Which Non-Boxing Athlete Could Come Best To Boxing Cold

[Willie Pep 229]

How does Bo Jackson fit into this picturre?

[Willie Pep 229]

Jim Thrope . . . But that almost seems an 'of course' he did.

[Willie Pep 229]

DIGRESSION: Was M. Jordan's foray into baseball actually a non-public suspension for ********, or did he actually go off his rocker for two years?

He wasn't bad at baseball he ******.

[QueensburyRules]

DIGRESSION: Was M. Jordan's foray into baseball actually a non-public suspension for ********, or did he actually go off his rocker for two years?

He wasn't bad at baseball he ******.

- - Jordan wasn't as bad as his traditional baseball stats would have him, but he was never getting out of B level baseball.

John L played pro baseball before boxing that was a sorta carney level challenge in the beginning.
There was a LH collegiate wrestling champ ca 1930 that won a LH strap.
Willard a cowpuncher a few years before his title.
Gene Conley won a half dozen NBA titles with the Celts and a baseball WS with Aaron and Matthews on that storied 57 Braves team.
Braezeale a Qback and Washington a lineman in the Haymon stable made good $$$ boxing. Martin was a carpenter.

An NFL kicker, NBA guard, and Mark McGwire were and may still be top earners on the Celebrity Golf tour.

NeonLeon gets honorable mention...

[Quercusalba]

How does Bo Jackson fit into this picturre?

Bo Jackson for sure. His size, strength, athleticism, and explosiveness would make for a scary opponent.

Walter Payton played football at 200 lbs. He'd have been terrifying cruiser or light-heavy even.

Rob Gronkowski is who came to mind first for me. Huge, supreme athlete, and I have a feeling the man has a chin on him.

[Quercusalba]

DIGRESSION: Was M. Jordan's foray into baseball actually a non-public suspension for ********, or did he actually go off his rocker for two years?
, He wasn't bad at baseball he ******.

To not answer your question at all, MJ is just too lanky for baseball. Of the great hitters, none are proportioned anything like him. Hank Aaron was six feet, Babe Ruth was six feet two, Barry Bonds is six feet two, Joe DiMaggio was six feet two, Ted Williams was six feet three, Willie Mays is five feet eleven, Honus Wagner was five feet eleven. Jordan at six feet six and long-limbed isn't for baseball.

[QueensburyRules]

To not answer your question at all, MJ is just too lanky for baseball. Of the great hitters, none are proportioned anything like him. Hank Aaron was six feet, Babe Ruth was six feet two, Barry Bonds is six feet two, Joe DiMaggio was six feet two, Ted Williams was six feet three, Willie Mays is five feet eleven, Honus Wagner was five feet eleven. Jordan at six feet six and long-limbed isn't for baseball.

- - Aside from the complications of BALCO Barry, most historical ball players gonna fall in that range you listed, so they most often have the most of the best hitters statistically.

However we have 6-5 McGwire and Frank Thomas both heavyset first basemen but good power/average blend. Darrell Strawberry 6-6 outfielder as is Dave Winfield. Dave Kingman not the hitter they were, but at 6-7 was a Monumental Monster HR hitter, top 15 in HR%, so the tall guys can play at All Star/HOF level even if there ain't a top ten great hitter among them.

[Rockybigblower]

The real question is: did athletes crossing over to boxing do worse in general than athletes crossing over to any other sport? I don't recall athletes crossing over to have set the world on fire. Jordan didn't, in baseball.

What are some counter-examples of athletes who switched sports and did really well? Are there any?

Anthony Mundine.

Switched from being a high level rugby league player to winning a boxing world title. Also became one of only 6 KO victims of the great Sven Ottke.

[QueensburyRules]

- - Corrie Sanders made his money in pro golf and rugby. Boxing could only be a hobby because of the SA boycott, but he got an all time top 10 scalp in Wlad as bragging rights until the end of time.

[Quercusalba]

- - Aside from the complications of BALCO Barry, most historical ball players gonna fall in that range you listed, so they most often have the most of the best hitters statistically.

However we have 6-5 McGwire and Frank Thomas both heavyset first basemen but good power/average blend. Darrell Strawberry 6-6 outfielder as is Dave Winfield. Dave Kingman not the hitter they were, but at 6-7 was a Monumental Monster HR hitter, top 15 in HR%, so the tall guys can play at All Star/HOF level even if there ain't a top ten great hitter among them.

Good examples of tall hitters there. Thomas in his prime put up Williams'esque numbers for sure. Winfield was just fantastic and could have been an HOFer in about any sport.

Growing up in Chicago, Cubs fans a bit older than me used to talk about the tape-measure shots Dave Kingman would launch out of Wrigley. Power for days he had.