Manchester City won at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, but the biggest sporting event of the weekend was undoubtedly on Saturday.
Indeed, Chris Eubank Jr and Connor Benn put on an incredible spectacle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night as Eubank beat his great rival on points in the highly anticipated boxing bout.
Boxing and football often overlap, Ricky Hatton was famously a Manchester City supporter, and used that as part of his boxing persona.
In fact, Mike Tyson once made a dig at Man City.
Meanwhile, the likes of Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford were present on Saturday for the Eubank Jr vs Benn fight.
Speaking to SportsDirect on TikTok, Eddie Hearn was asked which Premier League player he’d back to become a great boxer.
Hearn didn’t need to think long before answering, claiming that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland would be a great boxer.
Haaland is one of the strongest players around, and Hearn believes he could make the transition into boxing.
Eddie Hearn says Erling Haaland could be a great boxer
Hearn was asked to name the footballer he thinks could be a great boxer.
The Matchroom promoter said that Haaland would be his pick, while the interviewer believed Ivan Toney could be a great boxer.
“What footballer do you think would make a great boxer?
“Haaland,” Hearn said.
“I would say Ivan Toney, and him as well,” The interviewer said.
Hearn also said similar about Haaland last week when speaking to SportBible.
“Judging by the size and athleticism, the one for me is Haaland. When I saw him at the Man City training ground, I’ve never seen a specimen like him. Seriously, the legs, the power, he’s a beast,” Hearn said.
Footballers who went into boxing
Haaland would make for an amazing boxer, he has all of the attributes needed.
He’s tall, he’s strong, he’s fast and he’s powerful.
Of course, Haaland isn’t likely to ever go into boxing. After all, he’s making enough money at the moment without being punched in the face.
However, there are a few footballers over the years who have gone into boxing.
| Footballers who went into boxing | Boxing record |
| Curtis Woodhouse | 24-7 |
| Leon McKenzie | 8-1-2 |
| Lauren Price | 9-0 |
| Rio Ferdinand | Never got a license |
Curtis Woodhouse won a British title after a decent professional football career, while Leon McKenzie had a handful of fights after playing for the likes of Norwich City and Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, Lauren Price, former Wales captain, is currently a boxer and has even won a world title.
Rio Ferdinand attempted to get into boxing at one point, but he was unable to obtain a license.
Away from boxing, legendary French defender, Bixente Lizarazu went into combat sports becoming a European champion in Jiu-jitsu.
Meanwhile, Freddie Flinoff went into boxing after an amazing career in cricket, so these cross-sport crossovers can happen.
Who knows? Perhaps when his football career is over, maybe Haaland could lace up a pair of gloves and give the sweet science a go.
