Andrew Flintoff: Ex-England cricketer plans boxing career

 

Former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff's plan to become a professional boxer is not just for one fight, according to his trainer and former world champion Barry McGuigan.

Flintoff is planning a heavyweight fight in Manchester on 30 November against an opponent yet to be decided.

And McGuigan told BBC Radio Manchester that Flintoff is planning more bouts.

"It's not a one-off," he said. "He wants to fight a number of times. He has ambition, he wants to fight again."

Flintoff's progress is being filmed for a television documentary, although any possible bout would depend on Flintoff being granted a licence by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Andrew Flintoff factfile

Andrew Flintoff
  • Made first-class debut for Lancashire in 1995
  • Scored 3,845 runs and took 226 wickets in 79 Tests for England
  • Won the Ashes in 2005 and 2009
  • Also played in 141 one-day internationals and seven T20 matches
  • Retired from all forms of cricket in 2010

The 34-year-old retired from Test cricket following England's Ashes victory in 2009 and from all forms of the game a year later, with years of injury problems finally taking their toll.

He played 79 Test matches and 141 one-day internationals for his country, and is widely recognised as one of the most successful all-rounders that England has ever produced.

On his quest to become a professional boxer, Flintoff said: "This is an amazing opportunity to try a sport that I love, to be tutored by a man I respect and admire and, at the age of 34, the chance to become a professional sportsman again.

"It's a huge challenge, probably the biggest I have ever undertaken, especially in such a short time-frame."

The former world featherweight champion McGuigan, 51, added: "A lot of guys feel they want to do something else. He called it quits with the cricket because he had too many injuries.

"He's always doing something. He's cycled from Athens to London for charity, he rowed the Channel with John Bishop for charity, and just last week he cycled 140 miles in honour of Tom Maynard.

"Andrew's a very fit, determined and focused individual, he wants a challenge in his life and this certainly is that.

"He's very good at throwing the right hand, he's got good feet and I was very impressed with him.

"He's a got a long way to go and it's a different story hitting a punchbag to fighting in front of potentially 10,000 people, so it's a big ask of him."