MAGNO'S BULGING MAIL SACK: THE TONY WEEKS/NSAC/GBP SAGA, FIGHTER OF THE YEAR (PREDICTION)

Each Thursday right here at Struggle Hype, we make an area among the many video content material for a great, old style written phrase cash shot from the depths of my bulbous, bulging sack. So, prepare for a few of that notorious Magno-rific gooey, salty, typically NSFW reality. This week, we’ve feedback/questions concerning the Tony Weeks/NSAC/GBP debacle and a Fighter of the Yr prediction.

Tony Weeks/NSAC

Hey Magno. 

What do you make of this Tony Weeks controversy the place he says Frederick Lawson’s mind scan confirmed indicators of an aneurysm, however that he was later cleared to struggle after one other scan stated in any other case? He seems to be utilizing this as a justification for his fast stoppage of Lawson towards Vergil Ortiz. The Nevada State Athletic Fee later issued a press release that stated Lawson was cleared to struggle, one thing which Weeks additionally stated. However the assertion didn’t tackle whether or not Weeks’ different assertion was true or not. Am I mistaken in pondering that this can be a a lot greater story than the way it was addressed by your favorites, the boxing media? Both Weeks took it upon himself to kill off a struggle the place he knew one of many fighters was in peril beforehand or the fee and Golden Boy discovered a strategy to backdoor a bodily weak fighter right into a struggle the place he stood a great likelihood of being completely injured and even killed. Or possibly Weeks made the entire thing as much as cowl his ass after one other poor ref job? What do you suppose?

– Dennis from Boston

Hey Dennis. 

Effectively, none of this could’ve occurred if Golden Boy hadn’t put a younger, bursting-at-the-seams middleweight+ monster Ortiz up towards a profession welterweight whose punch resistance is clearly missing and whose abilities/skill counsel that he was going to be chum within the water. So, there’s that, at first. 

I ought to have a bit posted right here at FightHype.com this week at a while (possibly it’s up already?) about this mess. However, to just about sum this up, are we in the slightest degree stunned that neither the fee nor the promotion nor the fighter in query nor Weeks, himself, are all that forthcoming with actual solutions? And are we in the slightest degree stunned that the boxing media hasn’t gotten to the underside of any of it or that their investigation into the matter seems to have ended with obscure generic statements from the NSAC and Golden Boy! 

Please. You already know in addition to I try this we’re by no means attending to the underside of this. And we’ll by no means unravel any boxing mess now that mainstream journalists have fully deserted protection of the game and its goings on. Critically, look who we’ve overlaying the sport– a forged of shills, wannabe shills, handy idiots, and the hopelessly misplaced. There’s not an actual reporter or journalist among the many lot. That’s why reform through journalistic efforts, for positive now, is a misplaced trigger. Boxing media is a lifeless business.

What troubles me essentially the most about this Weeks/Lawson/GBP/NSAC debacle is, exactly, the dearth of accountability throughout and the final disinterest in following up on tales which may be exhausting to deal with, irritating to wrangle, and usually unsexy to submit. Equally troubling is the general public’s matching disinterest in forcing the media to do its job. 

What else can I say? It’s what it’s. 

Fighter of the Yr, 2024?

Hello Paul. 

The 12 months is simply beginning, so what higher time to drive you right into a binding prediction the place all of the chess items are nonetheless on the desk. Who do you see successful Fighter of the Yr honors on the finish of 2024? Who has that form of path to glory and normal greatness able to take the 12 months?

– Dean 

Hey Dean.

There are loads of components that go into predicting one thing like this, particularly up to now to start with of the 12 months. Who’s going to be in the fitting place on the proper time to get the actually massive fights wanted? They need to be in a deep division or have plans to maneuver up or down in weight. Additionally they need to have the fitting enterprise ties behind them to facilitate making these massive fights. Then, in fact, there’s ability and expertise and whether or not he has the mindset of a fighter prepared and keen to beat. Public notion additionally performs into it as Fighter of the Yr is voted on by boxing media, who’re nothing if not swayable and malleable by look and public opinion.

So, with all that in thoughts…My decide is Terence Crawford. Many say (myself included) that he deserved Fighter of the Yr this 12 months, however sticklers insisted that having just one struggle within the 12 months eliminated him from critical consideration– even when that one struggle was by far the largest, most spectacular efficiency of the 12 months. Sufficient voters for Fighter of the Yr on the finish of 2024, will compensate for that slight on the finish of 2023 and can present voting deference to him. In his 147-154 weight vary, Crawford additionally has a large assortment of high quality opposition open to him, so he can have the our bodies there upon which he can construct his case for year-end honors. And, in fact, everyone knows he has an actual conqueror’s mindset in relation to whoever he faces within the ring. So, supplied he fights no less than twice, beats a high-end title or two at 147 or 154, I feel he’ll be named Fighter of the Yr. If he fights and beats Canelo at 168, he’ll be named Fighter of the Decade…and possibly rightfully so. However I see him notching no less than two high quality wins towards welterweights and/or junior middleweights and that will probably be sufficient to earn him honors. Additionally, don’t sleep on David Benavidez, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Artur Beterbiev, Bam Rodriguez, Oleksandr Usyk, and Teofimo Lopez in relation to Fighter of the Yr potentialities.

Bought a query (or hate mail) for Magno’s Bulging Mail Sack? The perfect of the most effective will get included within the weekly mailbag phase proper right here at FightHype. Ship your stuff right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.