Egyptian man to fight a lion in direct combat

Scarinae

Did anyone else hear about the man who wants to fight a lion to boost Egypt's tourism?

DAQAHLYIA, Egypt: In an unusual move to revive Egyptian tourism, a young Egyptian man has announced he will fight an African lion.

Al-Sayed al-Essawy said he bought the lion, which weighs 280 kilograms (617lb), for 25,000 EGP (U.S. $4,200).

Al-Essawy, who lives in Daqahlyia governorate, has finished the iron cage and said he will train with the lion and will be prepared mentally to face the lion. He said this mental preparation takes more than five hours.

Al-Essawy said he will use an iron shield and dagger to defend himself but will kill the lion with his own hands.

The match will be held on June 25. Al-Essawy asked the Ministry of Interior to agree to hold the event in front of the Giza Pyramids. He wants it to be an international event aiming to attract tourism, and to show the world that Egyptians are the strongest soldiers on earth.

He said he is 100 percent sure that his adventure will succeed. After his success, he intends to shoot a movie about supernatural activities.

El-Essawy says he can jump from the tenth floor of a building and eats woods and rivets. He also can drag cars by his teeth and fixes hooks in his skin to drag trucks.

Egyptian tourism, a critical part of the Egyptian economy, has declined dramatically in the wake of Egypt’s January 25 Revolution which toppled its thirty-year dictator from power.

There has been a huge negative reaction since the story did the rounds on Twitter, resulting in various petitions to the Egyptian government and calls to boycott Egyptian products if this goes ahead. The guy hasn't been granted a permit to fight the lion in front of the pyramids at Giza, as he wants to do.

This interview, posted online today, makes him come across as even more of a nutter. He's insisting that the fight will go ahead, despite the international reaction, and will be fought without weapons. He also says that the fight has a political message:

Given the current state of the economy, it comes as no surprise that many Egyptians are doing all that they can to revive international interest in their country. What is surprising, though, is that one man has somehow managed to convince himself - and a few others - that he can single-handedly “boost tourism in Egypt” by fighting a full-grown African lion in direct hand-to-paw combat, in front of the Pyramids at Giza. Inexplicably, al-Sayed al-Essawy, a 25-year-old from Daqahlia, has come to believe that “the world will flock to see the Egyptian man who defeated a lion with his bare hands.” The fight, or “battle” as Essawy, prefers to call it, was announced two weeks ago, immediately igniting a firestorm of international protests and online petitions from individuals and animal rights organizations alike. The negative reaction surprised Essawy, prompting the self-proclaimed “strongest man in the world” to admit to being “confused and heart-broken.” Nonetheless, Essawy insists that the fight is still on, even if he has to stage the battle in a secret location.

Al-Masry Al-Youm: When, and more importantly, how did you come up with this idea?

al-Sayed al-Essawy: I discovered my incredible strength at the age of 13, and, almost immediately afterwards, promised myself that, one of these days, I would fight a lion. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the best way to go about it, and, after the revolution, with the economy the way it is, I’ve been given the perfect opportunity to realize my dream.

Al-Masry: You claim this event will revive the tourism industry. What makes you think anyone on earth would want to see this fight, let alone travel specifically for it?

Essawy: If America, or any other country, had a man with the ability to combat the strongest creature on the planet, they would properly promote him, and use his strength to their advantage. He would become a worldwide phenomenon, and people would come from their countries just to see him. This is what I want to do for my country. Do you understand what an amazing spectacle this will be? It will appeal to everyone. The Gulfis will watch and laugh, the Arabs will be entertained, and the Americans will be fascinated, from a scientific point of view. They will marvel at a truly unprecedented feat. This show will have something for everyone.

Al-Masry: What about animal lovers? Are you aware of how many people your lion-fighting plans have angered? People are threatening to boycott Egypt and any Egyptian products because of you.

Essawy: That’s because they don’t understand what I’m going to do. They think I’m going to kill the lion. I’m not going to kill it, nor will I be armed with a sword or dagger - those are all false reports circulated by the media for reasons I don’t understand.

Al-Masry: So, you’re not going to kill the lion?

Essawy: No. Unless it’s a matter of life or death, in which case I will be forced to kill it.

Al-Masry: When is fighting a lion not a matter of life or death?

