A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Tommy’s Rage – Fury deserves credit for him division decides victory than boxing novice Jake Paul on Sunday night in Saudi Arabia. The half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury showed signs of cracking under the pressure ahead of his first top-flight event. He admitted it later, saying, “I took the world on my shoulders tonight.” However, he made it to the ring and did what he was told he would do, beating his professional boxer turned entertainer. He didn’t stop Paul as he expected but he did overtake him, which impressed the two judges enough that they gave him six out of eight innings. He had a nasty moment when he fell down in the final round but he handled that well too. He bounces up and fights Paul to the final ring, looking a lot like a real boxer in the process. Was Fury’s victory an important achievement? Of course not. It means a lot to him, though. That’s why he was in tears afterwards. And who knows where this could lead? He clearly has some ability and he is young, only 23 years old. He might achieve something more meaningful in the future if he sticks with it.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Jake Paul faced his first loss as a boxer. Image by Francois Nel / Getty
Jake Paul – I wouldn’t say that Paul (6-1, 4 KOs) was exposed by Fury (9-0.4 KOs). Anyone who knows anything about boxing knows exactly what kind of person he is, a hard-working, tough but rude boxer. Fury isn’t much more advanced than him but he’s taken a step ahead of Paul’s previous rivals, aging MMA fighter and former basketball player Nate Robinson. So anyone who is shocked by the loss is not paying attention. Paul did what many boxers do in his post-fight interview, making excuses (in his case illness and injury to his arm) and then saying he didn’t. cure. He’s a real fighter in that sense. At the same time he seems to handle loss well. He has credited Fury and promised to return, which could come in the form of a rematch with his opponent. Paul certainly learned from experience and the results will be better. For most fighters – even the unconventional like Paul – losing is part of the growing process. Will the failure affect his popularity? I suspect Paul is more of a personality than an athlete, which is why he will only go so far in this sport.
BIGGEST WINNER II
Subriel Matias – The Puerto Rican’s reaction to saving Jeremias Ponce after five rounds to win his first major title on Saturday speaks for itself. He wasn’t too bubbly or excited despite his breakthrough. Instead, he keeps his face straight and has a down-to-earth attitude. “I came to win,” he said simply. That confidence is definitely a major reason for his success. Matias got off to a slow start against the powerful attacking Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) but remained calm, weathering the storm and then switching to another one that resulted in Ponce’s death. The 30-year-old from Fajardo continued to batter the Argentinian until he couldn’t hit any more after five rounds, further proof of Matias’ destructive power. Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) stopped everyone he fought, including Petros Ananyan in the rematch after his only loss. Now, he is eyeing the toughest challenge of his career, which is a meeting with fellow student Regis Prograis. Matias would be the underdog in that fight but it would be unwise to underestimate him. He performed too well to be fired.
BIGGEST WINNER III
Jack Badou – The best boxer in the Fury-Paul card is Jack, 39 years old, from Sweden, who has had a remarkable record in three divisions over the past 13 years. his 12order-round Defeat Ilunga Makabu Makabu’s win of the WBC cruiser class belt was one of the highlights of his career, which was also marked by a number of controversial defeats in the title fights. That included close draws with James DeGale (168 pounds) and Adonis Stevenson (175), as well as a close loss to Jean Pascal (175) in 2019. Jack then put on weight to make a fight. run incredible at 200 -pound title, when he was in his late 30s. Well, he didn’t look his age on Sunday. He was one step ahead of the 35-year-old Makabu (29-3, 25 KOs) from the start. In the end, he was quick, athletic and too good for the former champion. And the late knockout was a beautiful touchdown, a punctuation mark that earned Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) the second division main belt as he was about to turn 40.order birthday and reminds fans of how good of a boxer he is.
NOT THE MOST AGE
Another showdown against a superior MMA fighter, another easy “win” for Floyd Mayweather. Floyd was just having fun out there. Congratulations to Aaron Chalmers for showing up and receiving a bag. #MayweatherChalmerspic.twitter.com/yxPvh9hbpG
– WG (@NvictusManeo) February 25, 2023
Floyd Mayweather – Mayweather was wise not to challenge himself at 46. There’s no point in risking brain cells after his glorious long career. The goal now is to enjoy life, which he is clearly doing. That said, one has to wonder what he would do if he decided to face a real threat in a sanctioned match six years after he ended his career first. Conor McGregor. It’s hard to judge what this version of Mayweather is capable of His exhibition against TV personality and former MMA fighter Aaron Chalmers on Saturday in London because of Chalmers restrictions. Mayweather can beat such an amateur when he is 60 years old. That said, he certainly looks sharp. His powerful stabs and punches are quick, well-timed, and precise. He still has good reflexes. And good move for an old man. In other words, he looks a lot like the old Floyd Mayweather. He also looks pretty fit for someone who isn’t a full-time athlete. And, of course, his ring acumen is still intact. So how will he go up against someone who weighs 147 pounds? I think he’s going to lose to the top heavyweights – Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr. and maybe a few others – but I bet he can beat the next level contenders. That’s probably a good thing we’ll never know.
