On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Yuriorkis Gamboa”

Vacant WBA “regular” Lightweight Title

Last night’s Main Event Showdown at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia between Gervonta “Tank” Davis (23-0, 22 Kos) and Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18 Kos) was a hell of show. Real Talk!

Gervonta, who usually walks through his opponents was met with a real tough warrior in Gamboa that wasn’t going to lay down without a fight. Real Talk! Gamboa put up a hell of a fight but still got touch at will whenever “Tank” pressed the action.

Gamboa showed heart and bravery in withstanding all those power shots that Davis was hammering on him throughout the rounds. However, in doing so he also gave Davis his toughest fight to date.

As good as “Tank” was doing he was in a real fight last night and definitely had to work to get the job done. Gervonta knocked Gamboa down in round 2, 8 and again in round 12. It’s in that final round that the referee decided to pull the plug after that last knockdown and stopped the fight.

It was a learning experience for Davis this go around. Fatigue settled in, he had to go 12 rounds for the first time in his professional career and this was his first fight at 135 Division. That being said “Tank” still weathered the heat and completed the task at hand with a knockout victory.

With this win Gervonta becomes a two-weight Division Champion by picking up the Vacant WBA “regular” Lightweight Title.

Congratulations Gervonta, now on to the new year 2020.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jean Pascal vs Badou Jack”

Interim WBA/WBC Light Heavyweight Challenge

In a tough and competitive bout last night at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Jean Pascal (36-6-1, 20 Kos) retained his Interim WBA/WBC Belts with a tight split decision against Badou Jack (22-3-3, 13 Kos).

This bout was exciting from the jump. Pascal came out the gate and asserted himself real early with an aggressive style that bothered Jack. Pascal’s power shots were coming in bunches and connected with a serious overhand right with some serious jabs that staggered and dropped Jack in the 4th round for a quick 8 count with only 10 seconds left in the round.

In the second half of the bout Jack started to work his way back and putting in some good work. The rounds were tight and very competitive. The action was none stop and carried all the way to  the final round where Jack connected with a hard right hand that dropped Pascal for a quick 8 count with lots of time left in the 12th round but Pascal showed grit and fired back enough shots to still stay competitive and finished the round strong and on his feet.

When it was all said and done two of the Judges scored it 114-112, 114-112 in favor of Pascal and 114-112 in favor of Jack.

With this win Jean Pascal retains his Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Title and WBC “silver” Light Heavyweight Title and finishes the year 2019 on a positive high.

Job well done Pascal, congratulations.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury”

WBC Heavyweight Title Challenge II

The rematch between these two giants: WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 Kos) and Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 Kos) has officially been set for Saturday February 22, 2020 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The split draw that both combatants received in their last encounter inside that squared circle has left a sour taste that both are eager to clear up permanently. It’s time to silence the critics. A lot of questions need to be answered from both sides.

Both combatants are predicting a knockout victory but to me the proven heavy fisted “Bronze Bomber” seams the most likely to fulfil his retribution. His track record speaks for itself. That being said, I can’t ignore the “Gypsy King” will to win, Dude got knockdown twice in their last outing and still managed to rise back up and stayed competitive while 41 of Deontay’s previous adversaries failed miserably.

There is more at stake this go around: their unbeaten records, the WBC Heavyweight Championship Title and the vacant Ring Magazine Title.

Tune in and witness this highly anticipated rematch. Who will walk away with both esteemed Titles when it’s all said and done on ESPN+ and Fox Sports pay-per-view Saturday February 22, 2020 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tony Harrison vs Jermell Charlo”

WBC Super Welterweight Challenge Take II

Last night’s rematch at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California between Tony Harrison (28-3, 21 Kos) and Jermell Charlo (33-1, 17 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype. Real Talk!

Charlo walked it like he talked it and made sure to keep the Judges out of this one. Charlo asserted himself early and was able to drop Tony in the second round for a quick 8 count. That prompted Harrison to change his “game plan” to become a more aggressive fighter due to the early knockdown.

As the rounds wore on Harrison boxed well enough to even out the rounds in my eyes, but it was clear that Charlo was looking to put a hurting on Harrison. Jermell’s controlled aggression along with his barrage of power punches were definitely keeping the fans interested.

However, Harrison’s “phone booth” tactics took Charlo by surprise and forced Jermell to dig deeper and rethink his approach as Tony was starting to come back with his own desperate aggression.

