The duel between Alexander Emelyanenko and Mikhail Koklyaev caused great excitement and became one of the most discussed events of the year in the Russian martial arts world. Despite the fact that due to the powerlifter’s complete lack of combat skills, this fight was only remotely like a sport, the MMA fighter was able to not only make good money, but also get a chance to stay in boxing for a long time. So, just a day after this event, he received a call from Olympic heavyweight champion Rakhim Chakhkiev.
"Good day! My name is Rakhim Chakhkiev, I am the Olympic boxing champion. Most recently, a tournament was held in which Sasha Emelianenko won. I heartily congratulate you. I heard that you challenged everyone who wants to fight with you and face off. I accept it and am ready to fight, ”Chakhkiev said.
Emelianenko allowed himself the imprudence to declare that he was ready to fight with anyone, and as expected became the object of attention of the former professional boxer. During his career, Chakhkiev became the IBO world heavyweight champion, but in 2017 announced his retirement.
“I watched here, Chakhkiev wants to box with me, to fight. If you're ready, put on your MMA gloves and step into the cage. I will beat you. Be a man. “Akhmat” is power! ”, The boxer Emelianenko responded on Instagram.
It is noteworthy that the idea of this crossover fight between the representative of MMA and a professional boxer was supported by the head of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlev. He expressed his willingness to organize it if the athletes really agree to enter the ring.
Earlier, Kremlev talked about the readiness to hold a fight in Russia between Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the last tournament with the participation of Emelianenko and Koklyaev was established with the filing of the federation.
“This will be interesting. The battle between Alexander and Mikhail was more for the viewer, for popularization. It is very good that representatives of other sports try themselves in boxing. This shows that boxing is the best sport, ”said Kremlin.
Nevertheless, the duel between Emelianenko and Koklyaev demonstrated the absurdity of conducting crossover fights and made us think about the feasibility of organizing a battle between Alexander and Rakhim. Of course, it makes much more sense than a duel between a fighter and a powerlifter, but by and large it is nothing more than a show.
In fact, a possible battle between Emelianenko and Chakhkiev is an analogue of the battle between McGregor and Mayweather, with the caveat that it is significantly inferior to it both in scale and in validity. The battle between Conor and Floyd was due to the enormous popularity of both athletes and attracted the attention of millions of spectators around the world. At the same time, private companies and television channels acted as sponsors. First of all, it was organized with the aim of making money and did an excellent job with this task.
In terms of the sports component, a possible meeting between Emelianenko and Chakhkiev is no different from the above. 38-year-old Alexander is unlikely to fully transfer to boxing and achieve success in the new field, and Rakhim will resume his career. Thus, the main motivation of both athletes also seems to be money.
Undoubtedly, such events will gather a huge audience at stadiums and screens, but they are unlikely to benefit the development of boxing in the country. The new generation is more likely to be interested in fights involving world stars than meeting Emelianenko with Chakhkiev or beating Koklyaev, who has no experience in martial arts.
Such shows set rather a bad example for young athletes. They show that the presence of talent and enhanced training are optional conditions for getting into the professional ring. As it turned out, for this it’s enough to be attractive to the audience, which was confirmed not only by Alexander and Mikhail, but also by Maxim Novoselov and Alexey Goncharov.
The confrontation of the MMA fighter and the sambo jail who served on the murder charges was the second most important battle of the tournament, but it was unlikely to please the audience with a quality spectacle. By the second round, the athletes had difficulty moving around the ring, and the rest of the battle was like a brawl in a bar.
Such competitions are closer to the latest fights with the participation of Vyacheslav Datsik and brawls between bloggers. However, if the Internet is appropriate, then in a professional ring is unacceptable.
However, it is not clear how this contributes to the development of the career of Emelianenko Jr. A year ago, he successfully performed in his native mixed martial arts, and in August he talked about negotiations with Bare Knuckle FC. In light of this, his battle with Koklyaev was perceived only as a one-time opportunity to earn money, but now there is a feeling that he can seriously concentrate on participating in recreational activities. Perhaps Alexander was tired of risking his health and fighting in MMA, as a result of which he decided to bet on short demonstration battles.
This decision is very understandable, but actually puts an end to Emelianenko’s sports career. If boxing without gloves could give his career a new impetus and open to the world viewer, then fights with Koklyaev and Chakhkiev only improve welfare.