Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will enter the ring next Saturday in the latest edition of two pro athletes going head to head in a unique showdown — whether or not it’s in their primary sport. Here’s a look at how that has worked out for others in the past:
Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki
Sport: Boxing | Year: 1976
The showdown in Tokyo pitted the American boxing heavyweight champion against the Japanese wrestler known as one of the best in his own sport. The end result was a 15-round draw, but Ali didn’t land a punch until the seventh round. While the fight nearly resulted in Ali getting his leg amputated (injured and infected by Inoki’s kicking), it was a preview of modern mixed martial arts to come.
Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs
Sport: Tennis | Year: 1973
The most famous edition of the “Battle of the Sexes” was held in the Houston Astrodome for a matchup between the 55-year-old Riggs and the 29-year-old King. With an estimated 90 million watching worldwide on TV, King swept away Riggs in three sets. As the winner, King won $100,000 but earned even more for the recognition of women’s tennis.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Julius Erving
Sport: Basketball | Year: 1992
In a $19.95 pay-per-view special, the two Hall of Famers (after both had retired) faced off in a game of one-on-one dubbed as the “Clash of the Legends” at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. It proved to be not much of a contest with Jabbar taking down Dr. J, 41-23.
Jose Canseco vs. Vai Sikahema
Sport: Boxing | Year: 2008
The outspoken baseball player who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs evidently was not using enough when he got in the ring against the former NFL return man-turned Philadelphia sportscaster. Sikahema, who accepted the challenge from Canseco for $30,000, knocked out the juicer in the first round despite being 40 pounds lighter and seven inches shorter.
Tonya Harding vs. Samantha Browning
Sport: Boxing | Year: 2003
A year after she appeared on FOX’s “Celebrity Boxing,” Harding made her pro boxing debut when she put on the gloves against housecleaner Samantha Browning as the undercard for a Mike Tyson bout. The figure skater, known for setting up an attack on Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Olympics, lost a split decision that the Associated Press wrote “featured more stumbling than punching.”
Mark Gastineau vs. Derrick Dukes
Sport: Boxing | Year: 1991
One was a former Jet and the other was an American Wrestling Association star, but the end result wouldn’t tell you that — depending on who you believe. Gastineau, the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, knocked out Dukes in 12 seconds. It was later reported that Dukes allegedly took a dive to help fix the match.
Michael Phelps vs. Great White Shark
Sport: Swimming | Year: 2017
Though the race was billed as man versus shark swimming going side-by-side, viewers were disappointed when they tuned in and saw it was done virtually. Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist who got outfitted with his own fin, could not outlast his most dangerous foe in the 100-meter swim in the waters off South Africa.
