‘I’d Never Say Never’ – Jonathan Haggerty Teases Possible Acting Career Ahead Of ONE SAMURAI 4

On the global stage of ONE Championship, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty has made a habit of putting on a show. Lately, he has started wondering if the red carpet might follow suit.

The reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion defends his gold against former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto at ONE SAMURAI 4 inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17.

That fight will come soon enough. Beyond the gym walls and the ring, though, Haggerty has become a familiar face at a couple of film premieres in the United Kingdom.

He attended the London premiere of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina last June, and more recently walked the carpet for Giant, the biopic charting the rise of boxing icon Naseem Hamed – better known to fans of the sweet science as Prince Naseem – when it hit British cinemas this past January.

Those appearances were not simply a passing novelty for the 29-year-old, either.

Haggerty said:

“I’m enjoying going to all these premieres, so if there’s a day I get the offer to become part of a big movie, I’d never say never. I’d love to be part of a big Hollywood movie. I think I’ll thrive.

“It won’t necessarily be a dream-come-true moment, but a chance to make me realize just how far I’ve made it in life.”

Part of the appeal, too, comes from the company Haggerty keeps once he is inside those rooms. 

There is a version of confidence that comes from finishing an opponent in front of thousands, and a different, quieter version that comes from holding your own in a conversation with people who have spent their careers in front of cameras rather than crowds.

Sharing that space, trading a few words here and there with actors and industry names, offers “The General” a taste of the latter, one he has clearly grown fond of:

“It’s been [a] great [experience] for me. It’s been good to rub shoulders with these people and interact – it’s just a different side to everything.

“Fighting comes naturally to me, so being able to do all of this as well, I’m enjoying it a lot, to be fair.”

Watching Prince Naseem’s story play out on the big screen clearly left a mark on the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion, and it did not take long for a similar film about his own career to cross his mind.

From humble beginnings in London to becoming one of the most exciting and dominant multi-time World Champions in the sport, having also held the organization’s Muay Thai gold in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, his own journey carries plenty of dramatic material for the right director to work with.

When asked for potential names that could perfectly execute his character on the big screen, Jonathan Haggerty said:

“One million percent – I’d be happy to have one about my career when I call it a day. It should perhaps be one about my rise to the World Championship. That would be sweet.

“Daniel Craig will be the perfect guy who can play my role. I’ll get Freddie [Haggerty] in there too so he can act as the younger version of myself. As for how the movie ends, I’d love for it to end with a knockout.”

That, of course, won’t be anything entirely new for Jonathan’s younger brother, Freddie, who traded London’s West End for a career in combat sports. The 21-year-old is now 4-1 in ONE Championship, further proof that the family’s flair for the spotlight runs in more than one direction.

Casting decisions are fun to imagine. Figuring out which character already matches the man who shows up under the lights is a different exercise entirely, but one Haggerty had clearly thought about before.

The British superstar said: 

“John Wick, because he’s an assassin. I see a lot of stuff that I do that he can do, too. And there’s always that mysterious aura about John Wick, so it just makes perfect sense if I’m being honest.”

Source