Cricket Listicles

5 Cricketers who weren’t afraid of hooking or cutting – in a boxing ring

We have seen them hitting cover drives and over the wicket boundaries, but watching our cricket players in boxing gloves is something new. Well, not for them.

Let’s know some of them who has also won medals in the ring

Andrew Flintoff 

Andrew Flintoff Boxing

Flintoff retired from international cricket in 2009, but his only boxing fight made headlines for quite some time. The battle took place on 30th November 2012, where Flintoff beat Richard Dawson. It is the single professional boxing match Flintoff had. His fans, however, want to see more of him as a boxer and win some more fights. There is also a documentary on the off-spinner, Flintoff: From Lord’s to the Ring wherein he is shown as a professional boxer. 

Before his retirement, Flintoff used to play all three formats of cricket for England. He was the man of the series in 2005 Ashes. Later, he also served as a captain and then vice-captain of the English cricket team. In 2014-15, he was also a part of Australian Big-Bash. Apart from cricket and boxing, Flintoff has his fashion range name Jacamo. The multi-talented cricketer also presented and hosted several shows, including Cannonball (2017), BBC Top Gear (2019), Australian Ninja Warrior, etc.

 

Johnny Douglas

Jonny Douglas Boxing

John William Henry Tyler Douglas won 1908 Olympics as a middleweight boxer and 1905 ABA middleweight title even before he captained England in the 1911-12 Ashes. Times described his boxing style as one of the most brilliant and skillful. However, silver medal winner Snowy Baker claimed after 44 years that the Olympic results were dodgy because Douglas’s father was the referred and sole judge. 

Douglas was a fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman. He was nicknamed according to his initials JWHT; Johnny will hit today and conversely Johnny won’t hit today. In 1915, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year. However, his game remained suspended due to the world war. England cricket progressed under his captaincy for eighteen times. He drowned at the age of 48 in an accident. According to a witness, he was trying to save his father after the crash. A fighter, he was in real sense.

 

Adam Hollioake 

Well known for captioning England in ODI, Hollioake is now a professional athlete. Apart from England national cricket team, he also used to play for Surrey county cricket club. Hollioake was also named Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2003. His post cricket carrier includes professional encounters, which sometimes also comprises cage fights. Cage fights are combat games, wherein mixed martial arts (MMA) is the original style to score points. Adams is also involved in charitable works, media activities, and property development businesses. 

While in the business, Adam was an aggressive right-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler. He was captain of the England team who won the 1997 Sharjah Cup. He retired in 2004, but a made a comeback for 2005 Asian tsunami charity match and took a hat trick. Then, he played eight T20 games in 2007 for Essex. 

 

Bill Alley 

An ageless all-rounder from Somerset, Alley was the last English batsman to score 3000 runs in a single season. He used to play first-class cricket for Commonwealth XI, New South Wales, and Somerset. Bill was also a middleweight boxer who was undefeated for 28 matches. The running wagon had to stop because of an accident in nets, which led to a jaw surgery. 

Bill was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. More than 19, 000 runs, 768 wickets, and 267 catches describe how well he was aware of his playing skills and techniques. After Alley stopped playing cricket, he took the role of an umpire. He stood in ten test matches and nine one day internationals in his umpiring carrier of 16 years. Alley loved the West Country, England, and that’s why he never returned to his native place. He chose to live in the West County with his wife Betty, who gave birth to two boys later. 

 

Jack Massie

A tremendous left-arm bowler who took 99 wickets for New South Wales before World War I, where he also served as an officer in the Imperial force. Massie received shoulder injuries during the war that ended his cricketing career. However, before the war horrors, he won NSW Amateur Boxing Heavyweight Championship in 1913 followed by a state champion medal in 1914. 

Massie was a sportsperson by nature. He was about to play test cricket in 1914 as a part of South African tour, but the series was canceled. Jack was the second-rower in rugby union football for Sydney University. In 1913, he was also selected to tour New Zealand under Australian rugby squad but had to withdraw due to studies and examinations. Rowing and rifle shooting were some of his other interests. He died at the age of 75 because of cancer. 

 

This post is written by Stewart Dixon, a sports enthusiast and a cricket expert. He has extensive knowledge for different sports specially, cricket, football, and boxing etc.

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