- Title: Bare-knuckle fight nights take off online in Russia during pandemic
- Date: 30th April 2021
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 16, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BARE-KNUCKLE BOXING BOUT BETWEEN ALEXEI "MILLER" MELNIKOV (STARTS LEFT) AND VLADISLAV "EXECUTIONER" SURKOV (STARTS RIGHT) AT 'TOP DOG' BARE-KNUCKLE BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP MELNIKOV, SURKOV BOXING SLOWED VIDEO OF MELNIKOV KNOCKING OUT SURKOV (MUTE) SURKOV GETTING UP WALKING TO HIS CORNER REFEREE COUNTING, ANNOUNCING END OF FIGHT, SURKOV SHOWING REFEREE HE CAN STILL FIGHT, MEDIC WALKING TO SURKOV MELNIKOV CELEBRATING SPECTATORS REFEREE WALKING MELNIKOV AROUND THE RING ANNOUNCING HIM WINNER MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT - MARCH 31, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF 'TOP DOG' FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDER, DANIL ALEYEV, HELPING FIGHTER DANIK VESNENOK PUT ON BOXING GLOVES VARIOUS OF VESNENOK PERFORMING PUNCHES CAMERA ZOOMING IN ON ALEYEV BOXING GLOVES ON FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDER, DANIL ALEYEV, SAYING: "The audience of the CIS is the most grateful and welcoming for this kind of sport, you could even say forgotten kind of old sport. Because, now in the world, in principle, there are few such real, living, sincere emotions in society. The only way a person can really express themselves is in Art, and fighting is an art, generally speaking." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 16, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BOUT BETWEEN EVGENIY "13TH WARRIOR" GANIN (STARTS ON LEFT) AND HERMAN "DUTCHMAN" VANDENVIN GANIN KNOCKING DOWN VANDENVIN MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT - MARCH 31, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDER, DANIL ALEYEV, SAYING: "It's tough for people, they're angry. There is also this quarantine, everyone is constantly under some sort of restriction. There is also a financial crisis. People are generally in a stressful environment with nowhere to let it out. When they see something like this, it eases the tension." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 16, 2021) (REUTERS) BOUT BETWEEN ADILZHAN "ADOS" SANDIBEKOV (STARTS CLOSER TO CAMERA) AND YURI RYABOY MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT - MARCH 31, 2021) (REUTERS) FIGHTER DANIK VESNENOK POSING FOR CAMERA AND INTRODUCING HIMSELF (Russian): "My name is Danik Vesnenok, I am from Riga." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG BARE-KNUCKLE FIGHTER, DANIK VESNENOK, SAYING: "Now the borders are completely closed with Europe, with Riga. I've put a great amount of effort to be here. It is a big event for me, the whole country cheers for me. I am ready, we will show real class." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 16, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VESNENOK WALKING TO RING, GETTING READY FOR FIGHT AUDIENCE CHEERING VARIOUS OF BOUT BETWEEN VESNENOK AND DANILA UNTENKOV AUDIENCE VESNENOK ANNOUNCED AS WINNER VESNENOK RECEIVING MEDICAL HELP AFTER BOUT VESNENOK'S BRUISED HANDS IN HAND WRAPS, HOLDING PHONE VARIOUS OF VESNENOK RECEIVING MEDICAL HELP (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG HEAD DOCTOR, MARAT ALALAYEV, SAYING: "There are mostly cuts, injuries of soft parts, lots of cuts. There are sometimes fractures, jaw fractures, more rarely wrist fractures." VARIOUS OF FIGHTER GETTING HIS WRIST BANDAGED BEFORE FIGHT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG HEAD DOCTOR, MARAT ALALAYEV, SAYING: "The damage is different (compared to boxing). In bare-knuckle fighting the injures are on the surface, let's say cuts or fractures. In boxing, there is greater risk of injury to the brain MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT- MARCH 31, 2021) (REUTERS) TOP DOG FIGHTER GADZHI "ASSAULT RIFLE" NAVRUZOV POSING FOR CAMERA, THEN SAYING (Russian): "Hello everyone, I am Gadzhi Navruzov, everyone knows me as Gadzhi "Assault Rifle." I am a Top Dog fighter who has a record of five fights and zero losses." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TOP DOG FIGHTER, GADZHI "ASSAULT RIFLE" NAVRUZOV, SAYING: "I feel happiness before a fight. (JOURNALIST OFF CAMERA ASKING "WHY?"). Because at last you go and fight, finally those two-three months of camp are over, all of those emotional and psychological pressures are over. Before the fight it's only happiness, you walk in, happy and you fight. You relish in it." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 16, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOP DOG FEMALE FIGHTER YEKATERINA GOLOVATAYA WALKING TO MIRROR
- Embargoed: 14th May 2021 16:20
- Keywords: Russia bare knuckle blood boxing fighting injury. Top Dog knockout sport trauma
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Europe,Sport,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001EAPSOJJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A brutal boxing tournament in Russia that pits bare-knuckle fighters against each other in short, bloody bouts has surged in popularity on social networks during the coronavirus pandemic.
The "Top Dog" tournament began broadcasting fights in parking lots in early 2020, but now rents out a Moscow sports arena for bare-knuckle bouts that are viewed online by millions.
The most popular fight yet has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube. The organisers attribute the sport's popularity to pent-up aggression because of COVID-19 restrictions and frustrations over the economy.
"It's tough for people, they're angry," said Danil Aleyev, an amateur fighter who founded the fight nights. "People are generally in a stressful environment with nowhere to let it out. When they see something like this, it eases the tension."
Russia, which has reported the world's sixth most COVID-19 cases, has not imposed a national lockdown since last summer to avoid damaging the economy, opting instead for smaller measures. Real incomes have been falling or stagnant for years.
The fights are split by gender for women and men and involve three two-minute rounds. The rings are circled by hay stacks and often covered in blood by the end.
The organisers reject criticism that the bouts are dangerous for athletes. They say they receive flesh wounds that heal, while gloved boxers are able to receive more punches, which exposes them to longer-term problems such as brain damage.
Aleyev said the tournament is drawing in foreign viewers and that the United States accounted for the second most of those.
He declined to say how much fighters earn, but said the best are paid handsomely. Income comes from advertising, sponsorship and merchandise sales.
Yekaterina Golovataya is one of several women who take part in fights.
"Girls can do it too. I think girls are capable of so much. I believe there are many cool and gifted girls," she told Reuters.
(Production: Lev Sergeev, Mikhail Antonov, Shamil Zhumatov, Dmitry Turlyun) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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