Alex Ovechkin’s Knockout Was So Impressive the UFC Commented on It

[mrbaapt]

I can't even think about how to throw punches while skating on ice.

 

[CleverNameEh]

Aint even close to greatest player of all time. Sheeeit.

Knocked out a rookie that just turned 19 few weeks ago.

While I agree, you also can't step to the big lion if you don't want him to defend his pride.

That's on the rookie. They were both whacking each other and jawing, but rookie boy took a half hearted swing, and then visibly nodded yes, let's go.

All Ov did was make it preemptive once it was going down, to avoid getting suckered himself.

Ov obviously could have used some restraint knowing the kid is fresh and just standing up for himself, but still. He didn't over do it. Just threw until kid dropped, and then stopped immediately.

Bad choice kid, but hope he's ok

 

[CleverNameEh]

I can't even think about how to throw punches while skating on ice.

That's why they hang on to the jersey, other wise they'd both go down

 

[CleverNameEh]

that KO was nasty tho.

Go to the bench for 5 minutes,
and think about what you've done....

You could see he was feeling bad. Oops, killed that kid. My bad.

 

[Mark Johannus]

Hey man....this kid asked for it. It was obvious he clearly asked Ovy for the fight.

I'm sure he didn't expect to pound him like he did, considering Ovy isn't isn't a big fighter at all. In fact, the last time I can remember Ovy fighting, he was flailing his arms around like a complete moron, looked like a fish out of water.

Maybe this kid will think twice next time he asks a legend like Ovy to go. He should learn from this and move on.

But for people that say Ovy picked on a kid....fuck that. It's hockey man...fighting is allowed. The kid asked for it, and got KO'd. Shit happens....

 

[george14]

Ovie is a top 10-20 all timer.

Top 1-2 goal scorer though if that makes you guys feel better

And yes, Crosby is the better player and no, at this point it's not even debatable. It's a fact, supported by success (team and personal), numbers (basic and advanced) and actually watching the games and not just youtube highlights (because Ovi is by far the greatest youtube highlights hockey player of all time). He's better and he contributes much more towards winning

And this is from someone who prefers Ovechkin as a player and a personality

Ovechkin is a better goal scorer and throws more hits. That is where the discussion ends. Crosby literally does everything else better.

 

[Mark Johannus]

Not wanting to come across as ignorant, but why does hockey persist in entertaining a violence-based culture? In no way does that help the perspective of the sport, it comes across as amateurish and discreditable.

For people that have never played Hockey, I can see how the fact that fighting is allowed boggles your mind.

But what's cool about fighting in Hockey is it allows the players to police the game themselves. The league is definitely turning softer and players are smaller and more skilled than they have ever been....but idea behind fighting is you leave the skill guys alone who are typically smaller dudes, and if you don't, there will be repercussions.

 

[Luvhawky]

Hes already greatest goal scorer of all time.
Also Svechnikov asked for that ko.

Lol, not even close and he doesn't skate back on D on top of that. Can't play both ways and isn't even in the conversation for greatest scorer.

 

[Shindig44]

If so he's young, considering Gretzky played in Edmonton, and was considered a god there.

I am not old, but not that young either. Equally, as I have stated before, I am not saying McDavid is a better overall player than Gretzky or even Crosby, its simply too early to make that call. I have been playing hockey for 25 years now and I am obsessed with it more than MMA (sorry, guys!) And I have never seen anyone with the kind of skill that McDavid posesses. Anytime that kid touches the puck its like watching the worlds most renowned neurosurgeon perform brain surgery...its magical. There is a reason he is referred to as being the most evolved player ever. He is like the Michael Phelps of the hockey world.

 

[CPH]

The ‘fighting’ in hockey is beyond retarded. Guys on skates going at it Frye/Takayama style. Utter fucking garbage.

 

[Lemmy Caution]

The ‘fighting’ in hockey is beyond retarded. Guys on skates going at it Frye/Takayama style. Utter fucking garbage.

You are clueless. NHL enforcers are elite fighters. Probert liked to do coke and party too much, but there were few people on and off the ice who would fight him. As they say in this video, Probert was tougher than any one bouncer, but he couldn't take 5 of them at the time.

The minimum salary in the NHL is $850,000. To go to the NHL is to a Canadian kid like going to the NBA or the Majors for an American kid. Now, nobody dreams of becoming a Dave Schultz, Probert or Tony Twist. They want to be a Wayne Gretzky or Ovechkin. Enforcer becomes the route when you realize talent alone will not take you there. There are lots of players in the juniors willing to fight their way to the NHL. Probert made $14-million in his career. He entered the NHL when minimum salary was $250,000.

 

[CPH]

NHL enforcers are elite fighters.

LOL. No. They are big, strong guys who train hockey on a professional level, which is what makes them formidable vs bouncers and randoms who gas out in two minutes. Fighting in hockey is shit. I am not going to sit here and explain to you why trading punches on skates is a joke.

