The Iranian Hulk (born Sajad Gharibi) has been dealing with the fall out from the cancellation of his Boxing debut. The Iranian instagram celebrity was previously booked to make his boxing debut against actor/bodybuilder Martyn Ford but the much antipcated boxing after being postponed once, has been indefintely postponed with no annoucement as to a future date.
The prefight build up for this clash of heavyweights has been filled with controversy from the get go.
First, came the accusations that the Iranian Hulk was photoshopping his monstrous physique as far back as 2015 – due to the fact that the man that showed up to the face off and the press conference looked significantly diminished.
Not only that, but the Iranian tried to provoke Ford into an unsanctioned incident. First came the shove at the face off, followed closely by a press conference tempter tantrum.
Shortly after, the boxing match was moved from April 2nd to April 30th due to ‘injury’. The celebrity boxing promotion Boxstar UK made no further clarifications as to what the injury was and who had suffered it. Ford made the postponement announcement.
But this wasn’t the end of the drama. Soon after, the Iranian Hulk would go on Iranian TV and raise fears that he would be a no show come April 30th. He had spoken on national television in Iran and burst into tears talking about how his parents had disowned him due to his behavior at the face off.
There was even talk of him being so home sick he couldn’t leave Iran at all. The Iranian Hulk had previously revealed that he had been offered a lucrative bodyguard gig in Europe that he declined saying he had no interest in leaving Iran.
But him crying on national TV definitely left a lasting impression. Soon after, Ford issued another video statement saying that he was moving on from the match up and that he wished Boxstar well but that he woudln’t be featured on their card anymore. He initially provided no reason for the decision. Boxstar’s 30 April event was stil a go however, just sans the main event between the Iranian Hulk and Ford. Soon after the decision to leave Boxstar, Ford shared that he had signed with a new manager – the controversial Daniel Kinahan. If this name is rings a bell, it’s because Kinahan has just been sanctioned by the US goverment, with a $5,000,000 reward being offered for information leading to his arrest or to the dismantling of the Kinahan crime organization. Once the news of the sanctions broke, Ford was quick to delete the post from his social media.
The Iranian Hulk subsequently threatened Boxstar with legal action. A few days later, Boxstar announced that they were canceling the April 30th card, in light of the main event cancellation.
Ford appeared to leave Gharibi in the past – and was focusing on his new and highly controversial manager in hopes of securing a golden meal ticket in the form of a Hafthor Bjornsson boxing match up.
While Ford continues to be cryptic as to why the fight was cancelled. He has shared on social media some nuggets as reasons for the cancellation.
“They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Let’s just say, what they turned up was not what was sold to us by the investors. This followed up by crying on the tv and saying that he wants to end his life. Was enough for us.”
All of this has caused the Iranian Hulk to share his side of the ordeal. In a recent interview posted on his Instagram, the Iranian Hulk has made some explosive claims, accusing Boxstar and Martyn Ford of wanting to destroy his reputation.
“I don’t do interviews and, and all of the interviews that took place in light of the recent controversies – I disregarded them but after the British opponent attacked me in which he intended to destroy my reputation. I saw that it was necessary to do this interview.”
He explained that the Martyn Ford matchup originated in 2019 when Ford insulted his physique in a video that many have not seen.
“It started back in 2019 when I was insulted in a live broadcast and I was totally indifferent to it. Maybe not many of my fellow citizens have seen it but I preferred that I respond to it silently.”
The Iranian Hulk goes further to claim he was planning to take the higher road and ignore Ford’s taunts, but Ford escalated things further by insulting him in private messages.
“Once more in 2021 the British opponent came into my DM and continued to insult me again…I didn’t pay much attention to this incident and ignored it but after he started (insulting) my fans and also a series of stories that were more of an insult to my fans I was forced to respond to him.”
Gharibi went on to accuse his opponent of creating a ‘poisonous atmosphere’ toward him.
“I heard that in an interview he recently might have come and said that Sajjad
was not what I was looking for and again has created a poisonous
atmosphere against me, and I don’t think he had any other nonsense to say to explain why he cancelled his fight and he couldn’t have said it straight –
that he was scared and stressed and that he couldn’t take this fight on”
Gharibi goes on to explain that he had informed Boxstar UK prior to the face off that he was Covid positive.
“I was COVID positive and and while having a 104F degree fever, entered the ring and came face to face with him, I had already told the organization and the organization had already told me that it’s just face to face and and nothing else is going to happen no face off is involved it was supposed to take place at 3:00 PM in UK’s time but took place at 11:00
AM in Iran’s time which shows that arrangements were made to destroy my reputation”
Gharibi went on to address his melted physique once again:
“A face off happened while I did not have any practice or appropriate nutrition. And Dubai’s conditions weren’t appropriate for me. Even so I understood that the intention of Boxstar and Ford’s team was only to destroy my reputation”
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