On The Watch “It’s All about Katie Taylor vs Miriam Gutierrez”

Lightweight Title Defence

In tonight’s Main Event at the SSE Arena, Wembley, London between Undisputed Lightweight IBF/WBC/WBA/WBO Champion Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 Kos) and WBA mandatory challenger Miriam Gutierrez (13-1, 5 Kos) was nothing short of a clinical display of exceptional boxing by the Champion.

Katie asserted herself from round one and never took her foot off the gas. Katie made it clear tonight that she was not in the mood to play around with her opponent. Katie punished Gutierrez with flurries of punches that stung so hard that at times Gutierrez looked puzzled and overwhelmed by Katie’s none-stop pressure.

It was clear as the rounds wore on that Gutierrez was absolutely no match for Katie. However, I got to give it up to Gutierrez for taking her punishment and not giving up on the fight even after hitting the canvas in the fourth round for a quick 8 count, Gutierrez showed a lot of heart and still managed to make it through the end.

Katie showed us tonight why she is the Queen of the Lightweight Division. Her boxing IQ is something serious and not easily matched. After 10 rounds of action the Judges scored it 100-90, 100-89 and 99-91 in favor of Taylor.

Another dominant performance by the Undisputed IBF/WBC/WBA/WBO and Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor.

Job well done Katie. I can’t wait to see who will step up and challenge the Queen in your next outing.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All about Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz”

WBA Super Featherweight and Lightweight Challenge

Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime Pay-Per-View Main Event at the Alamodome in San Antonio between WBA Regular Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 Kos) and WBA Super Featherweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 Kos) was an exciting bout for as long as it lasted. Real Talk!

This bout was “Blazin” from the start of the first bell. Leo looked focused and determined. Leo came out the gate and asserted himself by not shying away from Gervonta and actually boxing his way towards him. Leo was giving Gervonta some good work and looking good doing it.

However, as good as Leo was doing so was Gervonta. Tank was just as focused and definitely took this bout seriously. Gervonta showed patience while boxing beautifully with exceptional quickness to go along with the powerful shots he was throwing accurately at Santa Cruz.

As the rounds wore on you could clearly see the power shots were getting to Leo as he was more cautious and tentative with his usual output. Still, I have to tip my “B” hat to Leo for standing there and actually going toe to toe with Gervonta.

That being said, I think Leo may have been believing his own hype a little too much by the sixth round. Leo tried once again to go toe to toe with Gervonta one time too many and brutally got caught with a vicious left uppercut that landed Leo’s first ever knockout of his 14-year pro career. Leo was lights out cold with an official time of stoppage at 2:40 of the sixth round.

With this destructive performance by Gervonta, he now regains the WBA Super Featherweight Title and retains his WBA Regular Lightweight Title to now simultaneously become a two weight Division Champion.

Hate him or love him your Boy “Tank” is nothing to play with in the 130 or the 135-Pound Division hands down.

Both Divisions have some serious talented competitors waiting for their opportunity. I can’t wait to see what’s next or better yet who’s next in line for the young “Pitbull” Gervonta Davis.

Congratulations “Tank” on your latest accomplishment.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All about Oleksandr Usyk vs Dereck Chisora”

Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Heavyweight Main Event between Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 Kos) and Dereck Chisora (32-10, 23 Kos) at the SSE Arena at Wembley wasn’t pretty but definitely a tougher challenge this time around for Usyk.

Dereck came out the gate aggressive pouring some heavy punches that caught Usyk off guard and had him back peddling trying to figure Chisora out for the first three rounds. Dereck spent a lot of energy trying to slow Usyk down in the early rounds and actually had some success with his approach but as the rounds wore on Usyk started to box and move and connecting on Chisora with some very good accuracy.

Chisora continued to press the action as much as he could but Usyk’s style and movement was definitely giving Chisora issues that caused his output to slow down. Tonight, Usyk was unquestionably in a tough bout but was still able touch up his opponent at will.