Essawy: It’s up to the lion. If he chooses to withdraw, or surrender, and lets me tie him up, then I will not kill him and the fight will end. But, like I said, if it comes down to either me or him, I will have to kill him. But I don’t want to kill the lion, nor am I planning on it. I want to make that clear.

Al-Masry: What will you do with its corpse?

Essawy: I will have it stuffed (laughs).

Al-Masry: What do you have to say to your attackers? How is this, for example, in any way different from, say, bull-fighting, which is a major part of Spain’s tourism industry?

Essawy: Exactly! I made that same point to several other people. To my attackers I say, if you think this is wrong, maybe you should change your perspective, or at least, take it out on the bullfighters too, instead of just me. Besides, this isn’t just for fun, what I’m planning on doing. It’s to help my country, and to send an important message.

Al-Masry: What message are you trying to send?

Essawy: When I defeat the lion - which I will - I will pull an Israeli flag out of my pocket, and drape it over the lion, and put my foot on it. Israel led me to this, through all their atrocities which, as a child, I grew up watching on television. The message is that even though Israel and America may be as strong as a lion - the strongest creature on the planet - they too can be defeated.

Al-Masry: By you?

Essawy: By the Arab youth, which is about to explode. Soon, they will be ready to take on the mightiest foe.

Al-Masry: But, technically, the lion’s only fighting because you’re forcing it to.

Essawy: Yes. It’s a caged fight, so there will be nowhere for the lion to run. I have challenged the lion, and I will defeat it.

Al-Masry: So, to dismiss this as just some really crazy guy beating up an innocent lion would be, in your opinion...

Essawy: Completely inaccurate and misleading. I’m not a crazy person. There’s a political reason behind what I’m doing.

Al-Masry: Besides the international outrage you’ve provoked, have you run into any other difficulties on your quest to fight this lion?

Essawy: So far, I haven’t been able to secure any permits. I sent an official request to the Interior Ministry and they never replied. And there are reports in the media that say I was arrested and my lion confiscated which, as you can see, is clearly not true. But even if I don’t get permits, I will still fight the lion. I will just have to do so in a secret location, and make it only open to journalists who can ensure the type of exposure this event deserves.

Al-Masry: So, without proper exposure, this event will be a failure.

Essawy: Yes. If this battle does not get the positive reaction I’m expecting, then I will be forced to leave the country and go somewhere where they can appreciate a man like me: the strongest man in the world. Which is very upsetting, especially since I’ve announced that 50 percent of the profits from this event will go to the families of the martyrs of the revolution.

Al-Masry: Why do you think it’s been so difficult to get official approval from the government?

Essawy: Undoubtedly because of the misguided international reaction, which I truly don’t understand. God made me, and he made the lion, and he put us both on the same planet, which means the lion is fair game. Ethically, there should be no problem.

Al-Masry: If the event is successful, how will you follow it up? More lion fights?

Essawy: I have a whole series of shows planned in my head. I will pull an airplane with my teeth, and I will pull an airplane with my hair. I will also be run over by an airplane. In between each of these acts, there will be lion battles.

Al-Masry: Have you fought any other beasts before? Will this be your first lion fight?

Essawy: This will be my first battle with a lion, yes. I have fought other animals, mainly dogs. On separate occasions, I have fought three of the most ferocious dog breeds.

Al-Masry: You punch dogs?

Essawy: I punch and kick them.

Al-Masry: How are you training for this specific event?

Essawy: By doing a series of mental exercises. Nothing physical, just brain-training. I visualize the fight for two hours at a time. I visualize the lion, and all the possible ways it could attack. Will it go for the head, or will it grab me by the feet? I ask myself these questions and visualize how I will dodge these attacks.

Al-Masry: What about the lion? Have you been preparing it for the fight by provoking it in any way? Maybe abusing it physically or even verbally, like with trash talk?

Essawy: No, I don’t spend any time with the lion at all; I haven’t even given it a name. I don’t want to get too attached to it. It’s on a friend’s farm, and he’s responsible for it until the day of the battle. I’d also like to point out that the lion will not be tranquilized, and I will give it a blood test directly before the fight in order to prove it.

