Here at FightHype, we make some space for a good, old-fashioned written word money shot from the depths of my bulbous, bulging (mail) sack. So, get ready for some of that infamous Magno-rific gooey, salty, sometimes NSFW truth. This week, we have comments/questions regarding Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and the Saudi boxing plan, as well as some fan mail/hate mail.
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson
Hey Paul.
I have a two-part question for you regarding this Friday’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight.
1) What do you think of Jake Paul as an actual fighter? Given who he’s fought, it’s hard to really gauge how good he is. Sometimes he looks pretty decent for someone with his experience. Other times, he looks stiff and green. So, what does your experienced eye see in Paul?
2) Why is Mike Tyson still so damn popular? Just from the media attention that he still gets, I’d see he’s probably more popular than any active fighter today.
Thanks for your attention and for all your hard work over the years.
-- Randy Tulane
Hey Randy.
I’ll tackle these in order.
1. It’s been said before, I think by Freddie Roach, but Jake Paul, to me, looks like a club-level fighter. I actually think his skills may have regressed a bit from the Tommy Fury fight. At one point, he did look like he was developing and getting more fluid in his work and in his ring thinking. He hasn’t looked as good in his last three fights. But, like you said, it’s hard to really gauge how good he is based on who he’s been fighting. We probably won’t know much more about his abilities after this Mike Tyson fight, either.
2. Mike Tyson was an explosive, entertaining fighter with lots of mainstream exposure. He’s just a compelling figure. Despite being a PPV fixture, he was also brought up with exposure on mainstream television, which helped him become a next-level star. These days, with everyone tucked behind paywalls from day one of their careers, we won’t see a star like him again.
The Saudi Boxing Model
Magno.
I share your suspicions and concerns about the Saudi takeover of boxing. Their buying Ring Magazine adds more fuel to that fire. I won’t talk about that here because I think you covered all of that brilliantly in your Notes from the Boxing Underground articles. What I will ask is about how the Saudi boxing league model would work. At heavyweight, for example, they have all the top name and they’re being matched up pretty regularly, but where do they go after those fighters and those matchups are burned out? How do they turn what they’re doing into a 5, 10, 15 year business?
-- Vinny Vegas
Hey Vinny.
That’s one of the many, many questions with this Saudi takeover-- and maybe the least dire, tbh. What happens after the stars fizzle out or get eliminated? I’ve yet to see much of an effort to develop fighters at the lower levels, so if their league does match up top 15 fighters against one another exclusively, who’s going to come up and be the next generation of fighters when the top guys fall out? Do they actually expect promoters to lose money raising new fighters, only to hand them over to the Saudis when they are commercially viable? They actually might expect that, given how easily the boxing world has rolled over for them.
Words of Support
Dear Mr. Magno,
My name is Mario. I work as a Mechanical Technology teacher in an Italian high school, and for several years, I have enjoyed writing about boxing as a hobby. After collaborating on three editorial projects and contributing to their growth before their respective editors drove them into oblivion, I recently launched my own website. This new endeavor allows me to pursue my passion freely and independently, without intermediaries. I am writing to thank you after reading your article titled "NOTES FROM THE BOXING UNDERGROUND: RING AROUND THE SAUDIS..."
Although your words may seem like a Quixotic effort, their sincerity and directness inspire a glimmer of hope in those of us who hold values we are unwilling to sell to the highest bidder. Perhaps by taking this stand, you may have closed some doors in the grand gala of the emerging "new Saudi boxing," but you have certainly gained at least one reader.
My compliments, and best wishes for your work.
-- Mario
Hey Mario.
Thanks for the kind words and welcome to this frustratingly, maddening, and only occasionally rewarding profession. I’ll be hammering away at what I do for as long as I can.
BTW, if readers want to check out Mario’s site, they can go here: www.boxepunch.com.
Words of Non-Support
You are nothing more than a dog with your libelous words. Mongrel.
-- Anonymous
Hey Anonymous.
I take this as a compliment. My dogs are super cool...and dogs, in general, are awesome!
Got a question (or hate mail) for Magno’s Bulging Mail Sack? The best of the best gets included in the weekly mailbag segment right here at FightHype. Send your stuff here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.