In boxing, a ‘lip smacker’ might have a different meaning, but world champion Ewa Brodnicka and Edith Solidad Matthysse took it literally when Brodnicka playfully kissed Matthysse, who responded by slapping her across the face.
While one might expect a 'lip smacker' to be a boxer adept at delivering punches to the mouth, it usually means simply 'to kiss', which is what 35-year-old Polish WBO super featherweight champion Brodnicka subjected contender Matthysse to during the traditional staredown at their pre-fight weigh in, only to be literally smacked across the lips by the Argentine.
Defending champion Brodnicka perhaps thought her skimpy outfit made entirely of straps and barely maintaining her dignity would attract most attention at the pre-fight weigh in before their headline showdown at the Tymex Boxing Night 9 gala in Czestochowa, Poland, on Friday.
She was wrong. The hometown fighter came out confidently, strolling in to AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck' wearing snakeskin style boots and her lingerie get up, carrying her red WBO world title and confidently posing for the cameras on the scales.
Brodnicka decided to crank up the heat a little more during the traditional staredown by kissing her rival square on the lips, before turning and momentarily shooting off a wry smile, thinking she had won the pre-fight mind games.
But Matthysse isn’t exactly the affectionate type and the battle-hardened bruiser slapped the smirk from Brodnicka’s face with a short sharp right slap across the mouth, prompting the champ to counter with a straight left, this time without the smile.
The two landed some vicious shots before being broken up by the fight promoter; Matthysse however did not knock off Brodnicka’s large gold spectacles, and Matthysse’s baseball cap surprisingly stayed firmly in place. The result was an awkward post-weigh in picture with a less-than-impressed Matthysse left left to fume at her opponent's antics.
The incident was reminiscent of Swedish boxer Mikaela Lauren’s kiss on world champion Cecilia Braekhaus before their undisputed world welterweight title fight in 2017, who had done the same years earlier to world champ Christina Hammer. The omens might not be good for Brodnicka, as Lauren lost both of those fights.
Maybe boxing is the wrong discipline for the pair. Perhaps the two would be more suited to the famous 'Russian Slapping Championships', made famous by stunning slap KOs from winner Vasily ‘Dumpling’ Kamotskiy, or the 'Russian ‘Booty Slapping Championships’ - the female equivalent.
Even if Brodnicka’s psychological warfare had backfired, her impromptu and unconsented kiss, plus her scorching outfit, certainly will give the #MeToo movement something to talk about.
It’s already apparent Matthysse can hold her own in a slapping contest, but Brodnicka was full of praise for her boxing ability too, telling local reporters, “She is a very solid rival who is not known for how she will fight. Whether "on your feet" or half - distance.”
Brodnicka has previously made headlines for her out-of-ring activities. In May this year she was tipped to swap her pro boxing career for Playboy when rumors circled she would pose nude for the men’s magazine.
Also on rt.com Swapping punches for Playboy? Meet stunning Polish world boxing champion Ewa Brodnicka (PHOTOS)“That's a question for Playboy. I used to think about it and I would probably even be happy with such a proposal, but now I do not care about it. If there was a proposal, then I would consider it,” she replied, Polish publication SportoweFakty reported.
The former European lightweight champion has fought her entire career in her native Poland since turning professional in 2013, and paid homage to her homeland by sporting white and red cornrows in a nod to the country’s national flag at the weigh in.
Matthysse, four years Brodnicka’s senior at 39, has something of a journeyman record at first glance with a 16-10 showing in the paid ranks. However, the Argentinian punches as well as she slaps and is a two-time world champion, having won the WBA and WBC featherweight titles before moving up to challenge the Pole. She is also yet to be stopped in her pro career.
If the in-ring action provides as much entertainment as the weigh-in, then the crowd will be left slap happy on Friday night.