Sports encompass far more than popular activities like soccer, baseball, and basketball, including unusual events such as ostrich racing, chess boxing, Sepak takraw, and the English tradition of cheese rolling. A particularly unique sport that has recently gained attention online is spider f!ghting.
Spider f!ghting, common in countries like Malaysia, Japan, and the Philippines, usually pits two female spiders against each other in a f!ght to the death.
According to a 2003 study by Ty Matejowsky from Ateneo de Manila University, both children and adults in the Philippines collect, train, and care for spiders, organizing f!ghts where bets are often placed. For many youngsters, these experiences may foster an early interest in gambling.
Matches begin with spiders placed on a stick, typically bamboo, and encouraged to move until they encounter another spider. The contest continues until one spider survives. Although not illegal, spider fighting is frowned upon in some regions.
In various Asian cities, ordinances have been introduced to curb the practice, but a recent spider fight garnered attention online. Earlier this month, TikTok user @ricktastico posted a video of a spider derby.
The video shows two spiders on a stick, eventually clashing in a fight. Once the battle ends, the victorious spider is returned to its box to rest before the next match. The 55-second clip has accumulated 3.4 million views, with many TikTok users commenting on the spectacle.
One viewer exclaimed, “No way I just saw a spider get boxed in real life,” while another remarked, “Spider getting boxed up before GTA 6 is insane.”
Some viewers admitted they could see themselves getting add!cted to bett!ng on such f!ghts, while another shared, “We did this in 6th grade with 20 people—brown widow vs. black widow. Just Florida things.”
Another questioned, “So many questions. How bored do you have to be to start a spider f!ght club? How did you even discover spiders would f!ght each other? Who makes all the gear?” One user summed it up by saying, “People are doing everything but learning in school.”