Karate Kid vs. The Champion of the Universe by Mike Rooth

Mike Rooth is another artist that I discovered because of Twitter. I spent some time browsing his website and it didn’t take long at all to decide that I wanted a commission from him. Mike posted some beautiful ink wash pieces that convinced me to ask him for the same style for my commission. Anyway, I believe that it was Mike himself who suggested the Champion as a possible opponent and that sounded great to me as Tryco Slatterus was already on my long list of future KK opponents. I think the finished piece is gorgeous. Mike is truly gifted with a brush and someone needs to hire him to draw this way full-time on a book, pronto.

I’ll let Mike himself tell you how he thinks this fight will go:
I see the fight as more of a dance, with these two great martial artists. I guess my money would have to be on Champion in this fight I think, just because a) he's 9 ft tall, his fists are as big as Val's head, b) he's in the same power category as guys like Hulk, and Namor, c) he has fighting skills that make Captain America look like Aunt May, and d) in 50,000 bouts on 20,000 worlds he has never lost.
However, I wanted to give Tryco Slatterus a cocky, amused smile on his face - KK is going to give him such a fight as he has never known before- what he lacks in actual superpowers or heightened strength and speed, Val makes up for with technical prowess nearly equal to Champion's, and the fightin' heart of a Ben Grimm or a Hercules.
The Champion's biggest weakness, I think, is that he believes his own hype, and his arrogance and cockiness might cause him to greatly underestimate young Val, and catch a well-placed KO punch to the temple.
I totally agree.

If you like this piece then please do go to Mike's website and commission him yourself.