Le’Veon Bell, the one time consensus number one running back in the NFL, claims he doesn’t even watch the NFL anymore.
Le’Veon Bell Training via FightHype.com YouTube
In a recent interview with TMZ, the former Steelers star said he has not watched a single snap of football this season.
“I ain’t gone lie, I have not watched one down of football,” said Bell. “I don’t know nobody’s record or nothing.”
Le’Veon Bell via ESNEWS YouTube
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The 30-year-old says he is fully committed to his fighting career, which officially began earlier this year. Bell made his amateur debut last month against another former All-Pro running back, Adrian Peterson.
Bell brutally knocked out Peterson in the 5th round of their bout.
https://youtu.be/iBGFOXUkij0
Bell’s next test is set for the end of this month, and it is a huge step up. Bell will make his pro debut on the Jake Paul-Anderson Silva undercard against former UFC fighter Uriah Hall. Unsurprisingly, Bell is a steep underdog at +400, but that distinction does not seem to faze him.
“Everybody sleeping on me,” Bell said. “I’m glad I’m the underdog. This probably be the last fight I [will] be the underdog. My first pro fight probably be the last fight I’m an underdog.”
Le’Veon Bell in Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Photo Credit: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Bell seems committed to making the boxing ring his home for the foreseeable future. While he has not officially retired from the NFL, Bell made an Instagram post earlier this year in which he said he was “excited for the next chapter.”
View this post on Instagram
However, Bell did not leave football without regrets. He stated that he wished he “had a time machine to go back to 2018.” That year, Bell sat out the season due to a contract dispute with the Steelers. While he got a lucrative contract from the Jets the following year, Bell’s career was never the same. He bounced around the league and never reached his pre-2018 dominance.
Now, Bell joins a number of other NFL, NBA, and UFC veterans that are making a foray into the boxing world. However, a notable difference between Bell and the others is that he is only 30 years old. Most of his contemporaries are in their late 30s or early 40s, and much further removed from their athletic primes. If Bell is serious about making a run in the boxing world, he could be in for some big paydays ahead, especially if this celebrity super-fight trend continues.
Le’Veon Bell and Adrian Peterson via Boxtalk101 YouTube
What do you think? Does Le’Veon Bell have a shot at making it in boxing?
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