UFC welterweight champion Leon “Rocky” Edwards went viral this week after hitting an insane trick shot on a basketball court. This was while the UFC welterweight champion was out on a run, however, it has led to many fans asking if the shot in question is real or fake. The Jamaican-born fighter was seen punting a basketball across a full court and landing inside the opposing basket. This was then published on X in a video which has been seen over a million times.
Leon Edwards was able to clinch the UFC welterweight title after knocking out Kamaru Usman with a clutch head kick. This knockout has been viewed by many as the greatest comeback win in recent memory.
Leon Edward’s Deliver Crazy Trick Shot
Leon Edwards is just days away from returning to the cage for his third defence of his welterweight title. This will be at UFC 304 in Manchester, where he will be facing off against Belal Muhammed. This would be in the main event. While he will be going over last-minute preparations for this fight, this has not stopped him from going viral and being able to hit one of the craziest trick shots to be seen.
While Leon Edwards was out on a leisurely jog, the current welterweight champion was called over by a group of fans on a basketball court. After gesturing for the basketball, Leon Edwards would go on to perfectly volley the ball full court for a swish at the other end. The fans watching on would go crazy as Leon Edwards, as cool as you like would go on and deliver his iconic ‘Headshot, dead’ tagline which is about his head kick knockout.
Was the Shot Real or Fake
Over the recent years, especially with the advancement of technology, we have seen many different trick shots circulating on social media. This has since caused a debate about whether these are genuine or edited.
Leon Edwards’s trick shot resembles a lot of the trick shot LeBron James did back in 2004. This was for a commercial for Poweraid, where he effortlessly sank five straight full-court shots. Fans are still arguing to this day about the legitimacy of this feat. Another example is David Beckham who, while holding a can of Pepsi, kicked three footballs into far-away trash cans. Even to this day, David Beckham attests to the authentic nature of this video. He has suggested it simply took a lot of practice.
It seems as though many are not convinced of Leon Edward’s trick shot skills. Sceptics on X have taken to the platform to show their disbelief surrounding the clip. Fans have come out and commented “This isn’t real lol”, “Surely no one thinks this is real”, “Fake, Fake, Fake” and “That’s not real”, these were some of the comments on the video.
Given how close we are to his title defence, this trick shot is most likely faked. This looks like it was a stunt to try and get some publicity for the fight. However, what do you think?
