On the Watch “It’s All About Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer”

IBF Welterweight Challenge

Tonight’s Boxxer/Sky Sports/ESPN + Main Event between IBF Welterweight Champion Natasha Jonas (15-2-1, 9 Kos) and challenger Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 Kos) definitely lived up to the hype at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

Both combatants brought the “HEAT” straight from the first bell and never letting their feet of the gas pedal. Heavy bombs coming at each other from both sides round by round with neither combatant giving an inch of breathing room.

Natasha, the Champion and the natural welterweight, found herself in a serious shootout with Mikaela who moved up to the Welterweight Division ready and willing to dethrone the Champion with a steady pace of aggressive offence proving to be effective as the rounds progressed.

Both combatants stood their ground hammering some serious shots from body to head making this bout that much more exciting for the fans and for the judges to call.

Although both combatants were going toe to toe inside that squared circle, I personally feel that Mikaela was the one edging out the better imposing work rate and administering the most visible damage.

That being said, after 10 exciting action-packed rounds, the Judges at hand called it 96-95, 96-94 for Jonas and 97-93 for Mayer, giving Natasha Jonas the spilt decision.

It was a very close fight to call where I could definitely see Mikaela walking away with the win but nevertheless Natasha retained her IBF Welterweight Belt and recorded a great victory over an elite warrior.

Well done!

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 Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford”

Undisputed Welterweight Champion

Last night’s Premier Boxing Champions/Showtime PPV Main Event between Pound-for-Pound WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Unified Champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 Kos) and Pound-for-Pound WBO World Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 Kos), far exceeded my expectations when those two combatants finally graced the inside of that squared circle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Real Talk!

This highly anticipated bout took some years to get here but the two undefeated Champions stayed the course and eventually made it happen and the wait was well worth it. There was a lot of tough talk going back and forth from both combatants about who was going to do what to each other inside that squared circle but when all was said and done it was the fisherman “Bud” who had caught himself a “Big Fish” at the end of the night. Real Talk!

All the talk about “Bud” ain’t fight nobody in the Welterweight Division was undeniably put to rest when Crawford entered that squared circle and bullied the naturally bigger combatant in Spence straight from the gate.

I’m not sure if Errol underestimated his opponent on the night but he found out quickly after being dropped in the second round for a quick 8 count that this warrior standing across from him was coming for that kill.

Having been knocked down for the first time in his career motivated Spence to raise the heat inside that squared circle but the cool and calm Crawford had already figured out his opponent by that time and proceeded to execute the flawless “game plan” round by round.

Crawford, the visible smaller man inside that squared circle began imposing himself by walking down Spence with some vicious powerful punches that were visibly shaking him from head to toe. There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and last night Crawford proved to be the stronger and more skillful of the two combatants inside that squared circle.

The usually strong and durable Spence surprisingly had absolutely nothing to deter Terence from having his way with him inside that squared circle. For the first time in his career Errol got manhandled from start to finish and never quite recovered and eventually got dropped twice in the seventh round.

The inevitable was moments away and by the ninth round after being badgered with a series of unanswered punches, the referee jumped in and stopped the bout saving Errol from absorbing any further punishment.

With this dominating performance by Terence who captured the WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Titles from Errol and retained his WBO World Title, Crawford now becomes the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion of the World crowning him as the second Boxer male/female of all time to secure back-to-back Undisputed Supremacy in two different Weight Divisions during the four-belt era. (The other boxer to accomplish this achievement is Claressa Shields)

The debate is officially over, the King of the Welterweight Division is Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Congratulations, Champ – well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford”

Welterweight Unification Showdown

Two of the best pound-for-pound Welterweight Champions in WBA/WBC/IBF Unified Champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 Kos) and WBO World Champion Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 Kos), have finally met face to face to announce their highly anticipated Unification Showdown set for Saturday night July 29, 2023 on Showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This bout has been a long time coming. Two of the baddest in the game today have put their differences aside and managed to get the right deal done to finally see which of them two will be crowned Undisputed Champion of the Welterweight Division, once and for all.

The chatter in the boxing forum has already started by stating the obvious from their first meeting about how Errol, at first glance, is so much visibly and physically bigger than Terence. That being said, the size advantage that Spence possesses over Crawford may be the only thing to separate them come fight night due to the fact that both combatants’ ring IQ is top notch. Both have knockout power and the boxing skills inside that squared circle to go round for round if need be.

Personally, I think it will come down to the conditioning of the two warriors. Who will be able to withstand each other’s power the best? Both combatants have a reputation of breaking their opponents down systematically, which makes this bout that much more intriguing. Who will fold first when the pressure starts to become unbearable?

