The (Anatoly) Lomachenko Effect (Part 2) Alexander Besputin || Breakdown • Highlights ᴴᴰ

The (Anatoly) Lomachenko Effect (Part 2) Alexander Besputin || Breakdown • Highlights ᴴᴰ

Vasyl Lomachenko, and his father / trainer Anatoly Lomachenko have certainly transcended the landscape and (to some degree) the traditions of modern boxing, and combat sports. We are all witness to a new era of “Eastern Bloc” fighters dominating in Boxing and MMA.

In Part One of the series I focused on dominant Cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk. Here in Part Two my focus will be on Russian Welterweight prospect, Alexander Besputin, whom I’d best describe as an angry Lomachenko. What he lacks in finesse and footwork he makes up in aggression and power, making the 27 year old (12-0 9 KO’s) someone to watch out for in a talented weight pool.

Alexander is a three-year pro. At 147 pounds ranked No. 1 by the WBA, he was an elite amateur at the international level before his debut, and had three wins in AIBA’s World Series.

He is a stablemate of Lomachenko, Usyk, welterweight contender Egidijus Kavaliauskas, and super lightweight prospect Maxim Dadashev. All are managed by Egis Klimas.

Alexander moved to Oxnard, California to pursue his professional career and made his debut two months later in December. He trains at the Boxing Laboratory Gym with trainer Marcos Contreras.

From the unorthodox, or uncommon training methods to the way in which we have seen a sudden rise in Grade A Prospects cut from the same cloth from the same lands, The Matrix Effect is very real. Fighters like GGG, to ultra-talented welterweight prospect (suddenly turned) contender Alexander Besputin (12-0, 9 KO’s), to (teammate) Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medlaist turned 2018 Fighter of the year at Cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KO’s), to local Golden Gloves fighters; the Lomachenko family is changing the world’s oldest sport.

Throughout the series I will focus on some of the similarities as well as differences in styles, and of course what they are doing that makes them all so dominant in their respective lanes. Their movement, speed, distance management and evasion are all stellar and in some ways hard work meets creative approaches to fighting in not only preparation but execution.

In part 3, the final installation, I will focus on how Lomachenko’s training and father’s brain for boxing work with such efficacy. For now, enjoy the show,much love.

Music: Unknown Brain – Waiting (feat. Lox Chatterbox, BLVKSTN & Salvo) [NCS Release] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLru93KPMjc

WiDE AWAKE – Something More [NCS Release] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke-uyk8qylU

Kozah – Travel Again [NCS Release] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEAoPiZWnsQ

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#Lomachenko #Boxing #skills

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Tyson Fury - Belts Don't Make a Champion

Tyson Fury – A Champion with no belts

Last Saturday Englishman Tyson Fury took on reigning WBC Heavyweight champion, the American Deontay Wilder, in one of the best fights of 2018 across all combat sports. The 12 round classic featured a nuclear clash of styles as wild power puncher Wilder headhunted the ever elusive mover Tyson Fury. Everything was going to plan for the “Gypsy King”. Wilder was hitting thin air and getting tired, while Fury pushed the pace and landed counters. Until the 12th round, when the “Bronze Bomber” finally connected.

In a flurry of wild strikes, the incumbent champion planted a left hook on Tyson, flattening him. Wilder strutted towards the camera, confident his KO power had saved him once more. He was not alone in his assessment. Myself and many others believed the night to be over. Fury had come up short in the final moments of his glorious comeback. His story would not have a happy ending. Then he got up.

Fury rose back to his feet after what looked to be five or six seconds of genuine unconsciousness. The commentators, the audience, the world and Deontay Wilder watched Fury seemingly come back from the dead to finish the fight. With enough points racked up in the prior boxing masterclass the “Mack” celebrated, the crowd fully behind him as he accomplished what so many thought was an impossible task, both in the ring and out of it. Fury had conquered personal demons and returned to the sport. That night, he conquered his own petty mortality to once again hold a championship belt. Only, that last part didn’t happen.

