The heavyweight trembles as Romanian Tyson returns: "Blood is being spilled"
At ARJ Trainingen in The Hague, trainer Maikel Polanen prepares Romanian kickboxer Raul Cătinaș (32) for a return to the ring. The heavyweight is eager to fight again after four years.
“I will beat Badr Hari and Rico Verhoeven.”
There is no shortage of heavyweights at ARJ Trainingen. Trainer Maikel Polanen currently works with Tarik Khbabez, Ismael Londt, Mohammed Balli, Colin George and Raul Cătinaș. Especially the arrival of the latter to ARJ Trainingen creates excitement. "You always have to be careful to make comparisons with great sports people, but Cătinaș is the Mike Tyson of kickboxing," says Polanen.
“When he fights, something unexpected always happens. That was also the case with Tyson. That's why he was a fighter for whom I stayed up at night. Cătinaș is treating his fans to knockouts. He always goes for the kill.”
Frustration
Cătinaș was a household name in kickboxing until four years ago. As one of the youngest fighters, he achieved great success. After an accumulation of disappointments [contracts and sponsorships], he ended his career four years ago out of frustration.
Polanen then picked it up again. “I've been doing business in Romania for a few years now. For example, we organized a number of events there. That is how I came into contact with the management of Cătinaș. They let me know two years ago that he wanted to make a comeback. In December they indicated that they would really start working on his return.”
Cătinaș has been in the Netherlands since January, although he returned to Romania during the first coronavirus outbreak. In June the gyms reopened here and he came back. Since then they have been training twice a day.
Excitement
Kickboxing organization Glory has already registered him and that creates the necessary excitement. Polanen: ,,The heavyweights are already hesitant. He has enormous charisma. That guy's so big. He is imposing even physically. You feel that everyone wants to see him in action again.”
Romanian Tyson only wants one thing and that is to be in the ring against Badr Hari or Rico Verhoeven as soon as possible. “I have a lot of respect for all fighters but I came to Glory to beat Badr Hari and Rico Verhoeven”, he says.
It is still unclear when he will actually return to the ring. “What we are now working very hard on his cardio, there is still a lot to be done. He has not forgotten how to fight in the past four years.
Recently I let him spar against top heavyweight Tarik Khbabez. Blood was spilled. Not normal. That was so hard that everyone stopped training to watch.”
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