In an eccentric challenge match, Tai Chi master Gu, who had previously claimed his martial arts skills could defeat boxing legend Mike Tyson, was thoroughly exposed by Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong.
The match, which took place on May 16, 2024 in Beijing, pitted the 70-year-old Tai Chi master against a 36-year-old boxer named Jiao Ou, who Gu had handpicked after stating he only wanted to face younger opponents.
From the opening bell, it was clear that Gu was completely outmatched against Jiao Ou’s superior speed, athleticism and striking skills. Despite Gu’s confident claims about his theoretical “dynaforce” being able to defeat any opponent, he showed no ability to effectively attack or defend in the boxing match.
After taking a sustained beating for the entire three round exhibition, a bloodied and dazed Gu could barely stay on his feet. Xu Xiaodong, who had staked 100,000 RMB that Gu would lose, declared the result a “complete and utter exposure of the falsehoods being peddled about traditional martial arts superiority over modern fighting disciplines.”
The convincing defeat has been seen by many as vindicating Xu’s long-standing stance that traditional Chinese martial arts masters making fanciful claims rarely have any real practical fighting ability when matched against a committed combat athlete. Gu’s claims about being able to defeat Tyson at his prime now look simply delusional in retrospect.
