Footballers who took up boxing: Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Curtis Woodhouse and more
It's been a mixed bag for the ex-footballers who decided to step into the ring. A few have won major titles, while an ex-Manchester United player couldn't even get a license.
Patrice Evra will make his surprise debut inside a boxing ring next month when he faces YouTuber Adam Saleh at London's O2 Arena on April 30.
Planet Sport takes a look at some of the names that preceded Evra into the sport. The scale of success is a bit of a roller coaster, especially when it's in your own kitchen, Mr Rooney.
Curtis Woodhouse
However, at the age of 26, Woodhouse fell out of love with football and retired from the sport to focus on a career in the ring.
Woodhouse even backed himself to win the British title at light welterweight and was that confident, he placed £5,000 on himself at 50/1 with the bookies to achieve it.
In 2014, Woodhouse claimed the biggest victory of his career by winning the Lonsdale belt against Darren Hamilton.
The ex-Blades defender would then retire before returning in the same year, only to lose his title to Willie Limond on points. His overall record is 24 wins and seven defeats (24-7), including a loss to Frankie Gavin on points. He won 13 of his bouts inside the distance by knockout.
Rio Ferdinand
England legend Ferdinand revealed he would climb through the ropes and become a professional boxer in 2018.
The ex-Manchester United ace, who won six Premier League titles and a Champions League, was ambitious enough to target the British title and was backed by the likes of Anthony Joshua and David Haye.
Ferdinand said: "It is with a heavy heart that I am hanging up my gloves.
"To not be given the chance to demonstrate my ability to the BBBofC through the standard assessment afforded to others is hard to take.
"Having been training four-five times a week since announcing the aim of achieving a professional boxing licence and stepping into the ring, it is with a heavy heart that I am hanging up my gloves on the Betfair #DefendertoContender challenge."
Two years later, Eddie Hearn said he would love to promote a fight between Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford. When you consider Hearn staged KSI vs Logan Paul, it then makes you wonder if the Matchroom Boxing chief is being serious…
Katie Taylor
The "Bray Bomber" was also regarded as an exceptional footballer by former team-mate Marie Curtin who believes Taylor 'would have excelled at the highest level' if she had continued playing the sport.
Wayne Bridge
Bridge unleashed a barrage of heavy shots and floored the Made in Chelsea man twice on his way to winning on points.
Despite an impressive win, the fight was a one-off for Bridge and he hasn't boxed since. Following stints on ITV's I'm a Celeb and SAS: Who Dares Wins, Bridge refers to himself as a 'stay-at-home dad' to the two children he has with his wife Frankie.
Leon McKenzie
McKenzie was a forward for several league clubs including Norwich City, Coventry City and Crystal Palace. He made nearly 300 appearances and scored over 50 goals in a fifteen year career that ended with non league Corby Town in 2013.
In the same year he quit football, he turned to boxing but that shouldn't be too much of a surprise when you look at his family tree. His father Clinton McKenzie was a former fighter and Leon McKenzie is also the nephew of British boxing legend Duke McKenzie.
Leon McKenzie made his professional debut at super middleweight and won the first two of three bouts in 2013. He was undefeated from his first nine fights, winning eight and drawing one. He won the International Masters super middleweight title in the process.
His performances saw him in line to challenge for the English title, but he was on the wrong end of a split decision verdict to Jahmaine Smyle. In his 11th and final fight, McKenzie suffered a nine-round loss to Cello Renda.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney is good friends with former world champion Liam Smith and is often seen at ringside for big domestic clashes in the UK.
🗓️ #OnThisDay in 2015, Wayne Rooney got KO'd by Phil Bardsley 😂 pic.twitter.com/yTDuJBZaip
— 32Red (@32Red) March 15, 2019
"Then the bar was filling up, more people coming up and I thought 'it's getting a bit busy this' and it was getting a bit boisterous, so Wayne said 'we'll go back to mine for a drink'.
"He was out a couple of seconds and we were all panicking. I didn't know what to do, everyone was panic stations!
Congratulations to @WayneRooney on the release of his documentary 👏
— Buzz 16 (@Buzz16) February 11, 2022
Throw🔙 to series 3 of #Soccerbox when he shared the story behind his boxing celebration with @GNev2 🥊 pic.twitter.com/vBYclcMPfO