challenger Nelson who was much older than Pacheco at 36, came out with a very good “game plan” right off the bell that had Pacheco hesitant in the first few rounds. The pressure that Nelson was applying was troubling Pacheco forcing him to be in retreat mode unable to let his hands go in their usual fashion.

That being said things changed in the fourth round when Pacheco finally caught Nelson with a strong right hand that cut him on the outside of his left eye. It was the type of cut that impaired Nelson’s vision due to the constant blood flowing into his eye. It was a game changer from this point on where Pacheco now saw a wounded warrior ready to be taken out.

Pacheco reclaimed control of the bout from that point on and started going to work in his usual fashion by landing hard right hands and uppercuts at will round by round. I gotta tip my “B” hat to Nelson who stood his ground while being impaired with that eye. Most combatants would have folded a long time ago but Nelson did his best to stay in the fight and push the young warrior to show him what’s up.

Nelson looked alive in the championship rounds and gave it his best shot by bringing that pressure from the early rounds and letting his hands go clearly showing us that if he would have kept that same energy and consistency throughout the entire fight things could have been different.

After 12 rounds of action all three Judges scored it 117-111 for Diego Pacheco.
This was a very good learning experience type fight for Pacheco where he had himself a tough competitor that forced him to dig deep to secure the win.

Well done, Pacheco, now who’s next?

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Bruno Surace”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 Kos) and Bruno Surace, (26-0-2, 5 Kos) at his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, turned out to be a cherry pick gone wrong for the homegrown fighter.

This bout was meant to be a stay busy fight with no real threat ahead but what transpired was quite different when the little-known Frenchman, Surace asserted himself quite well and surprised the opposition.

Although Munguia did score an early knock down in round two with a powerful left hook, he was unable to get the Frenchman out of there. Surace stood his ground and fought toe-to-toe and took some abuse but fended off the attack quite well.

Surace, who is not known for being a power puncher did have quickness and good punch selection making this bout quite interesting at times. Munguia was physically the bigger and stronger combatant but still had to work inside that squared circle with his opponent showing much resistance.

Judging by how the bout was unfolding, it was clear that Munguia did not respect Surace’s power and that cost him dearly in the sixth round when he got caught with his hands wide open to a counter one two combination straight to the chin that dropped Munguia to the floor struggling to get up to the referee’s count who inevitably stopped the bout before he could come to his senses.

No one anticipated this type of an outcome but Surace and his team who had never fought outside of France before seized the opportunity bestowed to them and accepted the challenge with open arms and silenced all naysayers who had counted them out. Surace, who is not a true Super Middleweight proved to be a formidable opponent on the night and for that I tip my “B” hat to him for handing us possibly the Upset Of The Year.

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On The Watch ”It’s All About Diego Pacheco vs Maciej Sulecki”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 Kos) and seasoned veteran Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12 Kos) lived up to the hype when they met up inside that squared circle at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.

Pacheco handled this bout like a true professional and patiently dissected his opponent round by round with a mean jab that couldn’t miss. Sulecki tried hard to stand his ground landing some decent shots and making it interesting as much as he could but the heavy punches coming from Pacheco were a clear indication that this was going to be a quick night of action.

The inevitable was creeping in and with Pacheco being able to land right uppercuts and heavy right-hand shots at will and breaking down Sulecki, Diego deployed a perfectly well-placed left hook to the body in the sixth round that crushed Sulecki straight to the canvas unable to answer the 10-count.

It was a dominant performance by Pacheco who became the first to knock out Sulecki in his career to date. With this win, Pacheco remains the mandatory challenger to the “Kingpin” Unified WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

That being said, I personally don’t think challenging the “Kingpin” this early in his young career would be a wise decision but this undefeated contender in Diego Pacheco is looking for all the smoke and calling out anyone in the top 10 Super Middleweight Division.

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On The Watch ”It’s All About Christian Mbilli vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event between undefeated Super Middleweight Contender Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 Kos) and tough and durable Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-6, 10 Kos) was a very entertaining bout for all who attended at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

It was announced at the conclusion of the bout that both combatants had sustained injuries throughout the night but the performance that both warriors gave was quite impressive.

As the rounds progressed it was quite evident that Derevyanchenko had suffered a left bicep injury as he was no longer using his left hand to deter the aggressive Mbilli from pouring on his offensive shots.

‘The Technician” that Derevyanchenko is, continued to fend of his attacker with just his right arm and still making the bout quite competitive with his footwork intact, still being able to land decent shots helping him stay competitive round by round.

Although Derevyanchenko was severely outgunned by being unable to use both his arms, the display of pure will, strength and determination this man possessed to fight through the pain inside that squared circle while fending off a hungry heavy fisted warrior like Mbilli was enough for me to appreciate the heart of a Lion that this man possessed.

As hurt as Derevyanchenko was Mbilli could not put the old Lion down. Mbilli banged hard on “The Technician” hitting him with every punch combination possible and still Derevyanchenko refused to bow down. He stood his ground and fought toe-to-toe and made it the final bell.

