Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier to duke it out in the ring?

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert and the Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier got in a playful argument on Twitter that could lead to a full-on battle in the ring.

Anyone that follows Rudy Gobert knows all too well that one of his favorite ways to train, and one of his favorite hobbies, is boxing. Known for his tenacious defense at the rim, The Stifle Tower also packs a mean punch in the ring. Opposing players already think twice about trying to drive on him, but they may want to think twice about trying to pick a fight with him as well.

He’s posted several photos and videos of him in his fighting element on social media, including this most recent one which he posted on Twitter just last week–

Like I said, you don’t want to mess with Gob-zilla.

But Rudy’s passion for boxing isn’t exclusive to his own time spent in the sport. He’s also been quick to show his fandom by providing his thoughts and commentary on some of the world’s biggest and most featured boxing matches. Saturday night was no exception as he weighed in on the fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, which ended in somewhat controversial fashion.

It was a tightly contested match which ultimately saw Alvarez win by merit of points in a majority split decision. Rudy isn’t the only one that felt that GGG should have come out on top, and while I admittedly know little to nothing about boxing, I’m going to go ahead and side with my favorite NBA center on this one.

However, Rudy’s NBA colleague and former French teammate Evan Fournier certainly felt that Alvarez’s victory was well-deserved, and he made sure to let Gobert know in statement fashion–

Now, for a little bit of context, Gobert and Fournier are pals who have poked fun at each other on social media several times in the past, so it’s safe to say that this is some playful banter between friends. But Gobert upped things to another level with his ensuing response–

That’s a big chunk of change to bet on himself in a boxing match. Then again, with Gobert coming in at seven-foot-one, 245 pounds compared to Evan Fournier’s six-foot-seven, 205 pounds, it’s no mystery why Rudy would be feeling so confident. But believe it or not, Evan isn’t back down from the challenge. What started as a playful exchange could very well evolve into a battle between the two NBA standouts–

I, for one, would be wildly entertained by seeing these two go at it. I have a feeling this might be all talk, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye on these two to see if they really ‘set a date’ and ‘give the fans what they want’.

Evan Fournier’s parents were in fact judo stars, so this could actually be quite the exciting event. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on whatever additional news unfolds on this matter. With training camp soon set to get underway, though, don’t be surprised to see Gobert and Fournier’s challenges postponed or forgotten. Hopefully such won’t be the case, because this could truly be a battle for the ages.