Nine months later the most anticipated rematch in bare knuckle is here.
On September 21st at BYB 31, the most anticipated rematch in all of bare knuckle today, will take place when lightweight champion Julio Tanori will renew acquaintances with former world champion Mark Irwin.
Last time out, these two put on a Fight of the Year which saw both of them endure punishment that would churn the stomach of even the most seasoned combat sports fan. After six grueling rounds, Tanori would come away with the majority decision and claim the lightweight world title. Now, more than 9 months later, the two will once again clash in a monumental rematch.
Upon rewatching the first fight, three things are abundantly clear, and I’ll explain how they relate to the rematch.
1. No time wasted
2. Momentum swings
3. A knockdown is key
1. No time wasted
From the very beginning, there was no feeling out process at all. Even if you take away the flash knockdown by Tanori, this one was on from the beginning. Usually when you see an all out war there are usually lulls in the action at points, typically the beginning and the end. This one didn't have that at all. Seriously. There isn’t one second of this fight where something isn’t happening. So when you think of part two, conditioning will be ultra important, maybe even more so than a normal fight.
For the fans, that means get the bathroom breaks out of the way. Get all your snacks in order, plant your butt on a couch, chair, floor, or find a place to stand, but do not, for the love of god, miss one second of this fight!
2. Momentum Swings
Sorry to my old teacher who told me never to use the word “momentum”, but I don’t know how else to describe it. Both of these two were so close to winning this fight before the final bell. Irwin was wearing serious damage on his face with that mountainous hematoma on the side of his head.
Irwin invested in heavy body work leading to multiple times in the fight where Tanori’s output slowed considerably, obviously feeling the effects of the body shots. But beyond the back and forth trade offs, there were even exchanges where one man would start and the other would finish it. Just look at the first 30 seconds of the fifth round. Irwin has him cornered, unloading body shot after body shot with nothing coming back. Only for Tanori to start reefing on Irwin’s mid section and totally turn the tide. Jeez “momentum” and “turn the tide”. Do not show this to Mr. Williams.
Whoever can manage the highs and the lows the best will come away with this one. Taking advantage when your opponent is reeling in order to get a stoppage, or on the flip side, being carefully defensive when you're on the back foot.
3. A knockdown is key
In a fight as close as this one, a knockdown will be crucial. While your first reaction is probably well duh! The first instalment was a majority decision with both guys scoring knockdowns. In a fight as close and evenly matched as this one, I can only assume a knockdown will play a part in the rematch.
Just think. If that first flurry from Tanori didn’t catch Irwin sleeping in round one, this entire situation could be different. A knockdown will be crucial in this bout, and both guys should be looking to finish rather than playing the long game because who knows what could happen in the later rounds this time around.
Now obviously every fight is different and instead of a war, we get the most skilled technical chess match we’ve ever seen. Or maybe we see a first round knockout from either guy proving the judges got it wrong, or right the first time. But when using the past as the best indicator of the future, that is just a little of what you can expect for this historic rematch.
Top Photo Courtesy of BYB.
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