In the first 10-15 seconds, he threw a closed fisted grip, and it hit me right in the eye and split it. That kind of set the tempo for the match. And from then on out, it was less of a judo match than an “I’m going to break your will”... It was the Olympic games so neither of us was going to give an inch.

With an Olympic silver medal at 81kgs, there’s a lot more to Travis Stevens’ story than just being the angry American. Starting judo as an overweight kid, Travis shares the relentless mindset that pushed him to the top ranks of the world’s judoka and the mental transformation which allowed him to perform. He also retells in his own words his infamous rivalry with Ole Bischof, and the match that will haunt him forever.

*** Stevens v Bischof https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8sFxkleXCw&t=352s

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Soundtrack courtesy of BenSound