Cross-Over Stars
Posted: 29 Mar 2008, 11:25
With Floyd Mayweather taking on "The Big Show" in WWE, and talk of Anderson Silva going up against Roy Jones in a boxing match, it brings this fight fan to recall a couple of men/women who jumped ship from their own sports into the pugilistic prize ring...
Danny Hodge= Arguably the best example, and most successful, that I can think of personally. He was a Golden Gloves champ as a younger man, and later competed in the Olympics twice as a wrestler, winning the gold medal. When he turned professional, he would become a fringe contender, just on the cusp of being a top contender, before he lost to Nino Valdes for Marciano's heavyweight title. He retired soon after, and became a professional wrestler, often cited for his tremendous tendon strength as he could break the best set of pliers and crush apples in his bare hands.
Jim Cully= This 7'4" professional wrestler from Ireland, was reportedly the champion boxer of Innisfree as well, but when he made his debut in America he lost, and later the NYSAC stripped him of his boxing license; Nat Fliescher, of RING magazine, lamented the big fellow's loss and even wrote an article on giant heavyweights from the past in honor of him.
Rick Roufus= The Jet is arguably, hands down, the greatest mixed martial arts champion of all time, being a nine-time world title holder, but for a time, to build up his boxing skills, he turned professional and fought as a Cruiserweight, even picking up a minor title here and there. He would later retire, but still to this day from time to time competes in K-1 or some other MMA brand.
Jack Dempsey vs Laurence "Cowboy" Luttrell, when the Manassa Mauler was 45 years old and well passed the twilight of his career, he at this time had the famous Dempsey's restaraunt and was a promoter, but from time to time he also was a referee, even in professional wrestling events. What is unclear is whether the events that followed was all an act, or that Dempsey sincerly believed he was stopping a dirty 'fighter' from choking his opponent, Dempsey wound up getting clocked by Luttrell, and Dempsey was pissed. So much so, that the aged wonder trained one last time and managed to arrange a boxing match between himself and the Cowboy. In what was similar to the Firpo fight, minus Dempsey getting hurt, the Manassa Mauler knocked Luttrell through the ropes in the second round. Sadly for Jack, Nat Fliescher of RING magazine and others called the affair garbage, and that Dempsey lowered himself by tarnishing his legendary name by fighting a wrestler, real fight or not.
Antonio Inoki, most famous for being the only man to defeat Andre The Giant with a submission hold (least in wrestling), not only fought Muhammad Ali in what was a legit fight that went the 15 round distance. He also engaged in bouts with Chuck Wepner, Karl Mildenberger and later Leon Spinks, though the formats were more than likely staged rasslin' contests. Inoki is sometimes cited as being the 'father of MMA', due to his mixed competition bouts with boxers and other martial artists.
John L. Sullivan vs William Muldoon, is the earliest known example in at least American history where a boxer-wrestler contest took place. Long before Muldoon would become Sullivan's trainer for the Kilrain fight, these two men went at it to determine the supremacy of the two sports. Unfortunately for Sullivan, Muldoon slammed him early, to the disapproval of the Boston crowd who immediately stormed the ring and the fight had to be called off. Years later, when Sullivan's career was over, he would go on lecture tours and admit that Muldoon easily beat him up while in preperation for Kilrain, as he would force the Boston Strong Boy to wrestle him [which was probably a great thing, considering Jake Kilrain was more of a grappler in the ring than a puncher].
Feel free to list any more!
Danny Hodge= Arguably the best example, and most successful, that I can think of personally. He was a Golden Gloves champ as a younger man, and later competed in the Olympics twice as a wrestler, winning the gold medal. When he turned professional, he would become a fringe contender, just on the cusp of being a top contender, before he lost to Nino Valdes for Marciano's heavyweight title. He retired soon after, and became a professional wrestler, often cited for his tremendous tendon strength as he could break the best set of pliers and crush apples in his bare hands.
Jim Cully= This 7'4" professional wrestler from Ireland, was reportedly the champion boxer of Innisfree as well, but when he made his debut in America he lost, and later the NYSAC stripped him of his boxing license; Nat Fliescher, of RING magazine, lamented the big fellow's loss and even wrote an article on giant heavyweights from the past in honor of him.
Rick Roufus= The Jet is arguably, hands down, the greatest mixed martial arts champion of all time, being a nine-time world title holder, but for a time, to build up his boxing skills, he turned professional and fought as a Cruiserweight, even picking up a minor title here and there. He would later retire, but still to this day from time to time competes in K-1 or some other MMA brand.
Jack Dempsey vs Laurence "Cowboy" Luttrell, when the Manassa Mauler was 45 years old and well passed the twilight of his career, he at this time had the famous Dempsey's restaraunt and was a promoter, but from time to time he also was a referee, even in professional wrestling events. What is unclear is whether the events that followed was all an act, or that Dempsey sincerly believed he was stopping a dirty 'fighter' from choking his opponent, Dempsey wound up getting clocked by Luttrell, and Dempsey was pissed. So much so, that the aged wonder trained one last time and managed to arrange a boxing match between himself and the Cowboy. In what was similar to the Firpo fight, minus Dempsey getting hurt, the Manassa Mauler knocked Luttrell through the ropes in the second round. Sadly for Jack, Nat Fliescher of RING magazine and others called the affair garbage, and that Dempsey lowered himself by tarnishing his legendary name by fighting a wrestler, real fight or not.
Antonio Inoki, most famous for being the only man to defeat Andre The Giant with a submission hold (least in wrestling), not only fought Muhammad Ali in what was a legit fight that went the 15 round distance. He also engaged in bouts with Chuck Wepner, Karl Mildenberger and later Leon Spinks, though the formats were more than likely staged rasslin' contests. Inoki is sometimes cited as being the 'father of MMA', due to his mixed competition bouts with boxers and other martial artists.
John L. Sullivan vs William Muldoon, is the earliest known example in at least American history where a boxer-wrestler contest took place. Long before Muldoon would become Sullivan's trainer for the Kilrain fight, these two men went at it to determine the supremacy of the two sports. Unfortunately for Sullivan, Muldoon slammed him early, to the disapproval of the Boston crowd who immediately stormed the ring and the fight had to be called off. Years later, when Sullivan's career was over, he would go on lecture tours and admit that Muldoon easily beat him up while in preperation for Kilrain, as he would force the Boston Strong Boy to wrestle him [which was probably a great thing, considering Jake Kilrain was more of a grappler in the ring than a puncher].
Feel free to list any more!