CR7 meets Triple G: Cristiano Ronaldo gets boxing lesson from Gennady Golovkin
Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a combat sports fan, and now he is taking up lessons from one of the best.
Ahead of Gennady Golovkin's fight against Kamil Szeremeta this Friday, he was filming a documentary with DAZN, and Ronaldo stopped by for an interview. During the interview, the soccer star got some boxing lessons from one of the best boxers around in GGG.
It should be no surprise that Ronaldo is interested in boxing lessons given he says his favourite things to watch are boxing and UFC. He also trains boxing as he believes it helps him with speed which translates to the soccer pitch.
"Playing football is my passion, but I prefer watching other sports on TV," Ronaldo said in the documentary "Parallel Worlds" for DAZN. "Between watching a football match or a boxing or UFC fight, I choose boxing or UFC."
Would Ronaldo ever box?
Although Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best soccer player alive, he does train boxing and didn't look bad in the video. We have also seen different athletes pick up the sport like Nate Robinson. Yet, for Ronaldo, he says he couldn't be a boxer.
"I don't think I could have been a boxer,"Β Ronaldo said to GGG.Β "It's tough. You have to be born for it, with that gift. I think I was born to be a professional footballer. I thought I had that gift from the beginning and I said to myself: 'I'm going to grab this opportunity with both hands.'"
It obviously makes sense that Ronaldo doesn't want to box as he makes a reported 31 million Euros a year without being punched in the face. The 35-year-old is likely to spend the next few years being a pro soccer player, and when he retires, he will remain active by training boxing.
GGG's career
Although Gennady Golovkin is filming a documentary and talking to Ronaldo, he is also preparing for his own fight. On December 18, GGG is set to defend his IBF and IBO middleweight titles against Kamil Szermeta. It is his first fight since he narrowly beat Sergiy Derevyanchenko for the belts last October. He is also on a two-fight winning streak as he knocked out Steve Rolls in the fight prior.
In his career, GGG is 40-1-1 with his only loss being a controversial decision to Canelo Alvarez in 2018. He also fought Alvarez to a draw in 2016, which many thought GGG won as well. The Kazakhstani athlete holds notable wins over Kell Brook, Daniel Jacobs, and Martin Murray.
If Golovkin wins on Friday and Alvarez beats Callum Smith on Saturday - with both fights airing on DAZN in North America - the trilogy could very well happen in 2021.