The Drunken Boxing Podcast #022 - Mario Napoli

[Bhassler]

I believe this was the gent in the final

https://ibb.co/1dpKPFP

[Giles]

As Mario mentions in the podcast with Byron, he was already around 40 when he went to the Chen competition.

I met his student Jesse at a CMC event in Périgueux years ago (not long after the Chen expedition) and he was/is a really big guy: tall, heavy but not at all obese, athletically built. So anyone in a photo standing close to him and looking about the same size is also going to be a big guy.

I had a chat with Mario at the Jasnières meet in France that same year, not long after he got back from China (a few months, max a year or so) and he said just the same to me about being sick during the compeititon as he recounts in the podcast. Not bigging himself up, just mentioned that he'd been sh****** out his guts for days, was feeling horrible and weak, I think 'wrecked' was the word he used. What he said to me years ago gels completely with the account in the podcast, just more details here now. I find that really impressive spirit/dedication.

[Steve James]

Mario is definitely not a "big" guy. He's more like the proverbial fireplug; short and stout. The context of the whole Chenjiagou tournament was that Chen taiji was the best taiji and CMC's taiji was shit. This also crossed into the "what is internal" debate. The fact was that Chen style push hands was a style of grappling. The argument was also offered that Mario was "really" a judoka, because he had experience with that discipline. There are videos of the tournament on YouTube, and you're able to make your own decision.

Fwiw, I've known Mario since the 90s and before the tournament, and he's always noted that he was sick at the time.

[wayne hansen]

He must be pretty big if the other guy is six foot three

[Kelley Graham]

Let’s apply some internet troll logic to this alt fact nonsense. If Esteemed Mario had lost, then the dysentery story could have been ginned up. Since he won, convincingly, what possible benefit could the winner accrue? Besides, can anyone who encounters Esteemed Mario believe that he would lie for no good reason? Not me anyway. Kudos to Esteemed Mario!

[Giles]

Just in case misunderstandings are arising:

Mario's student Jesse (mentioned in the interview) is a big guy.
Mario himself, as described by Steve, is smaller and stocky/powerful. Not a big guy at least height-wise. I'm about 6 ft 2 in, so you can compare in this photo from, I think, 2000. (Ah, youth: now I'm totally gray. But I also have a little more substance on my bones).