top class boxers who excelled at another sport

[prewarboxing]

I'll start with this one.

Olympic Gold Medal for Boxing - 1908 Middleweight.

Captain of the England Test Cricket team, between 1911 and 1924.

Same fella, JWHT Douglas.

Died at sea 1930 with his father, the autocratic referee for the top bouts at the National Sporting Club in the Edwardian era.

Anyone top that ?

[dempseyfire]

Charlie Powell was a star NFL player with the 49ers, was a star track athlete in HS (ran a 9.6 100 yard dash and could throw a shot put almost 58 ft), also played professional baseball with the St. Louis Browns before joining the NFL. Also was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters.

Oh, and he was a decent Heavyweight, knocking out Nino Valdez and Harold Carter.
Shows how times have changed. Can you imagine any star athlete today who could make tons of money in baseball/football to opt to become a pro boxer??

Watching him on film you can see the guy was incredibly strong and fast, along with having pretty good skills. But plagued with a suspect chin. I would love to see his fight with a young Ali but to my knowledge that fight was either not filmed or has been lost to the scourge of time.

[prewarboxing]

Here's another one for you then. Jerry Shea, Welsh Rugby Union International 4 times and twice capped by Wales at Rugby League.

Fought Ted Kid Lewis (for 61 seconds !) and beat Frank Moody and Johnny Basham

[IRLangmaid25]

One for the future by currently the other way around at the moment the New Zealand All Black Centre Sonny Bill Williams.

[prewarboxing]

Another one that I am aware of is Frank 'Tom' Hoddinott. Boxed 1919-1930, I have him won 4 lost 4 in 8 pro bouts. Went the distance with Sonny Bird (Chelsea) and beat Billy Landeg and Gunboat Baker, both half-decent Welsh Middles. Boxed two 15 rounders.

Played for Chelsea, Watford and Crystal Palace football clubs and capped twice by Wales at Centre Forward.

Isn't there a present day pro boxer who played Premier League or League One ? Not so hot on modern boxing but seem to remember hearing about this chap a while ago.

[zojo]

Paul Burlenbach:

Olympic wrestling champ and professional boxing champ

[dr_devious]

Anthony Mundine, WBA super middleweight champion and Aussie international rugby league player.

Curtis Woodhouse, pro boxer and former professional footballer

[LeedsLad]

Mundine was probably better at boxing than he ever was at rugby. He was one of the beneficiaries of the ''Super League War'' which split the Aussie game in two.

Shame he spent a lot of his time fighting bums, though he'd never have beaten the likes of Kessler.

[raylawpc]

After retirement, Jack Sharkey became a world-class and champion fly fisherman.

[raylawpc]

Kenny Norton excelled at sports in high school and college.

From the older-timers, John L. Sullivan was supposedly an excellent baseball player. Jeffries was an outstanding all-around athlete, capable of a standing high jump of over 6 foot, and running the 100 yard dash in just over 10 seconds. Jeffries was a very capable baseball player as well.

[Alex]

Frank Moran played professional American football for the Pittsburgh Lyceums and Akron Pros as a guard and center.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Moran

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

[Alex]

Isn't there a present day pro boxer who played Premier League or League One ? Not so hot on modern boxing but seem to remember hearing about this chap a while ago.

Curtis Woodhouse:

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

He played for Sheffield United, Birmingham City, etc.

Apparently he still plays non-league football part-time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Woodhouse

[Jaywheel]

Not BOTP's but Dirrell is quite good at running as is Cintron's at diving...

[Ambling Alp]

Paul Burlenbach:

Olympic wrestling champ and professional boxing champ

So far that is the most impressive.

[Goodnight, Irene]

One for the future by currently the other way around at the moment the New Zealand All Black Centre Sonny Bill Williams.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Mundine was probably better at boxing than he ever was at rugby. He was one of the beneficiaries of the ''Super League War'' which split the Aussie game in two.

Shame he spent a lot of his time fighting bums, though he'd never have beaten the likes of Kessler.

Mundine never played Rugby. He played League --- was good at both that & Boxing, but failed on the big stage in each sport, truth be told.

At least he tried in League (though I guess you don't have much choice, the way the sport is managed). Can't say the same for his Boxing career.

[LeedsLad]

Thanks for the lesson in the name of the name of the sport mate, appreciated

He was always up against it, competing against players like Johns, Fittler and Kimmorley around that time.

[hofguy]

Paul Burlenbach:

Olympic wrestling champ and professional boxing champ

Paul Berlenbach was National AAU heavyweight wrestling champion in 1922-23, was selected for the 1924 Olympics but did not go to Paris due to injury.

[hofguy]

Two former Olympic champions who tried boxing were 1956 Heavyweight Weightlifter, Paul Anderson,& 1960 Shot put gold medalist, Bill Nieder. Both were unsuccessful, being knocked out in their first fights.

[zojo]

Paul Burlenbach:

Olympic wrestling champ and professional boxing champ

Paul Berlenbach was National AAU heavyweight wrestling champion in 1922-23, was selected for the 1924 Olympics but did not go to Paris due to injury.

"A Pictorial History of Boxing" by Sam Andre and Nat Fletcher stated that he won the 1920 Olympic wrestling champion. However, I just wikipediaed the 1920 Olympics, and Berlenbach was not listed.

[zojo]

PS 1904, heavyweight was 71.7 kilos and above!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... _wrestling

[raylawpc]

I don't know if this counts, but Danny Hodge was a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and a two-time Olympic wrestler, winning the Silver Medal in 1956. He then began boxing and was an undefeated as an amateur heavyweight boxer, winning the 1958 Chicago Golden Gloves and the subsequent 1958 Chicago-NYC Intercity Golden Gloves tournament. He went 7-2 as a pro boxer, losing his last professional fight to Nino Valdez. He became a pro wrestler in 1959.

He had the strongest grip of anyone I've ever seen. When I was a kid in Oklahoma, I saw him crush an apple with one hand on TV, and another time bend together the levers of steel pliers using one hand. He seemed to do it with ease - it was amazing to watch.

[Brutu]

http://books.google.com/books?id=1QVZFQ ... pg=PA12&dq

[Counter-puncher]

Esteban De Jesus played for the Puerto Rico penal system all star baseball team.

really? wow.

[zojo]

I don't know if this counts, but Danny Hodge was a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and a two-time Olympic wrestler, winning the Silver Medal in 1956. He then began boxing and was an undefeated as an amateur heavyweight boxer, winning the 1958 Chicago Golden Gloves and the subsequent 1958 Chicago-NYC Intercity Golden Gloves tournament. He went 7-2 as a pro boxer, losing his last professional fight to Nino Valdez. He became a pro wrestler in 1959.

He had the strongest grip of anyone I've ever seen. When I was a kid in Oklahoma, I saw him crush an apple with one hand on TV, and another time bend together the levers of steel pliers using one hand. He seemed to do it with ease - it was amazing to watch.

If I remember correctly, I don't think anyone was able to score a takedown on Hodge back during his college days.

Every now and then you see him during coverage of the NCAA wrestling tournament crushing apples. In his prime, he would break pliers.