BADR HARI’S trainer believes the Dutchman can rule heavyweight kickboxing in the same way Lance Armstrong
has dominated cycling.
Hari won the It’s Showtime super heavyweight title with a first round
pounding of triple K-1 champion
Sem Schilt, prompting his coach Mike Passenier to compare him to seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong.
“He could be what Lance Armstrong is like in cycling in K-1,” said
Passenier after Hari’s
stunning victory at the Amsterdam ArenA.
“He can be the best K-1 fighter ever for the next decade.”
Hari showered Schilt with punches from the first bell and stopped him in less than a minute after dropping
him hard in a neutral corner.
It was only the second time Schilt has been halted in a kickboxing match after Alexey Ignashov did a similar
number on him at the Ajax stadium in 2004.
Passenier said Hari followed their gameplan to the letter.
“What we did from the beginning was aim for the fast KO,” said the Mike’s Gym owner.
“I've seen his fights against Ignashov and Jan Nortje, things like that.
“I told Badr after he gave him the first eight count that he was still with
it because he can fight
on instinct.
“I said: ‘Just go, don’t let him recover’ and that’s what he did.”
Passenier feels Hari is still only scratching the surface of his talents:
“He is much better than
we have seen so far because when I train with him he does unbelievable things.”
And he believes the talented but temperamental Amsterdammer will become a calmer figure as he gains in experience
and gets more used to being public property.
Hari lost his composure when he stomped on a downed Remy Bonjasky in last year’s K-1 Final, leading
to his disqualification and subsequently being stripped of the K-1 heavyweight title.
But Passenier thinks he can win his first K-1 Grand Prix this year and reign for years to come.
He added: “He is young. What did we all do when we were 23?
“He is in the K-1 Final at the age of 23 in front of millions.
“Sometimes it’s difficult because everybody wants something every day from him - Badr can you
do this, Badr can you do that.”
While Hari basks in the biggest win of his career, reigning K-1 champion Bonjasky is concentrating on rehabilitation
work after a left knee operation.
Bonjasky had surgery a month ago on the torn meniscus he suffered in the build-up to his win over Alistair
Overeem and is back in the gym and aiming to fight again in August.
He explained: “The operation was successful, which I’m happy about, and right now we are starting
to get my leg stronger again.
“The first training we had I pushed 100 kilos with my right leg 20 times and that was easy.
“But with my left leg I couldn’t even do 15 kilos. I was shocked.
“I hope to be back in August. I have to get fit first, make my leg stronger for six weeks and after
that start kickbox training.
“I’m very motivated to win a fourth title this year. I’m working hard to
get my fitness
back and we will see what happens.”
