We bought our first “main” boxing occasion of 2024 final night time and we now have our first scandal. Referee Tony Weeks, this weekend’s predominant character because of a horrifically early stoppage in Vergil Ortiz Jr’s first-round end of Frederick Lawson, claimed on Fb that two of Lawson’s pre-fight mind scans revealed an aneurysm earlier than a special physician did the identical scan, discovered nothing, and cleared him to battle.
Weeks has since deleted the submit, however Dan Canobbio was fast sufficient to nab a screenshot beforehand. I can personally attest to seeing the submit on his Fb web page, full with a remark from former contender Mykal Fox.
Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez rapidly denied the declare to Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, then referred “all different questions” to the Nevada State Athletic Fee. NSAC has but to reply.
I’m not going to do the impartial journalist factor and say “these allegations, if true, yadda yadda regarding yadda.” I don’t consider this for a second. NSAC could also be among the many most blatantly corrupt commissions within the nation, as seen of their refusal to self-discipline their myriad incompetent officers and willingness to sanction rubbish like Energy Slap, however I can not fathom them nuking themselves to save lots of a D- predominant occasion.
However positive, let’s faux that Weeks someway bought his arms on Lawson’s medical data. For it to have had any impression on his refereeing, he needed to have seen it earlier than the battle. That signifies that in Week’s ideally suited situation, the one during which he heroically saved a compromised fighter after each different official failed him, he knowingly allowed a person with a probably deadly mind harm to take punches from Vergil f***ing Ortiz.
Like, what was his plan if Ortiz simply obliterated him with one shot and by no means gave Weeks an excuse to step in early? If Weeks is telling the reality, he failed as a human being by letting Lawson enter the ring in any respect.
We’ll preserve you posted because the scenario develops. I’ll make one other prediction and say the fallout can be important.
