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Who Won the Weekend? The Christmas Eve Edition
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for me I sit and type. Christmas lights are providing the ability to see the hot honey tea next to me as I file the second to last Who Won the Weekend of 2018.
I can smell the tree, or maybe it’s the candle purchased to simulate the smell of pine…OK, yes, I’m feeling in a mode to discover what the NYF Squad decided when asked #WWTW.
Let’s get into it, I have to fall asleep because my jackals are going to wake me up early so they can savagely tear paper off packages, which they get to do at home on X-Mas eve morning, because we go to a grandpa’s house for Christmas proper.
So what say you, Abe Gonzalez? “Josh Warrington won the weekend! I had concerns which I expressed to NYF writer Colin Morrison, with Frampton at the weigh-in, as his eyes and body were of a man who had trouble making the weight. Warrington, on the other hand, trained as if he knew he had to be at his best against The Jackal. The fight was a war and Frampton showed his warrior heart but Warrington was just younger and stronger. Warrington is worthy of holding that title and a fight against any of the other champions will be a classic. In the spirit of the holidays, want to wish everyone the best and thank you for supporting NYFights.com on all social media platforms!”
“Josh Warrington won the weekend,” said Kelsey McCarson. “He looked amazing defeating Frampton. He’s not a big puncher, but his punches are strong enough to matter and his combination of speed and tenacity make him a seriously formidable featherweight champion. I was surprised to see him beat a very game Frampton, and I’m hopeful we get to see him fight someone like Leo Santa Cruz in 2019. “
“Well, I guess Tony Harrison won the weekend,” said David Phillips. “Not because he particularly deserved to, but because he must have photos of the judges doing unkempt things with livestock (I hear sheep are nice). It’s a crap way to close out a pretty good year of boxing. It reminds you of all the things wrong with the sport. Lackluster match-ups, overly hyped ringside announcers, and most significantly, judges for whom the best gift they could be given this season is that of sight.”
“Tony Harrison won the weekend because he proved he is a really good fighter and stuck to his game plan,” said Johnny “Odds” Wilds.
“For me Josh Warrington won the weekend,” said Colin Morrison. “The Leeds boxer entered his contest with Carl Frampton as the underdog but put in a terrific performance to defend his IBF 126lb title. It was a sensational fight and both men deserve props for leaving everything in the Manchester Arena ring. Warrington fought with the hunger of a challenger and has now replaced Frampton as the number one featherweight in the UK. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all my NY FIGHTS colleagues and the readers a peaceful and happy Christmas. All the best everyone!”
“PBC’s detractors won the weekend, unfortunately,” said Tom Penney. “A sketchy decision that flew in the face of Larry Hazzard Senior’s brutally biased unofficial card in the Jermell’s fight with NEW 154 pound belt holder Tony Harrison followed by Jermall winning a wide decision that looked, to these eyes, to be a draw. The PBC broadcast, in keeping with boxing’s unfortunate tendency to oversell house fighters, spent most of the night extolling the Charlo’s brilliance despite the fact both were exposed to varying degrees. Tony Harrison was snapping Jermell’s head back all night with a recent innovation called a jab, while Jermell seemed determined to press for a knockout that he never got close to. Then Jermall had Matt Korobov, who ten years ago was an elite prospect and is now a part time boxer who had been on the couch for a year and a half, showed the world that being competent defensively is enough to befuddle the larger Charlo twin, and that it takes him half the fight to figure out the most rudimentary offense. I’m the first person to cry robbery, but the only robbery on Saturday was in the main event. 119-109 in a fight that was decided by maybe a round in either direction is grounds for investigation. Once again, boxing shoots itself in the foot.”
“Despite strong pushes from Josh Warrington and Tony Harrison, who had two excellent wins respectively, it was Dillian Whyte who won the weekend for me,” said Chris Glover. “Why? He has essentially secured a rematch with Anthony Joshua at Wembley stadium on April 13, a crack at the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO World Heavyweight titles and a career-high payday in the process. And what a way to do it with a contender for knockout of the year against a very game Dereck Chisora, who in his own right produced arguably a career-best performance and will likely come again. For Whyte to produce the finish that he did in a fantastic fight has made him a legitimate challenge for Joshua in April, in a fight that will likely be more explosive than their initial British title clash. I’m not the jolliest of folk around this time of year and will be in the gym throughout the festive season preparing for my own professional debut with the likes of Richard Commey and Chris Algieri, but I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas! Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @ChrisGlover28.”
“There were a good number of winners this weekend but I’m going to select Josh Warrington,”said Hamza Ahmed. “A year ago, he was being written off as overhyped, overrated, “nobody cares about him”, “he’ll get exposed at the top level” etc. Fast forward to today and we’re lauding plaudits upon a man who has pretty much proved every single naysayer wrong. He beat Selby back in May at Elland Road and just beat Frampton in one of the best fights of year and in British boxing, certainly the best fight I’ve ever had the privilege of watching live. If it wasn’t for a magician named Usyk floating about touching all that he connects into gold, I’d have picked Warrington as my Fighter of the Year given he beat 1 top 10 featherweight in a fight of the year candidate, beat 1 top 5 featherweight for the title and beat both as the underdog. The man has finally arrived and we get to salivate over matchups with the likes of Santa Cruz, Russell and Valdez. Also, shout out to Tony Harrison. Another fighter written off yet rebounded back and became a world champion. He stuck to it and proved a loss doesn’t mean the end. Also, it’s beautifully poetic that even in death, Manny Steward continues to churn out world champions with Harrison having been a previous Kronk Gym stalwart until Steward passed. That’s the sign of an everlasting legacy, a gym whose greatness continues to resonate and he did it with the most Kronk weapon of them all – the jab. I don’t celebrate Christmas because I’m Muslim but I do enjoy the sentiment and festivities around this time of the year. That said, to everyone who is celebrating Christmas this year, enjoy it and enjoy the rest of your holidays. Just don’t stuff too much turkeys down the gullet or you might balloon up like Broner haha and good luck Chris on the pro debut!”
I vote Harrison; Jermell accused me of sort of rooting for Tony over him and you know what…I will admit this…Tony is real easy to root for. I’ve talked to him before fights for a long spell, so I appreciated his win from that standpoint. Familiarity bred respect…And to hear him talk about how he wants to go back to Detroit and use his championship status to help lift up under-served youth, help motivate them and get the powers that be to offer some hands up to them…well, that is championship material. Oh, you think that’s corny. Nahhh…that’s what the holiday season is actually all about. Tony Harrison, you Won the Weekend.