Chisora stood his ground as much as he could but simply couldn’t keep up with the movement and the output that Usyk was using to tire him out. As the later rounds creeped up Dereck became lazy and sluggish which made it easier for Usyk to dominate the later rounds in a stronger fashion.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 117-112, 115-113, 115-113 in favor of Oleksandr Usyk.

Personally, this wasn’t Usyk’s best outing to date but for only his second fight at Heavyweight, Oleksandr has showed signs of being able to hang with the Big Boys.

With this win Oleksandr moves one step closer to a WBO mandatory showdown with IBF/IBO/WBO/WBA Super Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 Kos).

Can’t wait to see them two duke it out inside that squared circle. Until then, congratulations Oleksandr on your latest victory.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All about Sergey Lipinets & Custio Clayton”

Interim IBF Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s SHOWTIME Main Event presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, between Sergey Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 Kos) and Custio Clayton (18-0-1, 12 Kos) was an entertaining chess match from start to finish. Real Talk!

Our own Canadian prospect Clayton, touched down on U.S. soil for the first time and asserted himself in a convincing manner in his first step up fight of his career. Clayton executed his “game plan” to a “T”, boxed and moved beautifully with a stiff jab that had Sergey’s attention all night. Clayton’s effective higher work rate kept the stalker, Sergey from ever getting into a comfortable flow but it did not stop him from working Clayton’s body attack.

Every punch thrown from Sergey was heavy with some serious bad intention when landed but due to Clayton’s tight defence and some very good movement, Sergey couldn’t connect with his usual output. Fatigue seemed to have settled down on him in the later rounds and may have cost him the outcome.

That being said, Clayton came in stronger in the later rounds and definitely stole the 12th round from Sergey in my eyes. One Judge scored it 115-113 for Clayton (as I did) but was overruled by the two Judges who scored the bout a 114-114 draw. Personally, I think that if Clayton would have pressed his offensive attack a little bit more, things could have been a lot clearer to the Judges.

Clayton showed Sergey and the 147-Pound Division that he is not to be taken lightly. Last night’s showing definitely earned him some respect to his name (Birdman voice).

This may not have been the outcome you were looking for Clayton, but one thing is for sure you did us Canadians proud last night.

Can’t wait to see what’s next for you, keep your head up Custio.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All about Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Teofimo Lopez”

Lightweight Title Unification Challenge

Last night’s highly anticipated Lightweight Division Main Event battle between WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-2, 10 Kos) and IBF Champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 Kos) inside “The Bubble” at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, was nothing short of entertaining.

Lopez showed up last night and showed up “BIG” inside that squared circle and corrupted the “Matrix” that is Lomachenko, real early with a flawless “game plan” from the jump. It was a chess match between two top tier combatants. However, the Master Chess player in Loma miscalculated his approach and fell behind in the first half of the bout and had to play catch up to make up for lost ground.

Loma’s slow start cost him dearly in this bout. His usual tactic of confusing his opponent wasn’t working on Lopez. Teofimo landed non-stop body punches that clearly limited Loma’s come forward approach. Loma obviously didn’t expect for Lopez to be this quick and accurate with heavy hands at the end of each punch.

Although Loma started to get things going his way in later rounds, Lopez’s steady jab with a sting attached to it, prevented Loma from ever clearly getting set up in his familiar riddim of fighting.

Teofimo’s youth, boxing IQ and sheer will to win carried him over to the finish line when Loma attempted to press him in trying to steal away the later rounds.

Last night’s bout wasn’t a passing of the torch but more of a “Takeover” by the young Lion Teofimo Lopez Jr. who seized the WBA/WBO/WBC “Franchise” Belts from Lomachenko’s grasp and retained his IBF Lightweight Title to now becoming the youngest four-belt champion in Boxing History. The Judges scored it 119-109, 117-111 and 116-112. I personably saw it a little closer than that but can’t complain at the outcome. Your Boy Teofimo had to dig deep for this one and definitely earned it the hard way.

The Lightweight Division has a new “King” and he goes by the name of Teofimo Lopez Jr. The “Takeover” has begun.

