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 (33-1-1, 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 (21-0, 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 Sandy Ryan vs Mikaela Mayer”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between WBO Welterweight Champion Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 Kos) and challenger Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The animosity towards one another was quite evident towards the build up to this bout and when the first bell went off both worriers went straight to work with no hesitation. Sandy came out the gate with a strong jab but was met with some very busy hands by Mikaela who was countering every shot with speed.

Sandy definitely brought the pressure but the activity and the punch output coming back from Mikaela made things quite interesting as the rounds progressed. The power punches coming in by Sandy were quite evident whenever she landed but Mikaela showed grit and toughness standing her ground at every corner.

Both combatants had their moments as the round progressed but it was Mikaela who might have benefited from the first half of the fight by being exceptionally more active with her hands while Sandy needed to raise the “HEAT” in the second half of the bout to keep things close.

Both girls brought it in the later rounds going toe-to-toe and dishing out some serious leather from both sides but Mikaela’s experience at this stage in her career may have been key to this bout.

After 10 rounds of nonstop action the Judges at hand called it 95-95, 96-94 and 97-93, giving the majority decision to Mikaela Mayer.

I personally thought this was a very competitive bout that could have easily gone either way but on this night, a new Champion was crowned giving Mikaela a world title in her second Weight Division and the New WBO Welterweight Champion.

Well done, Mikaela.

Blaze

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 Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Guido Vianello”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Co Main Event between our own Canadian/Russian representative Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-2, 18 Kos) and Guido Vianello (13-2, 11 Kos) was another unexpected shocker when we witnessed Makhmudov yield to his second defeat of his career at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Although Makhmudov rebounded from his fist defeat at the hands of Agit Kabayel this past May when he defeated Miljian Rocvcanin by stoppage, this version of Makhmudov who entered the squared circle last night seemed to have regressed dramatically from the usual destructive “Lion” we are accustomed to seeing.

Vianello entered that squared circle with the utmost confidence and proceeded to box and move in a tactical way that kept Makhmudov bewildered and off balance all night. Vianello put a beating on our “Big Guy” from the jump, controlling every round while administering some heavy damage to the more imposing opponent. It was a very impressive display of one-sided action.

By the third round, Makhmudov’s left eye was swelling up and clearly affecting his eyesight when he couldn’t get out the way of all the heavy punches he was absorbing from left to right. Makhmudov looked slow and unsteady at times and unable to impose himself or mount any type of consistent offense to win a round.

Vianello’s jab and movement was key and by aiming that steady jab at Makhmudov’s left eye and eventually closing it completely, this prompting the referee to call in the ringside doctor at the start of the eighth round who then had a closer look at it and signalled the referee to halt the bout due to medical advice.

It was a dominant performance by Vianello where the ‘The Gladiator” was able to tame “The Lion’ in a very convincing fashion.

Well done Guido Vianello.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2”

Junior Welterweight Showdown

The highly awaited rematch between Former Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 Kos) and Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 Kos) took a couple of years to get here but with tonight’s final result at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, it was well worth it.

Although no titles were on the line this time around, Jack treated this revenge match like his life depended on it. This bout was personal for both warriors considering their previous encounter was highly controversial.

The built-up anger that Jack retained from their previous showdown was quite evident by the way he pressed the action from round to round. Jack basically picked up the action from their last meeting and kept that intolerable feeling at Josh’s neck keeping him from getting into any type of a flow inside that squared circle.

Throughout the many struggles that Josh was dealing with inside that squared circle he still managed to stand his ground and bang toe-to-toe with Catterall. Both combatants had their moments exchanging heavy leather with serious battle wounds to show for it but this time around, Jack made sure he was the one with the eye-catching shots to help sway the Judges.

After 12 full completed rounds of action, the Judges at hand called it 117-111, 117-111, 116-113 unanimously for Jack Catterall. Although this bout was a lot closer than the score card suggest, I personally agree with the overall outcome.

With this credible win now under his belt, Jack believes that a title opportunity against the WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 Kos) is warranted but after Josh Taylor’s promoter Bob Arum’s outburst of disappointment after the scorecards were revealed, I can’t see Bob gifting Jack that much meriting opportunity any time soon.

I’m not sure what is to come next for Jack but until then, congratulations on a very good win.

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 (33-1-1, 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, Champs, 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 Vasiliy Lomachenko vs George Kambosos Jr.”

Vacant IBF Lightweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event was a personal one for former three-division World Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (18-3, 10 Kos) who turned back the clock and gave us fans a flawless and dominant performance over the IBO Lightweight Champion, former self-proclaimed “Emperor” George Kambosos Jr. (21-3, 10 Kos) at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night Lomachenko made sure his “A” game was on point by the way he took Kambosos to school right from the jump. Kambosos got caught sleeping in the “Matrix” with no way out, no answers, no proper “game plan” to deter the season veteran from having his way with him inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

The only thing Kambosos had going for him was his home court advantage which resulted to nothing since the fans in attendance were dazzled and impressed by the way Lomachenko was completely breaking down and outclassing Kambosos round by round.

