Key Points
An epic fight went down on Live With Kelly and Mark.
Kelly Ripa heralded her husband getting “choked out” during the segment.
The pair then welcomed a “terrifying” fighter to square off against Mark Consuelos.
Mark Consuelos went to the mat — literally — for Live With Kelly and Mark.
Cohost (and Consuelos’ wife) Kelly Ripa kicked off Friday’s episode of the long-running talk show by heralding the thought of her husband getting “choked out” later in the day — an epic teaser for a major fight that would follow, minutes later.
“There’s a lot of tomfoolery. We’re going to get to the bottom of it,” Ripa said on a different note, setting the stage of contention as she broke down the results of PEOPLE‘s Sexiest Football Club Owner contest, which Consuelos ultimately lost to David Beckham.
She continued, telling her husband, “You know what’s crazy? You’re going to lose the Sexiest Football Club Owner alive, and then you’re going to get choked out. It’s really a day of loss for you.”
ABC
Valentina Shevchenko fights Mark Consuelos on ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’
Consuelos laughed as he looked ahead to what awaited him: A matchup between himself and UFC fighter Valentina Shevchenko.
At the end of the show, following interviews with Michael Bublé and Janelle James, Consuelos and Ripa removed their shoes and stepped into a makeshift ring on the Live set, while Shevchenko made her way out to face Consuelos.
Earlier, Consuelos observed that “she is terrifying,” while Ripa celebrated the thought of her husband going up against her.
“She’s going to fight with you today!” Ripa said, excitedly.
Later, as Ripa stepped off to the side, her husband faced Shevchenko, who attempted to teach him a few moves she’s employed en route to becoming a UFC champion.
Naturally, Shevchenko began with an uppercut (why not?) before graduating to slightly more menacing maneuvers — including a bit where she leapt into the air with her fist held high, stopping just before her hand connected with Consuelos’ face.
She then simulated kneeing Consuelos in the abdomen, prompting laughter from both Consuelos and Ripa.
ABC
Valentina Shevchenko speaks with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on ‘Live’
Finally, Shevchenko threw Consuelos to the ground, with the TV personality’s body rolling to the side before he stood up, brushed himself off, and threw the show to a commercial break without a hitch.
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Friday’s shenanigans marked yet another in a growing string of Consuelos’ body-to-body matchups on Live, after he stripped down to a wrestling singlet to go up against a college athlete in June 2023.
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for showtimes in your area.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly