Anyone know Jan Antolik from New Zealand?

[EatMyShorts]

Anyone?

Trying to place whether I have this person correct or no.

Said he was fighting for a WMC New Zealand title in 2008 (against another fighter from New Zealand), he passed through a Bangkok muay thai camp that summer on his way back from Germany, or somewhere in Europe.

I'm just trying to put a face to a name and that's literally been irritating me for over a decade.

Think the dude was about 85 kgs which is the correct weight.

 

[joshbrowne1]

He is a nice fighter

 

[EatMyShorts]

Holy shit, it was the dude



This dude.

Said he was coming back from training pro boxing in Germany, passing through bangkok to prepare for a WMC title at the time.

Turns out he was a drug smuggler.

I sparred him one round thai style (light, no shin pads) and was thinking, "meh", but watching some youtube vids, he clearly had KO power.

Always wanted to know what was the deal with that, when I heard "WMC title" and then never heard of him since.

I guess NZ have some top fighters that are well kept secrets.

 

[EatMyShorts]

I'm gonna add another holy-shit to that initial holy-shit.



Gang land murder.

Sexual assault.

Part of an organized crime syndicate.

Dafuq??

How can someone so dialed into being a top athlete (so productive), be involved in something so degenerative?

For whatever reason, that always stuck out in my mind, crossing paths with some internationally travelling dude, fighting for a world title, seemingly travelling completely alone - I mean if he's going to germany for pro boxing and thailand to sharpen up muay thai before a title fight, he obviously takes it as seriously as any world class athlete does.

I think that's what you call, a "paradox".

 

[shinkyoku]

Not the first kickboxing profile to be involved in organized crime and not the last. Remember Jan Plas? Trainer to some of the best of the best, but eventually jailed for drugrunning, moneylaundering and kidnapping.
Sadly, criminals are drawn to macho fightsports.

 

[EatMyShorts]

I don't get it.

Do they need money and are that reluctant to work a day job?

Perhaps the personality type that lends itself well to being a pro fighter, does NOT lend itself well to working a day job, thus they resort to crime?

What exactly is the allure?

 

[EatMyShorts]

I watched several of this dudes fights between yesterday and today.

He was legit world class.

Why didn't he fight Adesyna?

They were the same weight class.

He seemed to consistently beat top competition, more often than not by KO.

Legit world class.

One thing I will remark on, in the bangkok camp, although being a super cool dude, he wasn't like the other dudes training there that were conventionally sociable and "lets go bowling" after training and making small talk with the girls etc.

He typically sat alone during meals and waited for others to come join him if they wanted.

Totally cool individual, very disciplined with training, but not a "part of the pack" type of person (like every single other person there was, with the exception of myself probably, lol).

 

[GreenGorilla]

I don't get it.

Do they need money and are that reluctant to work a day job?

Perhaps the personality type that lends itself well to being a pro fighter, does NOT lend itself well to working a day job, thus they resort to crime?

What exactly is the allure?

Some of the greatest fighters were Street fighters, just think Mike Tyson for example.
It also takes a bit of being a nutjob to get in the ring with other guys and fuck each other up for a living/fun.
Fighting sports are most of the time the cheapest and the readily avaiable in low income neighborhoods.

I might sound cynical but I know a shitton of guys who are into fighting sports or train/trained in them who were all involved in illegal activities. For most of these guys it is a dream to become a sucessful fighter, both criminal/fighter usually comes with fast money/a certain respect from other men/ and attention from easy women.
Also if you had violence all around you growing up, chances are you are good at violence/ used to it/ use it as a means to solve your problems. All this stuff just sounds ideal for crime, I mean be realistic if you had Kilos of drugs who you rather distribute it or handle it, some scrawny scaredy cat who could not deal with being pressed or some guy who will try to beat the shit out of you for taking his money?

 

[shinkyoku]

Some of the greatest fighters were Street fighters, just think Mike Tyson for example.
It also takes a bit of being a nutjob to get in the ring with other guys and fuck each other up for a living/fun.
Fighting sports are most of the time the cheapest and the readily avaiable in low income neighborhoods.

I might sound cynical but I know a shitton of guys who are into fighting sports or train/trained in them who were all involved in illegal activities. For most of these guys it is a dream to become a sucessful fighter, both criminal/fighter usually comes with fast money/a certain respect from other men/ and attention from easy women.
Also if you had violence all around you growing up, chances are you are good at violence/ used to it/ use it as a means to solve your problems. All this stuff just sounds ideal for crime, I mean be realistic if you had Kilos of drugs who you rather distribute it or handle it, some scrawny scaredy cat who could not deal with being pressed or some guy who will try to beat the shit out of you for taking his money?

Lets face it, very few fighters, even at top levels, make much more than pocket change (especially after paying their people). And it is not occupation with a long career and a good pension plan afterwards.
The part about a long career or pension plan is true for most criminals aswell, but when they temporarily are at the top and they got bling and cash, they like to show it. It could be tempting when you do not see the grubby side of the criminal life.