That being said, Jermell’s power was clearly the game changer this time around. By the 11th round Jermell managed to drop Tony with an empathic right hand to the dome for an 8 count then, once Tony got up, Jermell continued the attack with some heavy shots and knocked Tony down again for another 8 count. Tony got up from the second knockdown only to get swarmed by Jermell some more but by that time the referee had seen enough and pulled the plug.

As entertaining as this bout was it was a lot closer than the Judges had it. Harrison lost focus and paid the price at the end.

With this win, Jermell avenged his loss to Harrison from a year ago and now has once again reclaimed the WBC Super Welterweight Title.

Congratulations Jermell, Job well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs Egidijus Kavaliauskas”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night, WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (36-0, 26 Kos) successfully retained his WBO Welterweight Championship Belt by defeating Egidijus Kavaliauskas (21-1-1, 17 Kos) at Madison Square Garden In New York City.

The “Mean Machine” came out of the gate with some heavy hands that connected early on Crawford. The “game plan” that Kavaliauskas’ corner came up with looked really good up until the second half of the bout.

Round 7 is where Crawford started to show why there are levels to this boxing sh*t. Terence started pressuring Kavaliauskas with some heavy combinations that eventually put him down for an 8 count. The overwhelming pressure that Crawford was administering continued all the way to the 9th round. Without any resistance from Kavaliauskas, Crawford proceeded to drop him two more times in round 9. The overpowering assault coming at Kavaliauskas prompted the referee to stop the bout. He had seen enough.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to the “Mean Machine”. Dude came out to fight and did the best he could against one of the best Pound-for Pound fighters in the game today. He fought Crawford blow for blow but eventually crumbled when he couldn’t keep up with the pace. That being said Crawford is the real deal inside that squared circle, one that is definitely not to be taken lightly by anyone signing up for the task.

Good luck to the competition.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Richard Commey vs Teofimo Lopez”

IBF Lightweight Championship Challenge

Last night at Madison Square Garden In New York City, Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 Kos) fulfilled his Dad’s premonition of becoming Champion by his 15th professional fight. Real Talk!

What was supposed to be Teofimo’s biggest challenge ended up being one of his easiest fight to date. No disrespect to IBF Lightweight Champion Richard Commey (29-3, 26 Kos) who is a tough Champion on his own right but from the moment the first round started it was clear that Teofimo’s power was going to be a problem the minute he connected on Commey.

The left hand was landing at will with some vicious strength behind it in the first round that visibly rattled Commey. Teofimo’s speed and accuracy were too much for Commey and by the second round Lopez connected with a clear-cut right hand that dropped Commey for an 8 count that visibly shook him hard. Once Commey got up, Teofimo pounced on him with a flurry of punches that went unanswered forcing the referee to stop the fight 1:13 in the second round.

This display by Teofimo is exactly what he needed to put the Lightweight Division on notice. The Kid Lopez is a problem. He’s got the goods and the charisma to do something real big here but the question remains: is he ready for what awaits him in his next bout?

With this convincing win, Teofimo becomes the New IBF Lightweight Champion of the World. The “takeover” is in effect. In the New Year 2020 a date will be set to face Unified WBA/WBO WBC Franchise and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1-1, 10 Kos).

I’m intrigued by the potential outcome of this bout but only time will tell if Teofimo will be ready for what the “matrix” will have in store for him come fight night.

Until then Teofimo, congratulations on your astonishing victory.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA-Who’s On Top?”

The NBA-Who’s on Top?

We are at the Quarter mark of this year’s NBA Season and both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference have been playing some serious early competitive ball to jump start this NBA season 2019/2020.

The Milwaukee Bucks are taking claim of the No. 1 Spot on the Eastside for the time being with an impressive start of 20-3 record. The Bucks have been looking good and playing hard on both ends of the floor and although we are early in the season, they are definitely seeking to hold onto that No. 1 spot. The Boston Celtics’ 16-5 record is a well-balanced squad with Kamba Walker now leading the show and definitely keeping it interesting with their play. The surprising play of the Miami Heat 17-6 has made things very interesting.With the addition of Jimmy Butler, the Heat have improved dramatically in a competitive way. Without Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, our own Canadian Team the Defending Champs the Toronto Raptors 15-7 have managed to stay competitive at both ends of the floor and they’re not showing any signs of folding under any pressure of the competitive Eastern Conference. That being said, the Philadelphia 76ers 17-7 and the Indiana Pacers 15-8 are not to be overlooked.