Broad daylight

Despite every member of the broadcast team, including both the British side and American sides, scoring the fight comfortably for Fury, one of the judges begged to differ. In a baffling move, Judge Alejandro Rochin handed in a score card reading 115-111 in favour of Deontay Wilder. With one judge scoring it for Fury and one declaring it dead even at 113-113, the bout was deemed a draw.

Naturally, the fighting community were not hesitant to voice their displeasure. From Lennox Lewis to Paulie Malignaggi to Teddy Atlas, the result was lambasted. (I did see some MMA fans arguing Wilder won by Pride rules, which I was thoroughly entertained by.) The emerging narrative is that Deontay Wilder was gifted a title retention in his home country, while the foreigner was shafted. A story far too familiar to fight fans.

The tragedy here is not confined to a boxing ring on the night of December 1st. The grey cloud of corruption and/or judging ineptitude looms over a much longer timeline. In 2015 Tyson Fury danced with Wladimir Klitschko, much in the same way he handled Wilder. Except in the Klitschko fight he didn’t get touched by death. (Seriously, the knockdown in the Wilder fight is stunning.) Fury was crowned the Heavyweight champion of the world on that night, and it marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the then 27 year-old traveller.

The comedown

Having reached a professional zenith, Fury had no choice but to come down. With no goals in sight, and a susceptibility to depressive moods, the “Gypsy King” found himself plummeting headfirst into a major depression. Ballooning from 250 lbs to 400, Tyson would spend his nights binge drinking and taking cocaine. With no will to live let alone box, his lowest moment came in the form of a chaotic late night drive in his Ferrari.

Doing 190 mph on a motorway, for a few fleeting but potent moments, Tyson Fury had every intention of crashing and dying. Snapping to his senses, he thought of his wife and kids and didn’t follow through. After seeking help and speaking to those closest to him, he began to head in the right direction. He slowly began to find the drive to rebuild his life, but what of boxing? What of the sport that made him? It didn’t seem to be in the picture, until Deontay Wilder opened his mouth.

At the tail end of 2017 Fury saw a video of Wilder discussing the state of “Gypsy King”. The WBC champion cast doubt on the lineal title holder. He questioned if he could ever come back, if he could get back in fighting shape. For some reason this lit a blazing fire under Fury, who began training almost immediately.

The comeback

Fast forward a year and everything came together. Fury got his life together, lost almost 150 pounds and won two tune up fights before signing on to face the undefeated “Bronze Bomber”. The lineal champion even changed the hearts of a nation. Once a figure of villainy in the UK to many for his particular brand of opinions, his reemergence amidst personal struggles struck a chord with many. The character rehabilitation saw Fury sowing seeds of positivity, encouraging people to battle through adversity, specifically in relation to mental health problems, to believe in oneself and help others struggling.

Even his staunchest haters were turned around on him, this writer included. Formerly a vehement detractor, I found myself devastated when I thought Fury had been knocked out, and truly inspired when he got back up. Sports are a natural breeding ground for second chances, and Fury had earned his and then some. When the fight ended, it should have been a storybook conclusion, a true comeback in an age where you can lose everything in an instant. We were robbed of that, and more egregiously Tyson Fury was robbed of what he had earned. He did not leave with a championship belt, but he should leave with his head held high.

This is real life, and unfairness is pervasive. Sports are conduit for real life to coagulate into digestible stories. This story did not end the way it was supposed to, or at least not yet. So as fight fans, and as human beings we need to take what we can get, as does Tyson Fury.  To make the best out a bad situation and learn what we can.

“it can be done”

The Oxford dictionary defines a champion as “a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition”. Tyson fury may not have been awarded a victory on Saturday, but he surpassed his rivals. He conquered demons and detractors and he did it while spreading a message of positivity and recovery. If that wasn’t enough he’s decided to donate his entire £8 million fight purse to homeless charities.

