Actor Tom Hardy is surprise winner at martial arts competition
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Actor Tom Hardy burnished his resumé in a big way Saturday, quietly entering -- and winning a gold medal -- at a martial arts tournament in the United Kingdom.
Hardy, 45, entered the 2022 UMAC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship in Milton Keynes, England, according to The Guardian. The “Venom” actor entered the competition under his real name, Edward Hardy, Variety reported.
“Everyone recognized him, but he was very humble and was happy to take time out for people to take photographs with him,” a tournament spokesperson told The Guardian. “It was a real pleasure to have him compete at our event.”
The actor owns a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, according to The Guardian.
One of Hardy’s opponents said he was “shell-shocked” when he realized that Hardy was his opponent.
“I recognized him straight away. Everyone knows who Tom Hardy is, don’t they?” Danny Appleby told Teesside Live. “I was shell-shocked. He said, ‘Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.’”
This was not the first time Hardy has slipped quietly into a martial arts tournament.
In August, “The Dark Knight Rises” actor won the REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Wolverhampton, England, The Guardian reported. Hardy is a trustee for REORG, a charity that teaches jiu-jitsu to people with serious injuries or are suffering from PTSD and depression.
Mohamed Itoumaine, a referee and spokesman for Ultimate Martial Arts Championships, the tournament organizer for Saturday’s event, told CNN that Hardy had agreed to take part in the competition after his appearance at the Wolverhampton event.
“I was really excited and impressed because he told me at the championship that ‘I’m coming to yours next’ and kept his word,” Itoumaine told the news outlet.”It is very hard to get a famous person to come to a local competition because their schedules are so busy.
“(Hardy) is a legit blue belt,” Itoumaine told CNN. “I have over 10 years of experience as a ref and after I first saw him compete at the REORG championship, I knew he would smash it at my competition.”
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Photos: Tom Hardy through the years Check out these memorable photos of actor Tom Hardy through the years. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2002: Actor Tom Hardy attends the premiere of "Star Trek Nemesis" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on December 9, 2002, in Hollywood, California. (Robert Mora/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2007: Tom Hardy arrives at the Diesel U-Music Awards held at KOKO on October 3, 2007, in London. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2010: Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley attend the World film premiere for "Inception" at the Odeon Leicester Square on July 8, 2010, in London. (Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2011: Actor Tom Hardy arrives at the ninth Annual VES Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel on February 1, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for VES)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2012: Director John Hillcoat, actor Tom Hardy, actress Jessica Chastain and actor Shia Labeouf attend the "Lawless" Premiere during the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2012, in Cannes, France. (Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2013: Actor Tom Hardy attends the "Locke" Premiere during the 70th Venice International Film Festival at the Sala Darsena on September 2, 2013, in Venice, Italy. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2015: Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy arrives at the Premiere of 20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises' "The Revenant" at TCL Chinese Theatre on December 16, 2015, in Hollywood, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2016: Actors Tom Hardy (right) and Charlotte Riley attend the 88th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2017: Prince Harry (right) and actors Mark Rylance (left) and Tom Hardy (center) attend the "Dunkirk" World Premiere at Odeon Leicester Square on July 13, 2017, in London. (Eamonn M. McCormack - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2018: Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy attend the "Swimming With Men" UK Premiere at the Curzon Mayfair on July 4, 2018, in London. (Joe Maher/Getty Images)
Photos: Tom Hardy through the years 2021: Tom Hardy and his dog Blue attend the fan screening of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" at Cineworld Leicester Square on September 14, 2021, in London. (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sony)
