Is Andy Mad???

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Is Andy Mad???

Stew_B · Intermediate Club Player

It must be a PR Stunt, Thai boxing - as you would imagine - is very popular in Thailand, and this is maybe just a way for him to boost his image and popularity.

Although, from this web page, http://www.bloggernews.net/2006/09/what-you-missed-while-watching-martina.html

Andy Murray volunteers to get his ass kicked by Thai kickboxers. Psychiatrist claims hiring of Brad Gilbert no longer in question.

RJA · Hall of fame

I agree that this must be a stunt. I can't imagine Brad allowing Andy to do something like this if there was any serious chance of injury.

aria81 · Club Coach

The ATP set these things up to get publicity. It's really no different from the heli-pad tennis match, or other stuff like that. I haven't checked the entry list but I would guess that Andy would be one of the higher profile players playing there do they picked him to do the stunt. There is no chance of him getting anything hurt or doing damage. It's actually kinda cool that they're using him for publicity.

Sheddie · administrator

Surely with kickboxing, if Andy's going to be involved in a fight [as the Beeb says], then he's going to have to get hurt for the other guy to win. Sounds pretty risky to me !!!

On Andy's official website, he talks about the kickboxing in the latest podcast. I can't listen to it because [1] the loudspeakers on my computer have packed up

and [2] my windows media player always jams and freezes the computer everytime I attempt to use it.

Maybe someone could listen to the podcast and post here what Andy says about the kickboxing ?

-- Edited by UltimateFlemingFan at 13:11, 2006-09-16

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

He basically says that he doesn't think he's actually going to be fighting but that its a photo shoot/promotion type thing with the ATP that the press has got a hold of and blown out of proportion.

Sheddie · administrator

Oh ok, that makes a lot more sense. As RJA said, Brad wouldn't have allowed Andy to take part if there was any chance of him getting injured.

The way the BBC put it, it sounded as though Andy was going to spend some time getting thoroughly beaten up mid-tournament !!!

Drew · Sep 16, 2006

UltimateFlemingFan wrote:

Surely with kickboxing, if Andy's going to be involved in a fight [as the Beeb says], then he's going to have to get hurt for the other guy to win. Sounds pretty risky to me !!!

On Andy's official website, he talks about the kickboxing in the latest podcast. I can't listen to it because [1] the loudspeakers on my computer have packed up and [2] my windows media player always jams and freezes the computer everytime I attempt to use it.

Maybe someone could listen to the podcast and post here what Andy says about the kickboxing ?

-- Edited by UltimateFlemingFan at 13:11, 2006-09-16

Are u stsill running W98 ?

Sheddie · administrator

Yeah

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Yes, I listened to the podcast too, that makes far more sense! Trust journalists to sensationalise everything!

Sheddie · administrator

According to the Sun:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,3-10152,,00.html

There was actually a big misunderstanding between Andy and the tournament organisers regarding the kickboxing and that was how the wrong information got through to the BBC and the press. Andy had thought that it was just a publicity stunt for the ATP and that he was just going to be there to promote tennis but the organisers wanted him to fight and had announced that he would scrap with two of the sport’s biggest names - including veteran Khaosai Galaxy, known as the Thai Tyson.

Murray said "I agreed to do it but I didn’t realise they were going to take it that seriously and that they wanted me to start fighting.But I will go into the ring just to promote tennis."