Le’Veon Bell Goes Distance, But Loses First Pro Boxing Match

He hinted at retirement over the summer. He also expressed regret about how he went about things in Pittsburgh in 2018, and now, Le’Veon Bell has officially ventured into the highest ranks of another sport.

In his first professional boxing bout, the former Steelers tailback lost by unanimous decision on Saturday night to Uriah Hall. Hall, a 38-year-old who previously fought in the UFC, took the four-round encounter with a 40-36 result on each of the three judges’ scorecards.

The match took place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, and was part of the undercard for the pay-per-view clash between social-influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul and accomplished mixed martial artist Anderson Silva.

Despite being beaten, Bell impressed the lesser-known Hall, who was competing for the first time since his departure from UFC three months ago.

Bell’s boxing career started with a fifth-round knockout in an exhibition against fellow former NFL rusher Adrian Peterson in September. Two months prior to that, Bell tweeted that he was striving to draw a sellout audience in his hometown of Columbus.

i’ll give myself less than 2 years to sell out the arena in columbus, ohio and bring the city out … that’s the goal🏆

— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 15, 2022

Following the strong right hook he delivered to Peterson — another rusher who went from being a vaunted feature back to a journeyman — Bell made an interesting choice, considering his age. 

He decided to devote himself to the sport and ruled out a return to the gridiron — for this campaign, at least. In an attempt to demonstrate his determination, Bell turned down another proposed bout with Frank Gore, the NFL’s third all-time rusher, to take the one with Hall.

Since his days with the Steelers came to a close, Bell has played for the New York Jets and Kansas City. He also spent time with Baltimore and Tampa Bay last season.

In eight games between the Ravens and Buccaneers, Bell carried the football 39 times for 101 yards and a pair of scores. Tampa Bay cut him loose, though, after Leonard Fournette returned from an injury.

RELATED: Le’Veon Bell, Former Steelers RB, Steps Away from Football