Words by Holden McEwen Hicks for Bixlers Magazine the Devotion Edition (2024) – published both online and in limited print. Photos by Sasha Lintern-Smith. All content courtesy of Bixlers.
Diamonds Money Can’t Buy – A Romance of Sports and Jewelery
What’s the most you’ve ever won in fair competition? For the besting of his father Kronos, Zeus was said to have received the title of king of the pantheon of gods (and dominion of the cosmos with it). For his 2017 defeat of Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather is reported to have walked away with a headache-inducing 280 million US dollars (as reported by Forbes). While for her victory at the 2023 Rock Paper Scissors World Championship, two-time world champ Andrea Farina is believed to have been awarded an admirable 10 thousand US dollars. Not bad for a day’s work. These days the position of king of the gods has been dissolved and the cosmos has been left to fend for itself – but you might not know it judged purely by the unhinged devotion of the world’s top sports men and women. In their place, today’s athletes have found something of comparative value to thirst over. Physical manifestations of their lifelong sacrifice, and the culmination of years of backbreaking devotion—rings. Shiny, shiny rings. American sports’ infatuation with gaudy jewelry is a given part of the modern sporting landscape, but where did this tradition begin, what do these trophies mean to the athletes that seek them, and ultimately what does it cost to take one home?
The first recorded exchange in American sports’ long-documented love affair with championship jewelry took place in the fall of 1922, when the New York Giants were gifted the first ever Major League Baseball championship rings for their defeat of fellow NY outfit – the iconic New York Yankees. In just the 19th edition of the World Series, many of the customs synonymous with the sport today were yet to be established. In the years preceding this, it was common practice for the victors to be awarded lesser keepsakes, such as commemorative pins or pocket watch chains. The rings themselves, while still imposing, were modest by today’s standards – heavy 14karat gold bands boasting a single diamond jewel, situated inside the depiction of (fittingly) a baseball diamond. Despite their comparatively restrained designs, this first batch would set the precedent for what was to come. But, while these first rings served as the proverbial seeds of a multi-million-dollar tradition, it wouldn’t be until 1926 that the practice of ring-giving fully took root.
These days, championship jewelry is a universally recognized element of the American sporting matrix, with all four major US sporting leagues (the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL) recognizing the champions of each of their respective yearly seasons with commemorative rings. These rings have far surpassed the point of meagre trophies, taking on an almost allegorical status and serving as a physical manifestation of an athlete’s success—both within the context of his/her team, and regarding their individual sporting legacy. The rings themselves have also evolved over the years, taking on progressively more ostentatious designs as clubs and leagues seemingly compete to one-up their predecessors. As of 2024, gargantuan signets flooded with painstakingly set diamonds (and other precious gems) have become the norm. Typically showcasing the logo of the receiver’s team and proudly brandishing the message ‘World Champion’ alongside the year of the victor’s triumph. In recent years we’ve seen additional details included in the increasingly complex designs, from players’ names and jersey numbers to details reflecting the identity of the winning club and affiliated home city (skylines, dates, mantras, etc).
The intertwined relationship between the tangible rings themselves and the abstract victories they represent is an inexplorable one, with one seemingly incapable of existing without the other. Today these rings stand as metonyms of the wider successes they signify (signet-fy, if you will). Players and staff alike compete to expand their collection and top that of their closest opposition, ultimately advancing their publicly perceived worth in the process. A prominent metric used by fans and pundits in the endless conversations regarding eligibility of legend or GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) status, these rings symbolize not just individual skill or talent, but also leadership, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure in crucial moments. Notable ring holders include NFL golden boy Tom Brady, who retired last year with a current league record of 7 rings under his belt (or above his knuckles, more aptly); the late, great Bill Russell, who played an instrumental role in leading the Boston Celtics through 11 NBA playoffs in his 13 year career; MLB icon Yogi Berra, who pocketed 10 World Series rings during his 18 year tenure with the New York Yankees; and NHL Hall of Famer Henri Richard, who exited his player career with an impressive 11 rings to his name (but was sadly left with just one, after refusing to pay a ransom to the thieves that ransacked his family home).
