The Kiwi-Nigerian fighter, moments after knocking out Alex Pereira, delivered a KO of a different kind to the Brazilian’s son, falling to the canvas as if unconscious in front of a kid who had once done the same to him.
“I’m petty,” Adesanya said. “The first time he knocked me out in Brazil, his son came into the ring and then just started to lie dead next to me after the win.
“I looked for his kid, I pointed at him, and I saw him and I was like, ‘Hey, hey, hey’, just to remind him.”
That level of pettiness must be admired. Many great athletes search for the slightest sleight to aid in motivation, but years later, turning the tables on a child is Roy Keane-level execution on a grudge.
We need more of it. Adesanya and Pereira later embraced and espoused all the right platitudes. We don’t need more of that. Not headline worthy. Gimme the japes.
2) LIV stars don’t lose their heads
A couple of weeks ago, Saudi Arabia executed a Muslim man during the holy month of Ramadan, an act that rights groups said had not occurred for more than a decade.
Not totally unusual for a kingdom that, having killed 147 people in 2022, boasts one of the highest execution rates in the world. And not totally relevant to this column, but seemed like we needed a counterbalance for what’s coming.
Turns out all that sportwashing does lead to some shiny objects of fascination because the involvement of the Saudi-backed LIV golfers immeasurably enhanced this year’s Masters.
Phil Mickelson’s charge up the leaderboard was deepened by the context of his mid-life crisis, although he was on best behaviour while representing the “scary mother****ers” who sign his cheques.
The spectre of bad behaviour on golf’s grandest stage had loomed from the moment Greg Norman promised his rebel alliance would storm the 18th green if one of their number were to claim the green jacket.
Such a prospect made Mickelson’s charge — and Brooks Koepka’s play through three rounds — enticing. Unfortunately, it all ended in smiles, with Koepka warmly and boringly congratulating winner Jon Rahm.
Hopefully next year’s Champions Dinner includes more beef.
3) Now we can see them
Some of the best sporting theatre of the year likely escaped most Kiwis’ attention. But it was well watched in America, with record audiences attracted by a mix of outstanding athleticism, compelling personalities and, most importantly, high-quality trash talk.
The final four of the women’s college basketball tournament was enlivened by Caitlin Clark combining the above — then lifted to another level when Clark received immediate comeuppance. The guard poured in 41 points in Iowa’s semifinal upset of South Carolina, showing off some audacious shot-making while, at the other end, daring a daunted foe to shoot by leaving her unguarded with a dismissive wave of the hand.
That kind of behaviour could be viewed as showing up the opposition, and indeed that view was taken by Iowa’s opposition in the championship game.
As LSU closed out their victory, Angel Reese followed Clark around the court, tapping the finger her championship ring would soon adorn and replicating the “You Can’t See Me” celebration Clark had lifted from wrestler John Cena.
It was beautiful. And it was watched by a peak of 12.6 million people, a groundbreaking number for women’s basketball and one undoubtedly boosted by everything happening around the basketball.
4) How Rude
NBA star Rudy Gobert is most well known for starting the coronavirus pandemic in America, hilariously handling a collection of reporters’ microphones two days before the league shut down indefinitely.
Now Gobert is back in the news, this time endangering the health not of the public but only one poor teammate.
The Frenchman has been suspended for the Timberwolves’ play-in game against the Lakers today, having decided the final game of the regular season was a chill time to punch Kyle Anderson.
In Gobert’s limited defence, the punch wasn’t exactly on Adesanya’s level, and it was aimed at his teammate’s chest, so there wasn’t much malice involved.
Which means fans who live for drama can applaud it — keep being your messy best, Rudy — while not applauding violence. I think.
5) Crossing the line?
Toeing a similar line was Constantine Hatzidakis living out every referee’s dream by appearing to throw a cheeky elbow at Liverpool defender Andy Robertson during their blockbuster 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
The linesman has been stood down while the FA investigate the incident, because physically attacking players is “bad” or whatever.
But after the amount of crap that officials the world over have copped from athletes since the advent of organised sport, can’t we let him have this one? Considering it was only a Liverpool player, surely this could be a three-strikes type of policy.