The Los Angeles Lakers are also taking claim of the No. 1 Spot on the Westside with their own impressive start of 21-3 records. The powerful combination plays of LeBron James and Anthony Davis creating havoc on both ends of the court is this year’s version of showtime. The Lakers are looking to hold on to their No. 1 Spot but doing so will not be easy. The Dallas Mavericks 16-7 are surprisingly climbing up the rankings with their steady play as of late. They have a deceiving squad that can hang with the best of them on any given night. The Los Angeles Clippers 17-7 have all the goods and can turn things around in a blink of an eye. The combination of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is certainly keeping this team in the running. The Houston Rockets 15-7 are not to be taking lightly. As long as they stay focused and competitive, they can duke it out with the best of them on any given night. The Western Conference is a battle within itself. That being said the Denver Nuggets 14-7 and Utah Jazz 13-10 can’t be slept on just yet.

Stay tuned in. This NBA Season is full of surprises.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua”

World Heavyweight Championship Challenge

In a beautiful display of boxing at the open-air arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 Kos) successfully regained his crown by defeating Unified IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Champion of the World Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 Kos) by unanimous decision.

A slimmed down and focussed AJ showed up tonight to silence all the naysayers who counted him out and rewrite the wrong of June 1st when he suffered his first humiliating defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden.

From round 1 to round 12, AJ executed the “game plan” to a “T” and never wavered from it. AJ stayed long and tall, moved and jabbed his way to a unanimous decision. The Judges scored it 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 all in favor of Anthony Joshua.

AJ boxed and maintained his composure throughout the entire bout. Andy couldn’t close the distance or administer any type of sustained offence. AJ ‘s movement was clearly frustrating Andy as the rounds wore on.

That being said, the naysayers will still have some negative things to say about AJ ‘s win but truth be told, AJ dominated Andy in such a convincing fashion that cannot be ignored by his peers.

Hate him or love him, Anthony Joshua has now regained his rightful position in the Heavyweight Division and is now a Two-Time IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Anthony on a job well done. Now on to the New Year 2020!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Gervonta Davis vs Yuriorkis Gamboa”

Vacant WBA “regular” Lightweight Title

Gervonta “Tank” Davis (22-0, 21 Kos) will be moving up a Division and attempting to become a two weight Division Champion by challenging Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-2, 18 Kos) for the vacant WBA “regular” Lightweight Title on Saturday December 28, 2019 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Despite Gamboa being much older than Gervonta, I’m anticipating this bout to be “Blazin Hot” when these two tough combatants meet inside that squared circle. Gamboa has been pushing an impressive 4- fight winning streak as of late and looking better and better every time out. Gamboa ain’t no walk in the park. He is a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and a Three-Time World Champion at Featherweight, Junior Lightweight and at Lightweight. He’s a proven warrior attempting to get back at the top one more time.

That being said, Gervonta is a young undefeated star in the making, a Two-Time World Champion ready to conquer another Division. Tank is that Dude that people can’t sleep on. He has an abundance of skill sets that have yet to be seen inside the squared circle because he hasn’t been tested. Since his power has always been the equalizer, considering his high knockout ratio, but I’m hoping that Gamboa can bring that next unseen level out of him to the point where we can really appreciate a tough, competitive, back and forth type bout.

Tune in live on SHOWTIME Saturday night December 28, 2019 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and witness an exciting year-end event.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Deontay Wilder vs Luis Ortiz 2″

WBC Heavyweight Challenge

Don’t blink! -Is what the WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 Kos) said before defending his WBC Heavyweight Championship Title last night against Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz (32-2, 26 Kos) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The “Bronze Bomber” spoke it into existence when he knocked out “King Kong” for the count. Real Talk!

A slim and trim, focussed Ortiz stepped inside that squared circle last night and executed his “game plan” to perfection. He boxed beautifully, composed, sure of himself and was clearly winning every round from 1 to 6 hands down until round 7.

Wilder, who had zero offence throughout the first 6 rounds only needed one opening, one second, one well- connected demoralizing right hand “Bomb” to close the show in round 7. Once Wilder connected, Ortiz could not recover in time to beat the count. Just like that, Ortiz’s hard work to that point went out the ring.

Your Boy Wilder is a real problem to the Heavyweight Division. That Thanos-type power that he carries in that right hand is the “End Game” whenever he connects. Once again Deontay has put the entire Heavyweight Division on notice. Good luck to the competition. Whomever wants to take the WBC route to the Championship Belt needs to be mentally and physically prepared and even with that in mind, there is no guarantee you will succeed once you enter that squared circle and Deontay Wilder in standing across the ring from you.

Until your next contestant, congratulations on your win Champ.

Blaze