Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier put on one of the most breathtaking battles the NHL has seen in years, and it ended in a way almost no one expected. Two of the NHL’s biggest heavyweights went head-to-head, and a man who had never been “caught” fell.
During their heavyweight showdown, Olivier dropped Reaves with a decisive punch, which many believed resulted in a clear TKO. For context, Reaves has long been viewed as the league’s best enforcer — a player who rarely loses a fight, let alone gets knocked down. This was the first time in his NHL career that Reaves admitted he actually “got caught.”
The battle further enhanced Olivier’s growing reputation. According to HockeyFights votes, Olivier has now won all 21 fights over the past two seasons, an incredible run against some of the toughest players in the league.
Reaves wants to go Round II
After the game, Reaves explained why he took the scrap. “Olivier asked me. If I say no, and I need one later, he’ll say no. There aren’t many guys left who are willing to give guys something. You know I know I’ll need one from him in the future, and I know he’ll give it to me. That’s it.”
After the media asked him what happened next after being knocked down like that, Reaves went through the standard concussion protocol players face after a knockout, joking about having to recite words and say the months of the year backwards. He passed the tests with flying colors, he said.
Still, he gave Olivier his props. “He’s one of the toughest guys in the league,” Reaves said. “I’m 38 and getting a little older. Eventually I was going to get caught – and today was the day.”
Reaves made it clear that the fight was not personal. Instead, it was about respect and the unwritten code among enforcers – a code that suggests this rivalry is not over yet.
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