Former WWE wrestler John Hennigan knocked out Epic Meal Time star Harley Morenstein in the second round of Creator Clash 2, though both maintained their friendship, alleging the promoters pitted them against each other.
Former WWE wrestler and current indy star John Hennigan recently had a successful debut in the boxing world with his fight against Harley Morenstein at Saturday’s Creator Clash 2 event in Tampa, Fla. Hennigan brutally knocked out the Epic Meal Time star in the second round, but the way the fight came together was a bit tricky. Hennigan attended the first Creator Clash event and met the organizers, who later asked if he would be interested in fighting Morenstein. Despite being friends with Morenstein, Hennigan agreed after the promoters claimed Morenstein was up for the challenge.
However, Hennigan later discovered that Morenstein had never actually agreed to the fight, and the promoters had effectively pitted the two friends against each other. “Harley later told me that he didn’t say that, so we just got kind of pitted against each other. It was well-played, very promoter-esque,” Hennigan shared during an interview on The MMA Hour. Adding to the emotional aspect of the fight, Hennigan met Morenstein’s mother the day before the bout at a restaurant, who pleaded with him not to hurt her son. Hennigan assured her that both fighters were aware of the risks involved and that they would be trying to hurt each other in the match.
Hennigan succeeded in knocking down Morenstein in the first round and ultimately won the fight in round 2. He had veteran heavyweight Josh Barnett in his corner for the bout, and the two worked together in the lead up to the fight. Although their time together was limited, Hennigan applied the lessons he learned from Barnett during the fight. “I thought I would knock him out, that’s what I was planning on,” Hennigan said, adding that his extensive sparring sessions with Barnett played a crucial role in preparing him for the match.