Once upon a time, knights battled in castles. Today, they’re throwing down inside a cage.
New York City has long been a hub for underground subcultures — from punk rock to hip-hop — that eventually broke into the mainstream. The Armored League could be the next big cultural breakout.
Part role-play, part combat sport, the new entertainment venture pits fighters against one another inside a UFC-style cage. But unlike mixed martial arts, these combatants suit up in medieval-style armor and wield swords, shields, axes and other weapons.
On Sept. 17, the medieval-style fights drew hundreds to Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, with some spectators even showing up in Old English garb. The Armored League bills itself as “Real Steel, Real Fighting, Real Damage.”
Russ Christmas, who fights under the ring name “Stormrider,” exemplified that motto after he was left bloody during his bout against Josh Herz, aka “The Butcher.” Christmas won the fight but was unable to continue in the event’s elimination tournament.
“With the cracking of the skull and some issues with my ribs — I had two cracked ribs that I’m still recovering from. The EMTs just don’t think it’s a good idea I continue,” Christmas told amNewYork. “It’s extremely frustrating because you know on a night like tonight, you know there was a good chance I would have won the entire thing.”
Christmas isn’t a professional fighter. He makes his living selling Christmas trees.
His opponent, meanwhile, is a Brooklyn college student studying history.
So what makes people from all walks of life suit up in armor and battle it out in front of a roaring crowd?
“People love history, they love fantasy, they love Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones especially, and they like people fighting,” Herz said. “People of Bushwick and New York in general just really love the sport. We have hundreds of people come in. It’s just grown so much.”
For many, the spectacle’s appeal lies in how dramatically it differs from UFC, boxing and even professional wrestling.
The combatants face off with swords and shields, axes and other weapons, all while wearing armor that can weigh nearly 100 pounds. Jake Meddaugh, who performs under the name “Hercules,” has suffered a broken tooth, scrapes and bruises, but said the roar of the crowd keeps bringing him back.
“You are rattled the whole way; you are just in reactive mode — thoughts are nonexistent. Pain doesn’t happen until the next day,” Meddaugh said.
Before his bout, Meddaugh lowered himself flat onto the floor, positioning his body to slide into his 90-pound suit of armor. Slowly, he pulled himself upright, fastening the padded layers piece by piece before reaching for his chainmail coif and helmet.
Just a few feet away, a woman repeatedly brought a hammer down on a piece of padded armor, making final adjustments before a fighter stepped into battle.
While the Armored League takes place inside a UFC-style cage and shares some similarities with the fast-paced action of MMA, the backstage preparation is a world away from a typical mixed martial arts fight.
Instead of fighters wrapping their hands while coaches and teammates make final adjustments, Armored League combatants have squires helping them suit up and blacksmiths hammering away at shields and armor.
Here, preparing for a fight is as much about steel and craftsmanship as it is about physical conditioning.
According to Pedro Navarro, co-founder and executive producer of the Armored League, that combination has helped drive the sport’s popularity — and he believes it is only the beginning.
“In just two years, The Armored League has gone from tiny events in New York’s most alternative spaces to stages like the beautiful Melrose Ballroom and Palladium in Times Square, and Manhattan Center will be next. Armored combat has lived in our collective imagination for centuries. The audience has been waiting for the real thing — and we’re here to deliver it,” Navarro said.
