Andrew Tate is NOT an alpha male
The self-proclaimed 'Top G' is nothing more than a show off and a bully
My opinion of ‘Top G’:
First up, a confession: I follow Andrew Tate, and his brother Tristan, on Twitter/X. Secondly, some context: I did this to gain some insight for this post, which is one I’ve had brewing in my head for a while now. Thirdly, my conclusions from reading their posts: what a pair of p*ssies.
In every post, Tate is either shirtless and flexing (yes, the guy is in incredible shape, that’s undeniable), or he is sharp-suited, surrounded by flashy cars and/or his entourage (all male). He espouses hard work and effort to achieve your goals and success in life. This is something I can agree with, but it’s everything else that comes with the message from Tate that I find abhorrent and, frankly, pathetic. He challenges people to point out when he has been prejudiced against women, but his entire feed drips with misogyny, and this is fed to his followers alongside the other messages. Strength is not gained from demeaning and belittling others, that only makes you weak ultimately.
I also find it interesting that whenever Tate appears on screen topless, any other men around him are fully clothed, including his brother. Tristan often appears next to Andrew wearing an expression that I think is meant to make him look strong but also capable of deep thought, but to my eyes looks like a man wondering if that was just a fart he did. The two of them run broadcasts from what they call the ‘War Room’. Andrew sits there, topless, shades on, trying to look inscrutable and powerful. Tristan is next to him, clothed, wearing the expression I have just described. All of this, plus the cigars, the cars, the posts that are structured to seem profound but seem to have the depth of an evaporating puddle; all of it makes Andrew Tate look like nothing more than a very, very insecure man.
Lastly, Tate is one of that most poisonous of influencers; a mental health denier. We all know that social media affects mental health and user’s perception of themselves, and Tate’s insistence that depression is just a form of weakness and you (that’s men, in case you’re unsure) should just be stronger is f*cking abhorrent.
My argument:
So, it should be clear by now that I am no fan of Andrew Tate. I should also point out that this article will not address the criminal proceedings against him. I do not believe that active criminal investigations should be commented on by randoms like me.
This is what I am basing the title of this piece on. Andrew Tate presents himself as a warrior, the strongest of all men. He has experienced some success in the past as a kickboxer, so what I want to do is compare Tate to some other combat athletes, a small selection of men I think present far better role models and who are also stronger and better people than Andy. This is a short list, I can think of many others, especially if I were to expand my remit beyond combat sports and martial arts. I was tempted to include some female fighters who I think would make better role models for young men than little Andy T, but I decided to keep things simpler.
First up, Mikey ‘Darth Rigatoni’ Musumeci. Outwardly, this young man appears to be the absolute antithesis of Tate; he wears strong glasses, looks a bit gangly and awkward. By his own admission he is a ‘total nerd’. But, he is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and probably one of the most dangerous grappling fighters on the planet. He’s not massively jacked up but he is devastating when he fights. He carries himself with a smile and friendly demeanor, he participates in training seminars as well as stepping into the cage for ONE Championship. He’s the embodiment of a hard work ethic bringing success, but he does it without any of the toxicity that Tate brings with him. Frankly, I know who I’d rather hang out and train with.
Next, I’ve put Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton. There is an excellent documentary on Ricky currently available to watch on Sky, and if you are able to I wholeheartedly recommend that you do.
Hatton is one of the best British boxers of all time. He has been a unified champion at light welterweight, and sought out the big fights in his career. As a fighter he put himself forward against the best. But I include him here not just for his pedigree as a fighter (and as one of the many men who I would say are braver and stronger battlers than Andy T), but because he has openly been through hell with his mental health and has managed to pull himself back. This is the sort of man people should listen to, someone who is brave enough to open up about what they have gone through and how they have coped. Is he perfect? No, but show me someone who says they are and you’re showing me a liar. Hatton now works as a trainer and promoter, which is another sign of a strong man and positive role model. He is willing to share and pass on his knowledge, he wants to help others succeed by helping them.
Third is Demetrious Johnson (DJ, or Mighty Mouse), in my opinion one of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters ever. He was brought up by his deaf single mother, he has faced abuse and used wrestling, grappling and MMA as his way to success. DJ is a devoted husband and father, and another fighter who works seminars, passing on his knowledge and experience to newer fighters. He is also an astounding fighter, his trilogy of matches against Adriano Moraes in ONE Championship are amazing bouts, look them up. He is a stronger and better human being than Tate in my eyes, one who conducts himself with humour, humility and insight. Also, can you imagine Tate being secure enough to appreciate the nickname Mighty Mouse?
So, who else is on my list? Well, we have Oleksandr Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world who is now killing it as a heavyweight. Usyk is humble, humourous, devoted to his family (in his recent fight against Daniel Dubois his shorts had ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ on the waistline). He is a patriot who has used his platform to speak against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, I rather think Tate is more of a Putin boy. Usyk is devout in his faith, whereas Tate claimed to convert to Islam and then… well I’m not sure to be honest. Basically, Usyk is everything Tate wishes he were but isn’t.
Now we have another kickboxer. John Wayne Parr is an Australian fighter who has won pretty much every belt he could have across a long career in the ring and cage. He is also credited as pioneering the use of 4oz MMA gloves in Muay Thai fights and having the fights take place in the cage, as they do in ONE Championship. Remember a boxing fight will use 8oz or 10oz gloves, and Muay Thai fighters can hit seriously hard (look up footage of a British fighter, Liam Harrison, on the pads, it’s scary). Parr is now retired and runs a fight gym in Australia (again, passing on his knowledge and skills). His children are making their names known in disciplines like boxing and BJJ and John Wayne’s pride at them shines off the screen if you look at his social media. I’ve engaged with Parr on his social media in the past and enjoy his sense of humour, his honesty, and again, his obvious pride in his children.
Why have I put Jake Paul here? Well, he comes across as obnoxious and brash (I think he is), and I’d take him far more seriously as a fighter if he went up against actual boxers instead of MMA fighters past their prime. But, as a promoter I think Jake is the real deal. By his own admission he doesn’t need to do any of this, his fortune from Youtube is pretty big, but he is widely considered to be one of the driving forces behind the surge of women’s boxing in recent years. He manages Amanda Serrano and helped make her fight against Katie Taylor in 2022. He says he’s done this because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, so yes, he ranks above Andrew Tate in my eyes. He is using his platform to push for a fairer deal for women in boxing, would Tate ever do such a thing? Like hell he would.
Lastly, Tyson Fury. Like Ricky Hatton, Fury has been open about the struggles he has faced with his mental health and the harm it’s done. He managed to come back from his rock bottom to not only get back in fighting fit shape but the Fury-Wilder trilogy of fights are just amazing battles. I just wish he’d actually get in the ring with Usyk.
So, there you have it. I’m sure I could think of more, but every one of these men are stronger and better role models than Andrew Tate can ever be. They have stood up to be counted, to fight and they aren’t afraid to give others a helping hand, to boost their self-esteem, their abilities, their strength. If you meet a young man who says they think Tate is a good guy, show them one of these men instead, or any others of the many, many better men out there in the world.
We’re not all like him, but yes, too many are, so let’s try and push back.
