So, in looking for more Vikings news this morning, I stumbled upon this article from a site called The Sweet Science that discusses Ray Edwards' declaration that he would step into the boxing ring if there is a prolonged NFL lockout in 2011. The gist of the article, as you'd probably expect from a site that's centered around boxing, is that Ray Edwards is simply setting himself up to get his butt kicked.
The fact of the matter is, football, body building and wrestling strength doesn't translate into ring strength. Just as boxing strength doesn't translate into football or body building strength. Boxers salivate when football players and body builders or power lifters wander into the gym with the mindset they can handle boxers. In my experience, they usually tried to get in the ring with the fighters their size who didn't have an imposing physique. And then they get their clocked cleaned by a guy who wasn't even leaning on his punches or trying to show him up.
Now, don't get me wrong. . .I like boxing, even though I don't know a hell of a lot about it. (If you want to learn more about boxing, though, I can't recommend any site more highly than SB Nation's outstanding boxing site, Bad Left Hook.) I'm just not so sure why these folks are so wrapped around the axle about this. Edwards has said that he's trained as a fighter, and I'm not sure I've ever seen him asking to get in the ring with Mike Ty. . .I mean, Evander Ho. . .I mean, Lennox Lew. . .you know, I don't know who the heck the prominent heavyweights even are any more, which is kind of sad.
Yes, he's probably going to fight a few guys that are on the bottom of the lower tier of the heavyweight food chain. Yes, there's a very good chance that he's going to get his clock cleaned (even though we don't know that for sure yet). But then the lockout will end, Ray Edwards will go back to playing football (whether it's in Minnesota or somewhere else), and there's a very good likelihood that nobody is going to remember that it even happened. Heck, the sound of a Brinks truck backing up to his house might even make Ray Edwards forget his boxing experience.
Ray Edwards is what the kids today might refer to as a "grown-ass man." He knows what stepping into a boxing ring would entail. If he wants to do so, seriously, it's not going to poison the sport or anything like that. To this point, all its done is brought publicity to a sport that could sorely use some.