“They’re goin’ to do their talkin’ tonight with their hands,” says the announcer, just before some pro wrastlin’ style prefight trash talking.

The aesthetic of Valor Bare Knuckle fighting is much more old school, with long pants and no wraps on the hands. The best thing about it is the open ring with the memory angle bank to let them know they are stepping out but not roping or caging the fighters. No standup grappling seems to be permitted, which is not authentic. But, in the end, its good to see men raising bare hands to each other, even shaking hands before the fight in the heavyweight championship.

The proliferation of combat arts is good for men, good for fighting men in particular, gives a couple strippers a side job as ring card girls and is also a sign that the estrogen well is rising and our natural reverence for men settling things face-to-face rather than through the machinations of the sissy, the politician and the bitch, is asserting itself.

It’s nice to see Ken Shamrock ringside looking like an old school mob boss as well. Pat Militech is my favorite bare knuckle boxing commentator.

Technically, chin shots thrown palm up will have better effect than in gloved sports and the power jab is more important, with the straight right being more important than the left hook. The tourney format does encourage fighters to try and stay healthy in winning, rather than destroying themselves for a single victory, placing a value on the hands being protected by skill rather than equipment.

Other Valor Fights