On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA PLAYOFFS 2025”

NBA Playoffs 2025 (Sweet 16)

With another full 82-Games NBA Season now over and the NBA Play-In Tournament successfully completed, we are now officially ready for the NBA Playoffs 2025.

“King of The Court” and the No. 1 Seed in the entire league belong to the upcoming young gunners The Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14). This squad has been balling hard all season in a very dominant fashion. With their leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander improving his game year by year and his squad following his lead, they have built themselves up has true contenders ready and able to snatch that crown in this year’s NBA Playoff run.

The No. 2 Seeded Houston Rockets (52-30) surpassed all my expectations by the way they came up and balled their way to the top. This young squad equipped with a balanced offensive and defensive competitive edge, have the right nucleus and leadership in head coach Ime Udoka pushing them to compete and disrupt this Playoff run.

The No. 3 Seeded Los Angeles Lakers (50-32) turned their season around when they traded for Luka Doncic to now making them a legitimate threat in this year Playoff run. LeBron and Luka have been gelling just in time to make a solid run but the competition ahead won’t be easy.

Outside looking in, the Denver Nuggets (50-32) have been looking vulnerable with the recent shocking firing of head coach Michael Malone and their general manager Calvin Booth a week before the Playoffs. That said, the Nuggets still found a way to secure the No. 4 Seed throughout all their troubles and have looked just as focused and determined as ever to continue their momentum throughout their Playoff run.

The No. 5 Seeded LA Clippers (50-32) fought hard to secure their spot throughout their own tribulations and challenges but did prove to be a handful on any given night. With a healthier looking squad entering the Playoff run, the Clippers could make things quite interesting.

The Minnesota Timberwolves No. 6 Seed (49-33), the Golden State Warriors the No. 7 Seed (48-34) and the Memphis Grizzlies the No. 8 Seed (48-34) all fought hard down the stretch to secure their spots. I would not overlook them since each have the fire power to disrupt the hierarchy in this year Playoffs run.

This year the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) picked up where they left off last year and never looked back as they captured the No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference and held it down throughout the entire season in an impressive fashion. The Cavs have improved on every level and definitely looked the part throughout the season but now it’s time to for them to show up and dominate the Playoffs with the same energy and then some to claim that elusive NBA Championship. This is their time to shine and finish the year the right way.

The Defending Champs the Boston Celtics (61-21) the No. 2 Seeded team this year fell off a few games shy of the No. 1 spot but truth be told they are still the team to beat considering the squad that won it all last year is still there well intact with the experience of Champions still running through their veins. They are battle tested and still carry themselves as Champions as they should looking to go back-to-back on their way to the NBA Finals.

The No. 3 Seeded New York Knicks (51-31) have worked hard throughout the season in a very competitive Eastern Conference and held it down making them a team to watch during the Playoffs. They have the potential to play spoiler if not taken seriously.

The No. 4 Seeded Indiana Pacers (50-32) is another team in the Playoffs ready to play spoiler as well. Their work like mentally approach has done them well throughout the regular season and have proven the naysayers wrong many times when push comes to shove. The Pacers can definitely disrupt the favorites in this Playoff run.

The No. 5 Seeded Milwaukee Bucks (48-34) had a tougher season than expected due to injuries but still managed to finish the year in a strong way where they secured their spot but without a healthy squad going into this year playoff run, the challenges awaiting them could be their toughest yet.

The No. 6 Seeded Detroit Pistons (44-38) have really impressed me this season by the way they turned their season around from not being mentioned at all last year to earning a spot in this year’s Playoffs run. They are not yet a finished product but they do have a squad ready and willing to battle if not taken seriously.

The Orlando Magic No. 7 Seed (41-41) and the Miami Heat No. 8 Seed (37-45) have made it to the dance but truth be told I don’t think they have the fire power to disrupt the No. 1 Seed or the No. 2 Seed from dispatching them with ease.

That being said, this year’s Playoff runs are mostly top heavy and looking quite interesting right out the gate so tune in and witness the outcome starting this Saturday April 19, 2025.

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On the Watch “It’s All About Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis”

IBF/WBA Welterweight Unification Showdown

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between IBF Welterweight Champion Jaron”Boots” Ennis (34-0, 30 Kos) and WBA World Welterweight Champion Eimantas Stanionis (15-1, 9 Kos), was a statement type bout that brought the house down at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

On this night Jaron did not disappoint the fans in attendance and put out a memorable performance that will shake the Welterweight Division for certain. Stanionis, a legitimate and well-schooled Champion bumped gloves with another Champion in Jaron who had a personal agenda and something to prove inside that squared circle.

