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As boxing fans, we’ve probably all sat at home watching a fight and fancied we could’ve done pretty well in the ring with the right training and preparation. But luckily, most of us sober up or realise we’re too old to chase these far-fetched fantasies.
But over the years, many athletes from other sports – especially power sports – have succumbed to the special lure of the ring. Buoyed by great success in their own fields, and the knowledge that they have exceptional strength, toughness and dedication, they become convinced they can also excel in the noble art.
You’ll often hear sports fans talking up the boxing potential of a great basketball, American football or rugby player. This article looks at some star athletes who actually laced on the gloves. As we will see, very few of these men achieved real success in the ring and most were given a painful lesson by this toughest of sports.
George Trafton: 4-1
A legendary hard man of American football in the 1920s and 30s, Trafton was centre for the Decatur Staleys – later renamed the Chicago Bears.
At 6 foot 2 and 235 lbs, his powerful hitting and roughhouse tactics soon cemented his reputation as the meanest, toughest player of his time. But Trafton wasn’t just powerful, he was a skilled defensive player, known for his quick reactions and athletic moves; so his decision to take up boxing whilst still a Bears player was met with interest.
His debut came in 1929 against baseball star Art Shires, which he won by decision over five rounds. He then strung together three knockouts against novices to set up an ambitious bout against up-coming Primo Carnera.
This was a giant step up for Trafton in more ways than one and he was stopped in just 54 seconds. It was to be his last boxing fight before returning to gridiron full time, and helping the Bears win the championship in 1932.
Trafton won’t be remembered for his brief boxing career, but he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964, and voted as player of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.
Charlie Powell: 25-11-3
A gifted athlete at 6 foot 3, 230 pounds, Powell earned varsity letters at gridiron, baseball, basketball and athletics whilst at San Diego High School. In 1952, he was drafted by gridiron’s San Francisco 49ers, and also by baseball’s St. Louis Browns.
Powell became a star performer for the 49ers and later the Oakland Raiders. Somehow, during this time, Powell also managed to pursue a boxing career. While he had no amateur experience, Powell had boxed as a boy, at one point even training under Archie Moore.
At a fighting trim 215lbs, his boxing career began promisingly enough; but when he stepped up in class in his twelfth fight, he came unstuck.
Flooring Charlie Norkus (24-12) in the 1st, Powell found this opponent sturdier than his previous victims. He was battered to the canvas three times in the 7th, ending the fight and his unbeaten run. When Powell mixed in decent company again, he was knocked out in the 6th by Johnny Summerlin (23-4-2).
But Powell persevered and returned to winning ways, even avenging his loss to Norkus by points. This set up the high point of his boxing career in 1959: a televised bout in which he knocked out number two ranked Nino Valdes (46-16-3).
This gave Powell contender status, but he wouldn’t go on to make a further impact in the fistic world. His record largely became a losing one. Notably, he was stopped by Cassius Clay in 1963 and Floyd Patterson the following year. His final fight in 1965 was a two round knockout loss to Billy Walker in Kensington Olympia.
Ed “Too Tall” Jones: 6-0
A massive 6 foot 10, Jones was a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, and part of the feared ‘Doomsday Defense’. His ability to stop quarterbacks and block passes made him a key member of the Cowboys side that won the Superbowl in 1978.
After establishing himself as one of the most dominant defensive players of his era, Jones surprised many by announcing he was to take up boxing. To some, his prospects must have looked good; he had size, great athleticism and a massive 35 inch reach.
He went on to win six fights, five by knockout. While this may look impressive on paper, any title ambitions Jones had were effectively curbed in his very first fight. In front of a television audience, Jones laboured to a split decision win over unexceptional Abraham Meneses (5-6).
His subsequent knockouts came against extremely limited foes; three of his victims boasted a combined record of two wins and nineteen defeats.
In his final fight, rather than moving up in class, he was matched with novice Rocky Gonzalez, who he meaninglessly knocked out in one round.
Realising his exceptional talent as a defensive linesman wasn’t transferring into prowess in the ring, Jones returned to the Dallas Cowboys in 1980 to resume his football career. Here, he again had huge success, gaining All-Pro honours before retiring in 1989.
Mark Gastineau: 15-2-1NC
A powerhouse of the New York Jets at 6 foot 5 and 275 lbs, Gastineau was one of quickest and feared defensive ends in the NFL in the 1980s.
