EXCLUSIVE: Thomas Markle Jr will duke it out with Mark Wahlberg’s best friend Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun in Celebrity Boxing contest – and is now getting in shape to beat 265lb extreme eater

• Thomas Markle Jr will take on Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun in a celebrity boxing match hosted in either Los Angeles or Atlantic City on June 29, DailyMailTV can reveal
• Laun, who is close friends with actor Mark Wahlberg and an extreme eater from Boston, Massachusetts, will fight under his ring nickname ‘Nacho Extreme’
• Laun, 54, is heavier than his opponent weighing in at 265lbs to Markle’s 250lbs, but Markle, 52, has a height advantage standing at 6ft 3ins to Laun’s 5ft 8in 
• He said: ‘I’m down for a good time, any time. It could be a slug fest, if they wanna bust out the ten ounce gloves fine, the 16, no problem. I’ll go bare-knuckle too’ 
• Laun first met Wahlberg after moving to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s, when Mark picked a fight with him
• Years later, the pair became firm friends and Laun remains an integral part of Wahlberg’s inner circle, often working as a bodyguard or driver for the superstar
• Markle told DailyMailTV: ‘It’s going to be tough getting in shape for the fight, after all I’m a 52-year-old, out of shape smoker. But it’s going to be a lot of fun’

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Thomas Markle Jr will fight Mark Wahlberg’s best friend Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun in an upcoming Celebrity Boxing match, DailyMailTV can reveal.

We revealed last week that Meghan Markle’s older brother was stepping into the ring.

And now we have learned his opponent will be Laun, 54 – Hollywood star Wahlberg’s long time friend and right-hand man who co-starred in hit reality series The Wahlburgers.

Actor Laun, an extreme eater from Boston, Massachusetts, will fight under his ring nickname ‘Nacho Extreme’ while window fitter Markle, 52, from Grants Pass, Oregon, will go by Tommy ‘The Duke’ – in a nod to his royal brother-in-law.

The two unlikely heavyweights will go head to head in the match scheduled for June 29 at a venue in either Los Angeles or Atlantic City and Laun promises a ‘slug fest’.

Thomas Markle Jr (left) will take on Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun (right) in a celebrity boxing match hosted in either Los Angeles or Atlantic City on June 29, DailyMailTV can reveal 

Laun, who is close friends with actor Mark Wahlberg and an extreme eater from Boston, Massachusetts, will fight under his ring nickname ‘Nacho Extreme’. Pictured l-r: Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun, Mark Wahlberg, Johnny ‘Drama’ Alves and Henry Penzi of A&E’s Wahlburgers

MARKLE vs LAUN: 

REAL NAME: Thomas Markle Jr.

RING NAME: The Duke

AGE: 52 

WEIGHT: 250lbs 

HEIGHT: 6ft 3ins 

SIZE: XL

WAIST: 40in 

RECORD: 0-0 

HOMETOWN: Grants Pass, Oregon

WORKS AS: Window fitter 

VICE: Smoking

TRAINING:  Road work and moving furniture into his new place

THE TALE OF THE TAPE 

REAL NAME: Henry Laun 

RING NAME: Nacho Extreme

AGE: 54 

WEIGHT: 265lbs 

HEIGHT 5ft 8-and-a-half ins 

SIZE: XXXXL

WAIST: 46in 

RECORD: 1-0 

HOMETOWN: Boston, Massachusetts  

WORKS AS: Actor/competitive eater 

VICE: Calzones 

TRAINING: Pad work with boxing champ Joey ‘D Train’ Degrandis 

He said: ‘I’m down for a good time, any time. I don’t have a fighting style, I just roll with the punches, one step at a time.

‘It could be a slug fest, if they wanna bust out the ten ounce gloves fine, the 16, no problem. I’ll go mano a mano, old school, I’ll go bare-knuckle too if I have to – that’s why they call me the EXTREME.’

Laun is heavier than his opponent weighing in at a bulky 265lbs to Markle’s 250lbs.

But Markle, 52, has a seven inch height advantage standing at 6ft 3ins to Laun’s 5ft 8ins. 

Laun, however, is a veteran of the Celebrity Boxing ring, having beaten former NFL star Lee Woodall in a bout in 2015. 

The actor says he starts training on Friday morning and has some experienced trainers in his corner.

‘I have former champion boxer Joey “D Train” Degrandis training me in Boston, he’s a four different belt champion.

‘I’m also meeting with former champ “Irish” Micky Ward who’s gonna help me out.

‘I’ll be ready by the middle of May the way I go and I have my own entourage too.’ 

Laun is an original member of Mark Wahlberg’s real life ‘entourage’ – a group on which the hit TV show Entourage was based. His character in the show was Turtle and played by actor Jerry Ferrara.

Laun first met The Departed star Wahlberg after moving to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s, when Mark picked a fight with him.

Years later, the pair became firm friends and Laun remains an integral part of Wahlberg’s inner circle, often working as a bodyguard or driver for the superstar. 

