Boxing is one of the toughest sports, requiring not only the willingness to get punched in the face, but also great cardio and incredible discipline.
In the weeks and months leading up to a big fight, boxers will eschew takeout meals and the occasional beer to ensure they are in top physical shape to step into the ring.
So who can blame them for putting on a few pounds when they finally hang up the gloves?
Some sports legends have become almost unrecognizable as they enjoy the fruits of their labor by indulging in the finer things in life.
One of those boxers is Prince Naseem Hamedwho was recently spotted in Windsor looking quite different from his heyday.
Despite the 48-year-old’s weight gain, he revealed that he was the happier than ever.
“I’ve never been to a better place,” he said. “I wish I could walk around with a camera, the amount of people stopping and talking to me!”
However, Naseem is far from the only fighter to lose his ripped figure after retiring…
Prince Naseem Hamed
Prince Naseem is one of the best featherweight fighters of all time.
In an illustrious career, ‘Naz’ wowed fans with his bravado that eventually led to him winning the WBC, IBF and IBO featherweight belts.
But the legendary boxer’s appearance is now almost unrecognizable from the days when he ruled the ring.
Naseem retired from boxing two decades ago following the final victory of his professional career against Manuel Calvo.
(Image: Getty Images)
It came a year after his upset loss to Marco Antonio Barrera, which was the only loss Naseem suffered in 37 fights.
The flamboyant 48-year-old is currently renting a £1.4million terraced house that overlooks Windsor Castle, making him a neighbor of the Queen.
He has been photographed as having packed on a considerable amount of weight since his days as a featherweight champion, but says he is as happy as ever.
(Image: REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Mike Tyson
Dominating the heavyweight division during its heyday, Tyson became the most feared fighter on the planet.
And hitting the scales with around 15 pounds of pure muscle during the peak of his career, many opponents were defeated before they even stepped into the ring.
He became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of 20 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986 and would go on to become the undisputed king.
But after he retired from professional boxing in 2006, his weight skyrocketed.
In 2009 he got a big break, playing himself in the hit movie The Hangover.
But it was around this time that the former boxer began to have serious problems with his weight: he reached 27th place and was declared “clinically obese”.
He has gotten back into shape in recent years after revealing he had adopted a vegan diet and even returned to the ring in 2020 for an exhibition fight with former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr.
tony bellew
Tony Bellew saw his weight skyrocket after he hung up the gloves.
The former cruiserweight world champion laid three stones upon his retirement.
He was the 14th ranked 3-pounder when he weighed in to fight Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in November 2018 and just a few months after retiring his weight hit 17 1/2.
(Image: INSTAGRAM/TONY BELLEW)
speaking to Men’s Health United KingdomBellew revealed how, at his worst, he was embarrassed to make television appearances because his suits didn’t fit him, and how even leaving the house became a problem.
He said: “It just got to the point where I wasn’t happy with myself.
“At that point, the writing is on the wall if I’m being totally honest, and you have to try to find a way to get through it yourself.”
Since then, Belew has adopted a fitness regimen that includes mile-long swims and a low-calorie diet and is back in shape.
Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton he was nicknamed ‘Ricky Fatton’ during his career and regularly gained weight between fights.
The four-time world champion finally retired in November 2012 after his loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko, posting an overall record of 45 wins and three losses in 48 fights.
During his boxing career, Hatton, 43, used to make jokes about how he swelled up between fights and had to lose 40 pounds to get in shape for each fight due to his unhealthy diet.
He took on a fuller figure more permanently during his retirement, but fans were shocked by Ricky. weightloss before his return to the ring against Marco Antonio Barrera on July 2.
George Foreman
George Foreman often struggled with his weight during his career.
After an iconic career, the former world heavyweight champion came out of retirement in 1987, aged 38.
(Image: GETTY)
It had been 10 years since he competed properly and he was very out of shape.
He trained hard, but had shot up to around 21 1/2 stone or 300 pounds and tipped the scales at 19 1 pounds for his comeback win over Steve Zouski.
Foreman won the world title again at age 45 in 1994, retiring four years later.
He has had ups and downs with his weight since his retirement.
Riddick Bowe
Former world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe added some weight following his retirement in 2008.
He was due to return to the ring for a celebrity boxing match against basketball star Lamar Odom in October of last year.
But images have emerged of a full-figured Bowe looking stiff and unprepared for a fight while shadow boxing in a gym.
(Image: 2012 The Ring Magazine)
Celebrity Boxing decided to cancel the fight citing “safety” concerns.
To stay up to date with the latest news, be sure to sign up for one of our newsletters. here.
