The sweet science of boxing is one of the most popular combat sports in the world, with the biggest names, such as Mike Tyson and Muhammed Ali, becoming household names. These big stars are able to make millions of dollars per bout, but sometimes they like to branch out and try other sports. Wrestling is an obvious choice, allowing boxers to step into the squared circle and face off against an opponent. They can put their athleticism to good use and impress the fans while having fun.
Over the years, plenty of boxers have made the transition to pro wrestling, either as a one-off or as part of a series. As many boxers are fans of wrestling, it makes a lot of sense for them to give it a go. You can find odds on all of the upcoming boxing cards of the year at Betway, or read on to find out more about which boxers have crossed over.
Tyson Fury
Fury is currently one of the biggest stars in heavyweight boxing, and he owes some of that stardom to his stint in the WWE. The English boxer, who hails from Manchester, has attracted a lot of criticism over the years for not fighting the best, but he has faced the likes of Wilder and Klitschko while remaining undefeated.
In 2019, the heavyweight world champion took part in WWE Smackdown, taking on Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia. Fury’s first match in the WWE lasted for around eight minutes, at which point he defeated his rival via count out after landing with a hard punch. However, the two would later on team up in Manchester, England to defeat Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas.
Floyd Mayweather
Known by many as the best ever, Floyd Money Mayweather amassed an incredible fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite this, he has still found a way to make even more money while outside the boxing ring. After retiring at 50-0, he’s come back a few times for exhibition fights and even joined Wrestlemania at one stage.
Mayweather was a huge heel in boxing, and he had a lot of experience in selling fights and working the crowd. He took on Big Show at Wrestlemania 24 in a no-disqualification match, putting his undefeated record on the line. There was a lot of buildup to this fight, which included Big Show throwing Floyd at another event and Floyd threatening to break his jaw. All in all, Wrestlemania was a major success, and Mayweather beat his rival despite the major size difference.
Evander Holyfield
Holyfield is most famous for his fights against Tyson, but he was also an incredible boxer and champion in his own right. As one of the biggest stars in boxing during the 90s, it was no surprise that he was invited to appear in the WWE. The American heavyweight boxer entered the WWE in 2007, chosen by MVP to replace him in a fight against Matt Hardy.
Hardy put up a great fight against his short-notice replacement, getting up each time he was knocked to the canvas. Holyfield could have finished him off but chose to show mercy, which MVP wasn’t a fan of. However, Holyfield got the last laugh by knocking out MVP with a huge punch, much to the delight of the crowd.
Mike Tyson
In his second fight with Holyfield, Tyson bit his opponent twice, earning a disqualification and a ban from boxing. Despite this, his mainstream appeal was still very high, and while looking for something to do, he was invited to join the WWE. At this moment in time, the WWE was struggling to compete with rival organizations. However, Tyson helped give the promotion the boost it needed.
Acting as an enforcer during Wrestlemania 14 in 1998, Tyson helped give a huge push to the ratings of the show and brought a lot of attention to the WWE’s rising star Stone Cold Steve Austin. He made several appearances in the WWE over the next few years, helping to cement the organization as the best pro-wrestling promotion.