Le'Veon Bell has big plans for his pro boxing career

LOS ANGELES - Le'Veon Bell sat connected the ringing apron wrong Mayweather Boxing and Fitness successful Hollywood, wiped the sweat from his forehead and narrowed his eyes. Just a fewer weeks earlier, Bell connected connected punches that dropped -- and yet knocked retired -- chap erstwhile NFL moving backmost Adrian Peterson successful an accumulation boxing match.

That moment, Bell said, was thing similar immoderate experiences helium has ever had connected the shot field. The erstwhile All-Pro called it "one of the champion feelings successful the world."

"That takes the barroom with anything," Bell told ESPN. "I've ne'er felt thing earlier similar that."

Bell has been bitten hard by the boxing bug. He utilized it arsenic cardio grooming during his NFL offseasons and fell successful emotion with it. In 2020, Bell started to springiness existent thought to the athletics being thing helium would bash aft his shot career. With his shot vocation winding down, the erstwhile Pittsburgh Steelers prima decided helium didn't privation to beryllium successful the NFL anymore -- helium wanted to box.

On Saturday, conscionable 7 weeks aft helium TKO'd Peterson, Bell volition marque his nonrecreational boxing debut connected the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva undercard successful Glendale, Arizona. The hostile volition beryllium a important measurement up successful competition: MMA combatant Uriah Hall, who is tied for the astir knockouts successful the past of the UFC middleweight division.

Hall is simply a dense favourite successful the sportsbooks. That's conscionable good with Bell, who is simply looking for the champion accidental to beryllium himself successful a caller sport.

"I gotta beryllium each successful connected boxing if I'm gonna bash this, due to the fact that it's not thing you tin play astir with if you privation to beryllium the champion astatine it," Bell said. "I'm not astir to bash thing if I ain't trying to beryllium the champion astatine it, to beryllium honest. I'm not doing this arsenic a hobby. I'm not conscionable doing it to effort and get wealth oregon immoderate benignant of fame. For me, it's much for myself. See however acold I tin go."

Bell, 30, played parts of 8 seasons successful the NFL and made much than $45 cardinal successful wage during that time, per Spotrac.com. He was an elite subordinate astatine moving back, 1 of the astir physically demanding positions successful the sport, for ample stretches, making first-team All-Pro doubly and getting selected to 3 Pro Bowls.

Now, his extremity is to go a champion successful boxing and helium knows successful bid to bash that helium has to combat elite boxers. At 0-0 arsenic a pro, though, that's presently impossible. Bell understands helium has to enactment his mode up and helium considers himself "blessed" to beryllium connected a large paper similar Paul vs. Silva owed to his name. He knows the immense bulk of athletes astatine his acquisition level would not beryllium capable to propulsion that off.

"I don't privation to disrespect those boxers," said Bell, who has been grooming astatine respective facilities successful Los Angeles, including Fortune Gym. "When I bash person the opportunities, I'm gonna amusement radical due to the fact that this is wherever I belong."

The bout with Hall has been contracted for 4 rounds astatine 195 pounds. The 2 men volition deterioration 10-ounce gloves. Hall is besides making his pro boxing debut, though helium is simply a 17-year pro successful MMA with a high-level inheritance successful karate.

Bell said helium respects Hall and explicitly wanted a pugnacious matchup successful his pro debut. Bell envisions imaginable aboriginal fights with Jake Paul, his member Logan oregon YouTuber/rapper KSI, and past yet bouts with the champion boxers successful the cruiserweight division.

His adjacent family, Bell said, are supportive of his caller sporting endeavor. Some friends, though, are connected the fence. This play is simply a accidental to show precisely what helium has been doing successful a ringing implicit the past fewer months and years.

"Everybody benignant of thinks I'm conscionable talking astir it," Bell said. "They don't cognize each the hard enactment and sacrifices I've made to get to this constituent here. That's wherefore Oct. 29 is simply a large accidental to amusement radical what I've been doing."

Bell is looking guardant to experiencing much emotions similar the ones helium felt by beating Peterson.

"I'm not doing this to conscionable chopped the cheque and get a small Instagram followers," helium said. "I'm trying to bash this to amusement radical I'm 1 of the champion athletes that's walking astir connected this Earth."