Meanwhile, in the world of combat sports, lavish, jewel-encrusted belts have been the norm for fighters to lose sleep over, seemingly since the days of ancient Greece. Today, five major belts from five separate promoting bodies are internationally recognized in the realm of major league boxing. With a slew more springing up once the parameters are extended to meet the inclusion of other martial arts-based disciplines such as kick boxing, Muay Tai, and mixed martial arts (MMA). The ONE Championship belt stands as a prominent example. An international combat sports promotion, ONE has been booking fights of varying disciplines for over a decade and prides itself as being Asia’s largest fight promoter. Think UFC but with single-discipline bouts like Muay Thai, kickboxing, or submission grappling alongside traditional MMA. To truly understand what these belts mean to the fighters who seek them and what it costs to own one, we met with Canadian-Italian kickboxer and former ONE world champion Jonathan Di Bella at his family run gym in Montreal.
“It takes a lot of discipline. Not everyone can handle it. It's very hard, but it feels good when you win a fight because all the hard work pays off,” Di Bella explains. A lean, clean-cut young man, Jonathan embodies the look of a well-groomed, well-raised individual. “He looks more like a model than a fighter,” his father at one point joked during the interview. But not to get things confused, Jonathan is a fighter – pure and simple. “Yes, most of my friends are my training partners,” he admits, reflecting on his social life outside of the ring. “I didn't have a normal childhood. I grew up training in the gym and had to sacrifice a lot, including time at school. I was in a sports program where I attended school half a day, so I didn't have many friends outside of training partners.”
The Di Bella gym resides in Saint-Michel, a neighbourhood in the east of Montreal Island with a heavy multicultural influence. Approaching from the road, the industrial style red brick building resembles a small warehouse. The words ‘KARATE’ and ‘KICKBOXING’ are bolted to the face of the building in large white block text. Next to them, more block lettering spells out the name – Angelo Di Bella. A three-time kickboxing world champion, and Jonathan’s father, Angelo founded the multi-disciplinary school in 1988 above a Haitian church. “I started young, around seven years old. I helped out around the gym, teaching other kids and doing various tasks,” Jonathan recounts regarding his formative years in the gym, “Now that I'm focused on fighting, I don’t help out as much, but when I'm not fighting, I still come and train people.” Seemingly destined to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jonathan’s devotion to combat sports manifested at a young age, “Yeah, we called him to play soccer,” Angelo explains, “He liked it but didn’t want to do anything else but kickbox. At 10 years old, he had his first fight in the States as an amateur. It was never my idea to push him; it was all him.”
In October 2022, on his ONE debut, Jonathan defeated Zhang Peimian (aka Fighting Rooster) by unanimous decision to claim the vacant ONE Kickboxing Strawweight Championship title. “It was crazy,” he recounts, “Being undefeated and the underdog in hostile territory is tough. You're far from home, and everyone is against you. But you have to show up and give it your best, despite being away from home and family. It's a huge challenge.” When asked about his feelings in the winning moment, Di Bella states “[It’s] the best feeling in the world, (…) It's almost surreal.” The belt in question is a spectacle in itself. A huge leather strap adorned with 84 white gemstones framing a mammoth gold-plated ONE Championship logo. Weighing in at a hefty 26.4 pounds, the world title belt holds its own title as the heaviest in existence. Seven additional red gemstones are set atop a crown depicted on the large gold buckle. These gemstones symbolize integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion, considered the core values of martial arts. “The belt is beautiful and heavy, (…) It felt amazing to have it,” Jonathan remarks.
Though the responsibility of lifting the belt falls to Jonathan alone, it’s evident that his victories are very much a team effort. “Yeah, my whole team goes—my dad, my good friend, one of my training partners, and sometimes my mom,” Di Bella notes, reflecting on his regular trips to Asia for his scheduled fights, “It’s a family thing, and it’s serious.” When asked about living up to his father’s legacy, the young fighter remarks, “It’s been incredible, especially following in my dad’s footsteps. Becoming a world champion as a father-and-son duo is a big deal, particularly in the Italian community. It’s huge.”
Unfortunately for the former world champ, in April of 2024 his career underwent a severe speedbump when he was stripped of his world title due to failing to meet the required hydration levels at the weigh-ins in the lead up to his second title defence. But this hasn’t put a damper on his spirits. When asked his plans in the wake of this devastating blow, Jonathan replies reassuredly, “Come back even harder. I’m fighting one of the best fighters in the world, a top Thai fighter, one of the best strikers ever. I'm familiar with him, and I'm ready.” Jonathan will be hoping to reclaim his strawweight title, and once again lift the belt, on June 28 – when he makes his return to Bangkok to face off against Prajanchai PK Saenchai.