In a heartfelt post-fight interview Tyson said, ” I just showed the world that, everyone suffering with mental health, that you can come back, and it can be done. Everybody out there who has the same problems that I’ve been suffering with, I did that for you guys.” He got up in his life and he got up in the ring. Tyson Fury is someone to be admired, belt or no belt. A true champion. Here’s to the rematch.

Images courtesy of independent.co.uk, metro.co.uk, shropshirestar.co.uk and belfastlive.co.uk.

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Francis "The Predator" Ngannou - There and Back Again

Francis Ngannou – The turnaround

It was a vindicating trip to Beijing, China this past weekend for the Pride of Cameroon and former UFC heavyweight title contender Francis Ngannou. The proud African entered the year ready to take over, to be the next big thing, and he exits it with a late game save of his job. The story of Ngannou is unique in some ways, but all too familiar in many. Can he tell a new story, one no one thought he could be the star of?

2018 was supposed to be the year of Ngannou. He hit like a “ford escort going as fast as it can” as Dana White so enthusiastically told us every chance he got. I don’t know about that, but he certainly has devastating power and a highlight reel to back it up. With hellacious stoppages over the likes of Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, the UFC put the machine behind him and positioned him as their next world beater.

As I covered in my very first article for this site, Francis Ngannou was the perfect ambassador for the UFC and sport of MMA as a whole. From the sand mines in Cameroon to the Octagon, he had a Cinderella story to match his crowd-pleasing style, on top of being a physical specimen to behold. Then Stipe Miocic got a hold of him.

an eye opener

I hate to use the term “exposed”, so I won’t, but the 25-minute beatdown in January executed by the champion served as a wake-up call for Ngannou, as well as fans. Francis essentially emptied his gas tank hitting thin air in the first round. Miocic was then able to utilise his wrestling to control the heaving behemoth on the way to a comfortable decision victory. It was sobering, so sobering in fact that Ngannou’s bounce back fight was as much a fight as it was a staring contest.

Francis took on Derrick Lewis five months later at UFC 226 in what  was supposed to be a banger. Instead, both men stood in front of each other waiting for the other to do something. Neither of them did. Lewis would get the arbitrary decision victory in what Joe Rogan dubbed the “worst heavyweight fight of all time”.

Dana White, ever the turncoat, took this opportunity to bury Ngannou. According to the UFC president, Francis’ ego was out of control. His overconfidence led to a lacklustre training camp pre UFC 220. And the results of the fight speak for itself. It would be easy for me to in turn bury White for his flip flopping, but in this case it’s hard to argue. Francis admitted to carrying the Stipe loss into the Lewis fight, causing him to freeze up. It appears the Cameroonian bought into the hype, and the ensuing defeat shattered his confidence. A terrible sign at this level of sports.

A cautionary tale

Had Miocic taken his soul? Many thought so. As such, everyone looked to exit the bandwagon, except no one really ever gets off a bandwagon. They just change at the station. Francis appeared to be completing a transition in his story. Once a rags to riches figure – the international Rocky Balboa – and now a cautionary tale, a plummet from grace. Everyone thinks they know the story, but a twist occurs and we shift our expectations. The genre conventions were telling us Ngannou was done, just another list item on some YouTube infotainment channel.

After the Lewis fight “the Predator”, to his credit, acknowledged the mental block he was facing. He tweeted “I will overcome all of this”. A hollow gesture to most I’m sure, but I couldn’t help but see the opportunity for a narrative genesis. This could certainly be a dead end, but what if it wasn’t? What if Ngannou could come back from this. What if he wasn’t a cautionary tale of ego and hype. I don’t know about you, but a redemption story appeals to the humanity in me more than the story of a conqueror achieving his destiny.

think again

Now, as November reaches its climax Ngannou is back in the win column. A 45 second TKO over surging contender Curtis Blaydes looks to turn the vehicle around. As referee Marc Goddard pulled the hulking heavyweight off of Blaydes, Francis stomped across the octagon, beating his chest and bellowing “I’m back”.

