Yesterday I spent the day with some friends in Rockaway Beach helping them clean up their house and gym from the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy. At one point during a break from sniffing toxic mold for a few hours, I started contemplating what this town would have looked like if it were more like Pepe Beach. There would be Gracies hanging out, picking fights with anyone and everyone; Wallid would step right over them as they sunbathed on his way to train; and every day, an epic fight would break out. The ‘boolsheet’ would continue every day because neither side wants to admit that they’re ‘cock-cowards’ and ‘scared about’ each other. Eventually, Pepe Beach would look just like Rockaway Beach in NYC does, except it wouldn’t have required a hurricane.
The epic rivalry between Wallid and the Gracies is over. Renzo himself told me it was. In fact, Renzo is a huge supporter of Jungle Fights and he whole-heartedly appreciates that Wallid comforted Helio Gracie while he was on his death bed. Part of me was sad about the feud dying, but the other part of me respects Wallid for trading his lethal, hostile ways for a life of mentoring BJJ prospects into MMA superstardom, and being respectful to everyone in the process. Now, he’s probably the world’s most outspoken supporter of the sport, however, he’s still just plain outspoken. Watch this long-winded interview because, it’s Wallid Ismail, and if there’s a microphone in front of him, it goes on the front page of MiddleEasy out of pure respect.
Props to KneeBarBuffet for the find.
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