On The Watch “It’s All About Seniesa Estrada vs Yokasta Valle”

Minimumweight Unification Showdown

At Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Co Main Event between undefeated WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine Minimumweight Champion Seniesa Estrada (26-0, 9 Kos) and IBF/WBO Minimumweight Champion Yokasta Valle (30-3, 9 Kos), we witnessed the crowning of the first Undisputed Minimumweight Champion in women’s Boxing at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

This bout delivered a perfect ending to their well-publicised grudge match that definitely needed to be put to bed once and for all. Both combatants came out the gate aggressively trying to determine who will dictate the tempo of the bout but as the rounds progressed it was Estrada’s switch-hitting style that was causing Valle an issue.

Both combatants worked their respective “game plan” and stood their ground inside that squared circle handing out some serious leather back and forth. But it was Estrada’s boxing and precision punches from long range that gave her the edge round by round.

Valle fought a good one and made it quite competitive in the later rounds but after 10 rounds of action, all three Judges at hand scored it unanimously 97-93 in favor of Seniesa Estrada, the New Undisputed IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Minimumweight Champion of the World!

This is a well-deserved achievement to be added to your ever-growing career and proof that dreams do come true when you work hard with dedication at making them a reality.

Congratulations Seniesa. Well done! You truly are an inspiration.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz”

WBO Junior Welterweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 Kos) and challenger Jamaine Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 Kos) did not live up to the hype brought in by the Champion at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Throughout the buildup of this match up Teofimo and Jamaine both talked a good game and promised excitement and pure domination from both sides however, what transpired on the night was a pretty doleful outing for a Main Event that had the crowd booing and showing their disappointment.

No disrespect to both combatants but this was not what we the fans expected on the night.
Jamaine had a very good “game plan” working for him where he boxed and moved well, frustrating Lopez constantly throughout the night and picking up rounds in my eyes but failed to sit down on his punches to assert himself at times.

Lopez on the other hand, had the wrong “game plan” on the night. He did not expect Jamaine to come out the gate fighting southpaw all night causing him confusion. He lacked the proper knowhow to cut off the ring on Jamaine who was using a lot of movement enabling him to set his own offence up.

Although Teofimo did have his moments inside that squared circle he looked lost and discouraged on how the bout was unfolding. Teofimo was the aggressor inside that ring but lacked the right tactics to show dominance over his opponent.

After 12 completed rounds the Judges on hand called it 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 all in favor of Teofimo Lopez. Personally, I think neither combatant deserved a win here and that score of 117-111 was way out of pocket.

Nevertheless, with this win Teofimo made his first defense of his WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight Titles and retained the hardware to see another day as Champion.

That being said, Teofimo’s call out of Unified Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 Kos) at a catchweight after a lacklustre performance like that is troublesome if you ask me.

Blaze

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 Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith”

IBF/WBC/WBO Light Heavyweight Championship Showdown

Canada Stand Up! Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN + Main Event between IBF/WBC/WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 Kos) and Mandatory challenger Callum Smith (29-2, 21 Kos) at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada, definitely brought the “HEAT” to a cold front inside the stadium. Real Talk!

Much was said about our aging Champion prior to the bout but what the naysayers and Callum quickly found out from the jump is that Beterbiev was and still is a dangerous man inside that squared circle.

Beterbiev came out as the aggressor never letting Callum have any breathing room to operate. Callum talked a good game about how his power was going to be the defining factor but in all reality, Callum’s power punches had absolutely no effect on Artur.

Beterbiev physically walked through the towering Callum’s poor punch output and systematically broke the man down round by round. It was a one-sided beatdown where Callum was simply absorbing heavy punches after heavy punches.

The inevitable was nearing and by the seventh round the onslaught handed out towards Callum was simply too much to handle and he succumbed twice to the floor looking drained and beaten prompting Callum’s trainer Buddy McGirt, to stop the bout and save his fighter from further damage.

Callum, a very worthy opponent, stood his ground for as long as he could but the destructive skilled enforcer that Artur is was simply too strong and too much to handle inside that squared circle.

With this convincing win now under his belt, Beterbiev maintains his perfect undefeated record of (20-0, 20 Kos) and becomes the first one to knock out Callum Smith who had never been down as an amateur or a professional and proudly retained his IBF/WBC/WBO Light Heavyweight Championship Crown.

Congratulations Champ, now onto Undisputed with undefeated WBA Light Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 Kos).

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Naoya Inoue vs Marlon Tapales”

Undisputed Junior Featherweight Champion

Unified WBC/WBO Junior Featherweight Champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 Kos) continued his dominant performance when he took on Unified IBF/WBA Junior Featherweight Champion Marlon Tapales (37-4, 19 Kos) at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

It was an exciting bout from start to finish where both combatants brought their “A” game inside that squared circle and performed for their respective fans by going toe to toe earning each other’s respect.

Marlon stood his ground and fought fire with fire at times but quickly found out that Naoya was an exceptional opponent that required a different type of approach considering how skilled and allusive he is inside that squared circle.

There are levels to this boxing sh*t and this morning Inoue outworked and out skilled a very worthy champion in Marlon. Naoya’s controlled aggression was key as he was able to chin check Marlon and dropped him for a quick 8 count late in the fourth round.

Although Marlon recovered and continued to have some sporadic moments inside the squared circle, the heavy pressure that Naoya was applying with his accurate punch selection was visibly getting to Marlon.

