Rio Ferdinand doesn’t really care whether anyone disagrees with his decision to pursue a career in boxing; he’s simply doing it for himself.“It’s something for me to focus on after the last couple of years,” Ferdinand said at a press conference.“I’ve been through quite a few things in my life and this is a way of trying to channel that aggression, that anger sometimes, into something I can be really focused on.”Ferdinand lost his wife, Rebecca Ellison, to cancer in 2015 and revealed the struggle of overcoming such a tragic loss and being a single parent in an emotional BBC documentary in March.And that’s not the only thing driving him on. As a six-time winner of the Premier League with Manchester United, the former centre-back misses competing at a high level.“It was mainly about testing myself,” he added. “Throughout my career, I’ve got used to competition and I’ve fuelled myself on it.
“I’ve probably been searching for that since I retired. I miss that competitive edge.
“Physically and mentally, I’m going to go to places I’ve never been, but I want to meet the challenges head on.
“I know there will be moments when I ask myself, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ But that’s part of the test, I miss pressure. I don’t miss playing football, I miss the adrenaline and the competing, and the mental and physical warfare.”
Ferdinand posted first training boxing
What will help Ferdinand in his bid to become a professional boxer and win a title is the fact that he’s remained in great shape since his retirement from football two years ago.
The ex-England international posted a clip from his first training video since the announcement was made and it’s fair to say he looks really impressive.
The 38-year-old shows off his strength by pulling his legs up above his head before being punched repeatedly in the ribs by trainer Mel Deane.
“And we begin.... @meldeane providing some rib shots this morning! 🥊,” Ferdinand wrote as he shared the clip with his millions of social media followers.
It’s going to be a gruelling few months for Ferdinand but it would appear he’s more than up to the challenge.