If I’m objectively assessing the evening, a quick stoppage over someone whom Ngannou had already beaten 2 years prior doesn’t necessarily guarantee a redemption arc, but it’s a damn fine start, and certainly a much needed close to what has been a tough year for Ngannou. The short time we got to see Ngannou in the cage produced some good signs. He looked sharp, but most importantly he looked confident.

The soft spoke African seems like a larger than life figure, but it’s crucial to remember that he is human. For him to show up in China and pull it off after being buried by everyone, including your once biggest supporters says something. I have no idea what the future holds for Francis Ngannou, but right now I’m happy for him. He is refusing to let the narrative shape him and is instead trying to reshape the narrative. What if he can do it? What if he can finally ascend those steps and claim the throne? Wouldn’t that be so much sweeter now?

Images courtesy of mirror.co.uk, usatoday.com and skysports.com.

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Once Upon a Time in Gypsyland

Tyson Fury: Once Upon a Time in GypsyLand

Once upon a time, not too long ago actually. There lived a giant of a man who went by the name Tyson Fury. And to his loyal followers, The Gypsy King. Now the story goes that this giant beat all who came before him. Striking them down with unequaled skill and unanswered blows. Born into a rich lineage and fighting tradition. It was as though his destiny had been shaped long before ever taking his first breath.

Now it would be fair to say that as he grew as a man, he had the kind whose personality that left many onlookers with either a feeling of love or hate. With very little room for anything in between. But it was his boxing ability, not his character that could be questioned. Evidenced by his results and his capturing of the undisputed world heavyweight boxing championship.

Let us hark back to the time when the lesser known Fury sought to unseat the undisputed heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. With many of his peers believing Fury would not have enough tools at his disposal to unseat the champion, he entered their competition the underdog. But not to be outdone in his quest for greatness, Fury looked to both outbox and outpoint the reigning king Klitschko … and so he did.

After laying bare the boxing landscape, what next? What great challenge now faced the man mountain and who would seek their opportunity to bring him down to his knees? As it happens, it would be no man born from his mother that would finally cripple and dethrone the newly crowned king.

As Fury contemplated his life and his future in the sport. A strange undercurrent took hold of his psyche, taking him to the darkest corners of his mind. As mental illness tightened it’s grip, Fury looked to silence the voices by self medicating. Pretending to friends and family that everything as ever, was just fine. Through copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, the now former undisputed champion ballooned to some 400lbs or 28 stone in weight. In a very real visual representation of the chaos now taking place inside his minds eye.

Ending it All

What followed was a seemingly endless session of partying followed by the inevitable hangovers. As the once great fighter looked on as his career and his life fell apart one drink at a time. Fury would go on to detail his lowest point on the Joe Rogan experience podcast where he discussed his failed attempt at suicide when things simply became too much to bear.

If not for an unlikely intervention and a new found love for his old friend boxing. There is little doubting now, that at the time Tyson Fury’s own willingness and game plan to self implode would have succeeded.

Now, after over two years away from the sport. And making a monumental comeback, simply in terms of his weight, losing over 150lbs. It’s the sign of someone who has both great mental fortitude and an unwillingness to never give up. Which has seen Fury claw his way back into fitness and two recent successful fights inside the ropes. But let us be clear, I won’t be the one to gloss over the fact that either of his opponents were anywhere near the top level he once competed against and defeated. And with only those two wins, the Gypsy King Tyson Fury in his undeniable and now unshakable self belief. Decided to answer the call of the WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Heavyweight Boxing Greatness Awaits

Wilder who at least publicly has been calling for his shot at the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO world champion Anthony Joshua, had his demands go unanswered. With Joshua seeking to carry on and face his mandatory challengers before potentially turning to face Wilder. It was the lineal champion Tyson Fury who would answer the call. And now, quite unexpectedly, these two Goliath’s of the boxing world will face off come December 1st.

For Fury to come back from the greatest challenge of his life in his fight with mental health. Having tasted the highest of the highs lowest of the lows physically, mentally, emotionally … To take on one of the deadliest KO artists in the sport is nothing short of stunning. Will he go on to fulfill his vision and regain his mantle as the greatest heavyweight boxer of his generation?

