Canadian politicians to square off in boxing match
Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau, left, and Liberal MP Justin Trudeau are to box for charity on March 31 in Ottawa.
Now you can officially call them Canadian political heavyweights.
Canadian political rivals, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau and Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau, are getting the chance to take their political fight into a real arena, a charity boxing match set for March 31.
The annual event raises money for cancer research and often asks public figures to step inside the ring to spar for a round; however, Trudeau-Brazeau is a full-fledged Olympic bout with three, three-minute rounds and headgear.
"I've always loved boxing. My dad used to box," Trudeau told CTV News during a training session. "He got suspended from school a couple of times as a kid for having boxed. He was always a little smaller than some of the other kids so he decided he was going to train."
Trudeau, 40, is a Canadian political darling and no stranger to controversy or the spotlight. He’s the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and many consider him the savior of Canada’s flailing Liberal Party. He found himself in hot water this year when, in Parliament, he called Environment Minister Peter Kent a “piece of s—” for pulling out of the Kyoto Accord.
Brazeau, 37, has a black belt in karate and once served in the armed forces. He’s also accustomed to media attention for becoming Canada's youngest senator; however, he then had to resign his post as chief in the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples after reporters learned he was collecting two six-figure salaries thanks to Canadian taxpayers.
Both are known for their long hair, a love of tattoos and representing the next generations of their parties – Canada’s longstanding political rivals.
But, despite their similarities, they have a healthy dislike of each other and have waged Twitter battles in the past.
“They don’t seem to care for each other,” event organizer Rob Imbeault told the National Post.
The combatants began training in November. Brazeau accepted Trudeau’s challenge after Conservative Defence Minister Peter McKay and MP Rob Anders declined. On paper, it appears Brazeau's background in martial arts gives him an advantage. He's also three years younger; however, Trudeau is three inches taller.
Tickets for the event are $250.
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