Le’Veon Bell Wants to Box Vontaze Burfict
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is 1-1 as a professional boxer after beating JMX in April, but he’s already thinking about his next fight and it’s another former NFL player that is on his mind.
Appearing on a recent Misfits Boxing podcast, Bell was asked if there is someone that he wants to challenge next.
“There is, it’s just that this person is not a boxer,” Bell said. “It’s someone from football. They had purposely injured me. I don’t think I want to say the name, but people who watched my career when I hurt my knee, people know. Yeah, people know. I would love to put my hands on him in the ring.”
Bell Tweeted that clip from the show on Sunday night, adding that “I know the real Steeler fans know this one for sure.”
Bell is referring to former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who tore Bell’s MCL with a hip drop tackle in November 2015. Bell said after the game that he thought the Bengals were intentionally trying to injure him and Steelers linebacker Vince Williams said that he heard Burfict brag about the hit.
Bell missed the Steelers postseason, which ended with a 23-16 Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos, during which backup Fitzgerald Touissant had just 39 yards on 12 carries and a costly lost fumble while Bell could only watch.
The NFL has considered banning the hip drop tackle after it has caused a number of injuries.
Burfict became notorious for his number dirty hits as a member of the Cincinnati defense, including a personal foul against Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the 2015 playoffs that helped cost the Bengals the game. He was also fined in 2018 for hits against Brown and Steelers running back James Conner.
Burfict has not played in the NFL since incurring a 12-game suspension from the league in 2019 after a helmet-to-helmet hit against Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle.
Burfict was listed at 255 pounds during his playing days, 30 more than Bell. Bell has weighed in at under 200 pounds for his boxing matches, making him a crusierweight under most jurisdictions.
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