Top 10 Celebrities Who Tried Their Hand at Boxing

#10: KSI & Logan Paul

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We’re grouping these two together, as their boxing match in 2018 proved enormously popular. Both are prominent YouTubers; as of writing, both KSI and Logan Paul had over 22 million subscribers. On August 25, 2018, the two engaged in a highly publicized amateur boxing match. Taking place at Manchester Arena, the fight attracted over one million pay-per-view viewers and resulted in a majority draw. One year later, the two engaged in a rematch at the Staples Center, with KSI beating Paul in a split decision. However, this match drew some criticism, as it was preceded by two world-title bouts. Many people in the boxing industry couldn’t fathom the main event being two YouTubers.

This singer, actor and dancer is not the sort of celebrity you would expect to see fighting in the ring. Donny rose to fame in the mid ‘70s as part of the family music group, The Osmonds, before transitioning into a successful solo career. He also gained popularity by starring in the variety show “Donny & Marie” alongside his younger sister, Marie Osmond. In 1994, Osmond fought fellow ‘70s child star Danny Bonaduce, who starred as Danny Partridge in “The Partridge Family”. The fight was for charity, and it was reportedly instigated after Osmond teased Bonaduce at the gym. It lasted three two-minute rounds and ended in a split decision victory for Bonaduce.

This Australian began her public career as a presenter on MTV Australia before gaining worldwide fame through modeling and acting. She has starred in the likes of “Orange Is the New Black”, “John Wick: Chapter 2”, and the CW’s “Batwoman”. In 2012, Rose was invited to participate in a charity boxing event, which aimed to raise money for youth mental health. Rose was delighted to take part, as she reportedly suffered from depression in her teenage years. She was pitted against amateur boxer Yi Sia and trained for three hours a day for two months. Rose was declared the winner, having won all three rounds on points.

This rapper made history with his seminal hit “Ice Ice Baby”, which became the first hip hop song to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The accompanying album, To the Extreme, sold fifteen million copies and spent four months atop the Billboard album chart. Oh, the power of a strong single! Back in 2002, Fox aired a show called “Celebrity Boxing” that saw once-popular celebrities boxing each other over three rounds. In the very first episode, Vanilla Ice was pitted against Todd Bridges, who was known for playing Willis Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes''. Vanilla Ice fought under the name Bi-Polar and was absolutely dominated by Jackson. He lost the fight 30-27, with all three judges scoring against him.

One of the most popular baseball players of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jose Canseco is a six-time All Star, two-time World Series champion, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and two-time MLB home run leader. However, Canseco’s reputation has been tarnished owing to his admitted steroid use. Canseco retired from major league baseball in 2002 and turned his attention elsewhere, like boxing. He fought football player Vai Sikahema in what was called The War at the Shore in 2008 and was knocked out in the first round. He also tried his hand at MMA in 2009, but lost to kickboxer Hong-man Choi. Canseco fought in three other celebrity boxing matches between 2009 and 2011.

Among the most infamous athletes in modern history, Tonya Harding once had a promising figure skating career. Then... her ex-husband became involved in a plot to injure to cripple rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics. The attack didn’t work. Kerrigan went on to win silver, and Harding - who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution - was banned from skating by the United States Figure Skating Association. Harding later appeared on “Celebrity Boxing”, defeating civil servant Paula Jones. She then embarked on a professional boxing career amid rumors that she needed money, and she competed in six professional fights. Harding retired in 2004 with a record of 3-3.

#4: Ricky Gervais

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The UK version of “The Office” concluded its first season in August of 2001, and the second season premiered in September of 2002. That same year, the show’s co-writer, co-director, and star Ricky Gervais competed in a charity boxing match for the British charity Comic Relief. He was pitted against businessman Grant Bovey, who was then the CEO of Imagine Homes. The boxing match lasted three rounds, and Gervais was declared the winner in a split decision. He then donated the £5,000 prize to Macmillan Cancer Support. Despite his victory and extensive professional training, Gervais never boxed again.

This man does it all. He’s a four-time Golden Globe and five-time Emmy nominee. He’s a movie star with the likes of “Prometheus”, the MCU, and “Zootopia” on his resume, an R&B musician, and he DJs under the name DJ Big Driis. Oh, and he’s a professional kickboxer as well. In 2016, Elba fought the younger but more experienced Lionel Graves at the Road to Glory UK event. Elba trained in Muay Thai for twelve months, the process of which was documented for the Discovery Channel documentary, “Idris Elba: Fighter”. The fight took place at London’s York Hall, and it saw Elba winning in the first round by technical knockout. Is there anything this guy can’t do?

Among the most famous basketball players in history, Shaq is a four-time NBA champion, three-time NBA finals MVP, and fifteen-time All Star. 2000 proved a particularly good year for Shaq, as he won the NBA, All Star Game, and Finals MVP awards in the same year, making him just one of three basketball players to do so. Between 2009 and 2010, ABC aired a reality program called “Shaq Vs.”, which saw O’Neal challenging other professionals in their respective sport. In season two, O’Neal fought world champion boxer Shane Mosley - with a few modifications, like two-minute rounds and ninety second rest periods. Mosley defeated O’Neal in a unanimous decision, despite Shaq being over one foot taller and double Mosley’s weight. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Les Dennis Defeated by Bob Mortimer in a 2002 Charity Event Dustin Diamond The Late Actor Known for Playing Screech Beat Ron Palillo in “Celebrity Boxing” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_Boxing#Second_episode Jack Osbourne Defeated Bradley McIntosh in a 2006 Charity Boxing Match

While a world-famous actor, Mickey Rourke’s first passion was boxing. He embarked on an amateur boxing career throughout the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, reportedly generating a strong record of 27 wins, 3 losses. However, the damage was proving too much, and Rourke retired from boxing in the early ‘70s. After taking on some acting roles, Rourke returned to boxing in the early ‘90s and went undefeated in eight fights. Unfortunately, the damage proved severe. Rourke began suffering from short-term memory loss and required extensive reconstructive surgery, as his face had become disfigured from the numerous injuries he sustained in the ring. Rourke fought once more in 2014, defeating the much younger Elliot Seymour by technical knockout in the second round.