Evander Kane needs to pay a bit more respect to Ryan Reaves.
We all love a good old Twitter beef and we’ve been treated to a rather tasty one over the last few days thanks to San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane and Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves.
It all started on Sunday less than 24 hours after YouTube personality Jake Paul defeated three-time NBA slam-dunk champion Nate Robinson in an exhibition boxing match that I’m still not quite sure why it took place.
Anyway, I digress. Kane, who was named after former Heavyweight Champion and Boxing legend Evander Holyfield, took to Twitter to call out Jake Paul and lay down a rather interesting gauntlet.
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As you can see from the Tweet below, Kane was hardly shy in expressing just what he thought of Paul’s victory on Saturday and indeed what he thinks about the former Disney TV star’s fighting credentials.
Now, we covered that particular throwdown here, but while Kane’s challenge didn’t draw as much as a small nibble from Paul himself, it did catch the attention of Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves.
Now, let’s set the table here with a serving of context. It is no secret that Kane and Reaves don’t like each other. Actually, let’s scrap that, they despite each other and the hatred seems both very real and very pure, not some artificially made beef designed to bring attention to their sport.
yo @jakepaul I’d wreck ya. Easy to beat up guys with no experience and much smaller. August 31st 2021 Vegas we can see if you really about that action. #YOURMOVE
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane) November 29, 2020
No, Reaves and Kane are arch-rivals and that has really been cranked up a notch or ten due to the fact that the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights have very quickly developed a bitter rivalry that is caked in hatred and contempt.
As such, none of us should have been surprised when Reaves waded in, effectively telling Kane to shut up and sit down.
@evanderkane_9 calling someone out to fight?We might have to wait 9 years to see that. He might be a good prelim vs @KevinHart4real though.
— Ryan Reaves (@reavo7five) November 29, 2020
If that wasn’t enough entertainment gold for those popcorn Gif lovers on Twitter, things only got more interesting after Reaves’ brother, Jordan, who is a Defensive Lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL, also got in on the act and spiced things up just a little bit to say the least.
Kane then responded with a Tweet that referred to the Reaves’ brothers as sisters, a post that has since been deleted and Kane has apologized for.
I ain’t never run from anyone’s sister in my life. Let alone for 9 years. That shark logo on your jersey is the toughest thing about you. I expect a billboard apology for running your mouth. I’m sure u still got the number. 🐸☕️
— Ryan Reaves (@reavo7five) November 29, 2020
However, while Kane may feel confident of beating Jake Paul inside the ring, and to be honest I would put a lot of money on the Sharks forward to do just that, he’s not in the same weight category as Ryan Reaves.
While Kane is a very talented forward and a powerhouse in the NHL in his own right, he simply can’t hold a candle to Reaves who is a master of his craft and the leading expert in a dying art form.
Reaves is the toughest guy in the entire National Hockey League and that crown isn’t being seized away from his tough grasp anytime soon.
Boasting 2,181 career hits in the NHL, which is significantly more than Kane although the two play very different roles, Reaves has led the entire league in hits in each of the last two seasons with 316 and 305 respectively.
He’s the heartbeat of a stacked Vegas Golden Knights team, and his physical play, ability to hit like an absolute train and the fear he just gives off provides a real spark of energy for the Golden Knights.
Plus, there probably isn’t a better fighter in the NHL right now than Reaves, who has the reach and the ability to just land absolute bombs without so much as breaking a sweat.
Built like an Offensive Linebacker, Reaves is an absolute beast on the ice and the title of true heavyweight in the National Hockey League firmly belongs to him.
So, while Evander Kane is tough in his own right and would no doubt destroy a YouTuber, he is no match for Ryan Reaves and it is about time he understood that, although the constant back and forth between the two makes for comedy gold.