It takes courage to put your fist into your mouth without any protection other than a mouth guard. That's good, Jade Masson-Wong has a lot of them.
It's a 31-year-old woman who is both vivacious, calm and very sensible, who speaks up when the Journal's representative calls her in Edmonton, where she will take part in her fourth Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bout on Saturday evening the capital of Alberta.
Masson-Wong, originally from Quebec, is the only Canadian competing in the championship and she is also ranked No. 1 in the flyweight division.
Archive photo Didier Debusschere
With all of that said, what exactly is Bare Knuckle Fighting? This is exactly that, bare knuckle boxing matches with only the wrists taped. The duels last five rounds of two minutes each and the ring is circular.
“You definitely feel every punch,” the fighter admits bluntly.
Hard sport
At first glance, this is not a sport for the meek. It hits hard, there's a lot of blood, but it's not that different from the mixed martial arts that Jade Masson-Wong practiced before she took the plunge.
“I won’t get kicked anymore,” she said with a sort of relief. And the difference from boxing is that, like mixed martial arts, you have the right to grab your opponent's head.
Sébastien St-Jean / QMI agency
Because the pandemic made it inactive, it changed course. Her agent told her about this up-and-coming sport and she gave it a try. Since her move, she has a record of two wins and one loss. And it's a bit as if her sports background prepared her for this event.
“I have always been sporty, I did competitive gymnastics at the age of 9, I started boxing at the age of 13, I also did amateur kickboxing at the age of 14, but I stopped as a teenager and started mixed martial arts at the age of 18 .” .”
More freedom
Jade Masson-Wong claims she has found a sport that better suits her needs.
“I prefer it to AMM, I feel more comfortable, it's more natural, I feel free.” It seems that I feel more comfortable and less stressed because I feel more in control of my resources.
“In MMA with three five-minute rounds I had to control my energy, I felt like I wasn't reaching my potential. There’s always fuel left over on two-minute laps.”
Obviously, it's a sport that is physically and mentally difficult, and she doesn't expect to do it for very long.
“The worst thing is the hands. After each fight I can't pedal for two months.
Hard, but…
Watching a few minutes of highlights from these fights gives the impression that this is a bloodthirsty and barbaric sport, but you shouldn't dwell on these first impressions.
Firstly, there is great respect between the fighters. Jade also talks about a big family. Then we notice that the punches are fewer than in other martial arts.
“It's rare that there are fights where there are violent blows. We choose the punches we throw because we know we can break our hands.
“It is certain that we are hit harder afterwards, but when I compare it with boxing, where there are repeated blows, I have the impression that it is less damaging to the brain,” she claims, specifying that despite that Hemoglobin injuries are often superficial.
Live it
Some of the most popular fighters can earn up to $400,000 or $500,000 per fight, but newbies earn much less.
Jade Masson-Wong says she makes more money than she did when she did mixed martial arts, although it's still not enough to support herself, but she's very resourceful.
“I can’t live on scholarships alone. I have sponsors and an OnlyFans account that I can use to pay for my training camps. Performance in battle helps me get more subscribers.
“I decide what I do, I have a limit, there is nudity but no porn. I feel comfortable with my body. I also have a house that I rent when I’m at training camp and I have a clientele that gets piercings.”
And judging by her first few fights, she's doing very well in the ring too.