In 1984, he achieved 22 quarterback sacks, a record which stood for 17 years. A huge star of gridiron, he abruptly left the sport in 1991 to take up boxing.
He won his first nine fights by knockout; but against a mixture of novices and no-hopers. His limitations were painfully exposed in his tenth fight by journeyman Tim ‘Doc’ Anderson (25-15-1). Anderson had recently lost in one round to Derek Williams and 41 year old Larry Holmes, but he was Gastineaus’s most experienced opponent and it showed.
The ex-football star quickly became exhausted when Anderson didn’t capitulate after his early attacks. Totally out of ideas and gas, he resorted to illegally charging Anderson gridiron-style, before being floored in the fifth and final round of a points loss.
Though Gastineau did rebound with seven knockouts, the opposition was even worse than in his first winning streak. It all came to an inglorious end when he was stopped in two by fellow ex-gridiron star Alonzo Highsmith in 1996.
Alonzo Highsmith: 27-1-2
Highsmith was a running back for the University of Miami before being drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1987. He went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until a series of knee injuries forced him to retire at the end of the 1992 season.
Initially taking up boxing to keep fit, Highsmith decided to turn professional in 1995. Unlike defensive players Jones and Gastineau, running back Highsmith was not big for a heavyweight at 6 foot 1 and 235 lbs; but he was a quick, explosive athlete. Yet, like his fellow ex-gridiron stars, it soon became apparent Highsmith wasn’t bound for heavyweight greatness.
An early run of nine wins against journeymen and novices came to an end when he drew over ten rounds against Jim Mullen who was 7-4-1 at the time. He then notched up 18 wins, including stopping Mark Gastineau in two rounds. But in 1998, Highsmith’s bout with Terry Verners (7-20-2) very much highlighted his capabilities as a boxer.
Verner had lost nine in a row coming into the bout, including one round knockout losses to Lionel Butler and Arthur Williams, yet he stopped Highsmith in the third. After four years as a pro, Highsmith retired after his next bout leaving a record impressive on paper only. In 1999, he returned to gridiron and scouting for the Green Bay Packers.
Anthony Mundine: 31-3
The son of a former middleweight contender, Mundine had four amateur bouts as a teenager before dedicating himself to Australia’s rugby league. Playing for the St. George Dragons and the Brisbane Broncos, he established himself as one of the finest players of the 1990s, going on to represent New South Wales.
His subsequent exclusion from the state squad led Mundine to accuse the selectors of racism; and in 2000, he walked away from the sport, sensationally announcing he’d be a boxing world champion inside a year. Mundine showed genuine boxing talent to go with his undoubted athleticism, and he came very close to fulfilling his outrageous claim.
He was soon beating good fighters like Sam Soliman and Guy Waters. His two round pasting of Waters landed him an audacious challenge for Sven Ottke’s IBF belt in only his 11th bout. Mundine was holding his own when he was bizarrely knocked cold in the 10th round by a single shot to the temple.
If the Ottke fight had come too early, Mundine had proved he was a potential world class operator, and he underlined this by taking the vacant WBA title against Antwun Echols in 2003.
Since then, Mundine has only lost twice: a lacklustre split decision surrender of his title to Manny Siaca, and losing on points to Mikkel Kessler in 2005.
He rebounded to outpoint hard-hitting Danny Green and knockout Sam Soliman to reclaim the WBA belt. He has since moved down to middleweight to claim the WBA and IBO titles.
Solomon Haumono: 17-1-1
This New Zealand-born rugby league player was regarded as one of the hardest hitters in the game during the 1990s. He played for several teams in the southern hemisphere’s National Rugby League as well as the UK’s Harlequins. He has also represented New South Wales and captained Tonga at state and national level.
But as the son of former Australian heavyweight champion, Maile Haumono, he had enough belief in his own boxing talent to turn professional in 2000. He won eight fights by knockout and claiming the New South Wales heavyweight championship in the process.
Haumono returned to rugby in 2002 and resumed his successful career before quitting Harlequins in 2006 to continue his boxing. At 6 foot 2 and 16 and a half stone, he’s athletic and cuts an intimidating figure with his shaven skull, but he seems to have found his level having drawn with journeyman Colin Wilson (35-25-1), then come up short against novice Justin Whitehead (3-0) for the vacant WBF International title.
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