Former Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo was once considered as one of the brightest upcoming fighters in the sport of boxing. He won his opening 11 bouts as a professional but left the sport following his 12th fight.
The British fighter is now making a name for himself in All Elite Wresting (AEW). Known as ‘The Guv’nor’, he has been involved in a number of roles since joining the brand in October 2019, including as a commentator and a wrestler.
Ogogo moved through the AEW ranks earlier this year as he made his debut on AEW Dynamite. He joined forces with Nick Comoroto, QT Marshall and Aaron Solow to attack Cody Rhodes.
The Guv’nor often describes himself as ‘having heavyweight power but middleweight speed’. He has looked very comfortable as a wrestler and could continue to climb the ranks to the very top of the AEW in the near future.
Ogogo’s latest feud in AEW came with another wrestling legend in the form of Billy Gunn. He is currently out of action due to surgery on his left eye but he has vowed to continue his rivalry with the veteran once he returns to the ring.
Ogogo Not First To Try Wrestling
Ogogo is not the first professional boxer to try wrestling. Some of the biggest names from the sport have also been involved in huge events.
Mike Tyson was one of the first to do so. The ‘Baddest Man on The Planet’ featured at WrestleMania XIV. He was the special enforcer for the WWE Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Floyd Mayweather took on the almighty challenge of facing the Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV. Despite the massive size difference, ‘Money’ was able to catch the seven-foot wrestler with a knockout punch.
More recently Tyson Fury was involved in a feud with Braun Strowman. He defeated ‘The Monster Among Men’ at the WWE PPV event Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The heavyweight world champion has hinted at a return to wrestling.
Fury’s immediate focus will be on defending his WBC against Deontay Wilder later this year. He has also been linked with a unification contest with WBA, IBF and WBO titleholder Anthony Joshua. The latter is expected to face Oleksandr Usyk in September where he is the odds-on favorite at -275 in the boxing betting to come out on top and keep a showdown with Fury for all four major belts alive.
The Gypsy King could make a permanent switch to professional wrestling once he has achieved everything he has set out to do in boxing. He has gone down on record to say how much he enjoyed his stint in 2019.
Ogogo And Others Have Shown Link Between Two Sports Is Strong
Ogogo’s success in both sports has shown there are a lot of similarities between boxing and professional wrestling. The physicality and fitness required to compete in these two sports mean that competitors need to be at the very highest level.
A lot of work is done behind the cameras to prepare for the big events inside the ring. Without hours of training every day, a career in either sport would not be possible.
It is going to be interesting to see if others in boxing see what Ogogo has done and try to replicate his success in professional wrestling.
Steve Hollands
July 28, 2021 at 1:44 pm
Great to see Ogogo doing so well for himself in wrestling. I wasn’t are he was in the AEW. Great article this!