Tom Hardy is known for many things. You may know him as Venom, Alfie Solomons, Bane, Max Rockatansky … the list goes on. The point is, Hardy is a Hollywood A-lister so, chances are, you probably don’t expect to bump into the guy on the street - let alone face off against him in a martial arts competition, which is exactly what happened to some unsuspecting entrants.
Speaking of the unexpected, ICYMI, Ted Lasso is set to feature in FIFA 23.
This week, Tom Hardy won the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship held in Milton Keynes of all places. As reported by The Guardian, the actor surprised entrants with his appearance having entered under his real name which is Edward Hardy. A spokesperson for the championship told The Guardian, “Everyone recognised him, but he was very humble and was happy to take time out for people to take photographs with him. It was a real pleasure to have him compete at our event.”
Entrant Danny Appleby faced off against Hardy in the event’s semi-final. He said, “I was shell-shocked. He said, ‘Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.’ He’s a really strong guy. You wouldn’t think it with him being a celebrity. I’ve done about six tournaments and I’ve been on the podium in every one. But he’s probably the toughest competitor I’ve had - he certainly lived up to his Bane character, that’s for sure.”
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It’s not the first time that Tom Hardy has made a surprise appearance like this. Just a few weeks ago, the actor won the REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship which was held in Wolverhampton. Who knows where he’ll turn up next.
Topics: Real Life, TV And Film