On The Watch “It’s All About Emanuel Navarrete vs Robson Conceicao”

WBO World Super Featherweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Co-Main Event between WBO World Super Featherweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete (38-1-1 31 Kos) and Robson Conceicao (17-2-1, 8 Kos) was an entertaining bout from start to finish.

Due to Navarrete’s slow start, Conceicao took advantage early and boxed beautifully and stayed active with his hands, but Navarrete’s power and aggressive, awkward styles were quite evident round by round. I was impressed with Conceicao standing his ground and exchanging blow for blow with a much heavier handed combatant across from him, but Conceicao did eventually pay the price by being overly confident in the fourth round and got dropped for a quick standing 8 count. To my surprise Conceicao jumped right back into being active and resilient with his offense.

The heavier shots kept on coming from Navarrete who pressed the action as best he could, but Conceicao didn’t make it easy for him and continued to bang toe-to-toe even though he lacked the power his active hands kept him in the fight. Navarrete’s power showed up again in the seventh round when he dropped Conceicao for the second time for another standing 8 count but couldn’t finish him off in his usual fashion. A tired looking Conceicao refused to fold and continued to box his way to the final bell of the 12thround.

The Judges at hand had a tough call to make. One Judge called it 114-112 for Navarrete while the other two Judges called it 113-113 giving this bout a majority draw.

Conceicao got rewarded for his work rate handed round by round while Navarrete still retained his WBO World Super Featherweight Title after a hard night’s work. Although Navarrete didn’t look as razor-sharp as his last outing, he did manage to give us fans a hell of a fight with Conceicao. Maybe a rematch could be in the near future to clear the air.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk”

Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

It has been officially announced! The road to Undisputed for the Heavyweight Division between Undefeated WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 Kos) and Undefeated Unified Heavyweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO and Ring Magazine Champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 Kos), will face off once and for all on February 17, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This is what the boxing world has been waiting for, the first Undisputed Champion to be crowned in the 21st century. Both Champions feel destined to become the chosen one to achieve this great feat in today’s time but there can only be one true winner.

The odd makers as of today favor Tyson to come out on top due to his pure size and skill set. However, the former Undisputed Cruiserweight King and now Unified Heavyweight IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO and Ring Magazine Champion has proven time and time again that he is nothing to play with inside that squared circle. Usyk is a proven warrior who has been in there with bigger and stronger men than him and still overcame the obstacles. To Usyk, Fury is just another big mountain that he will need to climb and tear down on his way to Undisputed.

Tyson is clearly not intimidated by Usyk, but truth be told, Usyk has undoubtedly adjusted to the Heavyweight Division by the way he recorded his two convincing victories against former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua and broke down and knocked out Daniel Dubois in his last outing. Usyk always seems to find a way to silence all doubters making this bout that much more intriguing. Usyk is not a big talker but his work inside that squared circle speak volumes.

Tyson will have his work cut out for him but who will have the right “Game Plan” the night of February 17, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The Day of Reckoning”

Saudi Arabia Takeover

The “Day of Reckoning” Grand Event in Saudi Arabia was officially announced at yesterday’s press conference at OVO Arena Wembley in London, when they unveiled a lineup of unexpected warriors grouped together for a night of action to remember on December 23, 2023.

To no one’s surprise, leading up the substantial card in a doubleheader will be former Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 Kos) going against tough and durable Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 Kos). Wallin has shown some serious improvement fight by fight, enough for AJ to be concerned about and not to be overlooked come fight night. AJ needs to have his “A” game on and to make sure to secure the win without any controversy. While in the Co-Main Event, two other former World Champions in Deontay Wilder (43-2, 42 Kos) and Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 Kos) will be looking to steal the show on the same night. Wilder will be looking to add another body to his high knockout ratio while Parker will be looking to upset the heavy favorite Wilder on the biggest stage of the night. Not an easy task but definitely one he signed up for.

Although the Main Event and the Co-Main Event are the main attractions for the night, the supporting cast to this card carry enough weight on their own to create some interesting outcomes to give this historical night that much more value for your buck.

