Former Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams spent the last few seasons of his NBA career fighting for his spot in the league. Now, he’ll be fighting inside of the squared circle.
Williams is scheduled to make his boxing debut on the undercard of the Jake Paul/Tommy Fury match against an undetermined opponent. Since his NBA retirement, Williams has apparently been actively been training in MMA, earning an endorsement from retired UFC fighter Rashad Coulter.
“Deron can scrap bro!”
Rumors are already swirling about who Williams’ opponent might be. One name that has surfaced is former NFL player Frank Gore. Such a bout would see Williams trying to leverage a length advantage while avoiding potentially lethal blows from the significantly stronger Gore.
It’s one thing to say a guy is built like a running back. Gore was a running back.
While this contest may sound like a lot of fun to longtime Utah Jazz fans, it will likely take place much to the chagrin of boxing purists. The increasing popularity of novelty celebrity matches over the past couple of years has cheapened the sport in the eyes of many who hold it dear.
On the other hand, it seems as if Williams has been training actively since his somewhat premature NBA retirement. If the former face of the Utah Jazz franchise is serious about the craft, he may stand to win-over the sport’s gatekeepers.
Arguably, Williams demonstrated many qualities in the NBA that could translate into boxing. In his prime, he was known for his quick processing speed, understanding of space, and timing. Hopefully, those traits will serve him as well in the squared circle as they did on the hardwood.
Williams is one of the best guards in Utah Jazz history. On December 18th, we’ll find out whether he can truly “scrap”.