There are two things that make up great fighters. One is, obviously, the ability to fight at a level that transcends even the best of the sport. If you cannot box, or you cannot grapple, or you cannot make guys tap out better than everybody else, you will never be able to make it in combat sports.
But in order to go from that to another stratosphere, you need to have a sense of showmanship about you. Think of all the great fighters that we have ever seen, all of them have an otherworldly sense of the moment and how to keep fans enthralled, when they are both in the ring and outside of it.
I say all that to say this: check out this damn introduction.
Anyone have “boxer walking out in a Batman costume to the Backstreet Boys” on their bingo card tonight? pic.twitter.com/youCUo7XMz
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 18, 2020
This is Reshat Mati, a 22-year-old Albanian boxer from Staten Island who took on Dennis Okoth on Friday night. He decided that the best way to go about this was to go to the ring in a Batman costume while the Backstreet Boys classic “I Want It That Way” played. The only rule is it has to work, of course, and by god, it did. Mati needed all six rounds to get the job done, but he managed to move to 9-0-0 on his career via a final round TKO.
The Albanian Batman gets the stoppage! pic.twitter.com/GWyeTcmLKf
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 18, 2020
Here is a better look at the cape, which is extremely good.
The Bear back with a 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗚! @Reshatmati1 gets the stoppage in the final round to end the year on a high! #MatiOkoth #GGGSzeremeta @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/3q7S21QAKk
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 18, 2020
This was Mati’s seventh win via knockout. Gonna end with some Backstreet Boys puns here, if you don’t mind: He must have told the ref “don’t wanna hear you say … that I lost.” He made sure the judges didn’t have to make “The Call.” He decided to “quit playin’ games” with his opponent and just ended things. His introduction was “Larger Than Life.” Alright I’m done, thank you, have a good weekend, folks.