Naoya’s power is real and was on full display as he was able to drop Marlon for the second time with further impact that kept him down for the count in the 10th round. Marlon did good and fought well throughout the bout but was simply met with a superior combatant on the night.

With this convincing win Inoue has now in his possession the IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO and the vacant Ring Magazine Belt crowning him the New Undisputed Junior Featherweight Champion of the World.

This is an unbelievable achievement to be added to his ever-growing accolades of winning Titles in four different Divisions and back-to-back Undisputed recognition keeping a stronger hold on lock on everybody’s Pound for Pound list.

Well done, Naoya, Fighter of The Year is a must.

Blaze

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 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 Zhilei Zhang vs Joe Joyce 2″

WBO Interim Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Queensberry Promotions/ESPN+ Main Event between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1 21 Kos) and challenger Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 Kos) at the Wembley Arena, Wembley, London, UK, exceeded all expectation in my eyes.

This rematch between these two Heavyweight mammoths had a lot on it riding tonight. The winner gets to move one step closer to a chance at a full-fledged Championship opportunity while the loser would have to fall back deep at the end of the line in the hopes of working their way back into the Heavyweight rankings, a destination that would look quite bleak considering their age at this point in their career.

That being said, the elder and WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Zhilei wasted no time in executing the proper “game plan” and proceeded to continue his assault and sheer domination from their previous encounter by completely destroying the “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce in a quicker fashion this time around. Real Talk!

Joe, who weighed in this time about 25 pounds heavier at 281 pounds, had the right idea but not the right “game plan” to even bother the even heavier Zhang at 287 pounds. Zhang’s last win over Joe was a beautiful display of boxing at its best for a Heavyweight but this time around, Zhang wasted very little time inside that squared circle and made quick work of Joe by stopping him once again but in a much more dramatic fashion. Only three rounds were needed and a perfectly placed right hook to the chin closed the show for good. Unbelievable!

Joe, who had never been dropped in his career to date could not answer the count in time enough to prove to the Judge at hand that he was fit and ready to go. Joe’s unsteady legs were clear enough for the referee to wave the bout off.

As a strong 40-year-old, Zhang has once again proven to the boxing world and the Heavyweight Division, that as long as he’s got them hands and that power behind that punch, he will be a problem for anyone who steps foot inside that squared circle against him.

With this devastating win now secured under his belt for the second time, Zhang now retains his
WBO Interim Heavyweight Championship and hopes one day to be able to challenge Unified IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk or WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury inside that squared circle.

Until then, enjoy this victory Zhilei, your time is now!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois”

IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Challenge

Tonight’s Heavyweight Championship Main Event at the Stadion Wroclaw, Poland, between Undefeated Unified IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 Kos) and WBA World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18 Kos), was a very entertaining bout but will forever be tainted by what transpired in the fifth round.

Usyk, who came out the gate confident as ever, dominated his opponent with ease as the rounds progressed but was met with a controversial incident in the fifth round when Dubois connected with a vicious body shot that brutally dropped Usyk to the ground to which the referee on hand shockingly ruled a low blow when it was clearly a well-placed legal body shot.

That moment was suspect if you ask me but the time that Usyk was permitted to recover before the fight resumed was just enough for him to return to form and continue his dominance.

Dubois failed miserably to capitalize on the fact that Usyk was still hurt from the body shot and showed no sense of real urgency round by round. Usyk on the other hand showed even more aggression while putting his own punches together throwing four-piece combinations and dropping Dubois for a quick 8 count late in the eighth round. Dubois was unraveling and showing fatigue and signs of breaking down. The inevitable was near and by the ninth round Usyk applied the right amount of pressure and connected with a well-placed right jab straight to the chin of Dubois dropping him once again but this time refusing to answer the count prompting the referee to wave the bout.

Although Usyk showed levels above Dubois inside that squared circle tonight and retained his IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles, the wrong call in the fifth round will always be in the back of everybody’s mind.

Just my thoughts.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Emanuel Navarrete vs Oscar Valdez”

WBO World Super Featherweight Challenge

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Mexican Showdown Main event between WBO World Super Featherweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete (38-1, 31 Kos) and former WBO Featherweight Champion Oscar Valdez (31-2, 23 Kos), brought the heat and the house down with their performance at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

These two warriors wasted no time and proceeded at throwing some heavy leather back and forth right from the first bell dictating how this bout was going to unfold.

At first sight it was clear that Navarrete’s unorthodox pressured style and physical strength was definitely going to be a problem for Valdez to deter. Navarrete’s punches were coming from all angles nonstop making it really hard for Valdez to counter back since punches were coming at him in bunches at a time.

That being said, Valdez’s counterpunches were visibly effective when thrown but not damaging enough to discourage Navarrete’s high-volume attack of six punch combinations coming back at him.

Although Valdez stood his ground going toe to toe with Navarrete, the assault that Oscar was absorbing was visibly breaking him down round by round. Navarrete’s overall style was simply too much for Oscar on the night.

After 12 blistering rounds of action, the Judges at hand called it 119-109, 118-110, 116-112 all in favor of Emanuel Navarrete.

With this convincing win Navarrete retained his WBO World Super Featherweight Title and recorded his biggest win of his career to date.

Well done, Champ!

Blaze