ANTHONY JOSHUA was humiliated by Andy Ruiz Jr back in 2020 as the Brit suffered the first defeat of his professional boxing career.
While the Mexican fighter will no doubt take all the glory and thank Snickers for their contribution – could there have been other worldly forces at work in the bout at Madison Square Garden.
Drake has been posing for photos with various sports stars including Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero – but that hasn’t been a good thing for the athletes
What is the Drake Curse?
The Drake Curse is not some plague concocted by a witch, nor a disease – it is a photo with Canadian rapper who lends his name to it.
In the past, Drake has been snapped with sports stars ahead of matches or major sporting events, before the picture goes viral on social media.
Yet, the athlete posing alongside the 36-year-old often loses shortly afterwards, with the musical artist becoming a serious bad luck charm.
Who has fallen victim to the Drake Curse?
The Drake Curse started out in basketball, with the artist becoming a part of the Kentucky college basketball program.
Except they haven’t won a title since, and three years later, they lost a decider against Wisconsin in which Drake bet over £4500 on it.
In 2013, his hometown basketball side suffered as well, as Toronto Raptors made him their global ambassador back in 2013 – only to soon gain a reputation for choking in big matches.
Miami were next up, losing 4-1 to San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals – the Florida side were even blessed with the likes of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.
In 2015, the Drake Curse moved away from basketball and into tennis, as Serena Williams suffered a shocking US Open semi-final defeat to Roberta Vinci.
Jadon Sancho is among a host of sports stars to be defeated by the Drake Curse
The following year, it was not so much a match, but his place in the sport, as quarterback Johnny Manziel dropped out of NFL, despite being a first-round draft pick in the past.
While it appears like a few anomalies over the years, the Drake Curse has spread like wildfire in 2019.
First it was UFC champion Conor McGregor to lose to Khabib Nurmagomedov, before Alabama’s college football team were beaten heavily by rivals Clemson.
Dipping into association football, former Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho posed with Drake prior to losing to Bayern Munich.
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was next up by being benched in the defeat to Bayern Munich.
Drake even ruined Manchester City’s 2019 Champions League hopes as Sergio Aguero missed a penalty against Tottenham.
Paris Saint-Germain then suffered their heaviest league defeat in 19 years, by losing 5-1 to Lille.
PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa will be wishing he never posed with Drake after the French side were heavily beaten by Lille
Italian outfit Roma even joked they were putting a club ban on posing with the Canadian artist
Is the Drake curse over?
Back in 2019, the curse was at its very peak, with many sporting stars falling victim.
However, in recent times it seems the curse is no longer in effect.
In 2021 Tyson Fury was supported by Drake online prior to his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.
The Gypsy King went on to knock out the Bronze Bomber in Las Vegas, showing no signs of suffering with the Canadian’s curse, as Fury retains his WBC heavyweight championship belt.
Bayern Munich star Alfonso Davies is also immune to the rapper’s curse, as he was pictured with Drake just days before his side was set to take on Bayer Leverkusen back in October 2021.
The German giants went on to beat Leverkusen 5-1, furthering the belief that the curse is no more.
CREDIT: @alphonsodavies via Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have the ability to train yourself to box?
You can box if you want. You just need to find a boxing gym near you and join a class. Although most gyms offer free classes to their members, it is possible to search Google for other local boxing clubs.
You’ll also need some equipment like gloves, mouthpiece, headgear, and sparring partners. Once you have the necessary equipment, you are ready to practice your punches or kicks.
What is the difference between a left hook and a right cross?
A left-hand hook is thrown on the side of a body while a lateral cross is thrown on the front.
A left hook can be thrown with the opponent’s back facing you. The elbow is bent 90 degrees, while the wrist is turned 45 degrees towards the opponent.
A right cross is thrown with the palm facing the opponent’s face and the elbow straight. The opponent is 45 degrees from your wrist.
How much weight should I lift when working out?
You must lift weights if your goal is to increase strength. There are some things you need to remember when lifting weights. Don’t do it too often. Aim to lift heavierweights every other days. Third, repeat each exercise eight times. Fourth, between sets, take 2 minutes to rest. Fifth, do all exercises without momentum. And lastly, put more emphasis on form than speed.
What is the maximum number of punches a person can take?
A punch is “a blow delivered by a fist”. Only one punch can be sustained by a human. When someone hits you in the face, he/she is punching you. You cannot hit him/her back. This would be two punches.
How long does it take to become a professional boxer?
Professional boxing takes hard work and dedication. If you want to become a professional boxer, you’ll need to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to training.
How to defend yourself
Always protect your head when being attacked. The goal is to avoid getting punched. To do this, you will need to learn how to prevent an incoming punch. Here’s the way to do it.
- Be tall and square your shoulders.
- Keep your elbows in line with your sides.
- Block the incoming punch by using your forearm.
- Counterattack immediately.
- Continue blocking until the attacker runs away.
- Do not let up on your defense.
Statistics
- You want to be running at roughly 75-80% of your top speed..5 mile slow, easy recovery jog at the end.[6]X Research source 2Mix in long runs, shadow boxing, and short sprints on non-interval days. (wikihow.com)
- It is just like normal sparring with a partner, but you want to throw punches at 75% of your normal speed. (wikihow.com)
External Links
expertboxing.com
amazon.com
- Amazon.com: Ringside Diablo Wrestling Boxing Shoes : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
- Amazon.com – Sanabul Boxing Wraps Elastic 180in Red — Sports & Outdoors
How To
How to learn to box for exercise
How to learn how to box for Exercise
Learning boxing will help you improve your self-confidence and physical fitness. Boxing is the most well-known sport in the world. It requires speed, strength, agility, stamina and coordination.
Boxing is a great way of getting fit and feeling good about yourself. It will be a fun activity that you will want to do again and again.
There are many options for boxing training. Some take place at gyms or health clubs while others require you to train at home. Online courses are available that you can access anywhere in the world.
When choosing a program, make sure that it meets your goals and fits into your lifestyle. The best programs focus on exercises that increase muscle mass, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. They also promote overall well being.
It’s important to decide whether you prefer a beginner-level course or one that is more advanced. Basic techniques and drills are taught in beginner’s programs. These include shadowboxing and sparring, mittwork, and punching combinations. Advanced programs usually cover more complicated movements and offer more options.
Beginners’ programs generally last around eight weeks and cost less than $100. These programs do not provide guidance about nutrition, weight, injury prevention or any other aspect of boxing training.
Advanced programs typically last six months and cost around $300. These programs often include nutrition advice, stretching routines and warm-up exercises. They also provide instruction on proper technique. Some programs include resistance training, such as lifting weights, and aerobic conditioning, such as running.
