Toxic masculinity is sweeping the nation, and along with this newfound “violence solves all” attitude comes a form of profitable entertainment. Nick Young is a popular athlete amongst media outlets for his many different events that have gone public and become memes on social media. Most recently, Swaggy P is in the headlines for wanting to box his former NBA teammate.
Yep, Nick Young is ready to step into the ring, and he recently named a bunch of players he’d like to go blow-for-blow with. Unsurprisingly, and more so hilariously, one of the names atop of that list was former Los Angeles Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell.
He revealed as much on the “Boxing With Chris Mannix” Podcast.
“D-Lo. D’Angelo,” Young said before adding, “Some guys on the Warriors. Some guys on the Lakers. Couple of coaches,” Young said when asked about his desired boxing opponents.
It’s no secret that Young and Russell aren’t the greatest of friends, and it all started during the 2015-16 season when a young rookie D’Angelo Russell exposed Nick Young for cheating on then-fiancée and rapper Iggy Azalea when they were sharing a hotel room together while away on a road game.
While Young’s activities were rewarded with Azalea calling the engagement off, Russell broke the unwritten “bro code” and was labeled as a snitch, backstabber, and disloyal teammate.
This whole blunder was during the Lakers’ rebuilding process, after Kobe’s departure and prior to LeBron James’ arrival. A time when some fans would’ve considered the Lakers a laughingstock. Along with the Los Angeles Lakers, Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell became some hot-topic players to make jokes about as well. This incident pretty much gave these players their respective popularity off the court and was captured as the signature events in their careers that most fans won’t forget.
Given the turn of events, it’s only natural that Nick Young wants to step into the ring with D-Lo. Swaggy P probably envisioned a whole lot of combos and jabs he would throw at the Minnesota Timberwolves guard, and it’s safe to say he would enjoy every second of his time in the ring with Russell.
Nick Young is ready for Russell too. Don’t think for a second that because Young is retired, he can’t hang with Russell, who is in the prime of his career. After all, it was only just a few months ago that Nick Young was about to box rapper BlueFace.
Nick Young Vs. BlueFace | A Classic California Clash Or Reality Boxing Gone Wrong?
That fight was set to happen on July 30, but due to some domestic issues with BlueFace and his “multi-talented athlete” girlfriend Chrisean Rock the fight got canceled at the last minute. Young, who is 37 years old, would’ve been facing BlueFace who is 25, and he was doing everything he could to prepare for that fight.
So to say Young, who is still in shape, and has a real bone to pick with Russell couldn’t keep up with or beat D’Angelo Russell in a boxing match would be preposterous.
Back in 2015 when the infamous “snitching” incident took place, a boxing match between these two athletes would’ve taken place privately under the watchful eye of the Lakers staff in an attempt to hash out the beef. We the people probably wouldn’t have heard of that sparring session until the players retired and chose to speak on it during an interview.
But with this generation craving notable fights and celebrity violence, a Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell undercard is a real possibility. It would also generate eyes and make money.
Right now that isn’t the case, and D’angelo Russell took the time to respond via twitter to what Nick Young had said.
“My name keep dude relevant, and I’m going to grave with “I ain’t do that shit”” Russell said on twitter.
My name keep dude relevant, and I’m going to grave with “I ain’t do that shit”#CarryOn
— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) September 4, 2022
The social media jabs are underway, and maybe with a few more prods from both athletes, this slugfest might gain some realistic traction. But for now, Nick Young will look to fight other celebrities or athletes, and D’Angelo Russell will look to help lead the absolutely stacked Minnesota Timberwolves to a championship.
Maybe this fight doesn’t happen until Russell is retired, or in the offseason when he isn’t locked in on his NBA duties, but this type of fight can be a realistic event, and the media would eat this up. Nick Young might be onto something, and if they’re smart (and just a little bit dumb), they’ll take this opportunity to cash in on an old beef that might not mean as much to them now.
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