“Before stepping into the boxing ring for a friendly match with Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the one thing you need to know is that he will, in fact, punch you in the face.”

— Politico’s Patrick Gavin, in what may be the best lede ever, describing his ill-fated boxing match with the slap-happy King.

In a week of D.C. fisticuffs, Gavin and King were squaring off as part of his “Game Changers” series where he plays games with politicos. Gavin — who is a big guy, but wears a lot of pastels — probably wasn’t expecting to be roughed up too much. But turns out King had other ideas:

“I’m going to beat Patrick Gavin for a thousand reasons,” King said, with classic boxer bravado. “I’m smarter, I’m better looking, I’m stronger; [I’ve] got a better jab, a better right, a better hook; and I’m a nicer guy. I mean, good guys win! Good guys win in boxing, and there’s no reporter that can ever stand up to a politician.”

Wow. Gavin may think twice the next time he invites a politico to play a friendly game. Good thing he’s still got a while before his his wedding day. Brides don’t like their grooms bloody.

Unrelated: Doesn’t Patrick look like an old-school 80s Karate Kid-type hero in the pic above? You can almost see the sweatband.

Game Changer: Boxing With The King [Politico Click]