There are a few notable names on the card looking to state their presence on the night.
Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18 Kos) will be looking to get back to his winning ways by challenging undefeated Heavyweight Jarrell Miller (26-0, 22 Kos). This is a noteworthy bout to keep an eye on. Dubois needs a solid win here to stay amongst the top of the Heavyweight Division while Miller needs a good win over a credible opponent to get himself back into the mix. Judging by how Miller came into the press conference talking all that sh*t, it’s clear Dude is looking for all that smoke with Dubois so expect some serious fireworks to pop off when those two collide inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Undefeated WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 Kos) will be entering the ring for the first time this year to defend his Title against IBO Light Heavyweight Champion Lyndon Arthur (23-1, 16 Kos). An interesting matchup and a major step-up fight for Lyndon, but I personally don’t think that Lyndon is quite ready for that level of competition just yet but I do tip my “B” hat to him for taking this challenge on short notice.

Undefeated IBF Cruiserweight Champion Jai Opetaia (23-0, 18 Kos) will be looking to maintain his momentum by having to defend his Title for a second time against an undefeated challenger Ellis Zorro (17-0, 7kos) in a stay busy fight if you ask me.

Undefeated Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic (16-0, 13 Kos) will be looking to put up his IBF mandatory position on the line when he takes on Mark De Mori (41-2, 36 Kos). I see this one as a stay busy fight for Hrgovic.

Our own Canadian/Russian representative, undefeated Heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17 Kos) will be going into a step-up bout with undefeated Heavyweight veteran Agit Kabayel (23-0, 15 Kos). This one should be a crowd pleaser for as long as it lasts.

My sleeper of the night will be undefeated Heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez (23-0, 16 Kos) who will be looking to silence the crowd once again when he takes on Junior Fa (20-2, 11 Kos). Another mark on his way to the top of the food chain.

This is a showcase type of an event that deserves our full attention so tune in Saturday December 23, 2023, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Kingdom Arena for an intriguing “Day of Reckoning” to be remembered. Some of these outcomes could affect the landscape of the Heavyweight Division if one is not careful.

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

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA Season 2023/2024”

The NBA Season 2023/2024

With the Denver Nuggets finally breaking through and claiming last year’s 2023 NBA Championship, the Nuggets have now placed a target on their back and getting back to the promised land once again will not be an easy task this time around. With the team still intact with the same squad that got them their first Larry O’Brien trophy, this Championship team will definitely be looking to defend their hard-earned title while accepting all challengers from the East/West trying to prevent them of achieving back-to-back Championship glory.

That being said, with quite a few players jumping ship from East to West and from West to East this summer in effect changing the balance of power, the Western Conference still continues to bear the mantle of the strongest conference.

The Memphis Grizzlies, who had an amazing season last year, will be looking to pick up from where they left off with their squad pretty much still intact with some key new faces added, but they will have to maintain their play without their All-Star player Ja Morant who has been suspended for the first 25 games due to misconduct detrimental to the NBA. This group will have their work cut out for them but time will tell if they still got the juice.

The Phoenix Suns have their own new version of the “Big Three” with their latest acquisition of Bradley Beal to run aside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. With them three lethal shooters lightening up the scoreboard night in and night out, their win column will definitely be up during the regular season but their defense will remain questionable.

The Golden State Warriors are at a crossroads with father time as their core players who have been running the team are getting older but when your star player is Stephen Curry who is still playing at a top 5 level at 35 years old, you still have plenty of lifeline needed to hopefully bring one more title to the Bay. This unit has experience on their side and with some new fresh faces to back up the core unit, they still have the goods to wreak havoc when push comes to shove.

The Los Angeles Lakers will always be in the running as long as they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis causing havoc at both ends of the floor. If both of these Dudes can stay healthy for most of the season and their supporting cast can keep up with them, the West could belong to them because as of right now a LeBron James at 38 years old is still top 5 on any given night.

As for the remainder of the Western Conference Teams the Sacramento Kings, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Utah Jazz, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Houston Rockets, they will all have to duke it out and play musical chairs. Some of these teams have already proven themselves last year in a major way but we all know that the Westside doesn’t play. It’s do or die on this side so making the top 8 is a tough task within itself.

