Who are the most athletically gifted fighters of all time?

Alonzo Highsmith was the 3rd over all pick in the 1987 NFL Draft
He had a 27 (23)-1(1)-2 record. True he didn't fight any one his biggest name win was Mark Gastineau.
From boxrec "Star running back for the University of Miami. Was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1987 National Football League draft by the Houston Oilers. Played 5 years for several teams before knee injuries forced him to retire.
Took up boxing in 1995 and in just under four years compiled a 27-1-2 record, including a TKO victory over fellow NFL star, turned boxer, Mark Gastineau.
"
Than there is Kendall Gill. who went 3(2)-0-0. From boxrec "Kendall Gill is best-known as a 15-year National Basketball Association veteran who played for seven different teams. He was picked fifth overall in the 1990 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He had his best season in 1996-97, with the New Jersey Nets, when he averaged 21.8 points per game."

Of course there is Too Tall Jones 6(5)-0-0 from boxrec "Played 15 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and was considered one of the most dominant defensive players of his era. Jones was part of the Cowboys' Super Bowl XII championship team when they defeated Denver in 1978. Briefly retired after 4 years of football to concentrate on boxing. Was unbeaten in six bouts before eventually deciding to return to football. "

Of the boxers who were or are acomplished high level boxers I think Roy Jones Jr. Stands out above the rest.

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Category:Boxers_who_played_pro_sports

^^^^
A list of boxers who played other sports.

 

Too bad Alonzo didn't kill Gastineau.

 

I was gonna mention Benitez too...he was uniquely gifted in a specialist/boxer sort of way, while not especially rugged, and not really too quick footed, his amazing radar system just continues to awe me, way, way after the fact...he lost it all and went downhill so fast, but when he "had it" he was so special and gifted.

 

actually corrie sanders runs a 100 meters in 11 flat..which for a man his size is good..very good golf player...of course im trying to limit myself to guys who where boxers first...and played other sports in a secondary way....old school guys? Jim Jeffries, could run a 100 yards in about 10 seconds, and could high jump 6 feet..that doesnt sound so great today, but they used a different techinque for jumping back then, that made it harder to get height...his height was very close to world record at the time....again this was before any of the modern jump techinques, no western roll, or even eastern cut off...and of course no straddle technique jumps...back when Jefferes did it you just jumped over it with your legs in scissor motion...very hard to do...

 

well sanders use to run a 11 100 m..i doubt he does it now..anymore then jeffries can high jump 6 feet...

 

I just did a google search..i had never heard that..mostly all i found was other boxing posts with people talking about it...I did find one descripiton of it that said it was 800 meters in a charity event in the early 90's, thing is...all the descripitions say it was a long distance run....which...the thing about world class sprinters is, they are gentic freaks..almost all FAST TWITCH muscle fiber, which means they cant do distance worth a damn..no endurance muscle, or whats called slow twitch fiber...to really know if Holyfields feat was very impressive..i would have to know the time...i honestly doubt his 800 meter time was less then 2:20 though.

of course, we also dont know if may Carl let him win too....like if he showboated and all...was for charity after all.

 

this wasnt aganst lewis..but Holy apparently "so some internet sources say" did this "Holyfield did 2:23 in the 800 in ABC's superstars, to place second in that event to Roger Kingdom. I watched it on TV myself. It wouldn't surprise me if Carl Lewis couldn't run that time. " some guy on a track and field post said that....the track and field post seems to have more info then the boxing boards about your question.

 

i mean, if he did run a 2:10, its possible a pure sprinter like Carl Lewis might not have beaten him..even though that isnt really fast by track and field 800 meter times.

 

Maybe in a long distance. I saw Holyfield on Superstars and he did better than any other boxer before. He won the long distance run, but in the 100yd dash he ran 11.2 pretty decent for a regular guy but he was smoked by all the football players. I remember him and Volleyball player Karch Kiraly battling it out in the weight lifting and Holyfiels military pressed 245 Kiraly ended up doing more than him.. but this is when holyfield had only been a Heavyweight for a little bit,he got even stronger.

 

Charley Powell was a pretty decent heavyweight who played football first for the 49ers probably one of the 2 best to transform from football to boxing. The other being Steve Hamas who once fought Schmeling to a draw,but was kod in the rematch.

 

i posted above that jim jeffries use to run 100 yards in just over 10 seconds, so holy would have lost to jeffries in a foot race.

 

also 245 is a pretty good military press...

 

Jim Jeffries ran with a full sized deer on his back for like 100 miles or something...lol..or something...

 

Talk to you Manana! Everyone have a Happy New Year! Im gonna go party :hammertimewha::cheersparty:tdh

 

How bout Nunn and Watson. Nunn actually was beating Toney up until Toney cameback to knock him out. Watson beat Benn and had a close fight with Eubank that's still debated over who won.