It is not straightforward to change career from one sport to another. However, this has not deterred some athletes from trying. For example, there have been footballers who’ve successfully made the switch to boxing successfully. Others made the switch but were not successful as they couldn’t even get the license.
Do you know any footballer that successfully switched to boxing? If you ever placed a soccer bet, you must have encountered these players when analyzing matches. This articles looks at five notable footballers who switched to boxing. Let’s check them out!
Curtis Woodhouse
Woodhouse played his football at Peterborough, Hull City, Sheffield United and Birmingham City. At age 26, his love for football dried up forcing him to retire from the sport to focus on his career as a boxer.
As he made the switch he was upbeat that he had what it takes to win the British welterweight title. He even wagered 5000 GBP on himself to achieve that. The biggest victory of his career came in 2014 when he won the Lonsdale belt against Darren Hamilton.
Woodhouse later retired and came back the same year only to lose his title to Williw Limond. His boxing career record was 24 wins and seven defeats. Thirteen of his wins were by knockout.
Katie Taylor
Taylor is regarded as one of the best female fighters globally with four lightweight titles to her name. Nicknamed the “Bray Bomber,” Katie was also a talented footballer and many of her teammates believe she would have played football to the highest levels.
She played of the Republic of Ireland 11 times scoring two goals before making the switch to boxing. He accolades in boxing include an Olympic Gold medal, two-division champion and the first female fighter to headline Madison Square Garden.
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge was a talented full back in his day but he could only manage to deputize Ashley Cole at Chelsea and international duty. He featured in one boxing match at a charity event for Sport Relief.
Bridge unleashed a salvo of heavy punches and floored Spencer Mathews twice. However, this was the last time boxing fans would see him in the ring as he never boxed again.
Leon McKenzie
McKenzie played as a forward for various clubs including Crystal Palace, Coventry City and Norwich City. He played 300 matches and scored over 50 goals in a career that lasted 15 years.
He quit football in 2013 and switched to boxing which was not surprise if his family tree is anything to go by. His father, Clinton McKenzie was a former boxer. Leon is also the nephew of British boxing legend, Duke McKenzie.
Leon made his professional boxing debut at super middleweight in which he won the first two of three fights in 2013. He was also undefeated in his first nine fights as he won eight and drew one. Leon won the International Masters super middleweight title. He would later challenge for the English title but Jahmaine Smyle proved to be too much for him.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney is one of the greatest footballers that represented Manchester United. He was also a darling of many sports betting fans on Betway for his top notch performances. Wazza did not fight in any amateur or professional boxing fights.
However, he had a sparring session in his kitchen with Phil Bardsley, a former Red Devil’s defender. Rooney’s love for boxing as he is often seen in many domestic clashes in the UK.