Fans Name Top 20 Incredible Boxing Facts That Sound Fake But They Turned Out To Be True

Featured Image Credit: Jake Paul’s Instagram/PA

Boxing fans named YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson in their wild facts that sound fake but they are actually true.

SPORTbible took to Twitter to ask fans to share wild boxing facts from the long-standing history of the sport.

We also scoured the internet and turned to platforms like Reddit to find other facts that left fans raising their eyebrows in complete astonishment at what they read.

SPORTbible narrowed the list down to the top 20, so without further ado, here are the 20 best facts that sound fake but they turned out to be true (in no particular order, FYI).

1. ‘Jake Paul Won ESPN Ringside Knockout Of The Year’

Arguably the most polarising figure to enter the boxing world over the last 10 years — well, aside from older brother Logan Paul (0-1-0) — Jake Paul (5-0-0) still remains undefeated in his boxing career. Paul has not only managed to put butts in seats for his lucrative fights, but he has also waged a war of words with the likes of UFC president Dana White, MMA star Jorge Masvidal (35-15-0) and former Love Island star Tommy Fury (7-0-0).

Paul’s last outing in the squared circle came in a rematch against Tyron Woodley (0-2-0), following Fury’s withdrawal from their super-fight due to a bacterial chest infection and broken rib. The 25-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer fought through a nasty cut and eventually landed a clean — and devastating — right hook to knock out Woodley in the sixth round of their rematch at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Paul’s sensational KO victory in December 2021 earned him a place in ESPN Ringside’s Twitter readers’ poll for Knockout of the Year. The American star scooped the award after 68,248 votes were cast, with Paul vs Woodley taking home a whopping 56 per cent of the vote.

Fact credit: Twitter user @mikehodt

2. ‘Andrew Flintoff Is Still Unbeaten’

Yup, this one is wild! Andrew Flintoff (1-0-0) decided to pursue a short-lived boxing venture after his cricket career, but he only fought once inside the squared circle. The 44-year-old England fan favourite made his professional boxing debut at heavyweight against American Richard Dawson (6-3-2) in 2012. Flintoff, who retired from cricket in 2010, was knocked down by his opponent’s short left early in the second round. However, the 2005 Ashes hero rallied back in the four-round fight and went on to secure his victory on points.

Flintoff was 39-38 ahead on referee Phil Edwards’ scorecard at the Manchester Arena, but it proved to be his one and only outing in his then-fledgling boxing career. Only one month after his November 2012 clash, reports emerged that the former England cricket captain tore his shoulder ligament and would require surgery. But hey, at least Flintoff walked away undefeated like Floyd Mayweather (50-0-0) and Rocky Marciano (49-0-0) — albeit nowhere near in the same league when it comes to boxing legacies.

Fact credit: Twitter user @ryanmcfc85

3. ‘Floyd Mayweather Has A Longer Reach Than Mike Tyson’

Neither Floyd Mayweather nor Mike Tyson (50-6-0 (2)) were known for being the tallest of fighters, but Money having a longer reach than Iron Mike doesn’t seem right at face value. It is 100 per cent true, though. Mayweather is roughly 5’8” (173cm) and has a reach of 72in (183cm), while Tyson is believed to be 5’10” (178cm) and has a reach of 71in (180cm). The Baddest Man on the Planet might be the taller of the two men, but Mayweather takes home the bragging rights when it comes to reach.