Flintoff to launch boxing career!

[fredfertang]

This is a wind up isn't it? Or is our Freddie really that short of brass?

 

[sledger]

This will end well.

 

[Spikey]

tino best first challenger

 

[Burgey]

Was going to say, is he that hard up for cash?

It never ceases to amaze me how athletes from other sports think they can get into boxing. FMD it's as hard (and corrupt) a sport as there is just about.

Back in the late 60s Wilt Chamberlain wanted to challenge Ali, and made a big hullaballoo about it, because of his size (think he was over 7 feet tall) he'd keep Ali away and all that. Howard Cossell had them both on his show one night - Ali was his first guest. Then Chamberlain came on and Ali stood up and shouted "TIMBERRRRR!!!!!!!" at Chamberlain, who basically turned white on the spot and decided the fight wouldn't go ahead.

It's dumb of Flintoff. He's a hero in England. He has a proud legacy as a gifted cricketer who's much loved for his larrakin ways. Unless it's something for charity, he should give it a miss. Surely he could make decent coin on the speaking circuit and in the media.

Seems a crazy idea.

 

[sledger]

Is desperate for cash it seems. His recent appearance in the Jacomo TV ads suggests this anyway.

He'd probably get a gig with Sky as a pundit, were it not for the fact that he's basically called half the existing pundits ****s on various occasions. Plus the fact that despite being well-liked, he's not exactly the most coherent of folk.

 

[Pup Clarke]

tino best first challenger

 

[Burgey]

Is desperate for cash it seems. His recent appearance in the Jacomo TV ads suggests this anyway.

He'd probably get a gig with Sky as a pundit, were it not for the fact that he's basically called half the existing pundits ****s on various occasions. Plus the fact that despite being well-liked, he's not exactly the most coherent of folk.

Yeah but a bloke like Flintoff could do two or three speaking engagements a week at sportsmen's dinners and earn thousands.

I mean, it's really no one's business, but does he have a gambling problem or something? Seems he'd have made a shedload of dough up til his retirement. Or maybe he lost a lot in the financial crisis, I dunno. But it's sad to see a bloke fall on hard times (if indeed he has) so soon after his career finished.

Maybe come back and slog a few in the Idiots Premier League or something. but not boxing ffs.

 

[sledger]

Yeah but a bloke like Flintoff could do two or three speaking engagements a week at sportsmen's dinners and earn thousands.

I mean, it's really no one's business, but does he have a gambling problem or something? Seems he'd have made a shedload of dough up til his retirement. Or maybe he lost a lot in the financial crisis, I dunno. But it's sad to see a bloke fall on hard times (if indeed he has) so soon after his career finished.

Maybe come back and slog a few in the Idiots Premier League or something. but not boxing ffs.

Yeah, it's a strange one, and nobody really seems to know what's going on with him. He's hardly ever given a mention here these days, unless he's taking part in some strange stunt, as appears to be the case here.

It's odd, but to me at least, he really has become somewhat of a forgotten man these days. Which when you consider what he achieved and the amount of adoration he had about 8 years ago is pretty shocking.

Something does seem a bit amiss with the bloke though IMO. Aside from this boxing thing and his endorsement of terrible brands, he seems to regularly churn out terrible tv shows which involve him and other C list celebrities performing stupid stunts, which are then aired on 4th rate channels that nobody watches.

I guess if that's just his way of making ends meet then fair enough. Does seem odd though, for the reasons you've stated.

 

[fredfertang]

Makes no sense to me on any level which is why I suspect, despite it not being April 1, that this is a wind-up - I mean if he's fit enough to box professionally then surely a spot of T20 cant be beyond him, and a lot more lucrative I would have thought

 

[Uppercut]

I doubt it's a money thing. Probably an attention thing.

 

[Uppercut]

Would definitely be up for watching him get beat up ftr. When he's not playing cricket he's not even a particularly likable idiot.

 

[Spikey]

I doubt it's a money thing. Probably an attention thing.

so it's a money thing then

 

[Ausage]

It never ceases to amaze me how athletes from other sports think they can get into boxing. FMD it's as hard (and corrupt) a sport as there is just about.

It's easy because not many people follow boxing seriously any more. If you've got a name as well known as Flintoff you can get matched against some hobo and still draw on the strength of your celebrity. For blokes like Flintoff and $BW it's never going to be about the pursuit of excellence, just leveraging their name for money.

 

[grecian]

He's being filmed for a reality TV Show, seems to be his thing nowadays. Someone like Flintoff probably needs an incentive to stay fit too, that's why he does these things I think.

As has been said boxing is so low key in this country, ATM, they're probably desperate to get a big name like Freddie involved.

Less of a farce than the Big Bash or IPL, IMHO.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Someone like Flintoff probably needs an incentive to stay fit too, that's why he does these things I think.

Yeah, sure this is his reason - think he's mates with Hatton and we've seen what he's like when's not in shape. Fred probably knows he'll go down that path without keeping himself fit.

 

[stumpski]

He must have made a fair bit from those Morrisons ads as well - but he gives the impression of someone who's a bit daft with money (a bit like Gazza, but not that bad) and has a lot of hangers-on looking for handouts.

I suppose this means we can look forward to seeing him punch-drunk now? Might be needing those dark glasses again.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Was going to say, is he that hard up for cash?

It never ceases to amaze me how athletes from other sports think they can get into boxing. FMD it's as hard (and corrupt) a sport as there is just about.

Back in the late 60s Wilt Chamberlain wanted to challenge Ali, and made a big hullaballoo about it, because of his size (think he was over 7 feet tall) he'd keep Ali away and all that. Howard Cossell had them both on his show one night - Ali was his first guest. Then Chamberlain came on and Ali stood up and shouted "TIMBERRRRR!!!!!!!" at Chamberlain, who basically turned white on the spot and decided the fight wouldn't go ahead.

It's dumb of Flintoff. He's a hero in England. He has a proud legacy as a gifted cricketer who's much loved for his larrakin ways. Unless it's something for charity, he should give it a miss. Surely he could make decent coin on the speaking circuit and in the media.

Seems a crazy idea.

In all fairness I seriously doubt Flintoff is going to be fighting anyone even approaching British title class never mind world class far less Ali class.

SBW has won his five or six fights, hasn't he? Imagine Fred would be fed a similar diet of bums early on and have his arse handed to him when he steps up to fight someone with a modicum of ability.

Must admit I agree with UC; think it's more likely a former great raging at the dying of the light rather than him being short of cash. If the latter was his main motivation he'd surely just go on Celebrity Big Brother or some other witless ****ery show.

 

[stumpski]

Adam Hollioake, at 40 a few years older than Fred, has been trying something similar hasn't he - boxing and cage fighting I believe. He has lost most of his money, as he's admitted.

 

[cpr]

Hollioake lost his in bad property investments overseas though. I would've thought if Fred went the property route he'd have done a Robbie Fowler and bought up half the North West housing market - its been a no fail almost because it was so rock bottom to start with, but you never know.

I'm guessing its more boredom than anything else. Probably missing the adrenile buzz of competing, Also gives him a goal to focus on, because I'd expect him to be the type to go seriously off the rails if he hasn't got anything to keep him motivated - hence all the crap TV shows (which TBH, he's not actually been too bad on)

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So how is Flintoff going to stay off the booze in the build up to a fight then?