Ali vs Frazier. Tyson vs Holyfield. Hagler vs Hearns. Title fights like these are unforgettable and captivate the world due to the sheer talent, heart and staying power they possessed. This is not one of those instances.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, announced last month the New York City-based media powerhouse had purchased Rough N’ Rowdy – an amateur boxing league from West Virginia. Portnoy stated the first pay-per-view under the Barstool umbrella would take place on December 15. Here’s an example of what’s transpired leading up to the event:
Shortly after, a rivalry that had been brewing for months came to fruition when Dylan “Tex” Stone and “Handsome” Hank Lockwood agreed to be the headliners as the only Barstool personalities competing. That’s when Sportsbook decided to get into the game by offering odds on the not-so-heavyweight match, with Hank Sportsbook as the -160 favorite and Tex as the +130 underdog. Ahead of the fight, the line is currently at -120 for Hank and -110 for Tex.
The case for Hank
Hank has admittedly never been in a fight in his life but has a big height and reach advantage thanks to his six-foot-three frame and lack of a chin. As the producer of the mammoth satirical sports podcast Pardon My Take, Hank is no stranger to hot takes, which prompted him to call his own shot by predicting he could knock out Tex in the first round without training.
It’s clear Hank has a lot more to lose in this fight than Tex, but I don’t expect the Massachusetts native to fold under the pressure. Things are going very well for the reformed internet troll these days, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have Dan “Big Cat” Katz (aka Tex’s nemesis) and PFT Commenter in his corner.
The case for Tex
Tex is the only Rough N’ Rowdy veteran at Barstool after he lost to former champion Chris “In It To Win It” Bennett back in March, but despite the ass-kicking, that experience means something. Tex is laser-focused on the fight right now and has been exclusively talking about it since it was announced. He’s also noticeably bigger after training like the mad man he is.
Since coming to Barstool in the summer of 2016, Tex hasn’t had very many wins. He’s admittedly become a very angry person since working for the company, however he’s due for a W. In my personal opinion, Tex has a very good chance to win this fight.
A lot is on the line in the main event of Rough N’ Rowdy. Can Hank back up the smack talk and put the Rutgers alumnus in his place, or will Tex rise to the occasion and become the hillbilly version of Rudy? Head over to Sportsbook to get in on the action!