With Anthony Joshua waiting in the wings, looking on with great interest. It’s a captivating scenario and a touchpaper that could once again set the world of heavyweight boxing alight! All eyes will be on Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury a week from today.

Images courtesy of Guardian.com, boxing scene.com, dailyexpress.co.uk & worldboxingnews.net

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Once Upon a Time in Gypsyland

Tyson Fury: Once Upon a Time in GypsyLand

Once upon a time, not too long ago actually. There lived a giant of a man who went by the name Tyson Fury. And to his loyal followers, The Gypsy King. Now the story goes that this giant beat all who came before him. Striking them down with unequaled skill and unanswered blows. Born into a rich lineage and fighting tradition. It was as though his destiny had been shaped long before ever taking his first breath.

Now it would be fair to say that as he grew as a man, he had the kind whose personality that left many onlookers with either a feeling of love or hate. With very little room for anything in between. But it was his boxing ability, not his character that could be questioned. Evidenced by his results and his capturing of the undisputed world heavyweight boxing championship.

Let us hark back to the time when the lesser known Fury sought to unseat the undisputed heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. With many of his peers believing Fury would not have enough tools at his disposal to unseat the champion, he entered their competition the underdog. But not to be outdone in his quest for greatness, Fury looked to both outbox and outpoint the reigning king Klitschko … and so he did.

After laying bare the boxing landscape, what next? What great challenge now faced the man mountain and who would seek their opportunity to bring him down to his knees? As it happens, it would be no man born from his mother that would finally cripple and dethrone the newly crowned king.

As Fury contemplated his life and his future in the sport. A strange undercurrent took hold of his psyche, taking him to the darkest corners of his mind. As mental illness tightened it’s grip, Fury looked to silence the voices by self medicating. Pretending to friends and family that everything as ever, was just fine. Through copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, the now former undisputed champion ballooned to some 400lbs or 28 stone in weight. In a very real visual representation of the chaos now taking place inside his minds eye.

Ending it All

What followed was a seemingly endless session of partying followed by the inevitable hangovers. As the once great fighter looked on as his career and his life fell apart one drink at a time. Fury would go on to detail his lowest point on the Joe Rogan experience podcast where he discussed his failed attempt at suicide when things simply became too much to bear.

If not for an unlikely intervention and a new found love for his old friend boxing. There is little doubting now, that at the time Tyson Fury’s own willingness and game plan to self implode would have succeeded.

Now, after over two years away from the sport. And making a monumental comeback, simply in terms of his weight, losing over 150lbs. It’s the sign of someone who has both great mental fortitude and an unwillingness to never give up. Which has seen Fury claw his way back into fitness and two recent successful fights inside the ropes. But let us be clear, I won’t be the one to gloss over the fact that either of his opponents were anywhere near the top level he once competed against and defeated. And with only those two wins, the Gypsy King Tyson Fury in his undeniable and now unshakable self belief. Decided to answer the call of the WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Heavyweight Boxing Greatness Awaits

Wilder who at least publicly has been calling for his shot at the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO world champion Anthony Joshua, had his demands go unanswered. With Joshua seeking to carry on and face his mandatory challengers before potentially turning to face Wilder. It was the lineal champion Tyson Fury who would answer the call. And now, quite unexpectedly, these two Goliath’s of the boxing world will face off come December 1st.

For Fury to come back from the greatest challenge of his life in his fight with mental health. Having tasted the highest of the highs lowest of the lows physically, mentally, emotionally … To take on one of the deadliest KO artists in the sport is nothing short of stunning. Will he go on to fulfill his vision and regain his mantle as the greatest heavyweight boxer of his generation?

With Anthony Joshua waiting in the wings, looking on with great interest. It’s a captivating scenario and a touchpaper that could once again set the world of heavyweight boxing alight! All eyes will be on Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury a week from today.

Images courtesy of Guardian.com, boxing scene.com, dailyexpress.co.uk & worldboxingnews.net

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The Return of Nick Diaz - What is the Endgame?

