OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau will exchange a figurative blood sport for a real one when he steps out of the political arena and into the boxing ring on March 31.

The Liberal MP will face off against Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau in the marquee bout of this year’s Fight for the Cure, an annual Ottawa boxing tournament that pits local notables against each other to raise money for cancer research.

Better known for his movie-star good looks than his physical prowess, Trudeau has been training hard for the last six months in hopes he’ll surprise a few people when the bell sounds next Saturday.

He’ll need as much toughness as he can muster. His father, long-serving Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau, ensured his son had some boxing lessons. But his 37-year-old opponent is three years his junior, has a black belt in karate and served in the Canadian Forces.

Ringside and second row tickets are currently sold out for the event at the Hampton Inn in Ottawa, but you can purchase a standard table for $1,800.

Those stats made Brazeau a three-to-one favourite at online betting site Bodog.com.

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