‘I Could Have Been Fighting AJ for a Hundred Mil!’ - Rio Ferdinand Reflects on His Boxing Ambitions

When Rio Ferdinand retired from professional football in 2015, slowing down was never part of the plan. For a man whose life had always been governed by discipline, pressure and routine, movement remained essential. And for a brief but intense period, that movement took the form of boxing.

Ferdinand didn’t dabble. 'I trained for six months,' he tells MH. 'Sparring at the gym in Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield. I’d drive for four or five hours in the car on a Monday to train.' The seriousness extended beyond the gym floor. He even built a boxing ring in his garden. 'I was serious,' he adds.

At the time, Ferdinand was exploring what came next after football. Boxing offered structure and focus. It also appealed to his all-or-nothing mindset. Looking back now, he can laugh at just how far he took it. 'I could have been fighting AJ for a hundred mil!' he jokes.

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But the ambition didn’t become reality. When Ferdinand applied for a boxing licence, it was rejected. 'Someone died the weekend that my license went in,' he explains. The timing was sobering and the decision that followed was immediate. 'It was either now or never,' he says.

Boxing was shelved, but the lesson stuck. The experience reinforced a pattern that runs throughout his post-football life: when he commits, he commits fully.

Hear Rio on the latest Men's Health: Built For Life podcast episode, released on Thursday 12th Feb. Follow the Built For Life podcast to make sure you don't miss it.

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