Dan “Jungleman” Cates, the two-time WSOP bracelet winner and recent $15 million heads-up crusher, stepped into the boxing ring for his debut. Let’s just say that Cate’s boxing career isn’t looking like it will match his poker record. The match ended in bloody confusion, literally.
Facing off against sports bettor and content creator Ryan “Elf” Noel at the Beverly Hills Fight Club, the amateur bout lasted just into the second round before a controversial haymaker turned the spectacle into a no-contest farce.
Jungleman Jumping onto the Boxing Bandwagon
The drama unfolded after a clinch sent both fighters tumbling. As the referee separated them, Cates dropped his guard, mistaking the pause for a break. Noel seized the moment, unloading a devastating punch that floored the poker pro.
Blood streamed from his nose like a leak we don’t often see with Dan Cates. Though Cates staggered up, officials halted the fight for safety. Calling it a no DQ, no winner: just a chaotic “No Contest”.
While it was not the dramatic boxing debut he had hoped for, to his credit, Jungleman owned the mishap with trademark bravado on X: “Got my ass kicked because I wasn’t paying attention… Elf was tough. That punch would knock out a horse. Good news? My head’s harder than concrete”.
Poker Player’s Punching Above their Weight
The Jungleman vs. Elf match wasn’t the first we’ve seen poker player’s take to the ring. Lex Veldhuis KO’d ElkY with a brutal head kick in kickboxing. And Olivier Busquet TKO’d JC Alvarado in MMA. Even Antonio Esfandiari had a crack, outpointed Kevin Hart in boxing.
Jungleman should probably stick to the tables though. Amateurs like these risk real harm for viral clips and bravado, often embarrassing themselves into the bargain: recall Adrian Peterson’s post-poker brawl boxing flirtations? Or how about Ryan Garcia’s poker side quests? Not to mention the shambles of Jake Paul’s recent bids to boxing stardom, taking on the titan Anthony Joshua.
Jungleman’s recent $15M Ketola scalp proves he’s elite at cards, so he doesn’t need to prove anything in the ring. Leave the ring to pros; the felt needs Jungleman’s chaos where it pays dividends, and it a bunch more entertaining to boot.
