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 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 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 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

On The Watch “It’s All About Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue”

Unified Junior Featherweight Champion

Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 Kos) repped his moniker “The Monster” to the fullest this morning at the Top Rank/ESPN Main Event when he completely dominated and stopped WBC/WBO Junior Featherweight Champion Stephen Fulton (21-1, 8 Kos) at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue, who was fresh off capturing the Undisputed Bantamweight Championship status, moved up in weight to the Junior Featherweight Division in search of accomplishing the same by challenging the No. 1 Dude in the Division, Stephen Fulton and relieving him of his prized possessions the WBC/WBO Junior Featherweight Belts.

Fulton was rated as an exceptional worthy Champion that would definitely bring that “Heat” to Inoue but what transpired inside that squared circle this morning proved to me just how serious of a competitor Inoue really is. Dude really walks it like he talks it and backs every word with absolutely no fear of any opponent standing opposite of him. Real Talk!

I anticipated a very competitive bout to unfold but to my surprise, this was a systematic one-sided beatdown at the hands of “The Monster” Inoue who received very little resistance from the Champion Stephen. There are levels to this Boxing sh*t and this morning Inoue showed us and the World watching that, skill wise, he was far ahead of the game when placed inside squared circle with Fulton.

Stephen had utterly nothing to deter Inoue from having his way with him inside that squared circle. As great as Fulton is today, he was no match for Inoue and eventually succumbed to a stoppage in the eighth round.

With this convincing win under his belt, Inoue has now captured the WBC/WBO Junior Featherweight Championship Titles making him a four-weight Division Champion. Inoue has once again proven to the World that he’s nothing to play with inside that squared circle.

The 122-Pound Division has now been put on notice. “The Monster” is out here looking for that smoke and driven to Undisputed once again. IBF/WBA Junior Featherweight Champion Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 Kos), you’re next!

Until then, congratulations Naoya on another convincing win!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About Jared Anderson vs Charles Martin”

Heavyweight Showdown

Last night’s Top Rank/ESPN Main Event was a homecoming bout set up for the young and upcoming Heavyweight prospect Jared “Big Baby” Anderson (15-0, 14 Kos) to show off his skills against seasoned veteran and former IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin (29-4-1, 26 Kos) at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.

Charles, who accepted the task on 12 days’ notice but was visibly already in great shape, made sure to give Jared a tougher challenge than his previous 14 marks who got dissipated brutally by knockouts.

Jared is a “Big Boy” inside that squared circle with size, strength and a good number of skills that are still developing for a young man his age. Martin had to be strategic with his approach and may have been a little too cautious in the opening rounds restricting his punch output but making Jared work to get his offence going.

That said, it didn’t take long for Jared to land something significant that knocked Martin down in the third round for a quick 8 count but had Martin bounce back still willing and able to stand his ground and put in that work.

Martin’s punch output wasn’t the best but he did manage to connect and stagger Jared at times throughout the bout. As the rounds progressed Martin’s unwillingness to submit to Jared made things inside that squared circle quite entertaining.

For the first time in his professional career to date, Jared was met with a formidable opponent who was battle tested, savvy and willing to go toe to toe, blow for blow and actually give some heat right back to Jared without folding under the pressure of the youngin.

Jared showed growth in this bout and proceeded to get the job done as instructed by his corner man. After 10 fully completed rounds the Judges at hand scored it 99-90, 99-90 and 98-91 unanimously for Jared Anderson. Going the full 10 rounds for the first time in his early career was the best thing that could have happened for Jared. He got in some quality rounds and felt some real heat from an ex-champion that will only make him better the next time out.

Congratulations on your win Jared, last night you got tested inside that squared circle and passed with flying colours. Now on to the next youngin.

Blaze