Post by Publicist on Jul 22, 2019 16:03:06 GMT -5
I was on hand for the return of Union Grand Prix on Saturday night and the show proved to be worth the wait! Dante Reed put together a 5 star show and there was absolutely no filler, from the prelims to the main event, the show was absolutely stacked! Everyone was ready for this show, but perhaps one of the most anticipated and heated matches wasn’t even on the main card.
Scrap Yard MMA’s ‘One Punch’ Joey Byrne and CTN’s J.T. Spencer (Maleek Raheem) spent the better part of the build up to their debut heavyweight collision trading razor sharp barbs at one another on social media. I collected a few of the best I could find here for your reading pleasure: CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW THE TRANSCRIPT
Before their match, Toussaint Harper spoke with both men about their upcoming bout and it started to become clear that things between them were going to get very serious on Fight Night. Byrne made it clear that Spencer had no business in the cage with him since all he did was sit in an office all day. He said he was looking forward to punishing the newcomer. For Spencer’s part, he laid out his game plan for the fight while expressing that he had no intention of falling victim to a ‘One Punch’ knockout from Byrne.
The fight went down in Nationwide Arena and right from the start Byrne proved that his nickname wasn’t one that he gave to himself. The opening punch rocked Spencer and nearly knocked him down and out. He battled back, using strategy to outmaneuver and frustrate Byrne. Clinches and takedowns were the difference and Spencer managed to lock in a tight guillotine to end the fight at 2:02 of the second round.
Spencer, no doubt felt vindicated after all of the rhetoric about whether he belonged in the cage with a man of Byrne’s stature. However, I don’t think the story ends right there. I got an exclusive interview with Maleek Raheem earlier today, and let’s just say that things took an interesting turn.
Francis Alexander Quinn [FAQ]: First off, thank you for the interview and congratulations on winning your very first MMA match in such spectacular fashion, though it was touch and go at first.
Maleek Raheem [MR]: It’s my pleasure, and thank you for that. Yeah, Joey caught me with that first punch and if it wasn’t for the cage, I know I would have been on my back and in a bad way. My corner kept me in it and I listened to my coaches and weathered that earlier storm. I know Joey and I had a lot to say about each other, but I will never question what he does inside the cage…he’s a beast!
[FAQ]: Let’s talk about life outside the cage since that was one of the first things that Byrne brought up when he found out he was facing you. The running joke around their camp was that you were just a ‘Television Network Executive for a fake Television Network.’ Those comments obviously got to you since it pretty much kicked off the war of words leading to this fight.
[MR]: I ain’t gonna lie, that did kinda get to me at first. I mean, hey! We are going to say stuff to each other to get the leg up, but my whole thing is this; to say that I don’t belong in the cage because I have a corporate job is shortsighted and ignorant. I work hard and I train just like they do! Hell, if anything, I have to work harder than they do! I was signing deals for clothing, I was scouting talent for television shows, I was producing video releases and I was in the gym every waking moment in-between! My wife can attest to that…Maria had to get put in where she fit in while I trained and worked to keep my body and bank account on swoll!
[FAQ]: Do you think your win legitimizes you now?
[MR]: That is not for me to decide. Maybe Joey respects me and maybe he don’t. That’s his business and I won’t dare to tell him or anyone else how to think. I respect every man and woman who steps in the cage, in my mine, that makes you legit! I got my cherry popped on Saturday, but for the next person I fight…that might not mean anything at all. Respect has to be earned or taken, I can’t answer for anyone but myself.
[FAQ]: You and Joey were very conciliatory to one another after the fight and that was nice to see, but I wonder, were you surprised by that…given the way you got back into the fight after nearly being knocked out?
[MR]: …excuse me…come again?
[FAQ]: At the midpoint of the first round, you headbutted Byrne on the mat, and that really turned the tide in your favor. Certainly not a legal blow. Are you at all surprised that Byrne didn’t call you out for being a dirty fighter?
[MR]: BRO! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING RIGHT NOW?!
[FAQ]: You fouled him and because of it, he never recovered and you got the win. Pretty straight forward, I think.
[MR]: LOOK MAN, I AINT DIRTY AND I AINT DO NO ILLEGAL SHIT! IF I DID, I WOULD HAVE GOT CALLED ON IT, RIGHT?!
[FAQ]: Dusty Whitaker missed it, but I showed him a replay of it after the fight and he says he should have caught that. If you want, I can show you right now. I have it on my…
[MR]: MAN, FUCK YOU AND YO’ FUCKIN’ VIDEO!
[FAQ]: Sir…I’m just trying to…
[MR]: YOU TRYIN’ TO GET THAT ASS BEAT!
[FAQ]: No…please…that is not it! I just want to know about the…
[MR]: You wanna know something? Know THIS! I aint a dirty fighter…I’m an UNDEFEATED fighter! J.T. Spencer didn’t get fuckin’ swoll from liftin’ pens to sign checks or no kinda bullshit like that! Because I have an office job don’t mean I aint workin’ hard! I’M THE HARDEST WORKER YO’ ASS DONE EVER SEEN! I make a deal, then I hit the fuckin’ gym! I arrange a meetin’ and then I hit the fuckin’ gym! Motherfucka’s think I gotta train 24 hours a day to fight and if I don’t, I gotta be DIRTY?!
[FAQ]: Sir…that wasn’t the…
[MR]: GET TH’ FUCK OUT MY OFFICE BEFORE I KNOCK YOUR STUPID ASS TH’ FUCK OUT!
Obviously the interview ended there, but in my estimation, I did nothing wrong but ask a simple question about something that happened in the fight. I feel like his response was unwarranted and unprofessional. It’s my job to report on the facts and ask the tough questions that the people deserve to have answers to. I think I did my job and I hope that Mr. Raheem sees his way to apologizing to me and the fans for that outburst.
I am Francis Alexander Quinn, and this has been Just the FAQ!