Laun first met Wahlberg after moving to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s, when Mark picked a fight with him. Years later, the pair became firm friends and Laun remains an integral part of Wahlberg’s inner circle, often working as a bodyguard or driver for him 

Thomas Markle Jr, who is the half-brother of Meghan Markle, will fight under the name Tommy ‘The Duke’ – in a nod to his royal brother-in-law Prince Harry

Laun appeared in five seasons of reality show Wahlburgers and is known for his fun-loving antics and extreme eating stunts as a member of Mark Wahlberg’s entourage.

In the show what started as a bet to eat an enormous bowl of grated cheese grew into an ever-increasing array of challenges, including whole lobsters in the shell, golf divots, sour milk, and pint-sized bottles of hot sauce.

In one episode Laun ate 18 of the 20 burgers he was supposed to take from Boston to LA for Wahlberg’s consumption.   

Laun has also entered competitive eating contests including the WIP Wing Bowl in Philadelphia – an annual event that pits competitive eaters in a Buffalo wing eating contest.

His eating prowess even landed him a show of his own called Nacho Extreme Texas, a food-n-fun travelogue.

Laun said he plans to talk to his famous friend this weekend about the fight and reckons the star will be right behind him.

Laun, who is also working on a new show called ‘Nacho Extreme Texas’, says he knows little about opponent Markle, but says: ‘I’m up for any kind of challenge.’ 

‘We’re gonna have a blast with it, it’s a show, I’m gonna roll with the punches and have fun with it.

‘Then after the fight we’re both gonna sit down and smoke a big fat cigar and enjoy the night.’

Asked if he plans to knock Markle out, he replied: ‘It depends which hand hits the hardest first.’

• Revealed: Harry and pregnant Meghan paid two-hour visit to… EXCLUSIVE: Meet Tommy ‘The Duke’ Markle! Meghan’s brother…

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‘It could be a slug fest, if they wanna bust out the ten ounce gloves fine, the 16, no problem. I’ll go mano a mano, old school, I’ll go bare-knuckle too if I have to – that’s why they call me the EXTREME,’ Laun told DailyMailTV

Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman (center) – known as the ’16 minute man’ for giving celebs their 16th minute of fame in the boxing ring – told DailyMailTV: ‘I’ve known Nacho for five years, he knows his stuff, he shows up, he does his stuff right. This is just the right match, it’s crazy how it all fell together.’ Pictured: Nacho facing off against former NF star Lee Woodall – before the shorter man won 

Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman who is behind the fight told DailyMailTV: ‘I’m really excited by this match up, it’s going to get a lot of attention.

‘I’ve known Nacho for five years, he knows his stuff, he shows up, he does his stuff right. This is just the right match, it’s crazy how it all fell together.’

Last week Markle told DailyMailTV of the fight: ‘I’m primed and ready to get started. It’s going to be tough getting in shape for the fight, after all I’m a 52-year-old, out of shape smoker. But it’s going to be a lot of fun.

‘I used to do martial arts but I don’t have any boxing experience, I think I can handle it though, I know the basics. I’m pretty excited about it.’

Celebrity Boxing is a competition where two celebrities or people in the media are pitted against each other in the ring to raise money for charity.

The fights are three two-minute rounds and come under celebrity boxing rules.

Philadelphia-based boxing promoter Feldman – known as the ’16 minute man’ for giving celebs their 16th minute of fame in the boxing ring – told DailyMailTV: ‘I give a lot of people a shot in the ring and I saw Tom’s name with Meghan and I thought it would be really cool and interesting.

‘I contacted him and he got back to me and we put it together, we’re all set, it’s going to be a great fight, it’s going to be a big deal.’ 

Laun, 54, is heavier than his opponent weighing in at a bulky 265lbs to Markle’s 250lbs. But Markle, 52, has a height advantage standing at 6ft 3ins to Laun’s 5ft 8ins

Feldman, 43, added that Markle is keen to get his name out there on his own merits, not just through his connection with his royal sister Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

And the fight is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows.

Markle is continually in the news talking about his estranged relationship with Meghan.

Celebrity Boxing has had its fair share of fireworks in the ring.

A fight between disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding and alleged Bill Clinton sexual harassment victim Paula Jones was broadcast nationally on Fox.

But Feldman says one of his biggest fights was former child star turned comedian Danny Bonaduce vs Jose Canseco, a former Major League baseball player.

There was even a Battle of the Mistresses, pitting Violet Kowal, Mel Gibson’s ex-mistress, with Michelle McGee, ex-mistress of Jesse James (Sanda Bullock’s boyfriend).

One time, ‘Long Island Lolita’ Amy Fisher fought ‘Octomom’ Nadya Suleman; and Fisher’s husband, Lou Bellera, fought her former lover, Joey Buttafuoco, whose wife Fisher shot in the face.

Feldman, a former undefeated professional boxer, dubbed the Jewish Rocky, is also producing a movie about his colorful life coming in 2020.

For more info visit: 16minutemanmovie.com 

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