Rio Ferdinand to become pro boxer at 38

[Coco]

I'm sure I could win a one off, low level tennis competition is all my opponents were paid to lose!
The MBC et all get a lot of stick on here, and rightly so but the BBBoC already struggle to hold the moral high ground after Flintoff, with this it will be a deathnail for me.

[forcefraser]

Even I'd tear Ferdinand a new anushole. Take him to the mat and clout his bonce out.

[Andrew]

I'd rather wait and see if he gets licensed first.

[northern]

Honestly I was hoping this wasn't serious and it was going to be a charity style thing.

Not taking away from Ferdinand in any way, He's probably one of the fittest people out there at 38 years old but, fitness and boxing fitness are two completely different things and against anyone half decent in a professional ring it would be suicide.

The fact is that it's who he is that will get him his license and then it'll be a one and done job, hopefully.
Saying that I'm thinking all the crazy fights that are being talked about this year, could we just have them all on one night and get it over with?

Benn vs Collins, Ferdinand vs (insert hastily hand picked boxer here), Mcgregor vs Malignaggi, and just for good measure lets have Freddie flintoff have a grand comeback, One night only! please.

[littlepug]

Because the pros boxing on telly can make it look easy they all think they can just pop on a pair of gloves and jump in the ring ! Ive had lads with no boxing experience tell me they would be good boxers because they have a hard punch and a good chin based purely on a scrap they once had in the boozer

[Terminator666]

Can't see why he doesn't just do it for the fitness and some sparring- he doesn't need to take it any further than that. There's just no point

[samwbr]

I'd rather wait and see if he gets licensed first.

I hope he doesn't. Its all about his ego and nothing else. I appreciate he has had a really traumatic time in his personal life and maybe feels he needs to start feeling alive again but there are other things he could do.

[ProMayhem]

What weight is he planning on "campaigning" at ?

[Tomasino]

Even I'd tear Ferdinand a new anushole. Take him to the mat and clout his bonce out.

Nonce.

[Tomasino]

Can't see why he doesn't just do it for the fitness and some sparring- he doesn't need to take it any further than that. There's just no point

Ego.

[broomy7s]

Can't see it but would really love the board to take a strict stance on this shite. If the lad wants to become a boxer, go out there and have some amateur fights and learn the game. Instead he's doing it all for a betting company for exposure. I'm sure his footwork will be just as good as flintoff's. These guys hit a few heavy bags to keep fit and think they can turn pro.

[johnty1888]

I'd rather wait and see if he gets licensed first.

I hope he doesn't. Its all about his ego and nothing else. I appreciate he has had a really traumatic time in his personal life and maybe feels he needs to start feeling alive again but there are other things he could do.

This

[Mimmy]

I'd rather wait and see if he gets licensed first.

I hope he doesn't. Its all about his ego and nothing else. I appreciate he has had a really traumatic time in his personal life and maybe feels he needs to start feeling alive again but there are other things he could do.

This

I don't agree really. While there is possibly an egotistic reason for Rio to be doing this its purely for tv purposes. Its a reality tv programme. Victoria Pendleton transformed from cycling to being a female jockey with the ultimate goal of racing at Cheltenham. She completed her 'cycle' (pardon the pun) by finishing 5th in the destined race and actually if she had started her run earlier she could have possibly won that race. Obviously we all know about the Andrew Flintoff spectacle at transforming into a boxer again for a reality tv programme, while there were doubts about the outcome of his performance I think Flintoff would have got more respect actually if he had fought a decent British novice and got beat.

Rio Ferdinand is just following the trait but purely for tv and for his 'public relationship' with the media and the public. This will boost his status as an ex footballer, who has had a tv docu about the death of his wife but will also get him more work in similar style to Andrew Flintoff who went around the UK in a chip van, and took part in some local events such as the raft race in Whitby for example.

I hope this Ferdinand transformation for 1 fight only will be thought out better and the opponent will be someone with regard rather than an unknown boxer from a town in America that no one has ever heard of. I would actually like to see this fight with another debutant from the UK who is actually keen on boxing and wants to further his career when Rio has retired after 1 fight. I do not want to see another opponent who knows the script and has an inflated record of some thing like 5-0 with 5 ko's who actually no one has ever heard of from an unknown town in the States. It would be better for Rio to get beat in a decent scrap but that shows actually boxing is a serious business not to be taken lightly.