 

[Lemmy Caution]

LOL. No. They are big, strong guys who train hockey on a professional level, which is what makes them formidable vs bouncers and randoms who gas out in two minutes. Fighting in hockey is shit. I am not going to sit here and explain to you why trading punches on skates is a joke.

You're clueless. Probert could beat up a lot of bouncers, just not 5 at the same time.

You don't think hockey players train wrestling and boxing? Regardless if you are a fighter or not. It's good training. When we talk the premiere enforcers of the late 1970s, we talk Clark Gillies (HOFer), Behn Wilson and Nick Fotiu (golden glove).

Big and strong? Stan Jonathan was 5'8, 175.

From Wikipedia:

Stan Jonathan was drafted in the fifth round (86th overall) of the 1975 NHL entry draft by the Bruins. Ignored by most other scouts and by Bruins general manager Harry Sinden, Jonathan was picked up thanks to the shrewdness of Don Cherry, who had seen him play with the Peterborough Petes earlier that season.[1] Cherry stated later that the proudest discovery of his hockey career was Stan Jonathan.[1]

Arguably Jonathan's most famous moment[4] was his savaging of Pierre Bouchard in a brawl during Game 4 of the 1978 Stanley Cup Finals. Challenged by Bouchard, who outweighed Jonathan by thirty pounds and stood four inches taller, Jonathan held his own, breaking Bouchard's nose and cheekbone and knocking him to the ice.[1] In the same playoff stretch, Jonathan contributed to a 5-2 win as he scored a hat-trick in game 6 of the semi-finals against the Montreal Canadiens, which forced a game 7.[5]

The difference between Jonathan and Bouchard is that the latter isn't an enforcer and made the mistake of dropping his gloves against one.

Of course, there are levels of elite when it comes to fighting. The arm punches you get away with in MMA don't work in boxing. They are elite because of training, being naturally adept and having fought their way through juniors and minors. There are a lot more fights in the minors. Not only is it a selling point, it's a way for players to make the NHL take notice. The goal isn't necessarily to fight, but to be so feared few people want to fight you.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

LOL. No. They are big, strong guys who train hockey on a professional level, which is what makes them formidable vs bouncers and randoms who gas out in two minutes. Fighting in hockey is shit. I am not going to sit here and explain to you why trading punches on skates is a joke.

They're certainly not full time fighters -- they have to play hockey well enough to not cost goals, and the hockey skill levels needed for that are extremely high. The average NHL salary is about a million a year, and there's huge competition for even the last spot on the bench. And considering that most games are won or lost by one or two goals, it doesn't matter how good you can fight if you cost the team games because you can't play the game at a very high level.

Having said that, if you think its easy to trade punches on skates, give it a try. Its a very specialized skill, and anything but easy. I don't think any NHL enforcer has a chance against the bigger UFC fighters in the cage, but on the ice I'd bet on pretty much any NHL player to complete beat up on any UFC fighter but GSP (who played hockey, though he was never good enough to make it into higher leagues). Try it yourself if you doubt, its not a joke at all.

Its similar to water polo, which is a very rough game with a fair amount of fighting under the water. It might look like a joke, but unless you're an excellent swimmer who knows how to fight while doing so you're going to find it ridiculously hard to do.

 

[quadrunner]

Iginla would have whooped both their asses, I miss him...


Props to the kid for challenging the crazy Russian legend who also happens to enjoy his vodka.. bold strategy from the kid, Ovie had none of him tho lol


LGB

 

[usernamee]

Ovi vs CM Punk.

Ovi beats the shit out of him.

 

[tru3f4n]

For people that have never played Hockey, I can see how the fact that fighting is allowed boggles your mind.

But what's cool about fighting in Hockey is it allows the players to police the game themselves. The league is definitely turning softer and players are smaller and more skilled than they have ever been....but idea behind fighting is you leave the skill guys alone who are typically smaller dudes, and if you don't, there will be repercussions.

The NHL has already gotten rid of the enforcer role for the most part the fighting has kept on dropping down since the last lockout. Plus with the deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak the NHL has pretty much tried to get rid of fighting instead of letting it die on its own. The doctors finding that Derek Boogaard and Bob Probert was suffering from CTE probably scared the shit out of the NHL. It's a sad day when a league like the KHL has a more North American style game then the NHL.

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

A lot of hockey teams I know actually have their players train some boxing, like once a week or something. Not serious, they don't spar, just technique and drills. So the level of fighting in hockey games, while being nothing approaching an actual boxing match, is still higher than most scuffles on the street.

 

[613]

Oh you mean back when goalies had no idea what they were doing and used pads 10 times smaller? youre right

Dominik Hasek (The GOAT goalie) and Martin Brodeur were both in their prime at the time of that goal. Both proved they were elite goalies after the lockout. That gif is not from the 60s bud. Goalies were amazing at that time

 

[Shabutie]