Some of the best storylines in WWE history have featured boxing stars as major players in them. Those in the sport who have big personalities fit in perfectly to the wrestling industry, as not only does it give them a chance to shine in the ring to a new audience, but they are also able to have fun with the mic. Here is a look back at some of the best boxers to have featured in the WWE.
Joe Frazier
One of the first boxing matches to have taken place in the WWE was at Wrestlemania 2, where Mr T fought Roddy Piper. Mr T had Joe Frazier in his corner, who was a huge star in the heavyweight division during the 1970s. This fight ended in the fourth round when Piper body slammed Mr T and was disqualified as a result.
Floyd Mayweather
Credit: Duane Maddy via Twitter
Floyd Mayweather is considered as one of the best boxers of his generation as he is yet to taste defeat in a career which has spanned 49 professional fights so far. ‘Money’ is a natural on the mic and when he entered the WWE for a brief stint, he soon became involved in a feud with The Big Show. At No Way Out in 2008, The Big Show asked Mayweather to punch him in the face with a free shot. The boxer did just that and (legitimately) broke the nose of the WWE star.
That incident resulted in the pair meeting at Wrestlemania 24, where Mayweather came out on top. Love him or hate him, Money was not afraid to take on a man who was much bigger than him in the ring. It was, therefore, no surprise to see the unbeaten boxer take on the UFC’s Conor McGregor next month; for more on that fight, find all McGregor Mayweather boxing match news here. Mayweather is the 1/7 favourite to defeat his Irish opponent and bring his record up to 50 wins.
Mike Tyson
Credit: Mohammed _rock via Twitter
In 1998, Vince McMahon managed to persuade the ‘baddest man on the planet’ Mike Tyson to feature in the WWE ahead of Wrestlemania XIV. Tyson joined forces with D-Generation X whose leader, Shawn Michaels, was defending his title against ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin in the main event of the pay-per-view.
Tyson was given the role as special enforcer in the fight and played a key role in the result: when the referee was knocked to the ground, he jumped into the ring to make the three count against Michaels, which ensured Austin became the new champion. Michaels took issue with Tyson following the match but he was messing with the wrong person as the former heavyweight world champion floored DX’s leader. Tyson and Austin celebrated the result together with a beer and it led to a new era in the WWE with ‘Stone Cold’ as the main figure.
It surely will be only a matter of time before more boxers feature in the WWE. Moreover, you cannot rule out the prospect of McGregor having a stint on the network, as on the basis of his press conferences ahead of his clash with Mayweather, he would appear to be a natural.
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