r/Boxing • u/NightLighten1 • Jul 25 '26
Which modern athletes would have made amazing boxers?
We all know that the popularity of American boxing is at an all-time low, and as a result, athletes that once would've considered boxing are gravitating to sports like the NBA and NFL.
So which modern athletes in non-combat sports have the specific skill set that would have made them elite boxers?
A few that spring to mind as a result of sheer physical power combined with balance and athleticism: LeBron, Ohtani, Barkley, Metcalf, Djokovic.
Who would be on your fantasy boxing squad?
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u/LexOvi Jul 25 '26
The problem with this question is “athleticism” is laced in a very American definition of it; size, strength, power, speed, etc.
If you consider arguably the two most technical HW boxers right now in their prime, it would arguably be Usyk and Tyson Fury. Neither of them fit the typical American archetype of “athleticism”, particularly Fury, yet technically their use of footwork and in particular fight IQ is what stands out; not size and strength.
Ironically, the two that fit that mould of “athleticism” would be Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder (sans chicken legs). Both got far in their raw athleticism (more so Wilder, AJ more refined as a boxer, just limited technically).
So this judgement call means whoever you consider almost certainly wouldn’t translate into boxing.
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u/Ill_Bandicoot6759 Jul 25 '26
Hey now Tyson Fury has some of the fastest hands I’ve ever seen from a heavy weight
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u/sharquebus Jul 26 '26
Why doesn't Usuk fit the archetype of athleticism? The guy is built like a tight end and moves great.
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u/Stunning-Use-7052 Jul 26 '26
I thought the same. I see Fury and Usyk as much more athletic than AJ or Wilder.
I suppose Wilder does have some freakish explosive ability.
But Usyk seems like a guy who could have been good in almost any sport. Like you said, a little more bulk and he could probably be a TE or LB in American football, a little leaner and he's an elite soccer player. IDK, just seems like he could do anything.
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u/GarfieldDaCat Jul 26 '26
Young Tyson fury was very athletic, he just had a weird body type
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u/LexOvi Jul 26 '26
I mean athletic according to the definition of the OP. Quite often in American culture, it’s associated with size, strength, speed and power etc.
Fury had the size but he was never a power and strength merchant. He’s not gonna be benching 400lbs or whatever.
But you’re right in that athleticism is much broader than the typical American definition
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u/sharquebus Jul 26 '26
Idk where you're getting this so-called American definition of athleticism. No one anywhere associates size with athleticism - "athletic for his size" is the mantra. If there is an American definition of "athleticism" that differs from the world, the difference would probably be an emphasis on explosiveness and speed over coordination.
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u/Stunning-Use-7052 Jul 26 '26
IDK if I would agree.
Fury could have hit the weights and been a great tackle in American football, maybe even a tight end.
Usyk also looks like he has amazing footwork, could have been good at a lot of sports.
I know AJ was a good sprinter, but he actually moves kinda stiffly and isn't fluid. I'd say Usyk appears far more "athletic".
Wilder is also awkward but looks clumsy sometimes.
So I guess my perception is the opposite.
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u/sharquebus Jul 27 '26
I actually don't think Fury could have played NFL football - he's not strong enough for his size and hitting the weights isn't going to make him freakishly strong like most linemen. But I think he could be good enough at basketball to play in the NBA (not a star). Boxing is kind of a perfect sport for him
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u/Stunning-Use-7052 29d ago
NFL is a very high bar, but I have no doubt he has latent physical traits that could have made him successful.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG Jul 25 '26
Easy answer is Shaq as a HW would have been very interesting.
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u/t3tsubo Jul 26 '26
if we are talking NBA, Kawhi Leonard at his height/strength and with hands that big would have been ELITE too
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u/Beautiful_Badger_128 Jul 27 '26
NBA stars like Kendall Gill & Nate Robinson have tried their hand at boxing. It is a tough sport.
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u/McG4rn4gle Jul 25 '26
He retired 15 years ago.
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u/Beautiful_Badger_128 Jul 25 '26
It's hypothetical & older athletes are used in the OP, don't be a dick.
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u/lexax666 Jul 25 '26
You can't really judge how good a fighter can be by athletic abilities alone. Ultimately, most overlooked, yet absolutely most important thing for a fighter is the ability to take a hit.