The Eastern Conference is looking to shake the league up again with top players relocating and changing the balance of power making this Season that much more intriguing. The Boston Celtics may have made the best move out of them all with them picking up Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to reinforce their starting line-up. Them two alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is a defensive and offensive nightmare for their opposition. It will be interesting to see who will hold down that No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks may have lost Jrue Holiday but they had themselves a major pick up in Damian Lillard a lethal assassin on that court riding shot gun to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Once Damian gets acclimated with his new teammates things will start moving a lot faster on the offensive end where teams will have a problem stopping this deadly duo in the open court.

I had high hopes for the Philadelphia 76ers to wreak havoc throughout the Season but with the uncertainty of James Harden on whether he’s staying with Philly or going is making things look quite bleak at the moment. Their one major strong point is that they have the reigning MVP Joel Embiid playing at a high level and with a strong core still intact they could still make some noise. Tyrese Maxey is that gem that could have another breakout season to help carry the load off of Embiid.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had the league shook the way they balled out last year making some serious noise throughout the season and in the Playoffs. They have the goods to do even better this time around with the valuable experience they pick up on their journey. They have to show up and prove that last year’s success was not a fluke. With Donovan Mitchell steadily improving in his leadership role, the sky is their only limit.

As for the remaining Eastern Conference teams the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks, the Indiana Pacers, the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls, the Brooklyn Nets, the Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards, the jury is still out on most of them. There are too many unknowns and too much uncertainty surrounding these teams making it real hard to really assess where they’re at.

However, with the NBA holding an in-Season tournament for the first time between November 3, 2023 and December 9, 2023 with all games except the final counting toward the regular Season standings, this will give a chance to the bottom teams from the Eastern/Western conferences to prove they belong by giving all participating teams a much-needed incentive and the motivation to compete night in and night out.

This new added format could be a game changer and for that alone we should all tune in this Tuesday night October 24, 2023, and be part of another fascinating NBA Season 2023/2024.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Alexis Rocha vs Giovani Santillan”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main event Between Alexis Rocha (23-2, 15 Kos) and Giovani Santillan (32-0, 17 Kos) exceeded expectation in their Welterweight Showdown at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California.

Alexis strutted his way down the walkway taking his sweet time but beaming with confidence and definitely pissing off his opponent who was already inside the ring irritated by how long Alexis was taking to get the bout started.

I could see the anger in Giovani’s eyes and pure destruction was written all over his face. I’m not sure if Alexis underestimated his opponent but judging from the first round it was clear that Alexis was not properly prepared for the heat that Giovani was coming at him with.

Giovani pressed the action from the jump and never let his foot of the gas. Giovani was putting his punches together with authority and precision. The power that Giovani was displaying round by round was overwhelming and clearly took Alexis by surprise.

Alexis looked out of place and not in the right mind to compete with Giovani on that night inside that squared circle. Alexis was being broken down round by round and in the fifth round succumbed to two vicious knockdowns that saw him beat the count but clearly wasn’t completely recovered from the bruising round.

The inevitable was around the corner and by the 6th round an onslaught of uncontested heavy punches connected and dropped a demoralized and depleted Rocha to the canvas for the third time prompting the referee to wave the bout at this point.

Although Alexis attempted to stand his ground throughout the bout, Giovani was clearly the better prepared warrior of the night and he did not disappoint by seizing the moment on his biggest night.

With this emphatic win now under his belt, Giovani has shot up the Welterweight Division and put the rest of his peers on notice, he is coming and taking all challenges ahead.

Well done, Giovani, now onto the next.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Regis Prograis vs Devin Haney”

WBC Junior Welterweight Challenge

It has been officially announced! WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis (29-1, 24 Kos) will be defending his Championship belt Saturday night December 9, 2023, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California against the Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney (30-0, 15 Kos), who will now be moving up in weight in pursuit of becoming a two-Division World Champion.

