PODCAST EP107: Lawrence Trent (part 2)

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In part 2 of the Lawrence Trent interview we learn about Mogul Chessboxing, Magnus Carlson commentating on the show and an emotional exchange about Lawrence’s friend Iepe Rubingh.

If feels like Mogul Chessboxing is going to launch the sport to a new level of popularity and Lawrence believe that it is likely wold number one Magnus Carlsen will commentate on the show. Norway seems to have become a centre for chess and Chessboxing Nation have two Norwegian combatants who will be part of a main stream TV show on NRK show in 2023 with Olympic gold medalist Birk Ruud fighting. Lawrence was stopped in the sauna in Oslo and recognised as a chess commentator showing how much the sport has grown in Norway. Lawrence tells us about a night out he had with Magnus Carlsen who is now a super star in the country.

Chessboxing is in its infancy but if Mogul Chessboxing gets millions of views as it is likely to, there is no reason why the sport cannot be launched into popular culture for the first time. Boxing is experiencing incredible growth, YouTubers are brining eyeballs to chessboxing and chess itself has and is exploding. Will Chessboxing become a commercially legitimate sport?

Lawrence gives us an insight into his relationship with Iepe Rubingh and how his sudden passing effected him. He wants to help fulfil Iepe’s legacy and do justice to Iepe’s commitment to the sport. It’s hard to see how Iepe’s space in the sport could be filled and the pod talks about him as a personality and a bon vivant. The pod discussed the film By Rook or Left Hook and the first ever chessboxing fight in Amsterdam. Iepe was the glue that kept the sport together and the pod hopes that it can be brought together once again.

Will Lawrence fight again and become a serial chessboxer? He wouldn’t want to fight Simon Williams because according to Lawrence he is a “hard B*^+stard”. Carl Strugnell is a tough proposition and it may take some time for Lawrence to attain that kind of experience. He would rather fight some of the top chess player with less boxing experience, someone like Hikaru Nakamura. However, he doesn’t want to look too far ahead and focus on the fight in December.

The pod talks about the Chessboxing Paris event that Carl Strugnell fought in. Both Lawrence and Gavin were very concerned about Carl’s safety as he was hanging on for many of the boxing rounds. Will we see Ludwig in the chessboxing ring, he seems to be a young fit guy. Lawrence wonders why Ludwig is doing this event, the pod speculates that it is a way of Ludwig differentiating his event from similar youtube star boxing events.

To what extent are the other chessboxers on the card training and how much experience do they have? Will the general level of the boxing be decent or not and does that matter? There doesn’t appear to be a lot of information about the show, is this a tactic to create suspense in the youtube audience?

What is Lawrence’s favourite chocolate bar – find out. Name check for Kabaddi star Felix “Intense” Li.

How does the fear of a fight motivate one to get fit, improve diet and give up the source? Lawrence is taking everything very seriously but is looking forward to a beer in LA after the show.

Twitter @LawrenceTrentIM
Instagram: @Lawrence.trent

Mogul Chessboxing Stream: @Ludwig

@Ludwigahgren Mogul Chessboxing Championship LINE UP:

Fiction vs. Kalindi
Joshman vs. Spud

@Myth_YT vs @BoyBoyProductions
@DisguisedToast vs. @PointCrow
@AbroadinJapan vs. @papaplatte
@stanz vs. @BoxBoxLoL
@SardocheLol vs. @Tophbbq

GM Aman Hambleton vs. IM Lawrence Trent