After 10 rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand scored it 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92, all in favor of Christian Mbilli.

Mbilli, the younger warrior, clearly won this bout quite handily but it would have been interesting to see what a healthy looking Derevyanchenko would have looked like but nevertheless he did push Mbilli to the extreme with only one healthy arm.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs John Ryder”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 Kos) and John Ryder (32-7, 18 Kos) was an impressive showing by Munguia who brought the house to its feet the way he handled Ryder inside that squared circle at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was quite evident that pairing up with new head trainer Freddie Roach was the right move to make at this point in Munguia’s career. Jaime showed much improvement with his patience and punch accuracy under the tutelage of Freddie Roach.

Munguia looked comfortable and in control inside that squared circle. With his pressure style and sharp timing on point he was able to catch Ryder with a right hand and dropped him for a quick standing 8 count in the second round. Ryder showed his usual resilience and fought back going toe to toe but succumbed once again by being dropped in the fourth round by a short well placed left hand to the dome for another standing 8 count.

John continued to put his best foot forward as the rounds progressed by showing his heart and willingness to throwdown but with very minimal success, this version of Munguia was mounting to be too much to handle inside that squared circle.

Munguia was surprisingly more defensively minded then usual and very sharp, strong and accurate causing havoc to his opponent all night. The inevitable was near and by the ninth round the heavy onslaught that Jaime came with was simply too demolishing to withstand causing Ryder to breakdown and meet the canvas twice in the round looking beaten on all angles prompting his corner to halt the bout. Ryder got up every time but the right call was made to save this “Gorilla” from further punishment.

This was a very impressive showing by Munguia, the type of showing that could possibly get the attention of the “Kingpin” Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 Kos).

Well done, Jaime, I hope your call out to the Champ gets answered.

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On The Watch “It’s All About David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade”

Super Middleweight Showdown

It has been officially announced! Two of the most avoided boxers in the game today, Interim WBC Super Middleweight Champion David Benavidez (27-0, 23 Kos) and undefeated challenger Demetrius Andrade (32-0, 19 Kos) have now signed the contract to meet on November 25, 2023, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The fight will also air on Showtime PPV.

This is a very intriguing bout where we have a 2008 U.S. Olympian in Andrade, a two Division Champion now moving up to his third Division and his second bout in the Super Middleweight Division putting his skills to work against the “Mexican Monster” David Benavidez who is the man to beat in the Division, in order to get a chance to face the “Kingpin” Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

Although Benavidez is the younger warrior of the two combatants, this bout is a crossroads bout where both combatants need the win at all costs. Andrade, at 35 years old needs to get through these types of big fights now because the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer by the year but, skill for skill your Boy Demetrius still got the goods to get the job done.

As Benavidez as young may be his size alone clearly lets you know that he should have moved up to the Light Heavyweight Division. Your Boy is “Big” for the Super Middleweight Division but size aside, he delivers every time inside that squared circle. His hand speed and power are real and that nonstop pressure he comes with inside that squared circle usually breaks most opponents down but I’m anticipating that Andrade might have the right style to offset the “Mexican Monster” from unleashing his deadly wrath, which he is well known for.

That being said, I expect an action type matchup and the last man still standing on Saturday night November 25, 2023, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas live on Showtime PPV, will have secured his ticket at a chance to dethrone the “Kingpin” Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 Kos) and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-5, 10 Kos) was an exciting showdown that undeniably brought the fans in attendance to their feet at the Toyota Arena, Ontario, California. Real talk!

Both combatants moved up from the Middleweight Division to the Super Middleweight Division to have this incredible clash and boy did they bring that heat inside that squared circle.

It was clear from the way this bout started out that Munguia did not expect this type of resistance from his older opponent but what he soon found out was that this “Technician” was not someone to be taken lightly inside that squared circle.

Derevyanchenko brought his “A” game on the night and showed the young buck how serious things can get when you move up in competition. Both combatants threw some serious leather at each other round by round but it was Sergiy’s consistent aggressive pressure that troubled Munguia as the rounds progressed.

Munguia had a good jab whenever he let it go but his lack of defense on the night was quite evident and disturbing considering the heavy shots he kept on absorbing. I mean the dude is tough but when you’re met with a resilient warrior like Derevyanchenko, you have to quickly reassess the “game plan” at hand.

Both combatants were hurt multiple times and showed fatigue throughout the bout but as the championship rounds approached, Munguia seemed to have the edge in the power department. By the 12th and final round Jaime may have sealed the deal with a devastating body shot that sent Derevyanchenko down for a quick 8 count which then had Sergiy backpedaling in survivor mode for the remainder of the round.

After 12 hard fought completed rounds, the Judges at hand scored it 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113 unanimously for Jaime Munguia. It was a tough battle that I think personally, could have gone either way.

That being said, Munguia definitely fought the toughest opponent of his career to date. With this hard-earned win Munguia picked up the vacant WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title positioning himself one step closer to a possible clash with the “Kingpin” of the Super Middleweight Division Undisputed Champion Canelo Alvarez.

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