VIDEO | Actor Idris Elba Looks Impressive in His Kickboxing Debut
England’s Idris Elba is a man of many talents. In addition to being an award-winning actor with top roles in shows like The Wire and Luther, and big screen hits like Thor, Star Trek Beyond and Pacific Rim, he’s also a hip hop artist and a DJ who performs under the stage name Big Driis the Londoner.
As if his seemingly endless list of accomplishments wasn’t impressive enough, the English actor can now also claim to be a professional kickboxer. Over the weekend, he made his professional debut inside London’s York Hall.
We here at BJPenn.com have got our hands on some of the footage of the actor’s kickboxing debut – and we can thank pop music legend Madonna for that. Perhaps she’s trying to rival Elba’s resume by adding “cinematographer” to her own. Madonna’s footage of his debut can be viewed at the top of this post.
As this video shows, Elba is still quite raw. He’s no Giorgio Petrosyan or Saenchai. That said, he’s no slouch either. Over course of the clip, the actor can be seen feigning, moving well, and stringing together a few nice combos – the combination of which gives the impression that he won the bout. The skill Elba showcases in this kickboxing debut is made even more impressive by the fact that he’s 44 years old. It’s not like he’s chasing his kickboxing as an agile twenty-something-year-old.
Elba is testing his mettle in the kickboxing ring for an aptly-titled documentary: Idris Elba: Fighter. The documentary, which is clearly still in production, will follow the actor as he travels across the world, sharpening his tools in the sports of Muay Thai and kickboxing, and exploring the incredible history of both. It is scheduled to air on The Discovery Channel sometime in early 2017.
What do you think of Elba’s brave efforts in the kickboxing ring? Sound off, PENN Nation!
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Idris Elba