Jaron came out the gate with a steady and strong jab setting the tone for the night that Stanionis could not evade. Stanionis attempted to stand his ground and exchange leather for leather but soon found out that this “game plan” was futile as he got battered round by round from top to bottom and eventually got dropped by a barrage of heavy punches in the sixth round for a standing 8 count.

Judging by the onslaught that Stanionis was taking in this bout and the fact that he was clearly losing every round by this point, his corner did the logical thing and pulled their fighter, stopping any further unnecessary abuse and stopped the fight.

Personally, I was not anticipating Stanionis getting stopped in this fashion but truth be told, Jaron was on point from all angles last night and his dominant performance over a high caliber opponent of Stanionis’ stature was just the type of performance that was missing in his game to silence the naysayers who doubted him.

Jaron completely annihilated Stanionis, possibly the second-best combatant in the Welterweight Division and relieved him of his WBA World Title, retained his IBF Championship Title and picked up the vacant Ring Magazine Belt now firmly positioning himself as the No. 1 Champion in the Welterweight Division.

Congratulations Jaron. Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano III”

Undisputed Junior Welterweight Showdown

The rematch between Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 30 Kos) has officially been announced and they are going to go at it in a highly anticipated and well received trilogy showdown on an all-women’s card live on Netflix Friday July 11, 2025, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Judging by their first press conference, these two well-decorated warriors are definitely going to bring that “HEAT” when they step foot inside that squared circle. They’ll start right where they left off from their two highly-contested but controversial showdowns that keep us wanting more every time.

Throughout all the trash talking and the back and forth these two warriors were throwing at each other one thing was made certain by Katie, she is 2-0 over Amanda and will be looking to maintain that lead come fight night by making it 3-0.

That being said, Amanda is extremely determined to right the wrong this time around and prove to the naysayers that she is capable of dethroning Katie off her Queen’s chair and become once and for all the Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion. Those are her intensions but truth be told, Katie Taylor is no walk in the park type of an opponent. Katie is highly skilled in every department and equipped with the will of a Lioness who refuses to back down.

Regardless of their previous outings this trilogy is once again must-see TV. Another moment in time to be added to the History Books!

So, tune in live on Netflix Friday night July 11, 2025, from Madison Square Garden in New York City, and be part of this historical night of boxing.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Queensberry Promotions/DAZN Main Event between Joe “Juggernaut” Joyce (16-4, 15 Kos) and Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic (18-1, 14 Kos) was quite entertaining considering what these two combatants brought to that squared circle at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

Hrgovic, who took this bout on short notice, clearly wasn’t at his best on the night but did assert himself quite well considering the short three-week camp. Hrgovic conserved his energy by throwing calculated and effectives punches round by round making sure each and every one of them was felt.

As for Joyce, who may have looked the part, definitely looked like a fighter that has been regressing fight after fight as of late. Joyce understood the assignment and proceeded to press the action but to me he was getting hit way too cleanly round by round. Joyce was never a fast fighter but last night, although his punches still looked like they thumped with power, his slow movement and reaction made it painful to watch at times.

That said, Hrgovic may not have been in tip top shape but was good enough to go rounds with a slow looking “Juggernaut” and hammer in his punches as much as he could to edge out the rounds in my opinion.

Joyce showed us he could still take a heavy punch but at the cost of taking them he did not look good. After 10 brutal rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 98-92, 97-93 and 96-95 unanimously for Filip Hrgovic.

This was an important bout for both combatants. The winner can move forward to a brighter opportunity while the loser will fall down the Heavyweight Division standings and re-evaluate their future.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About William Zepeda vs Tevin Farmer”

WBC Interim Lightweight Challenge

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN rematch Main Event at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico between WBC Interim Lightweight Champion William Zepeda (33-0, 27 kos) and challenger Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 Kos), was more of a statement bout, than expected by the Champion Zepeda.

This time out Zepeda looked more like the warrior we are accustomed to seeing by the way he came out the gate with his controlled aggression and volume punches coming in from all angles catching Farmer off guard and unable to adjust on the fly.

Farmer, as competitive as he tried to be on the night, looked off and possibly injured his left arm and hand during the fight but nevertheless didn’t stop trying to hang in there with the super aggressive Zepeda who continued to press the action.

