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.

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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.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jaime Munguia vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko”

Super Middleweight Showdown

Last night’s Golden Boy/DAZN Main Event between Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 Kos) and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-5, 10 Kos) was an exciting showdown that undeniably brought the fans in attendance to their feet at the Toyota Arena, Ontario, California. Real talk!

Both combatants moved up from the Middleweight Division to the Super Middleweight Division to have this incredible clash and boy did they bring that heat inside that squared circle.

It was clear from the way this bout started out that Munguia did not expect this type of resistance from his older opponent but what he soon found out was that this “Technician” was not someone to be taken lightly inside that squared circle.

Derevyanchenko brought his “A” game on the night and showed the young buck how serious things can get when you move up in competition. Both combatants threw some serious leather at each other round by round but it was Sergiy’s consistent aggressive pressure that troubled Munguia as the rounds progressed.

Munguia had a good jab whenever he let it go but his lack of defense on the night was quite evident and disturbing considering the heavy shots he kept on absorbing. I mean the dude is tough but when you’re met with a resilient warrior like Derevyanchenko, you have to quickly reassess the “game plan” at hand.

Both combatants were hurt multiple times and showed fatigue throughout the bout but as the championship rounds approached, Munguia seemed to have the edge in the power department. By the 12th and final round Jaime may have sealed the deal with a devastating body shot that sent Derevyanchenko down for a quick 8 count which then had Sergiy backpedaling in survivor mode for the remainder of the round.

After 12 hard fought completed rounds, the Judges at hand scored it 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113 unanimously for Jaime Munguia. It was a tough battle that I think personally, could have gone either way.

That being said, Munguia definitely fought the toughest opponent of his career to date. With this hard-earned win Munguia picked up the vacant WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title positioning himself one step closer to a possible clash with the “Kingpin” of the Super Middleweight Division Undisputed Champion Canelo Alvarez.

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On The Watch “It’s All About Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano II”

Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Rematch bout between Unified WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 Kos) and WBO Champion Brian Castano (17-1-2, 12 Kos) at the Dignity Sports Park, Carson, California was definitely a bout to remember as we finally witnessed the crowning of the first Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion since the four-belt era.

This time around both combatants came out the gate with a different approach. Castano’s punch output was visibly less while Charlo stepped up his boxing and moving being more aggressive from the jump.

Charlo’s jab was very effective and definitely gave Castano a harder time at getting on the inside but that being said, both combatants had their moments making this bout quite exciting as the rounds progressed with both warriors dropping some heavy bombs on one another up close and personal.

With the rounds heating up, it was Charlo who walked it like he talked it and made sure to keep the Judges out of the equation this time around when he viciously dropped Castano heavily in the tenth round twice as Castano resisted to get to his feet a second time visibly still hurt from the knockdowns which then prompted the referee to stop the electrifying bout.

It was an action-packed event that saw Jermell defend his WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Championships and seize the WBO Belt from Brian to now becoming the first Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion of the World since the four-belt era.

With this convincing win and major achievement in your career to date, you are now part of one of the most prestigious clubs in Boxing and join the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Josh Taylor and Terence Crawford to become Undisputed Champions in the four-belt era.

Congratulations Jermell, you cleaned out the 154-Pound Division and now reign supreme. You earned that one the hard way. Well done!

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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 Roman Gonzalez vs Julio Cesar Martinez”

Vacant WBC Diamond Junior Bantamweight Title

Last night’s Matchroom/DAZN Main Event at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California was initially supposed to be a highly anticipated third rematch between WBA “Super” Junior Bantamweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28 Kos) and former Four Division World Champion Roman Gonzalez (51-3, 41 Kos), however due to Juan Francisco testing positive for Covid-19 back in January he had no choice but to withdraw. In order to save the card replacement combatant Flyweight WBC champion Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 Kos) moved up in weight on a six weeks’ notice to challenge “Chocolatito”.

While many boxing pundits envisioned that the younger and fresher Martinez would be too much for the aging warrior, fans in attendance received a hell of show when Gonzalez handed the Flyweight young gunner a clinical beating from rounds 1 to 12.

Experience, timing and controlled aggression with precise accurate punches were all on display when “Chocolatito” easily dismantled the overmatched but tough warrior Martinez.

Martinez stood his ground and fought well at times but lacked the right “game plan” or the experience to deter the crafty veteran from having his way with him inside that squared circle.

Gonzalez owned the ring last night and looked like a rejuvenated combatant who had found the fountain of youth by the way he fought and moved inside that squared circle.

Although Martinez came in well over the contractual Junior Bantamweight limit of 115 lbs, the added weight had absolutely no effect on Gonzalez who withstood the power punches coming his way with no real issues and simply outworked the bigger fighter.

After 12 full rounds of action the Judges scored it 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 all in favor of Roman Gonzalez.

This was an exceptional performance by the aging warrior who proved to still have the goods to the get the job done. I’m not sure how much “juice” Gonzalez has left at this point in his career but a rescheduled rematch with WBA “Super” Junior Bantamweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada would definitely keep that fire blazing for one more unique show if a final curtain call was ever to be in his near future.