Lomachenko showed us speed, amazing footwork, precision punching with power clearly troubling Kambosos who could not find any answers to prevent this onslaught of punches coming his way.

The inevitable was moments away and by the 11th round a swift but heavy body shot forced Kambosos to take a knee to regroup but he rose back up only to be sat down with another body shot prompting the referee to stop the bout as Kambosos’ corner instantly threw in the towel at 2:49 mark of the round.

With this dominant performance, Lomachenko picks up the vacant IBF Lightweight Title and Kambosos’ IBO Title positioning himself for a possible unification bout in the near future.

Well done, Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery”

Undisputed Junior Featherweight Showdown

Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Featherweight Champion Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 Kos) once again continued his dominant performance this morning but did take a stray bullet in the form of a knockdown when he took on heavy fisted challenger Luis Nery (35-2, 27 Kos) at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

Both combatants came out the gate looking for their respect and aiming to land something big to set the tone and to everyone’s surprise, the first one to land that detonator was Nery with a mean left hook that chin checked Inoue and dropped him for a quick standing 8 count that had the crowd in attendance shocked and breathless for about 5 until Inoue bounced back up and survived the round.

Now that being said, Nery did not capitalize on his one opportunity to take out the Champ and on missing that short window, “the Monster” was released from that point on. In the second round, Inoue reasserted himself and pressed the action to getting his “get back” and dropping Nery with a powerful counter left hand that evened the score with a standing 8 count of his own.

With the playing field now even, Inoue showed us why he is levels above his competition inside that squared circle as he proceeded to raise his punch output and accuracy in a tactical fashion boxing and avoiding Nery’s bullish attempts.

By round five Nery was getting desperate and reckless and paid dearly for it by getting dropped by a left hook for another standing 8 count with 35 seconds left in the round. By round six the inevitable was around the corner and Inoue wasted no time and turned into the “Monster” that he is and unloaded a barrage of unanswered punches that eventually dropped Nery to the point where the referee waived the bout off, proving once again just how powerful Inoue is inside that squared circle.

Another convincing win by the Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue. I can’t see anybody beating this Dude at this Junior Featherweight Division.

Well done, Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Seniesa Estrada vs Yokasta Valle”

Minimumweight Unification Showdown

At Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Co Main Event between undefeated WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine Minimumweight Champion Seniesa Estrada (26-0, 9 Kos) and IBF/WBO Minimumweight Champion Yokasta Valle (30-3, 9 Kos), we witnessed the crowning of the first Undisputed Minimumweight Champion in women’s Boxing at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

This bout delivered a perfect ending to their well-publicised grudge match that definitely needed to be put to bed once and for all. Both combatants came out the gate aggressively trying to determine who will dictate the tempo of the bout but as the rounds progressed it was Estrada’s switch-hitting style that was causing Valle an issue.

Both combatants worked their respective “game plan” and stood their ground inside that squared circle handing out some serious leather back and forth. But it was Estrada’s boxing and precision punches from long range that gave her the edge round by round.

Valle fought a good one and made it quite competitive in the later rounds but after 10 rounds of action, all three Judges at hand scored it unanimously 97-93 in favor of Seniesa Estrada, the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Minimumweight Champion of the World!

This is a well-deserved achievement to be added to your ever-growing career and proof that dreams do come true when you work hard with dedication at making them a reality.

Congratulations Seniesa. Well done! You truly are an inspiration.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou”

Heavyweight Showdown

Yesterday’s Queensberry Promotion/Top Rank PPV Main Event between WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 Kos) and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou in his first professional boxing crossover bout at the Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, brought the fans in attendance to their feet for the entire bout.

Judging on how this bout unraveled from the jump, it was clear that the “Gypsy King” severely underestimated his opponent of the night. Ngannou surprised the boxing world by bringing the heat and his 6-foot-4, 272-pound frame to work by beating and muscling out Fury at his own game. Fury’s usual grappling tactic was ineffective and he learned the hard way by being beaten down and dropped in the third round by a vicious counter left hook that rocked the entire venue.

Ngannou shut the naysayers out on the night by the way he performed. Ngannou showed absolutely no fear and stood his ground round by round dishing out more then he received.

Tyson felt the pressure and tried to get into his bag of tricks but none of them worked because Ngannou was not fazed whatsoever by the man standing across from him. Ngannou, for a novice, asserted himself quite well and definitely won the boxing world over by giving the “Gypsy King” his toughest challenge in his last 5 fights. Real Talk!

What Fury did have going for him inside that squared circle was his experience to weather the storm when things got too heated and the position he holds as the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

After 10 rounds of exciting action the Judges at hand scored it 96-93, 95-94 for Fury and 95-94 for Ngannou giving the split-decision to Tyson. Unbelievable!

Although this bout was an exhibition and a non-title fight, last night we all witnessed the unofficial slaying of the “Gypsy King”. That being said, due to the politics of boxing Ngannou got robbed of his victory but gained my respect and the respect of all the boxing community by proving the naysayers he can definitely rock with the best of them in the game today.

Blaze