SUMMARY
- Soccer icon Wayne Rooney is also a passionate boxing enthusiast and amateur boxer.
- Rooney is eyed by KSI's boxing company, Misfits Boxing, for a potential career switch.
Wayne Rooney is one of the finest players of his generation. The former Manchester United player was prolific for both club and country. ‘Wazza’, as he is fondly known, had everything from being a prolific passer to an elite goalscorer. Wayne Rooney registered a staggering 253 goals and 145 assists in 559 appearances for ‘The Red Devils.’
He further added 53 goals for his nation of England, and is the second-highest scorer for ‘The Three Lions.’ A winner of 5 Premier Leagues and one UEFA Champions League title, Wayne Rooney surely has a career that is every striker’s dream.
However, his fans also know Rooney to be a fiesty boxing enthusiast. The former Everton man once walked out to a match alongside former British boxer Ricky Hatton. He has also been ringside in many major boxing fights.
But, Wayne Rooney himself has boxed on various occasions. The former Manchester United man is an amateur boxer who is never shy away from showing his boxing skills.
Wayne Rooney eyed for a spot at KSI’s boxing company
The latest development in the love story between boxing and Wayne Rooney involves the British streamer KSI. The 30-year-old streamer is planning to make a footing in the boxing market. Alongside, his partners, KSI and Misfits Boxing aim to provide high-quality cross-over boxing. While the roaster boasts the likes of KSI and Logan Paul, Misfits boxing might just have found its biggest star.
Wayne Rooney is reportedly in talks to fight on Misfits, what is this timeline 😭 pic.twitter.com/e4apuQD3RT
— KSI NEWS (@ksinews_) February 14, 2024
Wayne Rooney is very interested in signing with the company as he plans for a career switch. The former Manchester United player is reportedly deliberating hard about his options and intends to wait for any decent managerial position before choosing boxing. He has even discussed his boxing gig with the promoter of Misfits boxing, Kalle Sauerland.
Wayne Rooney was fired from his managerial position at Birmingham City in January 2024 after an 83-stint at the EFL Championship club. ‘Wazza’ has since been a free agent and is considering the best options for his career.
Wazza’s infamous kitchen brawl with former teammate in 2015
Wayne Rooney’s boxing match with his former teammate Phil Bardsley in his kitchen will go down in the Internet Hall of Fame forever. The incident caused a huge stir in the British media.
The video apparently showed the former England international lying flat out on the floor. While the fans might have found the incident very amusing, it was nothing short of a nightmare for Phil. The former Sunderland player recounted how Rooney’s KO made the player anxious.
The video showed the former England international lying flat out on the floor. While the fans might have found the incident very amusing, it was nothing short of a nightmare for Phil. The former Sunderland player recounted how Rooney’s KO made the player anxious.
The friendly sparring soon caused an atmosphere of panic in the kitchen. Phil Bardsley recalls that Wayne Rooney was out cold for a few moments which made him panic. In addition to this, the absence of cell phones made things even worse. The former Sunderland player said in a podcast, “We didn’t know what to do, panic stations and we had no phone signal.”
There was a pool of blood in the kitchen as both soccer players had sustained significant bruises. However, the two mates shared a good laugh while cleaning themselves up in the sink. Rooney’s infamous kitchen brawl was immortalized after he performed a hilarious KO celebration against Tottenham Hotspur in United’s Premier League fixture.
Wayne Rooney almost had a Wrestlemania match with wrestler Wade Barett
As unbelievable as it may sound Wayne Rooney almost made it as a superstar in WWE. The British wrestler Wade Barett proposed a brilliant plan in 2015 for ‘The Red Devil’ to feature in a match at WWE’s flagship event Wrestlemania. The wild rivalry between the two also had elements from soccer. Reportedly, Rooney’s son was immediately impressed with Wade’s proposal.
The rivalry between the wrestler and Wayne began when the former Manchester United player cheated and dived his way to a penalty in an FA Cup tie against Preston North End. A die-hard Preston fan himself, Wade Barett felt devastated to see his team lose despite playing so well.
The two even had a brief fight on the social media platform X. WWE had toured to Manchester, UK during this time for the taping of a show and this is when Wade proposed this idea to Wayne Rooney. Wayne and his son had been to the dressing room to greet the wrestler when Wade asked the former Derby County manager to slap him in the face during a segment in the show.
And this is exactly what Wayne Rooney did. The crowd went wild as the slap landed as ‘Wazza’ found his way to combat sports yet again. Wayne’s son loved his father’s gig as Wade Barett agreed that he had fun getting slapped by the former Man United player.
Eddie Hearn set him up for a match with Jake Paul after Wazza’s repeated requests
It seems that even before the opportunity to fight for KSI, Wayne had always wanted to become a professional boxer. Eddie Hearn, the famous British event promoter once revealed that Wayne Rooney kept on messaging him after watching a fight. ‘Wazza’ just could not let his abilities stick exclusively to soccer. Eddie revealed (via The Mirror), “After every big fight, especially with a YouTuber, sometimes Wayne Rooney will fire me a message.”
Eddie Hearn believes Wayne Rooney could face Jake Paul 🥊https://t.co/aC8TI7y2oz
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 31, 2023
The British promoter was even impressed by the United’s all-time top scorer’s boxing skills. According to Eddie, Wayne Rooney had terrific combat skills for an amateur boxer. He even wanted to host a boxing match between the famous internet personality Jake Paul and ‘Wazza.’ However, the proposal never really materialized.
Eddie Hearn revealed that Wayne Rooney was among many soccer players who have a soft corner in there for the sport of boxing. He also revealed that many soccer players believe that they can become boxers someday.
Wayne Rooney growing up was a member of an amateur boxing club
‘Wazza’ grew up in Liverpool, UK where he developed a love for the art of boxing at a very young age. He even once revealed his love for boxing in a podcast with Eddie Hearn. He said, “Boxing is the sport I like watching the most.” If the words of the former Manchester United player are to be believed, Wayne’s dad and his whole family are keen boxing enthusiasts.
His love for boxing comes from his family as the whole Rooney family is involved with sport in some capacity. As he revealed in 2019, Wayne Rooney’s uncle has been running a gym in Croxteth, UK for over 20-30 years. The former Everton FC man believes that he has inherited his family’s legacy and enjoys watching boxing the most. However, he has no regrets about becoming a professional soccer player.
Wayne Rooney’s father and uncle have been bailed pending further inquiries after being arrested over an alleged … http://t.co/aadLvI7y
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) October 6, 2011
Wayne Rooney has an incredible passion for boxing. Fans have known him for his aggression on the pitch, however his boxing skills still need brushing up. If ‘Wazza’ can get into shape and polish his combatting skills, he might fit well into KSI’s new boxing initiative.