Al-Masry: What combat techniques will you be implementing against the lion? Will you use martial arts, or will you be resorting to regular street-fighting tactics, like dirt in the eye and crotch-punches?

Essawy: I don’t know about the dirt, but the lion will probably not let me punch its crotch. I will have to use a new fighting style I’ve developed, which is called "Life or Death." This will be a caged fight, and I will be desperate to survive, which is why I’ve called the style “Life or Death.”

Al-Masry: As in a ‘life or death’ situation, like "kill or be killed?"

Essawy: That’s right.

Al-Masry: Even though you’re not going to kill the lion...

Essawy: That’s right.

Al-Masry: How confident are you that you yourself will not be killed?

Essawy: 200 percent. No worries whatsoever. If anything, I’m worried for the lion (laughs).

Al-Masry: Can you elaborate on this "Life or Death" fighting style? Is it more kicking or punching? Fists or open-palmed slaps?

Essawy: Everything. It consists of a series of combination moves. I will start off with the slaps, but, you should know, my slaps are unlike any other. My strength is truly incredible and unprecedented.

Al-Masry: Do you have any advice or suggestions on how to fight a lion for any young children out there interested in following in your footsteps?

Essawy: I don’t think anyone can follow in my footsteps; I have a special gift, and I just want to share it to make people happy and to help my country. But the key to fighting a lion is maintaining eye contact, and, really, not wanting to die. You have to recognize in that situation, it’s you or the lion, and you have to really want it to be you.

Al-Masry: So, basically, you have to be prepared to kill the lion, which you’re supposedly not going to do.

Essawy: Exactly.

Al-Masry: Finally, do you have anything to say to the angered public that you feel might change their mind about this lion fight?

Essawy: I think it’s time we start celebrating genuine talent. For years we’ve been celebrating nothing but sex. I’ve taught children how to chew glass and pull cars with their teeth - the proof is on YouTube. I can raise a generation of super soldiers. I’ve jumped from ten-story buildings, I’ve hung myself many times and have been repeatedly run over. So, when I say I have the intellect and strength to take a lion down, people should take me seriously. Why isn’t anyone listening to me? I don’t know, but it’s very frustrating...

Daroxtar

This is going to be absolutely EPIC!!!!!

Logical Fallacy

I don’t think anyone can follow in my footsteps; I have a special gift, and I just want to share it to make people happy and to help my country. But the key to fighting a lion is maintaining eye contact, and, really, not wanting to die. You have to recognize in that situation, it’s you or the lion, and you have to really want it to be you.

LoL, dude is gonna ****ing die a death.

--Kaiser--

Sounds like this will be the mane attraction for Egyptian tourism in the coming weeks

Logical Fallacy

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Sounds like this will be the mane attraction for Egyptian tourism in the coming weeks

Yeah, but due to taxes the government will see the lion's share of the benefit.

vibe666

what's the world coming to when you can't find any Christian's willing to get fed to fight a lion for the sake of entertainment? :pac:

Pauleta

Fantastic, hopefully it will be televised.

ArtyM

I would pay good money to see this guy and Charlie Sheen have a conversation, and then a fight.

Gummy Panda

I hope he fights the lion as it's gonna **** him up

mathie

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Sounds like this will be the mane attraction for Egyptian tourism in the coming weeks

Groan! That's an awfully paw pun.

A_Danger

what a gob****e... hope the gets the head eaten off him..

Sykk

I hope he gets eaten.. Twat

wes

The guy sounds mentally ill. He needs some medical help, if you ask me.

cosmicfart

This is gonna be biblical!!!!

Monty Burnz

The 'translation' is suspiciously colloquial in style - colloquial American specifically.

ScumLord

If he's fighting a tame Lion that he raised I expect him to win. If he's fighting a wild Lion it should be an interesting fight. I'd wager the human will win.

syklops

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I hope he fights the lion as it's gonna **** him up

What, Proper f**ked?

Seeing what our cats do to small creatures, he had better swap his sword and shield with a yucky tasting suit of armour, and a machine gun.

kowloon

I'll support it if he does away with the dagger and shield and wears a jumper knitted out of sausages.

settings

when he said he might kill it..... well that crossed the lion for me

ScumLord

syklops wrote: »

What, Proper f**ked?

