Adrian Peterson is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of football. However, he never boxed.
Thus, the 15-year NFL veteran is training seriously for his upcoming boxing match with fellow poker player Joe “Baby Joe” Castaneda. TMZ Sports released video footage of the former Minnesota Vikings running back training this week.
The video showed the 40-year-old in the ring throwing plenty of punches at his trainer’s mitted hands. Peterson seemed slim and ready to duke it out. The celebrity news site also released a video of Castaneda training as well.
The two men will be squaring off as part of a Celebrity Boxing bout after a video went viral last month showing them in a fistfight at a Houston poker room on May 27. The poker-inspired pugilism left both men bloodied after the fracas spilled out across the poker room.
Staff at the establishment didn’t call the police and neither man was punished by the poker room. Both apparently later returned to the poker table. Castaneda signed a contract for the match earlier this month and now it appears Peterson is on board as well.
“Time to get in shape and sharpening up these hands to put on a show!” Castaneda told TMZ. “Baby Joe is here for all the smoke! South Houston, let’s get it!”
A date for the boxing match hasn’t been announced yet. Watch the videos of both training below.
The rematch with Castaneda comes after Peterson was ordered by a Houston judge in September to turn over assets to settle a $12 million debt. The issue stems from a $5.2 million loan that the former NFL MVP took out in 2016. Penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees have accumulated since then to make the debt much larger, according to reports.
Poker Has A History Of Settling Scores In The Ring
This isn’t the first time poker players have headed to the ring. In 2019, Antonio Esfandiari scored a win against comedian Kevin Hart. Poker pros Olivier Busquet and JC Alvarado squared off in an MMA ring in 2016 to settle a six-figure bet.
Poker pro and YouTuber Frank Cucchiara also engaged in a sparring session earlier this year with former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
