Rio Ferdinand had his request for a professional boxing license turned down the British Boxing Board of Control
“I was serious, but they didn’t give me a license. Someone died the weekend that my license went in.”
“I could have been fighting AJ (Anthony Joshua) for 100 million”.
The British Boxing Board of Control are one of the sports most stringent commissions and safety of fighters is of paramount importance to them.
Therefore, it is unsurprising that they did not grant a retired Football a professional license after six months of training.
In the aftermath of the news, Ferdinand stated:
“Boxing is a physically tough, demanding and dangerous sport,” he said.
“I always gave it my utmost respect and never underestimated how difficult it would be.
“I wanted to show people that it’s OK to have a goal and strive to reach it.
“It’s important to approach everything with success in mind, and to give it your all, but sometimes things work against you.”
Ferdinand thanked “Richie, Mel and the countless others who have dedicated their time to my boxing development over the past six months”.
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