Congratulations Champ!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About 2020 NBA FINALS CHAMPIONS”

2020 NBA FINALS CHAMPIONS

The NBA “Bubble” experience is now over. “King James” got to rock the Crown once again and win his 4th NBA Finals MVP award, while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th NBA Title in franchise history, tying the Boston Celtics for the most in league history.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to “King James”. The man walked it like he talked it. LeBron stayed true to himself and the Lakers organization and put the franchise back in the position where it belongs: at the top of the food chain as the NBA Champions of the year 2020.

We can’t front on Miami. Although the Heat squad fell short last night on the biggest stage, the road to the Finals was educational enough to keep their hunger going for next year. Real Talk! Them Heat Boys balled hard, injured or not, they did their thing inside that “Bubble” and should keep their heads up high. They competed and deserved to be there – they just happened to meet up with a King and his squad that came out early in the game and shut the whole operation down by half time. The Lakers had physically and emotionally destroyed the Miami Heat spirit.

No one man can win an NBA Championship on his own, you need a serious squad to accomplish that from top to bottom and the Lakers crew are proof of that. That said, we can’t ignore LeBron James’ greatness on the biggest stage last night. LeBron finished the night with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and an additional MVP award with three Finals separate teams. Another historical moment to be added to his yet to be completed historical career.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers for conquering the challenges “The Bubble” experience presented. With Kobe Bryant’s death and that of his daughter Gigi last January, Social Injustice to COVID-19 still looming all over the world, this Championship run for the Lakers will forever be remembered as the most memorable one of this organization.

Respect earned to the Baddest Squad.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About NBA FINALS 2020”

2020 NBA Finals

Two teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year are now set to do battle in this year NBA Finals Wednesday September 30, 2020 inside “The Bubble”.

The No. 1 Seed representing the WESTSIDE is the Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers and the No. 5 Seed representing the EASTSIDE is the Eastern Conference Champion the Miami Heat.

No one predicted this Finals matchup at the beginning of this year NBA season but truth be told it does have the makings of a very intriguing outcome.

Although the odd makers favor the LeBron-led Lakers to come out on top as the NBA Champion, I personally believe the Heat may be the formidable opponent that will actually make things challenging in preventing the Lakers on having an easy run to the Championship.

Both teams have dismantled their previous opponents with relative ease coming into the Finals with an identical record of 12-3. They have both stepped it up on the defensive side and impressed with a very efficient offensive style of play that have kept us fans glued to the screen.

The Miami Heat squad has been counted out the day the Playoffs started but have quickly changed the narrative round after round to now entering the Finals. Unlike “King James” and the Lakers they were expected to reach the Finals with the squad that they have with Anthony Davis being the x-factor.

AD has well proven his worth dominating throughout the series, definitely making it hard on opposing opposition trying to slow him down. The Heat may not have two Hall of Fame running mates to match up with “King James” and AD but the squad that Miami is rocking with have no backing down in them. They are a no-nonsense crew ready to get physical and grind it out by any means necessary.

That said, there is absolutely no favoritism inside “The Bubble”. The Larry O’Bryan Trophy is up for grabs now let’s see who will get crowned NBA Champion of the year 2020.

Tune in this Wednesday night September 30, 2020 live on ABC inside “The Bubble” for game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jermell Charlo vs Jeison Rosario”

WBC/WBA/IBF Junior Middleweight Unification Challenge

Wowwwwwwww! Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions Showtime PPV main event at the Mohegan Bay Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, between WBC Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo (34-1, 18 Kos) and WBA Super/IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Jeison Rosario (20-2-1, 14 Kos) will definitely be an event to be remembered.

First off, I was little concerned on how the night was going to go when Referee Harvey Dock gave Jermell credit for a knockdown on Jeison that clearly looked like a slip.

Rosario bounced back from round one and proceeded to apply some good pressure boxing smarts and making Jermell feel uncomfortable with some really good effective combination and body shots that clearly bothered Jermell.

As Rosario was winning rounds, Jermell never lost focus and continued moving around while administering a vicious power jab that clearly showed effect every time it landed. It was clear on that night that Jermell was the stronger fighter inside that squared circle.

By round six, Jermell’s “game plan” showed bright when he caught Rosario with a brutal two-piece combination that rattled Rosario straight down for an 8 count. Game changer!