It was painful to watch at times considering Farmer was overmatched due to his injuries but I have to tip my “B” hat to Farmer for fighting through the pain and physical restrictions and still putting up a good fight while being compromised.

Farmer wasn’t visibly able to keep up with Zepeda’s work rate and aggression. Farmer was simply a wounded animal trying to survive but proceeded to do it in a way that you have to respect his “Gangsta” mentality made him refuse to concede at the hands of his opponent.

After 12 full rounds of action, one Judge had it 114-114 (suspect) while the other two Judges scored it 116-112 and 115-113 giving William Zepeda the majority decision.

I personally think that a healthier version of Tevin Farmer on the night would have given us a different result but this wasn’t the case. Zepeda did what was needed to be done to secure the win and can now look forward to a possible showdown with the full WBC Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 Kos).

Shakur vs Zepeda is an intriguing bout but only time will tell if and when the challenge will be accepted by both parties involved.

Blaze

On the Watch “It’s All About Mikaela Mayer vs Sandy Ryan II”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Rematch Main Event between WBO Welterweight Champion Mikaela Mayer (21-2, 5 Kos) and challenger Sandy Ryan (7-3-1, 3 Kos) was definitely entertaining with a more determined outcome than their previous clash at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Them two warriors definitely picked up the action from where they left off from their last encounter but this time around Mayer’s “game plan” was just as good as the first time out. Mayer pressed the action right from the bell with both combatants trying to establish their effective jabs but Mayer’s activity was once again key by the number of punches she was putting together compared to Ryan.

As hard as Ryan was fighting back, Mayer’s bullyish way and aggression was definitely throwing Sandy off her “game plan” as she was not always able to match the energy coming her way. Ryan is usually known to put the pressure on her opposition but last night, she looked defeated at times and unable to deter Mayer from having success against her.

Ryan managed to put some good work together in the later rounds of the bout but to me it looked like she may have missed her opportunity by not being able to adjust her “game plan” in the first haft of the bout.

After 10 full rounds of action the Judges at hand scored it 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93, unanimously for Mikaela Mayer.

Absolutely no controversy this time around. Mayer showed skill for skill that she was the better combatant on the night hands down.

With this convincing win, Mikaela Mayer retained her WBO Welterweight Title and is now looking to challenge the Queen of the Welterweight Division Unified IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine Champion Lauren Price (9-0, 2 Kos).

Now that is a very interesting matchup, but until then, congratulations Mikaela on another great win.

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On the Watch “It’s All About Natasha Jonas vs Lauren Price”

Welterweight Unification Showdown

Last night’s Boxxer/Sky Sports Main Event between IBF/WBC Welterweight Champion Natasha Jonas (16-3-1, 9 kos) and IBO/WBA/Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion Lauren Price (9-0, 2 Kos) was not a passing of the torch but rather a coronation of a new Queen in the Welterweight Division at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

Lauren came out the gate with the utmost confidence looking to prove her dominance over her fellow Champion Natasha. Lauren’s “game plan” was simple but effective and very well executed.

Natasha, the 40-year-old veteran Champion had met her match on the night. As seasoned and competitive as Natasha was, she found out quickly that she could not compete with the younger combatant inside that squared circle.

Lauren was a serious force to contend with, where Natasha simply could not deter the stronger and extremely accurate warrior from having her way with her.

Natasha got outworked and outhustled from every corner and had absolutely no proper “game plan” to keep up with Lauren. It was a dominant performance by Price from start to finish where she showed levels way above what Natasha was accustomed to.

Simply put, Lauren made it look easy. After 10 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand scored it 100-90, 98-93 and 98-92 unanimously for Lauren Price.

With this impressive statement win now under her belt, Lauren retains her
IBO/WBA/Ring Magazine Welterweight Titles, snatched the IBF/WBC Welterweight Titles from Natasha and unified the Welterweight Division.

Well done, Lauren. Undisputed should be next on the horizon but until then good luck to the competition.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach”

WBA Lightweight Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Prime Video PPV Main Event between Undefeated WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0-1, 28 Kos) against WBA Super Featherweight Champion Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-2, 10 Kos), will forever be tainted by the unusual controversial outcome handed out at the result of this bout. Real Talk!

At the start of the bell Lamont came in focused with a very good “game plan” which he proceeded to use quite effectively while Gervonta took his time downloading his usual data but this time he was met with some resistance from Lamont who did not cooperate as anticipated by Gervonta.

