Sticking with the Samoan theme, we saw two Samoan brothers battle it out in the ring. One, the retired rugby union/league player and general heartthrob that many would argue bears an uncanny resemblance to yours truly … but I digress. That was Sonny Bill Williams in case you don’t know what I look like. The other, a 48-year-old wily war horse known for his walk-off KOs in K1 and the UFC realms. The latter doing what he has always done, winning the match unexpectedly for some, and capping off his amazing career with a win against a very good opponent. Congratulations on a stellar career Mr Mark Hunt.
And how about those Black Ferns? I’ve been stoked that they have finally been “recognised” and now seem to be revelling in the support of our whole country from woe to go. We’ve seen the emergence of not only great skill and tenacity but hard-case personalities like Ruby Tui and others who have fought fiercely on and off the field to stamp their mark in the hugely male-dominated world of rugby. There’s also the little side note of actually winning the Rugby World Cup. Massive props to the ladies for all their success!
Then we saw the City Kickboxing team of Tāmaki Makaurau storm New York’s famed Madison Square Gardens, an iconic arena in the combat world. Expertly headlined by our own (yes, we’ve claimed him) middleweight champion of the world, Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya. Heading into a couple of weeks of acclimatising, preparing and cutting weight, the team, ably led by Coach Eugene Bareman, had four warriors ready to dispense their form and expertise in front of the world and a record live crowd against the world’s best.
First off the rank was Carlos Ulberg with a first-round KO after picking apart his opponent to remind the UFC why City Kickboxing is world class. Followed by another veteran of the sport, Christchurch’s own Brad Riddell, who unfortunately was submitted for a loss. He would later announce his withdrawal from combat sports “until the fire to compete comes back”. Exciting and gutsy fighter Dan Hooker re-established himself as one of the true beasts for his division with a body- kick TKO in the second round. All this culminating in the nail-biting “rematch” of Israel Adesanya and his foe of the kickboxing world, Brazil’s Alex Pereira. It was a game of chess. A match-up of ups and downs, oohs and ahhs. Whanganui and Aotearoa’s golden child Izzy seemingly cruising towards another victory with a class exhibition of skill and determination. Four rounds under the belt with one to come, the Brazilian, spurred by his corner, found his beast mode to come from behind and win by TKO in the fifth. It was a sad ending for me, but a great example of the mindset of a champion.
While I was wallowing in my disappointment, feeling gutted at the result, Izzy showed great composure in the face of his adversity. And why wouldn’t he? Casuals may see him as brash and egotistical, but for me, he has always shown himself to be an honourable person. Someone who has turned his dreams into reality. Someone who looks after those close to him. And that’s only from what we get to see in the public eye. His staunch for his team and whānau might be easy to miss underneath all the cheekiness and entertainment that he provides on top of being one of the greatest fighters in the world. I want to say I almost enjoyed this loss more than any of his wins, simply because he’s shown us all what a champion looks like through this. I look forward to the rematch!
So big ups to not only our international sports people but to our locals. If we support them today, who knows? They might be the champions of the world tomorrow.
