Tickets to Go On Sale for Smackown at the Sepulchre
April, 2009
JERUSALEM -- Ticket sales will begin next Sunday for the 2009 Smackdown at the Sepulchre, an annual amateur boxing match between the Greek and Armenian dioceses.
The Smackdown at the Sepulchre series was designed as part of Lenten and Advent celebrations, and will be broadcast pay-per-view on Ancient Faith Radio.
According to the SCOBA Athletic Commission, the main card has not yet been selected for the match, although historically the match has been a ten-on-ten brawl rather than an organized fight.
“We are making sure the teams are paired up properly to ensure a clean, balanced fight”, said a high-level source speaking on condition of anonymity.
Historically, unlike most boxing or mixed martial arts matches, the Smackdown at the Sepulchre features no particular weight class or age restriction, and is restricted entirely to clergy. Furthermore, the match requires full clergy dress instead of athletic wear.
Also unique is that instead of being staged in an athletic facility, the match is held in a sacred church. Nevertheless, the match has continued at the insistence of Greek and Armenian clergy.
Controversy over the match erupted last year after the Jerusalem Police Department refereeing the match disqualified two fighters after ruling that using an icon as a weapon constitutes an illegal blow.
A spokesman from the Orthodox Church of America dismissed rumors that there is an OCA vs. ROCOR fight in the works, although both organizations will be sending spectators to Jerusalem for the low-brow entertainment factor.
So far, no team has claimed to have God on their side.
This report was filed by an Onion Dome guest reporter Alex
Cook.
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