Boxers swap ring for high-speed bullet train bout in Japan

Gulf Today Report

Fans of boxing must have got used to seeing the contestants slug it out in the boxing ring. Movies have been made on the sport: who can forget Sylvester Stallone’s classic portrayal of Rocky Balboa? But what if — and here’s the catch —instead of a boxing ring, the pugilists face each other in a very different, unusual venue: a high-speed train? Diehard fans of the sport would find this hard to believe, but it’s true. The slugfest took place on a bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya on Monday. The speed of the train: 180 miles per hour!

Veterans Minoru Suzuki and Sanshiro Takagi indulged in a ‘brawl’ for about 30 minutes in a coach on the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train, much to the delight of the passengers who cheered and filmed the rare encounter. All 75 seats in the carriage sold out within half an hour for the bout.

The space was, well, a trifle tight, but no matter. The duo locked each other in chokeholds and flipped each other down the aisle, according to a report in a section of the British media. Suzuki won the challenge.

The organisers had even staged the event in a bookshop and a campsite. This time, they hired the entire carriage for the clash.

Prominent Japanese boxers made a special appearance at the event, including the legendary Kenta Kobashi. He posed as a train conductor, interrupting the match to check some tickets, eliciting peals of laughter from the crowd.

The wrestlers weren’t allowed to actually cause any damage to the interior. Some fans even stayed on the train for a more peaceful return journey.

“This actually looks like a bad*** match,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter). Another quipped: “Imagine just trying to get to work and this is going on lol.”

“Man, the penalty for not having a ticket is a bit harsh,” joked a third fan.