WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
As a Lion prepares to hunt a White Rhino, he recalls the time he fought a bear. Yes, a real bear
BY JAMES LUPTON
INCENTIVE: Victory for Makhmudov on Saturday could lead to a match with one of the biggest names in boxing – Anthony Joshua
Photo: RICHARD PELHAM/GETTY IMAGES
EVERYTHING about Arslanbek Makhmudov screams ‘danger’. There’s the visible raw power and the statistically monstrous knockout record, and standing at 6ft 6ins while tipping the scales at more than 260lbs, he is built like a tank and boasts sledgehammers for fists.
And what marks him out further as one of the heavyweight division’s most terrifying propositions goes beyond what we can obviously see – it’s the legend that surrounds him outside of the ring.
One of the most jaw-dropping moments in his growing mythos is the infamous video of him wrestling a bear. Yes, a real bear. And Makhmudov grappled with it like it was part of his warm-up routine.
That video didn’t just go viral, it cemented the image of someone who seemed more beast than man.