Philip Rowe Gives Gordon Ryan Custom Boombox Ahead of WNO Match
Gordon Ryan is one of jiu-jitsu’s most aggressive trash talkers; it’s not uncommon to see a fair amount of bad blood between him and his opponents in the lead up to a match. That’s certainly not the case with Philip Rowe, who Ryan will face on Wednesday in an “exhibition” match at Who’s Number One (WNO).
On Tuesday, Rowe gifted Ryan a custom-made boombox to honor Ryan’s recently-passed father, the man simply known as “Big Gord.”
There aren’t too many times in my life I’m left speechless, but receiving this @bumpboxx from @phillyfreshufc definitely left me speechless and definitely almost made me cry on camera 😂. Hands down top 5 gifts I’ve gotten in my life. Excited to give the fans a show tonight on @flograppling.
A steady fixture at major competitions over the past several years, “Big Gord” was a constant supporter of his sons Nicky and Gordon — two of the best no-gi competitors in the world. The custom boom box shows images of “Big Gord” laid over a background image of Ryan having his hand raised.
Gordon Ryan will face Rowe in a special 15-minute exhibition match in the main event of Wednesday’s WNO. The match will be contested under the regular WNO submission-only ruleset, but similar to a roll in the gym, once a submission happens, the pair will simply re-start on their feet and repeat that process as many times as needed over 15 minutes.
Rowe is currently signed as a UFC welterweight fighter and sports a professional MMA record of 8-3. He has recently tried his hand at competitive grappling, losing to Gabriel Checco at Submission Underground and Kody Steele at WNO.
How to watch: WNO: The Return of Gordon Ryan takes place on Wednesday, October 20 and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).
