Famed rock climber Alex Honnold has described some of the things that may work against him in his attempt to free climb one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers this weekend in Taiwan’s capital.
He’s described the possible fatigue presented by the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 skyscraper, which presents a monotonous route upward compared to nature’s infinite obstacles. And he’s loathed the structure’s balconies, which jut out every eight stories.
Then there was a new twist. On Friday night in the United States, Netflix announced weather is behind a 24-hour delay.
Honnold’s free climb, an endeavor to be undertaken without safety rope, was scheduled for Friday night stateside. It was moved to Saturday evening in the U.S., according to the streaming service, which will air the event live at 8 p.m. ET.
The climb is a feat, and the 40-year-old seems to be ready and focused.
“I try to take some deep breaths, compose myself, take some time,” Honnold said in a Netflix statement. “There’s never any time pressure, so you can spend as long as you need just hanging in one space basically trying to compose yourself.”
The California native who attended UC Berkeley has been climbing since age 11, he’s told interviewers, including Oprah Winfrey. In 2017 he solo climbed Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan, a feat that became the denouement in “Free Solo,” which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2019.
His official bio notes that he’s also accomplished a “triple solo” free climb of Mt. Watkins, Half Dome and El Capitan within 24 hours. He has also explored the natural, vertical features of Antarctica, South America, Greenland and elsewhere, it says.
Honnold said he believes Taipei 101 will present its own opposition.
“The challenge comes from the overall physicality of it,” he said in another Netflix statement. “The fatigue that [sets in] over the course of the building is slightly harder to anticipate. I don’t know how it’s gonna feel.”
He said, in part, “there’s a plan and I’m executing the plan.”
Paddy tends to keep his chin in the air, and he lacks discipline. Against a technical fighter like Gaethje, who drops his head and throws punches over the top, 25 minutes is a long time for Paddy to maintain distance and not get hit by a big shot. Paddy does have ways to win, including landing a submission, but there’s no way he’s taking Justin down. Paddy is decently fast and uses his length well, but he can’t match Gaethje’s power. I lean Gaethje. — 
I’ll take Gaethje, but I’m not super confident. Ultimately, Gaethje will be too hard to take down, and Paddy needs the legitimate threat of a takedown to win. When Justin doesn’t want to be taken down, he doesn’t get taken down. Paddy is really hittable, and Gaethje is not the guy you want standing across from you if you’re hittable. Gaethje has proven he rises to the occasion. He really impressed me in his last fight against Fiziev. After losing the first round, Gaethje went to his jab and his fundamentals to get the win. If this were four years ago, I’d pick Gaethje without a doubt. He’s got a lot of miles on him now, but I’m still going with Gaethje. — 
Justin’s style is a bad matchup for Pimblett. Everybody is thinking Pimblett will submit him, but who has taken Justin down and submitted him other than 
Which game plan will Paddy take? If he goes with his usual plan — grappling — that will favor Gaethje significantly. Gaethje is a former NCAA Division I wrestler. He’s difficult to hold down, and his scrambling ability is underrated. If Paddy tries to grapple, Gaethje will use his wrestling and scrambling to land those short, powerful uppercuts on the inside. The way he fights in the clinch is poetic. Now, if Paddy chooses to strike, use his long jab and teep kicks, he could win a five-round decision. —