Two-Sport Boxing Stars

[Testudo]

Are there any?

I've just been responding to a thread on a sports blog I contribute to and can't think of any noteworthy boxers with significant achievements in other sports.

Obviously there have been NFL players who had some success as novelty acts in the boxing ring -- Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Mark Gastineau, Alonzo Highsmith. I looked it up and was surprised to find that Too Tall was never defeated -- 6-0, 5 KO. I had always heard he was too tall to succeed as a pro boxer. There's nothing on his record to back up that statement. There are probably a lot of reasons he would have failed, but Valuev's success pretty much puts that argument to bed for good.

I also came across another interesting fact: Gastineau's last fight was an unsanctioned stoppage loss in Japan to Highsmith. And Highsmith's attractive record against no names looks even worse because of that -- Gastineau was subject to widely-publicized allegations of match-fixing.

But I can't think of any true two-sport (or multi-sport) boxing stars along the lines of Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrickson, Jim Thorpe, Bo Jackson, etc. Leaving aside mixed martial arts, that is, which I'd have to think is too closely related to be meaningful. Besides, I can't think of any good boxers with meaningful success in MMA. Kickboxing is obviously too close, too, otherwise Vitali Klitschko and Matt Skelton would merit a mention.

[Tito BHB]

Roy jones was.. maybe is still a semi pro basketball player
Terrific athlete..
Word on the street is tarver whooped jones one on one in a b ball game..So tarver is probably worthy of a mention.. Too bad he a bizotch

[tedsares]

Charlie Powell was the greatest two sport boxer in history. He was an all-pro football player and a pro boxer. Highsmith fought nothing but bums and Gastineu may have been the worse boxer in history.

[Memphis]

Anthony "The Black Superman" Mundine anyone?

[amat]

Anthony "The Black Superman" Mundine anyone?

CC. Apparently a good rugby player.

Tommy Zbikowski was a US National Gold Gloves winning boxer plus being captain of the Notre Dame football team.

[Testudo]

How could I forget Jones & Mundine?

I looked it up and Jones even boxed and played basketball professionally on the same night, scoring 6 points in 15 minutes for the USBL's Jacksonville Cyclones and then stopping Eric Lucas to defend his IBF 168 lb. world championship. I remembered he had said he was going to do this but I hadn't realized he actually followed through on it. Lucas was no slouch, either.

Charley/Charlie Powell I can't find much on, though even from what I did stumble across it's an interesting story. KO3 by Cassius Clay, KO6 by Floyd Patterson, former DE for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL and Oakland Raiders of the AFL. Couldn't find anything affirming that he was an all-league player.

Mundine played in several "grand finals" in rugby and turned down a record rugby league $600K offer to start his pro boxing career. He did earn a "major" belt, taking the WBC (interim) 168 lb. title with a win over Antwun Echols.

Here's a link to our article, for what it's worth:

http://bettersports.blogspot.com/200...es-of-all.html

I guess we can leave out Muhammad Ali's tussle with Antonio Inoki, too

[Wayne]

I remember watching that match. Jones should have been able to pull the trigger earlier than he did, but he was obviously sapped from the game and took a little longer than he would have normally. Notice he never did it again.

[killersheep]

Kostya Tzsyu and Floyd Mayweather Jr. both did a stint with pro dancing.

[Taeth]

Tarver was a good football player, a wide receiver
James Toney was suppose to be an excellent football player, that perhaps could have gone pro if he didn't go with boxing.
I thoguht Michael Grant played pro football, but it looks like he didn't.
Jermain Taylor was a college level track and field athlete.
Wladimir Klitschko is suppose to be very good at many sports the ones I've heard is golf and water polo.

[boozeboxer]

Tex Cobb is an accomplished actor.


Shannon Briggs was shitty as a fight actor in a movie, ironically he is also a shitty fighter in real life.


I saw Wlad playing the wind surfing on HBO and all the tv crew got wet over it.

James Toney also won a pie eating contest at a small county fair in Oklahoma.

[boozeboxer]

Peter Manfredo is an accomplished orator. He often gives he eloquent speeches after his huge Welsh victories.

[brucelee]

Pacquaio plays basketball in a local team, usually present in big derby cockfights. That makes it three-sport.

[Dark Lord Al]

You would have to ask POB as he knows him well , but if i was to hazzard a guess id say Peter Manfredo Jr has so much boxing talent , that he must be elite at any other sport he has ever tried.He will definatly reach the p4p top soon.

[CutMeMick]

No love for Jim Brown?
What about "Primetime"?

Anyone remember Danny Ainge?
What about Bob Hayes?

[holmcall]

Charlie Powell was a 4-sport star and arguably the greates all-around athlete in American history. Hw was the best boxer who was a football player. Highsmith fought the worse opposition imaginable. Gastineu was maybe the worse boxer of all time.