One Piece has become a worldwide phenomenon thanks to not only the original manga by Eiichiro Oda and the anime adaptation from Toei Animation but thanks to Netflix’s live-action series. As the Grand Line becomes more of a household name, the worlds of anime and athletics are still finding ways to intersect. While we’ve seen anime make its way to the MLB, NBA, and NFL, various anime figures have been a part of Mixed Martial Arts, boxing, and other hard-hitting sports in the past. Recently, a major Muay Thai fighter entered the ring to pay tribute to the future king of the pirates.
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Nabil Anane is a well-known Muay Thai fighter, previously holding the title of IFMA youth world Muay Thai Champion no less. In the past, the brawler has not only expressed his love of One Piece but touched on the idea that he looks quite like the Straw Hat captain Monkey D. Luffy. Last year, Anane discussed how he shared similar traits to the shonen swashbuckler in a post-fight interview, “I just look like him. I got long arms and long legs. He’s a robber. And, yeah. I just look like him. Here, below my eye, I got stitches before. I look like him. It’s just a character. And also, I watch ‘One Piece‘, but I haven’t watched it for a long time. So I will be watching it again because I love ‘One Piece.’”
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One Piece Muay Thai
Toei Animation
Last Sunday, Nabil took to the ring sporting a look that not only donned the world-famous straw hat, but appeared wearing an outfit that looked as though it had been ripped straight from the Wano Arc. Luffy has had his fair share of outfit changes throughout One Piece history, meaning that there are plenty more options for Anane to try out should he be looking to recreate other Straw Hat aesthetics. This recent example is one that once again proves that the worlds of anime and athletes are merging far more frequently as both continue to skyrocket in popularity.
One Piece’s North American Sports Collabs
Recently, One Piece teamed up with the Los Angeles Lakers for a special event that not only allowed NBA fans to pick up anime merch, it created an original animation from Toei to celebrate the occasion. Next month, Straw Hat fans will be able to once again experience a baseball crossover as One Piece is teasing a night with the Seattle Mariners on April 8th.
In the official press release for this anime/sports crossover, Senior Director of Global Marketing for Toei Animation, Lisa Yamatoya, had the following to say, “We’re thrilled to team-up with the Seattle Mariners for One Piece Night this April. We can’t wait to bring this event to both anime and baseball fans at T-Mobile Park. It’s sure to be a great night”
Want to see where else the Straw Hats pop up in the sports world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.