The 11th of November, 2023, marked the much-anticipated BKB debut of Luke Dyson. Engaging in an intense battle WITHOUT the gloves, Dyson faced off against an Italian and European champion, Giovani Carpentieri, at the latest “Bad To The Bone” event held in Fenton Manor. This explosive event, organised by a thriving bare-knuckle boxing company based out of Stoke, featured over 20 thrilling bare-knuckle boxing bouts.
With over 25 pro fights to his name, his opponent Giovani definitely presented a formidable challenge for Dyson. Even though Giovani secured the win near the end of the third round with the referee calling it off, Luke cherished every moment, relishing the challenge against the experienced Italian champ. Wins and losses are part of the game, but for Dyson, this bare knuckle boxing debut at the explosive “Bad To the Bone – Bare Knuckle Boxing Show” was about ticking an item off his boxing bucket list and feeling alive in the ring, and he definitely felt alive!
In a post-fight livestream on Facebook, Luke Dyson thanked “Bad To The Bone” for having him and expressed his thoughts, saying, “It was my BKB debut and ultimately, I’m happy with my performance. It wasn’t perfect at all and my balance was definitely off, but stepping into the ring without gloves for the first time, facing a seasoned boxing pro like Giovani was definitely a challenge and I definitely felt alive. A lot of the other fights were ending in the first round, so in my eyes going almost three full rounds with someone with over 25 professional fights was a victory in my bare knuckle boxing debut.”
I spoke to Dyson a few days after his bare knuckle boxing debut and he had this to say, “Most people didn’t even expect me to make it past the first minute with this being my bare knuckle debut and with my opponent being so tough, so even though I didn’t win, I fought and battled almost three full rounds against a professional boxer in my bare knuckle boxing debut, so I am happy with that. It was the first time in over 40 fights I felt alive and terrified! That’s what this bare knuckle debut was about. I’ve had 82 fights in just two years, but this BKB debut was about trying something new and giving myself a challenge. I’ve never shied away from a fight and I really wanted to push myself to the limit against a tough warrior like Giovani, but with NO gloves like usual, just two men with bare knuckles and lots of power. I just want to finish by saying a special thank you to ‘Stefan Hanks at Bad To The Bone’ for letting me make my bare knuckle debut on this explosive bare knuckle show. I must say, this was one of the most professional, biggest, best and most explosive events I’ve ever been a part of in my two years, so thank you very much!”
When I asked the organiser of the event about why he gave Luke Dyson a spot in his ‘Bad To The Bone’ event, Stefan Hanks, the promoter of one of the biggest bare knuckle event companies in the UK, emphasised Dyson’s fierce reputation as a fighter. “Dyson isn’t a journeyman”, he said. “I knew Dyson would give any opponent a good fight. Dyson has a track record of upsetting opponents and when he fights, you don’t know what is going to happen! He managed to defy the odds and engage in an intense bout for nearly three full rounds against a tough rival during his bare-knuckle debut, which was impressive. It made it a fantastic fight for the thousands of people watching both in-person and on live-stream!” Stefan Hanks further expressed his satisfaction, stating, “More importantly, I’m happy that Luke enjoyed his bare knuckle debut and experience with ‘Bad To The Bone’. Luke is a true fighter and no man should ever underestimate him as you could easily find yourself looking at him from below with your back on the canvas!”