Until then congratulations Roman on another brilliant display of skills.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Yordenis Ugas vs Abel Ramos”

Vacant WBA “Regular” Welterweight Title

Last night’s main event at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California gave us a chance to see Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 Kos) outbox and dominate Abel Ramos (26-4-2, 20 Kos) for a full 12 rounds of none-stop action.

Ugas came out the gate and established his jab early with some well-timed combinations that clearly kept Abel off balance throughout the bout. Abel moved well inside that squared circle and did his best to attack Ugas when feasible, but Yordenis’ high guard and counterpunching made it real hard for Abel to land anything of significance to slow Yordenis down.

As dominant as Ugas was inside that squared circle, I personally felt he could have stepped on the gas a little more and upped his offensive output. To me, Ugas pretty much controlled the bout while still fighting in first gear. Had he pressed the action a little more we could have probably seen a stoppage by Ugas.

That being said, Yordenis clearly won this bout last night hands down. The Judges’ scores were 115-113, 115-113 for Yordenis and 117-111 for Ramos. I’m baffled by Judge Dr. Lou Moret’s card of 117-111 for Abel. No disrespect to Ramos but your Boy got done up by a superior boxer in Ugas in pretty much every round. Real Talk! There was absolutely no other way to tally the score in Ramos’ favor. None!

With this win, Yordenis is now the new WBA “Regular” Welterweight Champion. Congratulations “Champ”. You’ve grinded a long time and worked your way up to this point. Enjoy the fruits of your labour. You deserve it.

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

WBC Super Welterweight Challenge Take II

It has officially been announced.  The highly awaited rematch between newly crowned WBC Super Welterweight Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison (28-2, 21 Kos) and Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (32-1, 16 Kos) is set to take place Saturday December 21, 2019 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

It’s clear from their latest press conference in Los Angeles that these two Dudes definitely don’t like each other. The disrespect is real, and the “heat” is building up whenever they’re in the same building. Real Talk!

Charlo wants that payback asap, that controversial loss to Tony ain’t sitting well with him but snatching that WBC Belt from Tony won’t be easy. Tony is out to prove that him beating Jermell last year wasn’t no fluke. The “game plan” that he executed worked to his advantage duplicating the same result would definitely silence all skeptics out there hating on him.

That being said, Charlo is that hungry Lion determined to recapture that gold back by any means necessary. Jermell wants to put a hurting on Tony in a bad way. But as the saying goes, styles make fights, and Tony is a smart technical boxer that can easily disrupt an aggressive style like Charlo’s when he’s dialed in and his defense is on point.

It will be interesting to see whose “game plan” will prevail when it’s all said and done. Trash talking aside these two combatants will have no choice but to step inside that squared circle and settle their differences one time live on FOX Deportes Saturday December 21, 2019 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Danny Garcia vs Adrian Grenados”


Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Main Event at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California was well worth it.
Danny Garcia (35-2, 21 Kos) showed up and reaffirmed his position in the Welterweight Division by being the only fighter to date to administer Adrian Grenados (20-7-2, 14 Kos) his first defeat by knockout. Real Talk!

Danny got busy from the jump and laid some heavy gloves on Grenados and dropped him twice in the second round. The first knockdown came off a heavy precise left hand, while the second knockdown came from a well-timed right hand. Your Boy Danny was on point and had that hunger back in his eyes.

It looked like Granados miscalculated his approach last night and in doing so got dismantled by Garcia who was determined to put the hurting on him. It was a statement bout that Garcia desperately needed and in stopping a tough and rugged Grenados the way that he did was very impressive.

By round 7, the referee had seen enough and jumped in and pulled the plug. Grenados was looking like a punching bag getting hit with some real heavy shots from left to right. There was no coming back at this point. Danny had convincingly proved his point. Garcia is back and looking for that smoke!

With this win Danny may have secured himself a rematch with Sean Porter for the WBC Welterweight Title. However, Danny has made it clear that he’s calling out all Champions in the Welterweight Division.

Until then, congratulations on your win Danny, now keep the momentum going.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Artur Beterbiev vs Enrico Koelling”

IBF Light Heavyweight World Title

There is a new player in the Light Heavyweight Division ready to shake things up. With Andre “SOG” Ward now retired the IBF Light Heavyweight World Title was up for grabs last night at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California.

Undefeated #2 IBF two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (12-0, 12 Kos) and Enrico Koelling (23-2, 6 Kos) were the two fighters enlisted to take part for the IBF Light Heavyweight World Title.

Beterbiev has won on every level he has competed at to date and this opportunity wasn’t about to be any different. His dream of becoming a World Champion was his for the taking by any means necessary.

That being said, in a not so exciting bout Beterbiev quietly dismantled Koelling by dropping him two times in the 12th round when the referee decided enough was enough and halted the bout. The fans in attendance weren’t too impressed with Artur’s performance on that night but having seen first hand how Beterbiev usually handles his opponents, I wouldn’t stress this one too tough cuz your Boy Artur can crack with extreme power and box very well. I personally would worry about the next Dude to duke it out with him because the Light Heavyweight Division is in trouble once this Dude gets it going. REAL TALK!

Congratulations “King Artur” on becoming the New IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion.

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