Tune in Saturday night July 29, 2023, on Showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and witness the coronation of a new Undisputed King of the Welterweight Division.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Sandy Ryan vs Marie-Pier Houle”

Vacant WBO Welterweight Showdown

Tonight’s Matchroom/DAZN Co Main Event brought us the crowning of a new Champion when Sandy Ryan (6-1, 2 Kos) bested our own Canadian challenger Marie-Pier Houle (8-1-1 2 Kos) at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales.

This may not have been Sandy’s best showing to date but knowing what was on the line tonight she definitely brought the right pressure on Marie, systematically breaking her down round by round. It wasn’t a pretty fight but it was effective enough to trouble Marie who did not have the right “game plan” to deter Sandy from having her way inside that squared circle.

Marie tried hard in every round – giving it her all but she lacked the right controlled aggression to offset Sandy’s higher work rate as the rounds progressed. Marie showed that she’s definitely tough inside that squared circle but she needed to be more active at times with her own work rate.

Sandy was undeniably looking for a knockout but Marie’s sturdy chin stood up to the assault but was unable to avoid the steady jabs hitting her straight all night.

After 10 rounds of action, the Judges at hand scored it 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 unanimously in favor of Sandy Ryan, the New WBO Welterweight Champion of the World.

Congratulations Sandy, your future is looking brighter and brighter every time out.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Terence Crawford vs David Avanesyan”

WBO Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s BLK Prime Main Event between WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 Kos) and challenger David Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17 Kos) was an event that Terence’s home-grown fans in attendance fairly enjoyed at the CHI Health Center.

The night in particular was an exciting event leading up to the showdown that Terence closed out in emphaptic fashion. I witnessed a man who hadn’t fought in over 13 months showing no rust whatsoever when he systematically broke down his opponent round by round, never looking rattled or bothered by Avanesyan’s aggression at times.

Terence was cool and calm and in control, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to close it out at his own will. As much as Avanesyan tried to deter Terence by landing a few good shots, none of them affected “Bud” inside that squared circle. No disrespect to Avanesyan who is a tough competitor and fresh off six straight knockout wins, but when faced with an elite combatant in Crawford, David was levels below the reach.

That said, when “Bud” was done toying with Avanesyan he shut the whole show down in a dramatic fashion with a well-placed left uppercut-right hook combination that sat Avanesyan down for the count in the 6th round forcing the referee to call an end to the bout.

With this resounding win Terence has now defended his WBO Welterweight Championship Belt for the sixth time and recorded his 10th straight knockout. Pound-for-Pound one of the best to ever do it inside that squared circle, Hands Down!

Congratulations Terence, you did your city proud on this one.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Yordenis Ugas”

WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Unified Champion

Last night’s Showtime PPV Main Event between WBC/IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 Kos) and WBA “Super” Welterweight Champion Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 Kos) at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, was simply an excellent display of how great Errol can be when dialed in inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

Both combatants showed up in tip top shape ready to go to war with one another but it was Errol who hadn’t fought in over 16 months, and had to recover from retina surgery to be back healthy for this bout he had the look and the aura of a man who wasn’t going to be deterred by no means, regardless of the opponent inside that squared circle.

Errol let his hands go early and did not stop pounding his opponent right from the jump. Both combatants surprisingly fought from the “phone booth” style not giving each other an inch but it was Spence who was getting most out of that tactic due to the higher volumes of punches being thrown with power.

I was surprised by Ugas’ “game plan” or lack of considering going toe to toe with Errol requires you to dish out a punch output to at least deter him from coming forward. Ugas gave back but was looking more at placing his punches rather than keeping up with Spence. Allowing Spence to have his way helps him build his confidence and encourages him to keep applying nonstop pressure with no real fear of anything coming at him.

Ugas had some moments inside that squared circle and even caught Spence slipping in the 6th round with a couple of heavy shots that caught Spence’s attention and visibly hurt him, but Ugas didn’t capitalize on that momentum and once Spence shook it off, he went back into “beast mode” throwing heavy punches looking for that get back.

As the rounds progressed Ugas’ right eye was swollen shut from the pounding, he was receiving from Spence who by then was breaking his opponent down round by round. The inevitable was near.

By the tenth round Ugas became a punching bag, absorbing punishment after punishment coming from all angles prompting the referee to send Yordenis to the ringside Doctor who than decided Ugas could no longer continue seeing out the right eye. Errol won by technical knockout and became the New Unified WBA “Super”/WBC/IBF Welterweight Champion of the World. Well done.

Errol Spence Jr. is “The Truth” hands down inside that squared circle. This performance by Spence last night proved once and for all that your Boy is back 100% from all previous setbacks. The only thing next to do is to challenge WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 Kos). Two undefeated Champions laying it all on the line for Undisputed.