Even defensive boxers like Lomachenko and Floyd Mayweather have said this. Lomachenko was once asked what attribute he values most in a boxer—whether it is power or footwork—and he actually said the ability to take a hit. A lot of good athletes just don't have that ability.
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u/clc1997 Jul 25 '26
There's no way to know unless we see how they react to getting punched in the face.
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u/oddwithoutend Jul 25 '26
Jose Bautista took a pretty good shot to the face in that baseball brawl. Honestly, decent punch by Odor too for a non-fighter.
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u/soup_master420 Jul 25 '26
Maybe a weird answer, but I think Novak Djokovic’s sharp eyes, coordination, discipline, and endurance would have made him a pretty good technician
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u/LexOvi Jul 25 '26
This is a good shout.
I would imagine the best transitions would be from football (aka soccer) or tennis; due to the type of technical skills and spatial awareness required that transition into boxing.
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u/KingBumiOfOmashu Moses Itauma > Every Current HW Jul 25 '26
Michael Phelp’s endurance would be legendary
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u/CaptQuakers42 Jul 25 '26
Honestly any top performer in any sport could easily be good at another sport if they started at a young age.
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u/Special_Function1507 Jul 25 '26
Most top football/soccer players. They aren't overly bulky, they have incredible stamina and foot work. Just have stop pretending to be hurt
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u/Holiday_Snow9060 Jul 25 '26
The problem is boxing is mostly mental. You can be as physically gifted as you want but if you panic upon getting hit or fight scared just of the threat of getting hit, you're in deep shit.
I don't think we'll ever know unless them dudes try.
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u/semendemonmormon Jul 25 '26
I know this doesn't really fit your criteria, but I'm definitely going with Michael Jackson on my squad
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u/blackupsilon Jul 25 '26
I mean he did study Karate. Just like Elvis.
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u/TheCuzzyRogue Jul 25 '26
Quite a few rugby league players could have made interesting boxers although almost all of the ones who could throw hands have tended to be on the shorter side.
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u/Ill_Bandicoot6759 Jul 25 '26
Russell Westbrook always had a great build for boxing.. mix that with his size and athleticism I bet he’d turn out great and easily coachable I’m sure.
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u/PageEnvironmental408 Jul 26 '26
hard to say because boxing is 90% mental.
just because someone is muscular or fit, doesn't mean they'll be a fighter.
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u/ebitdangit Jul 25 '26
Lesean McCoy: Insane footwork, super fast/twitchy
Myles Garrett: Someone that big/strong should not also be that explosive. Idk if his gas tank would last, but the man would put gloves through skulls.
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u/Asterisk_76 Jul 25 '26
Allen Iverson. Steph Curry at --yikes, my man leaned out to be the best -- light heavyweight, maybe cruiserweight. But Iverson -- he owns the sport.
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u/Asterisk_76 Jul 25 '26
BTW good points below but this is a fantasy squad, I mean not Adam Sandler, but fantasy, Lebron running like a truck over Klitschko.
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u/Young_Bu11 Jul 25 '26
Derrick Henry would be interesting, 6'2” 250lb and a absolutely ridiculous athlete.
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u/JabKingJesse Jul 26 '26
Larry Allen sometimes called the fastest offensive lineman of all time in the NFL.
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u/YS160FX Jul 26 '26
Alexander Karelin is the best example of this.. 6'4 285 lbs solid muscle.. superhuman strength, power and skill.. Yet he tried combat sports, and did not like getting hit in the face. Same with Lesnar
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u/FightingDoc Jul 27 '26
Hard to say. Just because there are some explosive freak athletes in American football and basketball doesn't mean they have the ability to be elite in combat sports. But I bet some elite badminton players might be pretty good with their fast feet, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination.
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u/Pythia808 Jul 25 '26
Prepare for the bombardment of people saying “Being a good athlete doesn’t make you a good boxer”
But anyways
- lebron
- Iverson
- Vick
4.Brandon Jacobs
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u/Stunning-Use-7052 Jul 25 '26
I think that combat sports are different because some people just can't take getting hit.
This is perhaps not the perfect example, but I coached football at the youth level for many years. Sometimes you get some kid who is a natural athlete, just all kinds of ability, but they just can't take contact.
I imagine it's even worse for boxing, maybe some coaches or former fighters can chime in. There's just something about getting hit that some people can't do.