Seeing what our cats do to small creatures, he had better swap his sword and shield with a yucky tasting suit of armour, and a machine gun.

Humans kill Lions, they are afraid of us. Some African tribes walk right up to Lions on a fresh kill take what they want and just walk away again, the Lions just back off, no weapons are involved.

sensibleken

clearly the guy has learning diffculties. we shouldnt be making fun of him.

that said

I’ve hung myself many times and have been repeatedly run over.

bahahahahahaha!

DrumSteve

Lol this guys is gonna die.

****ing hero though.

Cocaine

Hang on here.
Has the lion also agreed to fight the man, because if not this is cruelty to other species.
Anyone else agree that we need to find that out first?
If it hasn't we need to get out on the streets and protest to stop this.
I hope the lion wins.

srsly78

So long as he eats the lion afterwards I don't see a problem with this. Or vice versa.

partyatmygaff

This ought to be interesting. A cage match between a man and a lion in front of the Pyramids to both boost tourism and to send a political message to Israel.

I'd pay money to see it, anyway :pac:

MayoForSam

Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus, Battiatus..... We will give you guys one hell of a beating!!

staker

Will this be the new "Masterchef Egypt" pilot by any chance?

Easog

Fighting one lion?..Sure Thats nothing. I once got into a scrap with two badgers in the Galtee mountains...and I won!.. but I didn't get any write up online...maybe thats what Ireland needs to boost our flagging tourist industry. I will tackle three badgers armed with nothing but a pointy stick..in the nude.

Morlar

Straight from twitter :

To my son - I tell him I will see him again soon. To keep his heels down while riding his horse. To my wife... that is not your business.

R P McMurphy

ScumLord wrote: »

If he's fighting a tame Lion that he raised I expect him to win. If he's fighting a wild Lion it should be an interesting fight. I'd wager the human will win.

I wonder how it will be priced up. I wiuld guess 1.1 on the lion. I will lay it at that price and then back heavily around 1.4 if the man can get a few early digs in

srsly78

The guy will have sword and shield.

WASP0

He has been arrested by Egyptian authorities according to bikyamasr.com who say that he is mentally ill, so I doubt this will go ahead.

stovelid

Can't see it supplanting the pyramids as the mane tourist attraction though.

HellFireClub

I wonder has he thought through the RAAAAARRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAimifications of this?

sensibleken

R P McMurphy wrote: »

I wonder how it will be priced up. I wiuld guess 1.1 on the lion. I will lay it at that price and then back heavily around 1.4 if the man can get a few early digs in

i dont know. he said he has fought the most aggressive dogs. and if he can defeat a yorkshire terrier then a lion should be no bother.

sensibleken

WASP0 wrote: »

He has been arrested by Egyptian authorities according to bikyamasr.com who say that he is mentally ill, so I doubt this will go ahead.

spoil sports

ScumLord

R P McMurphy wrote: »

I wonder how it will be priced up. I wiuld guess 1.1 on the lion. I will lay it at that price and then back heavily around 1.4 if the man can get a few early digs in

I don't know, they'd be underestimating the human, who will have a more profound understanding of the Lions behaviour and weak points and be able to plan a few moves ahead to get the lion into a position where the weaker human can be more effective.

By all accounts the human is the more dangerous animal. We are the worlds greatest killers, ever. We're not talking about you or I going into a fight on the spur of the moment, we're talking about a trained and committed human that knows how to win.

vibe666

the problem for the lion is, that if the guy wins then there's a good chance the lion gets a sword in the guts and the guy walks off a hero.

if the lion wins, they're hardly going to leave him to munch on the dopey eejit, say thanks very much for the good show and then release him into the wild are they?

no, the lion will likely get new lead earrings and a dirt nap for his trouble.

Morlar

WASP0 wrote: »

He has been arrested by Egyptian authorities according to bikyamasr.com who say that he is mentally ill, so I doubt this will go ahead.

As far as what is socially acceptable goes, there is a lion you just don't cross.

HellFireClub

Sometimes you gotta fake it 'til you can make it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCfDiPIydZ0

sensibleken

Morlar wrote: »

As far as what is socially acceptable goes, there is a lion you just don't cross.

the idea of the leaves me feline quite uncomfortable

Sir Gallagher

This guy is such a badass. Is it possible to book him for parties?