Rosario came back in the seventh round and kept things competitive while still moving forward and boxing while stalking Jermell who was being smart patiently waiting for an opportunity.

Come to round eight, now with only 21 seconds into the round, Jermell hit Rosario with a jab to the face then to the body that sent him straight down into some type of body seizure that did not need a count. Real Talk! Your Boy Jeison was out cold and it did not look normal to me.

I know Jermell’s, got pop and hits hard but that jab to the body didn’t look that damaging but definitely did the job. Personally, I think something else health-wise was going on with Rosario at that moment.

That being said, your Boy Jermell Charlo did what he said he would do inside that squared circle. He clearly conquered his opponent and in doing so retained his WBC Junior Middleweight Title and collected some serious hardware in the IBF, The WBA Super and the prestige Ring Magazine Belt. Nuff said!

Your Boy Jermell is officially the Unified “King” of the Junior Middleweight Division. Hands down.

Congratulations Jermell, Lions Only is in the building!

Now who’s next?

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Jermall Charlo vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

WBC Middleweight Challenge

Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions Showtime PPV co-main event at the Mohegan Bay Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, between WBC Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22 Kos) and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-3, 10 Kos) was pure fireworks from start to finish. Real Talk!

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night Jermall showed us just that by clearly dominating the “Technician” Derevyanchenko by a unanimous decision.

Jermall’s pistol-like jab worked over Derevyanchenko from the jump. The snap and power Jermall had behind that jab did not go unnoticed as the rounds wore on. Jermall got pushed inside that squared circle last night by a really tough warrior in Derevyanchenko who clearly came to throw down with him but fell short in his third attempt at a winning a belt.

Sergiy was by far Jermall’s toughest opponent to date hands down. Sergiy banged and boxed blow for blow with the lion Jermall but simply couldn’t deter the “Champ” to win enough rounds. It was a tough night of action where both combatants went hard at each other. Real Talk!

In my eyes, Jermall’s power punches and accuracy are what separated the two. Although Derevyanchenko had some good moments at some stretches throughout the bout, Jemall’s “game plan”, patience, pure strength and ability to absorb Sergiy’s attack is what carried him over for the win.

The Judges’ scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112. Absolutely no complaints here.

With this convincing win over a top tier adversary, Jermall retained his WBC Middleweight Title and reasserted himself has a true Champion in the Middleweight Division.

Congratulations Jermall on another great convincing win.

Who’s next?

Blaze

On the Watch ” It’s All About Erickson Lubin vs Terrell Gausha”

WBC Junior Middleweight Title Eliminator

Last night’s main event on Premier Boxing Champions Showtime Boxing at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut between Erickson Lubin (23-1, 16 Kos) and Terrell Gausha (21-2-1, 10 Kos) was a chess match that had caution written all over it from the first half of the bout but did pick up the pace in the later rounds.

Lubin was the far more active fighter inside that squared circle while Terrell fought too conservatively in the earlier rounds. Both showed discipline in their boxing but needed more action between rounds. Lubin clearly landed the more power punches while Terrell searched for more of a calculated approach.

As the rounds wore on, the action eventually started to pick up which made things a little more interesting, especially by the 10th round when Terrell rocked Lubin with some heavy shots that had him looking a little shaky by the end of the round.

That being said, Terrell wasn’t able to capitalize on his previous successful round leaving Lubin to recover and regroup well enough to continue boxing his way to a unanimous decision. The Judges scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 118-110.

Personally, this wasn’t Lubin’s best performance but he did get the job done. With this win Lubin has now secured his WBC Mandatory position against the winner of the upcoming WBC Champion Jermell Charlo and IBF/WBA Super Champion Jeison Rosario Unification bout.

This will be Lubin’s second attempt at the WBC Belt. Whoever walks away with the WBC Championship Title between Jermell and Jeison will be Erickson stiffest competition. Therefore, Lubin will need to have his sh*t together and be properly prepared when his name is called to step up to the plate.

Until then, congratulations on your win Erickson.

Blaze