top class boxers who excelled at another sport

[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.

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.

I don't know if he never suffered a takedown, but he was undefeated in his NCAA career - something like 50-0.

[jrc26]

Mark Gastneau was a solid NFL player before his magical boxing career. Some of the worst dives I have ever seen as I recall.

And Alonza Highsmith played several years in the NFL.

Here they are going at it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=movtSx1mPYk

[Adamj1987]

RJJr is pretty good at basketball.

he was semi-pro i belive he played a game before KO'ing some bum later on in the day on HBO

Pacquiao has his own team that he's played for on occasion.


wasnt Vitali Klitschko a Kick boxing world champ? that counts as another sport