Am I the only guy who feels weird about watching Grozny cards?

[jujigatame]

Having this psycho chilling out on a purple couch at ringside and occasionally taking trips to the corners of selected fighters to give them pep talks is kind of uncomfortable:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramzan_Kadyrov

He was even giving Chagaev massages between rounds. Creepy.

[Taki...]

The kind of fella you expect to see Denzel Washington taking down at the end of a movie... or paying Bernie Ecclestone for an F1 race.

[handsofstone]

I agree thy are pretty bizzare and must be intimidating to fight in,even Chagaev never looks at ease

[jujigatame]

Yea if you're Chagaev you've gotta be a little freaked out when a war criminal is wandering into your corner with impunity and touching you between rounds.

I was honestly questioning the legitimacy of the fights for a while and Ali Funeka winning a decision against his Russian opponent (who was dirty as hell, BTW) shocked the hell out of me.

[greg]

...incidentally, "yesterday evening (6.03.2016) the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov received an honorary belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA) "for his contribution to the development of boxing." The Chechen leader received the award from the hands of the WBA representative in Europe, Thomas Putz."

[ikorolev]

...incidentally, "yesterday evening (6.03.2016) the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov received an honorary belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA) "for his contribution to the development of boxing." The Chechen leader received the award from the hands of the WBA representative in Europe, Thomas Putz."

We already knew that any kind of WBA belt can be purchased.

[greg]

...incidentally, "yesterday evening (6.03.2016) the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov received an honorary belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA) "for his contribution to the development of boxing." The Chechen leader received the award from the hands of the WBA representative in Europe, Thomas Putz."

We already knew that any kind of WBA belt can be purchased.

...just like almost everything else..

[jujigatame]

...incidentally, "yesterday evening (6.03.2016) the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov received an honorary belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA) "for his contribution to the development of boxing." The Chechen leader received the award from the hands of the WBA representative in Europe, Thomas Putz."

Ugh, shameful.

[greg]

...incidentally, "yesterday evening (6.03.2016) the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov received an honorary belt of the World Boxing Association (WBA) "for his contribution to the development of boxing." The Chechen leader received the award from the hands of the WBA representative in Europe, Thomas Putz."

Ugh, shameful.

...didn't like that either

[jujigatame]

Kadyrov basically uses celebrities and professional athletes to boost his popularity and perceived legitimacy. Recently he paid Fabricio Werdum and Frank Mir to fly to Grozny and hang out with him and do photo ops:



He also paid Hilary Swank and Jean-Claude Van Damme to come to his birthday party a few years ago:



Swank later fired her manager when she found out exactly who the guy was.

[jujigatame]

Oh and of course he's a "sparring partner" for Chagaev:

[greg]

Oh and of course he's a "sparring partner" for Chagaev:

...i honestly don't give a damn what he does and how he boosts his popularity as long as he keeps rebels under control...Grozny is by the way a BEAUTIFUL city...

[jujigatame]

Ah yes, the old "as long as the trains run on time" argument.

[greg]

Ah yes, the old "as long as the trains run on time" argument.

...everything is better than the bloodshed...

[Tarkus]

Ah yes, the old "as long as the trains run on time" argument.

...everything is better than the bloodshed...

So killing rivals, opposition politicians, journalists and activists is not bloodshed? There would not be any bloodshed if Russian government did not start wars against Chechens. Kadirov is a son of a KGB executioner that keeps people in terror through murder and intimidation. I just hope those losses lessen the fvkcers fervor for boxing. We have lot of shady sht going on in boxing as it is not to have war criminals added to the mix.

[ikorolev]

Ah yes, the old "as long as the trains run on time" argument.

...everything is better than the bloodshed...

So killing rivals, opposition politicians, journalists and activists is not bloodshed? There would not be any bloodshed if Russian government did not start wars against Chechens. Kadirov is a son of a KGB executioner that keeps people in terror through murder and intimidation. I just hope those losses lessen the fvkcers fervor for boxing. We have lot of shady sht going on in boxing as it is not to have war criminals added to the mix.

You don't understand the tribal culture. There can be no democracy there. U.S. tried to force democracy on Iraq and other places. Did it work ? Russia has at least 50 years to go before really becoming democratic, and it is probably at least a 100 years (if ever) for Chechnya.

[greg]

Ah yes, the old "as long as the trains run on time" argument.

...everything is better than the bloodshed...

So killing rivals, opposition politicians, journalists and activists is not bloodshed? There would not be any bloodshed if Russian government did not start wars against Chechens. Kadirov is a son of a KGB executioner that keeps people in terror through murder and intimidation. I just hope those losses lessen the fvkcers fervor for boxing. We have lot of shady sht going on in boxing as it is not to have war criminals added to the mix.

...let's just not start these political discussions HERE, otherwise it will turn ugly..thank you

[Tarkus]

...everything is better than the bloodshed...

So killing rivals, opposition politicians, journalists and activists is not bloodshed? There would not be any bloodshed if Russian government did not start wars against Chechens. Kadirov is a son of a KGB executioner that keeps people in terror through murder and intimidation. I just hope those losses lessen the fvkcers fervor for boxing. We have lot of shady sht going on in boxing as it is not to have war criminals added to the mix.

...let's just not start these political discussions HERE, otherwise it will turn ugly..thank you

I did not start anything I replied to your comment. So, much like bloodshed, it is you who started it.

[greg]

So killing rivals, opposition politicians, journalists and activists is not bloodshed? There would not be any bloodshed if Russian government did not start wars against Chechens. Kadirov is a son of a KGB executioner that keeps people in terror through murder and intimidation. I just hope those losses lessen the fvkcers fervor for boxing. We have lot of shady sht going on in boxing as it is not to have war criminals added to the mix.

...let's just not start these political discussions HERE, otherwise it will turn ugly..thank you

I did not start anything I replied to your comment. So, much like bloodshed, it is you who started it.

...ok, fair enough..lets leave it at that...

[Ilya Muromets]

You don't understand the tribal culture. There can be no democracy there. U.S. tried to force democracy on Iraq and other places. Did it work ? Russia has at least 50 years to go before really becoming democratic, and it is probably at least a 100 years (if ever) for Chechnya.

The "democracy" racket is the biggest hoax of them all.

[milpool]

Do we know if Lucas Browne managed to get home OK?!

[Ilya Muromets]

Do we know if Lucas Browne managed to get home OK?!

Unfortunately they found his body in the river, an apparent suicide.

Only kidding!

[deadpan]

The kind of fella you expect to see Denzel Washington taking down at the end of a movie... or paying Bernie Ecclestone for an F1 race.

Divine!

[gilgamesh]

Yes I thought the Presentation of the card in Grozny was bizarre and the guy on the Couch definitely made it seem more awkward, but even the stuff they do before that like the guys with guns getting out of the car at the weigh in when Chagaev weighed in, and all the dancing and stuff. It was really bizarre. I'd never seen anything like it.

[PredatorHayds]

Oh and of course he's a "sparring partner" for Chagaev:

...i honestly don't give a damn what he does and how he boosts his popularity as long as he keeps rebels under control...Grozny is by the way a BEAUTIFUL city...

I really fancy going there for a stag party.
But no booze and most shops only sell daggers and carpets.
The hotel looks nice though.