--Kaiser--

stovelid wrote: »

Can't see it supplanting the pyramids as the mane tourist attraction though.

Are you kidding? They'll be millions lioning up to watch this

HellFireClub

I think it all depends what kind of lion you get on the day!

Wossack

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't know, they'd be underestimating the human, who will have a more profound understanding of the Lions behaviour and weak points and be able to plan a few moves ahead to get the lion into a position where the weaker human can be more effective.

By all accounts the human is the more dangerous animal. We are the worlds greatest killers, ever. We're not talking about you or I going into a fight on the spur of the moment, we're talking about a trained and committed human that knows how to win.

according to the interview - he's going to be unarmed :eek:

reckon its suicidal if thats the case

stovelid

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Are you kidding? They'll be mil-lions lioning up to watch this

Needs more double pun whammy.

HellFireClub

Wossack wrote: »

according to the interview - he's going to be unarmed :eek:

reckon its suicidal if thats the case

Tis mad though, the video I posted above, your man is unarmed and the lion backs down, then the other video they are all armed and the lion almost takes the head off one of the guys...

Morlar

Wossack wrote: »

according to the interview - he's going to be unarmed :eek:

reckon its suicidal if thats the case

It's a Pride thing.

WASP0

Egypt’s ‘lion fight’ information battle
Jun 7th, 2011 | By Bikya Masr Staff | Category: Animal Abuses, Animals, Animals Travel, Egypt, Travel News

CAIRO: An Egyptian man plans to fight a lion in an effort to promote tourism to the country. The man is arrested by Egyptian authorities. They allege he has mental problems and that a lion was never purchased. This was the story that was told to Bikya Masr by a number of animal welfare activists in the country, but according to comments on the arrest article, it may prove false. El-Sayad el-Essawy may still be at large and the “lion fight” could still happen, sources close to the man have reported.

According to one poster to the article, “It’s going to happen. He’s going to fight that lion. He is no longer under arrest, and he still has the lion, which he did in fact buy off the black market. I know him. He’s insane.”

The ministry of agriculture and the ministry of tourism declined to comment on the issue. Bikya Masr cannot report either way whether the man is in jail, whether he purchased a lion, or if the fight is going to happen.

According to local reports in late May, the Egyptian citizen purchased a lion for around 25,000 Egyptian pounds – in violation of stated international wildlife regulations – and is “”to fight the lion to death with swords.” It has been learned that the lion was in fact not purchased.

Egyptian Arabic newspaper al-Youm al-Saba’a said the idea was to “raise public attention and media to invite tourists to Egypt.”

In its statement on the “arrest” Minister of Tourism Munir Fakhry Abdel-Nour said that “under no circumstance will the Ministry of Tourism tolerate any degree of inhumane acts against animals.”

For now, it is a waiting game as to whether the lion exists, the man is free or what is happening. Such is the nature of information regarding animal rights in Egypt, a country that has done little to support the existence of animals in its midst. Along the Red Sea, almost monthly reports of poisoning of stray animals, dogs, cats and others, are reported.

“It is simply shocking to me that anyone would think that the vast majority of tourists that are thinking about coming to Egypt, or are in Egypt right now, would want to see this fight actually take place,” said Helen Reese, a British national who has lived in Egypt for over two years and is an ardent animal activist, when the news of the fight first arose.

“I just wish that there was a stronger movement to stop this cruelty,” she added.


Maybe it is going ahead after all>

sensibleken

Wossack wrote: »

according to the interview - he's going to be unarmed :eek:

reckon its suicidal if thats the case

didnt you read the article? Hes the strongest man in the world who will create a generation of supersoldiers! the lion hasnt a chance!

dlofnep

The Lion will rip him apart.

I remember reading a story a few years back about a bunch of Africans who were attempting to cross a border through lion territory. A pack of lions followed their trail, and gave chase. The men all climbed up a tree to avoid the lions. Contrary to opinion, lions are actually great climbers.

So one lion climbed the tree, and ripped each man down one by one where the rest of the pride ripped them asunder. By the time authorities were made aware of the attack - there was only one man left, who had climbed to the far reaches of the tree, where the branches were too weak to support the lions weight.

Moral of the story is - don't **** with lions.