Nick Diaz Returns… Probably

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or you have no interest in the sport of MMA, in which case why are you reading this?) you may have heard about the rumoured return of one Nickolas Robert Diaz. If you don’t know who Nick Diaz is, you may at least know of his little brother, Nate Diaz. After a four-year absence for Stockton’s favourite son, what awaits the returning hitter amidst the ever-evolving UFC landscape?

Four years is a long time in sports. It may be an even longer time in combat sports. Fighting progresses quickly and new fighters come along every day. Many of those fighters possess qualities seen in older fighters, just tightened up and combined with other attributes. When we look at the roster, the people breaking through back in January of 2015 – when Nick last fought – are now at the top or have been surpassed.

Back when Diaz last fought all but two championships were held by the same person as now. Jose Aldo was the featherweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos was the lightweight champion, Robbie Lawler was the welterweight champion, Chris Weidman was the middleweight champion, Jon Jones was the light heavyweight champion and Cain Velasquez was the heavyweight champion. That is a vastly different landscape. It’s worth asking if Nick Diaz fits in anymore.

How does nick fit in?

Earlier this year I wrote a piece on a potential Nick Diaz return. In it I posited that perhaps Nick could provide a remedy to a few of the problems MMA has encountered as of late, a bullet of truth piercing through the political membrane. My stance has changed somewhat since then. I still think Nick is a welcome addition to the soap opera, but can he move the needle? And can he move it in the right direction?

A revenant from a bygone era, Nick was a travelling brawler winning titles across multiple promotions with a middle finger permanently erected for the benefit of America. A swearing and weed smoking street kid with a black belt and a bad attitude, the welterweight became famous as much for his antics outside the cage as inside it. With a list of quotas longer than Chris Jericho’s submission repertoire, he spoke his mind and heart, utterly refusing to become something that the sport might have needed to become mainstream. Think of GSP, now imagine the perfect villain for the Canadian, that’s Nick Diaz.

A new breed

In this writer’s opinion, Georges St-Pierre vs Nick Diaz is top five rivalry material, despite the fact that they only fought once, and that fight wasn’t very good. The conference call between the two is still one of the most entertaining trash talking sessions in the sport’s history. It was also supremely enlightening. The two men were total opposites. Georges the consummate, tailored suit wearing professional. A reserved competitor with a scientific approach to the fight game. Nick was a hoodie wearing and abrasive no-shower known for his chaotic and relentless style of combat, taking one to give one.

It was as Goku and Vegeta as it gets, but unfortunately the fight itself wasn’t competitive, with St-Pierre’s wrestle heavy offense dominating proceedings. Again, enlightening. Georges was a prototype of sorts for the sport, being the first man to really become a true complete mixed martial artist. His strategic approach to training and improving provided a blueprint for future generations. Nick, by comparison, was old school. Determined to have his fight, and if you wrestled your way to a decision victory then you were cheap.

After four years away, it’s difficult to imagine the gap between the O.G. Diaz brother and the newer generation has done anything other than widen to chasmic proportions. If Nick Diaz returns then what is the goal? If we assume that this isn’t solely financially motivated (very much within the sphere of strong possibilities) then what does Nick want? The competitive itch just too much, or does he want to bring something different to the sport? Whatever the case, the speculative return fight ticks boxes and then some.

Gamebred

Jorge Masvidal is very much cut from the same mould as Nick, from both a stylistic and personal standpoint. Both move in one direction with a boxing heavy offense and have little love for stallers and time wasters. They also have a similar appeal. Old School cowboys with similar backstories, very street and very unpolitical. Both Diaz brothers have issued their respect for “Gamebred” before, and that is not something you can say of many fighters. The fight is great, and if it does indeed come together then we are in for a throwback slugfest. It’s beyond the fight where questions arise.

Despite it being a perfect return bout, this isn’t marquee stuff, other than it being Nick Diaz’s comeback. If Nick was to return most presumed it would be big money fights outside this ranking’s ecosystem. If Diaz were to win this fight it puts him right back in the mix at welterweight, but is that where he needs to be? Is that Nick’s role? Can he just become another guy climbing the ladder? His last fight was against Anderson Silva at middleweight, not something that would have moved him along the traditional path of a UFC fighter at that point in time.

