Antonio Esfandiari Scores Underdog Boxing Win Against Comedian Kevin Hart

Just four months after claiming that he was a favorite “to break his ribs or nose” during a boxing match with comedian Kevin Hart, poker pro Antonio Esfandiari not only managed to survive unscathed, but he also came away with the victory.

All hail the champion! PhilLaak</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicAntonio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">MagicAntonio after Antonio’s victory over @KevinHart4real in the boxing ring. pic.twitter.com/ufW2AsR3F0

— Jennifer Tilly (@JenniferTilly) April 28, 2019

The 40-year-old three-time WSOP bracelet winner met Hart in a Santa Monica, California gym Saturday morning and ultimately won a decision over the course of the three, three-minute rounds.

“I want to take the time to congratulate my guy Antonio Esfandiari on an amazing sparring match today,” wrote Hart on Instagram. “You worked hard and deserve the W champ.”

Although the exact amount wagered between the two friends wasn’t disclosed, Esfandiari did receive 35:1 on his money. The long odds were in place because Hart had previous boxing experience, and was by far the more athletic of the two.

The 6-foot tall Esfandiari told Card Player in the weeks leading up to the fight that he would rely on his height and reach advantage over the 5 feet, 4 inch Hart. However, it’s clear that Esfandiari put on a decent amount of muscle for the fight and benefited from the months of boxing and cardio training.

Hart went on to say in his post that he wanted a rematch, and that he would release highlight videos once they were edited. Hart is no stranger to the poker world, having competed in numerous high roller events both in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, and in the Bahamas. In 2016, Dan Bilzerian called him out for his poker skills in a home game.

Esfandiari isn’t the first poker pro to jump inside the ring for a prop bet. Other poker pros who have engaged in some in-the-ring fights include Olivier Busquet and J.C. Alvarado, who settled a six-figure bet with an MMA match in 2016. Lex Veldhuis and Bertrand Grospellier also duked it out for a hefty sum in a 2011 fight in Spain, while Theo Jorgensen squared off with Gus Hansen back in 2009.

View this post on Instagram

I wanna take the time to congratulate my guy Antonio Esfandiari on a amazing sparring match today. We went 3 3min rounds and both gave it our all. In the end you were the winner by decision. You worked hard and deserve the W champ. Good shit….I want a rematch as soon as I catch my fucking breathe again ….To all boxers WE ARE NOT FIGHTERS AND WE DON’T WANT TO BE….this was a challenge between 2 friends that had a great time and put on a hell of a show!!!! We have so much respect for this sport…You guys are amazing!!!!!! #HartvsEsfandiari #Part1 …..P.S I will post some highlight videos of both of us when it’s all edited. Shit was so dope….I’m glad we did it man!!!! Love ya

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Apr 27, 2019 at 4:39pm PDT

*Featured photo courtesy of Kevin Hart/kevinhart4real

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