38 year old British football veteran Rio Ferdinand is stepping into boxing.
Ferdinand will be the main focus of a documentary series that will closely follow his training and preparation for the eventual fight. In the final episode of the documentary, Ferdinand is going to step into the squared circle and put ’em up.
According to Ferdinand the move to boxing is a good way for him to stay in shape and he enjoys the challenge of a new sport, but it’s also a tool for him to deal with the passing of his wife.
“The chance to prove myself in a new sport was a real draw,” said Ferdinand to The Guardian.
The former pro footballer will be trained by ex WBC super middleweight champion Richie Woodhall.
Ferdinand’s venture into professional boxing is being put together by Betfair and he believes this is an opportunity for him to show people ‘what’s possible’.
“Boxing is an amazing sport for the mind and the body. I have always had a passion for it and this challenge is the perfect opportunity to show people what’s possible. It’s a challenge I’m not taking lightly, clearly not everyone can become a professional boxer, but with the team of experts Betfair are putting together and the drive I have to succeed, anything is possible.”
Ferdinand also talked about how he channels his grief through sport and working out, especially after his wife and mother passed away.
“Until you start working out regularly, you don’t understand it. You don’t understand that sometimes that hour, or even that brief 20 minutes you snatch as and when, can be the most chilled out hour or 20 minutes of your day.
“Without the gym I don’t know where I would’ve had that release time – that time just to think about nothing, or to think about something other than what was going on in my life,” he summarised.
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