Former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has confirmed he has held talks with a boxing promoter about the possibility of fighting at one of his events, but insisted he remains focused on returning to football management.
Sources previously told ESPN that Rooney, 38, and his team have discussed the possibility of him boxing in a Misfits Boxing promotion, although no firm details have been finalized.
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Speaking on “The Overlap” podcast with former players Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott, Rooney was asked about a possible fight, responding with a smile and saying “you never know”.
However, he later downplayed the possibility.
“They've been in touch and asked the question, but I think at the moment I want to focus on getting back into management, not boxing,” he said.
“There have been some [offers] and obviously Misfits has been around and that's been all over the news. “But listen, I want to focus on getting back into management, that's my focus.”
Misfits Boxing has recently hosted boxing shows with YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul, millionaire businessman Joe Fournier, reality TV star Idris Virgo and social media influencer Alaena Vampira.
Had Rooney agreed to the terms, he would have appeared in the Misfits boxing crossover series.
Rooney was recently sacked from his position as manager of Championship side Birmingham City. He also managed Derby County in the Championship, the second division of English football, and DC United of the MLS from 2022 to 2023.
The former footballer is a big boxing fan and has supported Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and the Smith brothers (Liam, Callum, Paul and Stephen).
Hatton would have been a candidate to train Rooney if he had chosen to pursue boxing.
As Misfits is outside British Boxing Board of Control rules, Rooney would not have been competing as a professional boxer. However, a large audience would probably tune in if Rooney had accepted Misfits' offer.
