7 Celebrities that love the sport of Boxing
None is at the forefront of Hollywood’s tryst with boxing more than Sylvester Stallone What is it exactly that draws celebrities to boxing events like fireflies to light? Of course, that’s not to imply in the slightest that their interest in sport is exclusive to the sweet science, but yet there is something about boxing that a large number of actors and pop-icons seem to fluidly embrace.While it might be argued that the recently concluded Mayweather-Pacquiao bout did no favours to the image of boxing, what cannot be disputed was that the star-cast present at the event rivaled even that of a film festival.Here is a statistic for you. Close to 200 movies about boxing have been produced till date and if Jake Gyllenhaal’s recent release, Southpaw, is anything to go by, Hollywood’s fascination with pugilism displays no signs of abating just yet.Here then, is a look at 7 such celebrities whose love of boxing transcends the odd pair of fashionable ringside tickets and manifests itself as genuine support and passion for the sport.
#1 Mickie Rourke
Remember him? Yes indeed, the stereotypical Russian anti-thesis to Iron Man who inevitably got his behind kicked in his efforts to take over the world. (Does it ever end any other way?)
Anyways, Rourke was a professionally trained boxer in his younger days and even took a hiatus from his acting career from 1991 to 1994 to pursue the sport in all seriousness.
His connection with boxing achieved further notoriety when he fought an exhibition bout in Russia, ironically, which was then revealed to have been a fixed fight. In case you were wondering, it was his homeless opponent that went down rather unconvincingly in the 2nd Round!
The whole charade was marred by obvious connections to the underworld but while it certainly reflects Rourke’s continuing passion for the sport, it might serve his legacy better to not come out of retirement at the ripe old age of 62 under such shady circumstances.