Ahead of his first defense of his IBF world title, Accokeek, Maryland super welterweight Jarrett Hurd dropped his own #ForTheBelt video – a boxing remix to hip hop’s ongoing #ForTheP____Challenge and #ForTheD___Challenges.
Next Saturday night at Barclays Center, undefeated IBF world Super Welterweight champion Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs) will share the stage with two of the division’s other champions, as well as three top contenders, on Showtime Championship Boxing‘s tripleheader (9:00 pm, EST).
Hurd’s punching power will be fully tested in his title defense, as former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (30-3, 17 KOs) has yet to be stopped in his 12-year career. As for the champion’s punchlines, they might be unrivaled among the other world-class competition at 154-pounds.
Per hip hop site XXL the social media challenge originated with New Orleans rapper GameOva Reedy, but it became viral as actresses like Regina Hall (Girls Trip) and Issa Rae (Insecure) released their videos. Other notable challengers include Erykah Badu, Cardi B and 21 Savage.
Due to it being so close to fight week, Hurd’s video was a bit surprising, but the young champion showed he possesses some of the lyrical wit and flow of some of the DMV’s best emcees – Pusha T, Mad Skillz (or Skillz), or Missy Elliott.
A few of the fighters from the October 14 card popped up in the final few bars of Hurd’s 51-second video. Hurd first repeated his recent familiar warning to his opponents with a reference to his lightning bolt logo by spitting, “…you gonna really have to weather this storm for the belt”, and then in true combination punching fashion he closed out the show with “Treat a hammer like I’m Thor for the belt” and “Have a lion scared to roar for the belt.”
If you’re keeping up with the sport and some of the fighters’ personal branding lately, then you know exactly who Hurd’s speaking to in the clip’s final few lines.
Hurd’s #ForTheBelt verse was an entertaining and slick (no pun intended for Hurd’s younger brother Justin) way to simultaneously put all the division’s best fighters on notice – a staple part of every post-fight interview.
Now, time will tell whether he can get past the crafty veteran Trout, and if so it’s wait and see if Hurd actually is ready to unify #ForTheBelt. It sounds like that’s part of the plan in 2018.
Welp… They asked me what I'll do for the belt. 🤷🏾♂️⚡️ #forthebeltchallenge #HurdTrout #SwiftNation #forthedchallenge #forthepchallenge pic.twitter.com/vSjXWznQRK
— SW⚡️FT Jarrett Hurd (@Swift_JHurd) September 28, 2017
Header photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
Body photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
Body photo by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