“A Gentleman never tells”

Also, Nick sorta kinda hates fighting. He’s never been shy about that and now, at 35 years of age, has he found the motivation to once again ascend through the ranks? I don’t buy that narrative. To be honest, I don’t know what narrative I buy. For Nate the ill-fated Poirier fight was clearly a path back to Conor, but I don’t know where Nick has his sights set. That’s one of the appeals of the man, we literally cannot parse his intentions.

When it comes to guys like Nick its important to be in the moment. We don’t know where his return is going, or even where it can go. We just need to enjoy the man while he’s around. And this fight… It’s reward enough in itself.

Images courtesy of espn.com and fightland.vice.com.

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Floyd Mayweather and Rizin - It's Been a Strange Year

Floyd Mayweather vs Tenshin Nasukawa – yep

The morning of Tuesday, November 5^th, 2018, I awaken and immediately grasp for my phone like the conditioned millennial that I am. No different than every other morning, except this time when I open twitter, I’m greeted by a promotional video announcing Floyd Mayweather vs Tenshin Nasukawa for Rizin’s New Year’s Eve show next month. Hmm.

HMMMMMM…

After blinking and wiping the sleep from my eyes I realised that I’d just seen a promotional video announcing Floyd Mayweather vs Tenshin Nasukawa for Rizin’s New Year’s Eve show next month. WHAT!? What is happening? I had assumed that the Demetrious Johnson/Ben Askren trade was the most unexpected thing that could happen this year, but I was wrong. We’ve reached an Event Horizon in remarkable developments.

“where we’re going, we won’t need eyes to see”

‘I thought it said, “liberate me” – “save me”. But it’s not “me”. It’s “liberate tutemet” – “save yourself.” And it gets worse.’

(Plays the distress signal again)

‘There – I think that says “ex inferis.” “Save yourself… From Hell.”

Okay, I’m exaggerating and I did recently re-watch Event Horizon (1997) ­and that’s a really good scene. (The film itself though – not as good as I remember it.) Anyway, we’ve ventured into unexplored territory this year in a blizzard with ear plugs and a blindfold and frankly it feels like anything could happen. There’re trades, and the Guardian are writing articles about the promotion that Bob Sapp and Gabi Garcia fight for.

In all seriousness, Floyd’s eastern excursion is difficult to assess until we’ve seen the thing play out. Despite Mayweather’s insistence that he wants to “do something different”, its hard to believe this is an exercise in challenging oneself. And if it is an exercise in challenging oneself, then it would be a kickboxing match, but it won’t be, so it isn’t… Because Floyd would lose.

Of course, that’s assuming that even if it was a kickboxing match – or even some kind of hybrid rules fight – that it wouldn’t be a mere exhibition with a, shall we say, “gentlemen’s agreement” between the two sides. Who are we kidding, if it is a boxing match – which it will be – it’s likely the same story.

On the rize

Sorry to be a Debbie downer but I do it out of love. If we’re being generous this is just a quick cash grab for Floyd “Money” Mayweather. If we’re our most cynical selves this is a business move for a potential branching out into Asia for Mayweather promotions. I, like you, want to see Floyd get tooled up in a kickboxing match by a tiny Japanese child. But if we expect anything remotely resembling a serious combat sports event then our New Year’s Eve will likely be ruined.

But the Guardian did write an article about Tenshin Nasukawa and Rizin, so this is by no means a wash. Floyd Mayweather is a household name in most of the western world. Rizin is about as niche as it gets, and if Floyd can get more eyes on the wider world of MMA than I say you do you Floyd. Condemn Floyd as a hustler, or exalt him, but we can benefit regardless.

Also, what if Tenshin Nasukawa calls an audible knocks Floyd Mayweather out!?

Images courtesy of f4wonline.com and rizinff.com

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