Boxers Fighting Wrestlers Is Nothing New

Floyd "Money" Mayweather’s "upset" victory over "The Big Show" at "Wrestle Mania XXIV" this past Sunday night in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl was not the first – and won’t be the last fore of an elite boxer into professional wrestling. Is the 5’8", 145 pound Mayweather knocking out the 7-foot, 441 pound preposterous? Sure, it is. But that’s besides the point. No matter how unrealistic the matchup was, when boxers and professional wrestlers meet, fans of both sports can’t help but pay attention. The World Wrestling Entertainment record crowd of 74,635 that watched Money Mayweather knock out The Big Show, with brass knuckles in hand, proves my point.

Before Mayweather and the Big Show exchanged pleasantries, many boxers have made professional wrestling appearances in order to make some extra cash and expand their fan base. The most notables fighters to do so were "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali and, none other, than Mike Tyson.

Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki
In 1976, the greatest boxer in the world battled the greatest wrestler in Japan. No one expected that Inoki would be on his back for the entire match kicking at Ali’s legs. This disappointing "show" was seen via closed circuit by millions of viewers. Personally, it was sad to see the greatest heavyweight of all time participate in such a farce, but I am sure he collected a pretty penny.

WrestleMania XIV, March 29, 1998
Held at the Fleet Center in Boston, MA, the main event featured special enforcer Mike Tyson outside the ring for the Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin battle. This was Mike Tyson’s first PPV event since biting Evander Holyfield’s ears a few months earlier. The match ended with Steve Austin winning. In an unusual turn of events, Mike Tyson took off his D-X (Michael’s crew) shirt to reveal a Steve Austin shirt. When confronted by Michaels, Tyson knocked out him out with a right hand. As we later find out, this was only the beginning in a series of surreal events that Tyson would be involved in over the next several years. At the time, it surely was one of the funniest.

As fate would have it, even the biggest event in boxing/wrestling history (Mayweather-Big Show) was marred by injuries suffered by some fans after equipment and material from the fireworks show fell on them. I pray that all of the fans have a speedy recovery, but this bizarre ending should come as no surprise to boxing fans. Controversy follows boxing like bees follow honey, even when its participants are involved in another "sport."