The next high-profile celebrity boxing match could involve two of the NFL’s greatest running backs of the last 20 years.
Adrian Peterson and Le’Veon Bell are reportedly in talks to face off in the ring at an event at Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena on July 30, as first reported by TMZ Sports. The 30-year-old Bell has been slated to participate in the event, but his opponent has not yet been announced.
Now it’s possible that he could be squaring off with the 37-year-old Peterson.
The two running backs are among the greatest of their generation with 10 Pro Bowls and six First-Team All-Pro nominations between them. Peterson is a former MVP and still holds the NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single game (296), while Bell boasts a number of Steelers franchise accolades.
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Neither former All-Pro running backs are officially retired from the NFL, but each one’s productivity on the gridiron has dropped off in recent years. Bell last suited up for the Ravens and the Buccaneers in 2021, tallying 101 total rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Peterson got brief opportunities with the Titans and the Seahawks, racking up 98 yards and two scores of his own.
Both players are now free agents with the 2022 NFL season just a few months away. It’s possible that a foray into boxing, following the example of former 49ers ballcarrier Frank Gore, could signal that neither one expects to begin this year’s campaign with a team.
