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

Junior Middleweight Unification Championship Showdown

Last night’s PBC/Showtime Main Event Junior Middleweight Unification Championship bout between WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 Kos) and WBO Champion Brian Castano (17-0-2, 12 Kos) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, was nothing short of exciting from start to finish but did end with controversy.

A lot of people in the boxing community expected “Iron Man” Jermell to completely and easily destroy Castano on his way to Undisputed but things didn’t go as planned. Castano showed up last night and was a real live aggressive body inside that squared circle. Real Talk!

I’m not sure if Jermell underestimated Castano but his passive/aggressive approach may have cost him at times inside that squared circle. Jermell, who was clearly the bigger fighter of the two combatants, had a visibly hard time with Castano’s pressure style of fighting. Although Jermell’s jab and long range made it harder for Castano, the man still found his way in time and time again with some serious controlled aggression.

Both combatants threw some serious leather at each other. Jermell’s punches looked more telling at times but Castano’s controlled aggressive offensive output could not go unnoticed. I gotta tip my “B” hat to Castano cause Dude was definitely touching Charlo and making this fight tough as hell for the Unified Champ inside that squared circle.

Jermell showed his own toughness withstanding Castano’s onslaught cause say what you want the Kid Castano can pop. That being said, this bout was tight from the jump. Charlo had himself two very telling rounds when he clipped and wobbled Castano early in the second round and when he threw some serious combinations in the tenth round that had Castano retreating to survive the round. As good as these two telling rounds were, Charlo was not able to stop Castano.

That being said, Castano had his moments as well actually clipping and hurting Jermell when he was working his inside game whenever he had Jermell on them ropes. In my eyes, Castano’s non-stop pressure for the bulk of the bout clearly showed who controlled the fight inside that squared circle.

After 12 full rounds of non-stop action the Judges scored it 114-113 for Castano, 117-111 for Charlo and 114-114, a split decision draw. Listen, I’m ok with them Judges scoring the championship rounds for Jermell but that 117-111 is straight up OUT OF POCKET!! A ridiculous score if you ask me.

Controversial ending aside, both Champions leave with their titles in hand. Jermell is still WBC/WBA Super/IBF and Ring Magazine Champion and Castano WBO Champion.

Congratulations to both combatants for putting on an exciting show from start to finish, hopefully part two will be in the near future.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Erislandy Lara vs Jarrett Hurd”

Junior Middleweight Title Unification

Last night on Showtime at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vagas, I saw Erislandy Lara (25-3-2, 14 Kos) the longest reigning 154 pounder take an “L” to the heavy-handed “Swift” Jarrett Hurd (22-0, 15 Kos).

It was a very competitive bout from start to finish. Lara came out the gate with somewhat of a different approach from his usual self. You could see it in his eyes that he wanted to prove a point last night. My man stayed in the pocket “phone booth style” more than usual and bang it out with the heavy fisted Hurd.

Hurd was like a stocker in that squared circle last night. His game plan was straight and simple, seek and destroy by any means necessary. He took in some heavy shots from Lara but his pure size and brute strength was just too much for Lara to shake off. Hurd stayed on Lara’s neck throughout every round with none stop pressure until he finally achieved the “game changer” and managed to drop Lara in the 12th and final round. Real Talk until that knock down I had this fight as a draw but that left hook from Hurd sealed the deal.

Two Judges scored it 114-113 for Hurd and one Judge 114-113 for Lara. It was a hell of an impressive bout with non-stop action all the way through. Lara came to fight and showed up with the heart of a true Champion but this young Lion in Hurd just edged him out to steal that win under him.

There is a new “Top Dog” in the Junior Middleweight Division and he goes by the name of “Swiff “Jarrett Hurd. With this win he now becomes Unified Champion with the WBA, IBO and IBF under his possession. This Kid is a serious problem to all competitors in the Division.

His next quest is to be Undisputed Champion but to do that you gotta go through Jemell Charlo the WBC Junior Middleweight Champion and that ain’t no walk in the park. Real Talk!

Until then Champ enjoy your latest accomplishments cause you deserve every moment of it.

Congratulations Champ.

Blaze