Dawg Fight

I just watched this documentary on Netflix. I gotta tell you, it left me feeling really bummed out.

The documentary follows this dude that I had never heard of until now, Dada 5000. To be completely honest with you, I thought it was a documentary about Kimbo Slice, and the dude Dada was playing Kimbo. I was wrong on that, he actually knows Kimbo, but this is a completely different person.

The documentary pretty much follows Dada around and covers his grind with the backyard fights. They show a few fights, heavily edited, and take us behind the scenes of the game. It’s a pretty interesting look at what they are doing, and focuses on a few specific individuals. Now I can’t tell you too much about them, but let’s just say you get to know them, and their realities.

As I watched the video, all I could ask myself was “Are these guys willing to put themselves through that much for just $200?” I fought in an underground street fight, and I didn’t get a penny. However, my opponent didn’t brutalize me like this. These guys sustain injuries that would cost well over $200 to correct, and they keep coming back. They believe that this fighting could get them out of the street.

It seems there were a few of them who did get out, but just as many ended up somewhere else, despite their efforts.

The documentary is a bummer, it really saddens me that people feel that they have to resort to this level of risk to survive. Granted, it is better than gang banging and shooting at each other in the streets, but just barely.

One thing I will say, the fighters that were featured here have hurt, real guts. They take a beating and keep coming back and fighting. As a former fighter myself, I give big respect to their heart.

The documentary has these older ladies talking about the fights, and I thought that was just wrong. Our elders are supposed to discourage this type of behavior. However, they say it’s better to fight in the backyard than to shoot each other, and that makes sense. Although I don’t think that most of those fights were street disputes being settled.

In any case, if you have some time to kill, and want to see some blood, and ultimately end up kind of bummed out, then watch Dawg Fight. This is reality, so  you may as well see how some folks really survive.