This matchup is very interesting to me because Devin is the one who surprisingly called out the Champ. Choosing a heavy fisted Champion like Prograis for your first fight at a heavier weight is telling me that your confidence is at 100% from the jump. As skilled as Devin is he needs to be mindful of Prograis because this Dude is no walk in the park inside that squared circle. Prograis is strong, durable and aggressive with them hands once he gets going.

That being said, Devin is on a mission to take over the Junior Welterweight Division and his first mark is Prograis. Judging by how the press conference unfolded today, there is definitely no love lost here. The disrespect displayed today will certainly have to be settled inside that squared circle, hands down.

Prograis will have to make sure to be ready for everything Devin brings to the table because your Boy Dev got the right attributes and the skill set to possibly offset Regis’ strength if he’s not well prepared. Regis considers himself the best in the Division and it will be up to him to walk it like he talks it and deter the young hungry lion from using him as a stepping stone to the top of the Division.

Tune in Saturday night December 9, 2023, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California and live on DAZN PPV, and witness the outcome of this intriguing Junior Welterweight Showdown.

Blaze

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.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington”

WBA Featherweight Challenge

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event between WBA Featherweight Champion Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 Kos) and challenger Josh Warrington (31-3-3-1, 8 Kos) brought the house to its feet at the Sheffield Arena, with a surprising ending. Real Talk!

Josh came out the gate like the warrior he is and proceeded to put hands from all angles on Leigh who kept his cool maneuvering throughout the aggressive attacks coming his way.

Leigh fought back round by round but at first sight, Leigh’s punches looked weak but were still able to land good shots. However those punches did not have enough spice to deter Josh who was coming in with a relentless style.

It looked like it was going Josh’s way inside that squared circle but throughout all the rough rounds Leigh never gave up and continued to fight fire with fire with an effective jab doing some good work.

At the start of the seventh round, Leigh was clearly down on the cards but fought hard and didn’t let the moment get to his head. As the clock was winding down in the round, Leigh unleashed a vicious combination of punches that stunned Josh cold on his feet. He crumpled to the floor only to hastily get up to his feet drunk and walking back to his corner while the referee was administering a standing 8 count. The referee eventually ruled that Josh was in no position to continue and waved the bout off.

It was an astonishing finish exactly at the 3-minute point of round seven. With this unbelievable win now under his belt, Leigh retained his WBA Featherweight Title to continue this “Cinderella” version of his boxing career.

Well done, Champ.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo”

Undisputed vs Undisputed

Last night’s PBC/Showtime PPV Main Event between Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 Kos) and Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 Kos), who had moved up two Divisions to the 168-Pound Division to challenge the reigning “Kingpin” on the biggest stage of his career to date, did not perform as expected at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Real Talk!

Although Jermell showed up on fight night fit and ready to conquer a new Division, he quickly found out what weight Division he truly belongs in when all was said and done.

At the first bell Canelo wasted no time introducing Jermell to the Super Middleweight Division. Canelo showed dominance early and never let Charlo breathe long enough to gain any confidence inside that squared circle.

Canelo looked like his old self again, stalking and pressuring his opponent and walking him down with heavy shots coming from all angles making Charlo real uncomfortable inside that squared circle. I was surprised by Charlo’s lack of action. He talked all that bravado about what he was going to do to Canelo inside that squared circle but what really transpired on the night is how the “Lion” got subdued into submission by the superior warrior.

No disrespect to Charlo who stood his ground and took a knee in the 7th round to regroup and continued all the way to the finish line but truth be told this was a very uncharacteristic version of Charlo we saw inside that squared circle. Charlo has always been the aggressor but last night he was retreating in fear and uncertainty proving the naysayers right: that he did not belong in that ring opposite of Canelo.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and last night Canelo proved once again why he is the ‘Kingpin” of the Super Middleweight Division by the way he dominated Charlo with absolutely no resistance coming his way.

After 12 full rounds of one-sided action, the Judges at hand called it 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109 unanimously for Canelo Alvarez.

With this convincing win, Canelo became the first man in this boxing era to record a third defense of his Undisputed Championship.

Well done Champ – now on to the next.

Blaze