Who you got?

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Blair Cobbs vs Alexis Rocha”

Welterweight Showdown

Last night the fast talking, trash talking Welterweight prospect Blair Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 Kos) got himself humbled when he took on Alexis Rocha (19-1, 13 Kos) inside that squared circle as the Main Event of the night at the USC Galen in Los Angeles, California on the Golden Boy/DAZN card.

Cobbs talked the talk but clearly underestimated his opponent when he first stepped foot inside that squared circle. Cobbs boxed and moved not looking too concerned about his opponent, right until he got caught and chin checked in the second round which opened up a clear flaw in Cobbs defense as the rounds progressed.

Alexis’ left hand was landing at will all night clearly rocking Cobbs who then started to move way too much to win any rounds. Cobbs was having some serious problems figuring out Alexis who was growing stronger as the rounds progressed.

Alexis’ “game plan” was simple but effective. His patience and steady aggressive approach troubled Cobbs enough to land another hard left chin checked and dropped Cobbs for a quick 8 count in the eighth round. Cobbs, who was clearly hurt struggled heavily to survive the end of the round.

The “End Game” was near and in the ninth round a visibly weakened Cobbs continued to absorb a burst of unanswered punches from body to head and again chin checked out on his feet prompting the referee to call an end to the bout.

Prior to the bout, Alexis had promised to hurt Blair inside that squared circle but went a step further and silenced the flamboyant one permanently.

This bout was a reality check for Cobbs who prior to the bout was calling out the top Welterweights in the Division. There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and this one showed you where you at, but it’s nothing you can’t bounce back from. Keep your head up Blair.

As for Alexis, congratulations on your convincing win keep up the momentum.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Errol Spence Jr. vs Yordenis Ugas”


WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Title Unification Championship

It has now officially been announced that WBC/IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 Kos) will be going into a Unification bout with WBA “Super” Welterweight Champion Yordenis Ugas (27-4, 12 Kos) April 16, 2022 at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

Errol, who has been sidelined by an eye injury, hasn’t graced the squared circle since December 2020 when he last conquered Danny Garcia, is now ready and able and itching to return to once again continue his quest on becoming Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World.

In order to attain that quest Errol will have to pry the WBA “Super” World Title from a highly motivated combatant Yordenis who last defended the prized belt by convincingly defeating the legend Manny Pacquiao (62-9-2, 38 Kos) as a replacement on 10 days’ notice.

While many peeps in the boxing community believe that Errol will have an easy night ahead of the bout, I personally anticipate this bout will be quite competitive. Real Talk! Peeps shouldn’t sleep on Ugas, this Kat is an exceptional boxer with a very high Boxing IQ when focussed and highly motivated, and having beaten a legend in Pacquiao to now gracing the ring with a Pound-for-Pound Champion like Errol, that alone will definitely bring that warrior mentality needed to maybe upsetting the odds against him.

I’m quite intrigued by this bout and can’t wait to see the outcome when both combatants will be putting their Championship Belts up for this highly anticipated Unification bout that will bring the Champion one step closer to Undisputed April 16, 2022 at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios”

Welterweight Throwdown

Last night’s Premier Boxing Champion/Fox Pay-Per View Main Event between Keith Thurman (30-1, 22 Kos) and Mario Barrios (26-2, 17 Kos) at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas was a very crowd-pleasing entertaining bout.

Keith, who hasn’t graced the squared circle in nearly two years, appeared in tip top shape and ready to rumble right from the first bell. Keith looked sharp, strong and very accurate with his punch selection. Going toe to toe with a big first timer in the Welterweight Division in Mario Barrios is not an easy task. Barrios looked strong and big as well at the weight and very rangy with his reach and height creating a stiff challenge to Keith.

That said Keith, boxed with confidence and clearly displayed a higher boxing IQ round by round. I gotta tip my “B” hat to Barrios for stepping into the lion’s den and taking on such a proven competitor as his first fight into the Division. As good of a boxer Mario is he was levels below the highly experience Thurman inside that squared circle. Barrios held his ground, fought well and proved that he will be a problem to the rest of the Welterweight Division.

Keith was on point last night, firing heavy shots from all angles and moved beautifully from round 1 to 12 without displaying any fatigue or ring rust. Quite impressive.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111 all in favor of Keith Thurman.

Thurman needed to prove to the 147-Pound Division that he was back and last night’s performance was adequate enough but the question still remains: will he still have what it takes to dethrone the current Champions in IBF/WBC Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 Kos), WBO Terence Crawford (38-0 29 Kos) and WBA Super Yordenis Ugas (27-4, 12 Kos) holding the belts?

Until then, congratulations Keith on your comeback win. I can’t wait to see who your next challenger will be.

Blaze