Where does Jake Paul spell aft this weekend?

This is simply a large combat for Paul, 1 helium told ESPN past period is the biggest helium has been progressive with truthful far. That's accurate. Silva was a bigger sanction -- and amended combatant -- successful the UFC than past Paul opponents, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. The matchup is intriguing. The oddsmakers person it fundamentally even. Boxing radical deliberation Paul should manhandle a 47-year-old who has lone 3 pro boxing fights connected his résumé. MMA radical retrieve Silva and conscionable however superb helium tin look. They judge Silva volition portion Paul up and/or decorativeness him.

If Paul wins this weekend, what does it truly mean? It depends connected however helium does it. A knockout implicit Silva volition instrumentality successful people's minds and Paul volition surely person much large fights connected the horizon. A Tommy Fury combat successful the UK is possible. Even if Paul loses, that volition astir apt inactive beryllium the case, but he'd person to physique himself up a spot more. That matchup with KSI -- 1-0 arsenic a pro boxer, a 2019 divided determination implicit Logan Paul -- is ever there.

A nonaccomplishment to Silva is what galore are expecting, truthful it apt would not harm Paul's estimation to a immense degree. Silva does person a triumph implicit erstwhile satellite champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who mightiness beryllium past his premier and going done the motions, but inactive has a acold amended résumé than Paul. Perhaps a Silva triumph present could besides pb to a rematch with Paul. The question of, what precisely is the marketplace for aboriginal Paul fights mightiness beryllium answered successful Arizona.

Where does Anderson Silva spell aft this weekend?

Wherever helium wants, really. At 47 years aged and with a beingness of combat sports experience, Silva could proceed connected with much boxing matches and exhibitions oregon bent up the gloves. It seems similar he's inactive having amusive successful the combat game, arsenic his property conferences with Paul and playful banter with emcee (and erstwhile hated rival) Chael Sonnen would demonstrate. If Silva wins, he'll stay a beauteous marketable sanction connected this circuit of boxing events featuring MMA legends, YouTubers, athletes from different sports and pseudo-celebrities. Even with a loss, that would astir apt beryllium the case, too. A victory, though, could get Silva 1 truly big, last payday, adjacent if it's a rematch against Paul.

What different storylines connected Paul vs. Silva are worthy watching?

Chris Avila, from Nate Diaz's squad retired of Stockton, California, is facing YouTuber Mikhail "Dr. Mike" Varshavski successful a pro boxing match. Varshavski is wildly fashionable and People mag named him the sexiest doc live successful 2015. He seems to beryllium a legit jock and has an accumulation triumph implicit chap YouTuber Ian "iDubbbz" Carter from backmost successful May. It'll beryllium absorbing to spot him interact during combat week with Avila and Team Diaz, who are ne'er shy astir throwing down astatine immoderate hint of disrespect.

Diaz, meanwhile, is connected his mode to being a escaped cause aft helium fought retired his UFC declaration past period with a triumph implicit Tony Ferguson astatine UFC 279. Diaz is inactive nether an exclusive negotiating play with the UFC and cannot speech to anyone close now, but determination person agelong been rumors that Jake Paul and Diaz could container successful the aboriginal and that would surely beryllium a combat that does exceedingly good astatine the container bureau and connected pay-per-view. Avila was connected the Paul vs. Woodley undercard past December, beating Paul's sparring spouse Anthony Taylor. It's surely not a coincidence that Paul's squad continues to bash concern with Team Diaz. Avila, a UFC and Bellator veteran, besides represents perchance the debut of Diaz's caller promotion Real Fight Inc. What volition that really look like? It's thing to support an oculus on.

For the boxing purists, support an oculus connected Paul's 18-year-old uber imaginable Ashton Sylve. He'll beryllium successful the co-main lawsuit against Braulio Rodriguez, representing a monolithic measurement up for Sylve, whom Paul's Most Valuable Promotions believes volition beryllium the adjacent large happening successful boxing. Sylve is conscionable 7-0, portion Rodriguez is 20-4 and fought stud lightweight Ryan Garcia 2 fights agone successful a knockout loss.