Wayne Rooney 'in talks' to make boxing debut at Misfits event

In a surprise turn of events, former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney has reportedly held talks with Misfits Boxing over a potential fight.

The 38-year-old, who was sacked by Championship side Birmingham City in January after recording just two wins from 15 matches, is considering an unexpected in-ring debut.

In fact, a move to Misfits – a crossover boxing promotion founded by YouTuber KSI and run by Kalle and Nisse Sauerland – is seen as a 'serious option' for the retired footballer following talks, according to the Mirror.

It must be stated that Rooney has yet to agree to any terms, with discussions at an 'early stage' but the former Everton man has always shown an interest in the sport.

Back in December 2022, Misfits founder KSI confirmed that Rooney had challenged him to a boxing fight.

Speaking at a press conference, KSI said: "It's funny, and I hope he doesn't get annoyed that I'm saying this, but Wayne Rooney hit me up saying 'oh we should fight'.

"I said 'no', I just don't want to do that but if Wayne Rooney is down, I think it would be good to have him in the [influencer boxing] space."

A month earlier, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury claimed Rooney had agreed to be part of his fight camp for his undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.

"I spoke to Wayne last night and he's well up for it," Fury said in an interview with iTV in 2022.

"But he's a right-handed person, so he has to switch up to be a southpaw, left-handed. So we're going to bring Wayne in for preparation for Usyk."

Image credit: Getty

When asked if he was joking, Fury responded: "No, [I'm being] very very serious. He's agreed, so he's going to come into camp for about four weeks and help me. I'm a big fan of his as well."