I fear I will be wrong though and this reality tv docu will be shoddy with tears from Rio and an opponent who will be from America with man boobs.

[samwbr]

So it's to get him on telly to boost his ego.

[Mimmy]

There has just been another clip on BBC news about it. This documentary must already be in the making because the clip ive just seen shows Rio on the pads and he looked quite ripped and not bad actually. He's obviously been in training for some time.

[Mimmy]

So it's to get him on telly to boost his ego.

Everything we do in life is to boost your ego when it goes right. I'm off to play golf this morning if I hit a -10 ill be buzzing all the way to the locker room to put my card in.

Rio Ferdinand is a football celebrity, he's not hurt anyone, he's just doing something for himself and for tv, give the bloke a chance for eff sake. Lets judge on the results.

(Can't beleive i'm, defending an ex Manchester United player)(pardon the pun)

[banjo]

Honestly and I know this might sound callous but I hope he gets knocked out, so he lost his wife and their children lost their mother, that happens to men and kids every day, sadly it's a fact of life it ends at some point. Also this is the wife he cheated on on numerous occasions. Secondly I can't be doing with celebrities who think "you know what I've never had an amateur fight but I'll give it a go as a pro boxer" it's disrespectful to the sport and to the numerous professional boxers who put countless hours in the gym and get very little exposure. Yet the Board will licence him because he's met some criteria and the circus will go ahead.

[geronimo]

Do we know in which weight of class he will boxe?

[whiskey]

Cue boxing industry folk flock to get in on a slice of it.

[samwbr]

Put him in with Usyk if he's a cruiserweight.

[Coco]

So it's to get him on telly to boost his ego.

Everything we do in life is to boost your ego when it goes right. I'm off to play golf this morning if I hit a -10 ill be buzzing all the way to the locker room to put my card in.

Rio Ferdinand is a football celebrity, he's not hurt anyone, he's just doing something for himself and for tv, give the bloke a chance for eff sake. Lets judge on the results.

(Can't beleive i'm, defending an ex Manchester United player)(pardon the pun)

It hurts the sport, and hurts it badly

[Coco]

It seems that the license has not yet been granted, I suppose they have had some private words and see it as a foregone conclusion.
Nevertheless I think as a group, emails, social media etc we have some power in putting a stop to this charade.
If not much is said before it is all done it will be too late, but if some appropriate communications are sent to the people in power where they have to justify granting a license to a 38 yr old, grieving man with previous drug problems and absolutely no experience, I don't think it would be feasible.
Anyone got Robert Smiths email?

[Covfefe]

It seems that the license has not yet been granted, I suppose they have had some private words and see it as a foregone conclusion.
Nevertheless I think as a group, emails, social media etc we have some power in putting a stop to this charade.
If not much is said before it is all done it will be too late, but if some appropriate communications are sent to the people in power where they have to justify granting a license to a 38 yr old, grieving man with previous drug problems and absolutely no experience, I don't think it would be feasible.
Anyone got Robert Smiths email?

Why is it a charade?

Rio Ferdinand will be in much better shape than some people who are given a license.

[mickey1975]

It seems that the license has not yet been granted, I suppose they have had some private words and see it as a foregone conclusion.
Nevertheless I think as a group, emails, social media etc we have some power in putting a stop to this charade.
If not much is said before it is all done it will be too late, but if some appropriate communications are sent to the people in power where they have to justify granting a license to a 38 yr old, grieving man with previous drug problems and absolutely no experience, I don't think it would be feasible.
Anyone got Robert Smiths email?

Why is it a charade?

Rio Ferdinand will be in much better shape than some people who are given a license.

Our great friend Tijuana1 had his license revoked for age reasons, not much older than Rio... A lifelong boxer.

[Covfefe]

It seems that the license has not yet been granted, I suppose they have had some private words and see it as a foregone conclusion.
Nevertheless I think as a group, emails, social media etc we have some power in putting a stop to this charade.
If not much is said before it is all done it will be too late, but if some appropriate communications are sent to the people in power where they have to justify granting a license to a 38 yr old, grieving man with previous drug problems and absolutely no experience, I don't think it would be feasible.
Anyone got Robert Smiths email?

Why is it a charade?

Rio Ferdinand will be in much better shape than some people who are given a license.

Our great friend Tijuana1 had his license revoked for age reasons, not much older than Rio... A lifelong boxer.

He doesn't have the name and money Rio does.

Let's be honest, he isn't making a crack at the British title.