Rio Ferdinand battles boxing training with 50kg weight added to press-up routine
Manchester United hero is moving into the fight game with an eye on a February 2018 debut at cruiserweight
RIO FERDINAND is training hard for his long-awaited boxing debut with a brutal press-up routine helping to toughen-up the Manchester United hero.
The defender-turned-contender is aiming to have his first professional fight in 2018 after accepting the challenge from a betting company to switch sports.
Trainer Mel Deane revealed his star pupil was working out with a 50kg weigh on his back as the 39-year-old prepares for a February fight.
The 39-year-old is working on strength and conditioning with Deane and honing his technical boxing skills with former super-middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall.
When the shock career change was announced there was confusion surrounding Ferdinand’s goals as the first press release spoke of the ex-centre-back fighting for titles.
But it appears aspirations for a cruiserweight career have been toned down as he first must prove to the British Boxing Board of Control that he is worthy of a licence.
Betfair, the financial force behind Ferdinand’s new job, said: “Rio is showing big improvement as he steps up his training on his journey to gain a professional boxing licence.”
Ferdinand has been training so regularly with new girlfriend Kate Wright in his massive garden there are reports she will move in with him and his children.
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A showbiz source told The Sun: “She’s all but moved in already – Kate and Rio are inseparable.
“It’s the next natural step for them – after spending so much time together in Dubai, it seems ridiculous that she’d move back to her flat in Essex.
“She already spends a lot of time at Rio’s and keeps a lot of her stuff there too. It’s only a matter of time until they make it official.”