Wayne Rooney regularly texts asking for an opportunity in the boxing ring, Eddie Hearn has revealed.
Hearn – one of the biggest boxing promoters in the world – says the England and Manchester United legend messages him asking for a chance in the ring, possibly against a social media star.
And the Matchroom Boxing supremo believes Birmingham City manager Rooney would be a capable fighter should a bout be arranged.
“After every big fight, especially with a YouTuber, sometimes Rooney will fire me a message,” the promoter said.
“Wayne Rooney, had a very limited amateur pedigree, but could still fight, after 12 weeks of training, he would be in unbelievable shape.”
Influencer boxing – in which social media stars and celebrities have taken to the ring – has exploded in recent years, drawing big crowds and pay-per-view TV audiences.
And speaking on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast, Hearn even picked out one social media star who would be a dream match-up for the 37-year-old.
“Wayne Rooney against Jake Paul at Old Trafford,” he said.
Whilst the suggestion was met with laughter, Hearn has previously revealed that Rooney himself has asked for that fight.
“I have actually spoken to Wayne a few times about a Jake Paul fight,” he has said. “Normally, if he has a couple of glasses of red (wine) he will fire in a couple of messages to me at night going, ‘Listen, I want to fight that geezer.'”
Whilst he is best known for promoting big-name fighters such as British legend Anthony Joshua, Hearn has previously dabbled in influencer boxing, having promoted KSI vs Logan Paul 2 in 2019, a fight in which he revealed “we made a fortune”.
Hearn also jokingly expressed an interest in helping set up a football pundit charity boxing event, involving another Manchester United legend, Roy Keane – a co-host of the podcast – facing long-term rival Alan Shearer
The Irishman brushed it off, but Hearn insisted: “It would be the best night, the funniest night.”
The promoter says many celebrities are keen to showcase their skills in the ring, leading Jamie Carragher to point to close friend Gary Neville and joke: “They’d be queuing up to knock the s*** out of him.”
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