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Fight Club! Rio Ferdinand and the other sport stars who became professional boxers

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Rio Ferdinand has shocked English sport with the announcement that he will take up a career in professional boxing.

The 38-year-old former West Ham, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers and England defender hopes to fight for an English title in 2018.

It’s new territory for Rio, but is new territory for the sport?

Standard Sport takes a look at the other stars who switched sports to professional boxing…

Curtis Woodhouse in action against David Beckham Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Curtis Woodhouse in action against David Beckham Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Curtis Woodhouse

Woodhouse managed to straddle careers in football and boxing at the same time. A midfielder at Premier League and Championship level, he claimed to have been in 100 street fights growing up but tried his hand professionally in the ring while at Rushden & Diamonds. He ended up being crowned British light welterweight champion in 2014.

Leon McKenzie in action for Crystal Palace Photo: Chris Lobina/ Getty Images Sport
Leon McKenzie in action for Crystal Palace Photo: Chris Lobina/ Getty Images Sport

Leon McKenzie

Part of a famous boxing family, it perhaps seemed inevitable the southpaw would lace up his gloves one day having represented Crystal Palace, Norwich and Peterborough as a striker. Starting in the ring aged 35, he had 11 fights but opted to end his career this month following a loss to Cello Renda at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

New Zealand rugby union star Sonny Bill Williams Photo: Getty Images
New Zealand rugby union star Sonny Bill Williams Photo: Getty Images

Sonny Bill Williams

Williams first made his name in rugby league before making the transition to union, proving a key part of the international set-up in both codes. But he also made seven forays into the ring, winning all those contests and becoming New Zealand heavyweight champion in the process in 2012.

Former National Rugby League star, Anthony Mundine Photo: Matt Turner/Getty Images Sport
Former National Rugby League star, Anthony Mundine Photo: Matt Turner/Getty Images Sport

Anthony Mundine

Once the highest-paid player in the National Rugby League in Australia, he quit aged just 25 to pursue a boxing career and proved one of the great success stories with world title wins to his name, including defeating multiple champion Shane Mosley at super-welterweight in 2013.

Katie Taylor in action against the United States Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images
Katie Taylor in action against the United States Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Katie Taylor

So successful has Taylor been in her boxing career that it is often forgotten she represented Ireland on 11 occasions in football, scoring twice. But she quit her second sporting love in 2009 and went on to win Olympic gold and five world titles before turning professional.