Lamont had brought his “A” game on the night standing his ground and going toe-to-toe with the heavy handed “Tank” who uncharacteristically looked disengaged at times and was taking in more punches than usual. Lamont’s power didn’t seem to bother Gervonta but Lamont’s activity proved to be enough to sway the rounds in his favor.

Both combatants had their moments when exchanging blows where “Tank” showed some levels but was not convincing enough in my eyes. Lamont took in some heavy shots but the kid showed heart and grit and remained fixated at continuing with the “game plan” at hand.

A controversial incident occurred in the ninth round where Gervonta deliberately took a knee due to supposedly having a substance from his hair dripping into his eye which confused the referee Steve Willis, who had started a standing 8 count but changed his mind and allowed Davis to be illegally tended to by his cornerman. In all reality, this should had been called a 10-8 round for Lamont.

That being said, it was clear that Lamont had asserted himself pretty well and definitely became a threat inside that squared circle where Gervonta had tried to step his game up at times to regain the lead but was met with a tougher combatant than expected. Lamont fought with controlled aggression making the bout that much more entertaining than expected.

After 12 full rounds action one Judge scored it 115-113 for Davis while the other two Judges scored it 114-114 even, resulting in a majority draw.

Factor in the missed 10-8 round by the referee and there could have been a clearer winner, nevertheless, with this draw, Gervonta retained his WBA Lightweight Title while Lamont earned the respect of his peers and the boxing community for an outstanding outing of a night.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jose Valenzuela vs Gary Antuanne Russell”

WBA Super Lightweight Challenge

It’s unusual for a fighter coming back from a loss and an opportunity to fight for a WBC Interim World Super Lightweight Title to automatically receive another great occasion to contest for another Title, but the opportunity did present itself for Gary Antuanne Russell (18-1, 17 Kos) to challenge yet again for a Title, the WBA Super Lightweight Belt being held by Jose Valenzuela (14-3, 9 Kos) as the Co-Main Event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Gary Antuanne understood the task at hand and the opportunity given so he did not want to fail at his second attempt at becoming Champion. Gary Antuanne preceded to execute a flawless “game plan” that could not be deterred by Jose who clearly did not prepare for this type of an attack.

Jose, who himself possesses very good boxing skills equipped with power, could not fend off the heavy onslaught coming his way. Gary Antuanne’s punch output along with the power and the clip they were coming at was simply too much for Jose to contend with. Jose was getting outworked and outpunched from every corner and was unable to respond with any type of calculated “game plan”.

The pressure that Jose was dealing with inside that squared circle was real and Gary Antuanne showed Jose absolutely no respect by the way he handed out this one-sided beatdown.

After 12 rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand scored it 120-108, 119-109 and 119 109 unanimously for Gary Antuanne Russell.

With this convincing win now under his belt, Gary Antuanne can now be crowned the new WBA Super Lightweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Gary Antuanne. A unification bout is definitely on the horizon.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Alexis Barriere vs Ubaldo Ilagor Resendiz”

Heavyweight Showdown

In last night’s Groupe Yvon Michel/Matchroom/DAZN co-feature Main Event at the Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Canada (our own backyard), our Canadian prospect undefeated Heavyweight Alexis Barriere (12-0, 10 Kos) continued his apprenticeship by dispatching of his opponent Ubaldo Ilagor Resendiz (13-2, 12 Kos) in an impressive fashion.

Alexis is a breath of fresh air to the Heavyweight Division. He looks the part, asserts himself quite well inside that squared circle and with the late addition of Sugar Hill as head trainer, last night’s performance was a perfect example of their pairing.

Ubaldo, who came in this bout quite game, was met with a driven warrior in Alexis who had destruction written all over his face. Alexis, under the tutelage of Sugar Hill, looks calmer, patient and more disciplined inside that squared circle.

Armed with heavy hands and a very good punch selection, Alexis efficiently broke down his heavyset 291-pound opponent round by round. It was a thing of beauty. Ubaldo, armed with heavy hands himself couldn’t dodge away from Alexis punches. The head to body shots were taking a toll on him and by the sixth round Alexis dropped Ubaldo with a left hand towards the ropes prompting the referee to rule it a knock down and a standing 8 count. Remarkably, Ubaldo came back for more abuse and got dropped again for another standing 8 count near the end of the round.

Ubaldo wasn’t looking good and was taking a lot of unnecessary punishment. With that said Ubaldo’s corner decided to pull their fighter preventing him from sustaining any further damage.

Win this convincing win, Alexis collected another knockout to add to his bright and flourishing Heavyweight career. I can’t wait to see what is next to come.

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