Canadian members of Parliament are accustomed to throwing and receiving verbal jabs on Parliament Hill, but Justin Trudeau is preparing to throw jabs in a boxing ring.
And hey, what taxpayer hasn’t fantasized about going toe-to-toe with a politician inside a boxing ring?
The MP for the Papineau riding in Quebec — who is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau — is set to fight Canadian senator Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match on March 31 at the Hampton Convention Centre in Ottawa.
The two will headline Fight for the Cure, an annual boxing event held in Canada’s capital city that features local celebrities or notable public figures competing against one another to raise money for cancer research.
 Member of Parliament Justin Trudeau will fight Canadian senator Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match. |
Trudeau (a Liberal) and Brazeau (a Conservative) have been chirping back and forth on Twitter, with the senator proposing a friendly bet. If Brazeau wins, Trudeau would wear a Conservative Party of Canada jersey and vice versa.
However, since both men are known for their flowing locks, Trudeau made a counteroffer:
Charity boxing match: @TheBrazman proposes the loser wears a CPC or LPC jersey. I say loser gets a haircut. What do all of you say?
— Justin Trudeau, MP (@justinpjtrudeau) March 12, 2012
The fight will observe Olympic rules with both men wearing headgear, a mouth guard and using 10-ounce boxing gloves.
Brazeau — who at 37 years of age is currently the youngest Canadian senator — has experience in both karate and kickboxing and is the heavy favourite heading into the bout. The Kitigan Zibi, Que., native has served in the Canadian Armed Forces (Naval Reserve/HMCS Carleton) and has a second-degree black belt in karate.
A survey conducted by Abacus Data indicates that 73 per cent of people polled believe Brazeau will come out victorious.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Trudeau has said he is taking his training seriously. Judging by this video, it’s true.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao eat your heart out.
Trudeau’s father died of complications related to prostate cancer and Brazeau’s mother died of lung cancer, so although their pride is on the line, both men say the main priority is to raise money for cancer research.
Organizers have said they hope to raise $200,000 at the event.
For more information on the event visit fightforthecure.ca.