Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul to join list of boxing's most unusual bouts: Wrestlers, Presidential candidates, five men?!
Ahead of Anthony Joshua facing YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami on Friday, look back at boxing's most unusual bouts featuring wrestlers, Presidential candidates and five men; boxing has never been shy of theatrical chaos; Joshua returns after suffering knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024
Tuesday 16 December 2025 14:08, UK
On Friday, Anthony Joshua returns to the ring for a surprise fight against YouTube star Jake Paul. Below, revisit some of the more unusual bouts from boxing history...
George Foreman vs Five Men
Following his surprising defeat to Muhammad Ali, George Foreman's fearsome reputation had taken an almighty hit. It was something he was struggling to deal with. The answer to restoring his reputation? Fighting five men in one afternoon in April 1975.
The Don King promotion was billed as "The Greatest Boxing Exhibition Spectacular" and had Ali on comms. It was generally seen as more of a publicity stunt than a legitimate challenge.
Foreman won all five bouts, the first three by stoppage. Fatigue eventually set in and showboating began, but the spectacle cemented the event in boxing folklore.
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Muhammad Ali vs Antonio Inoki
Muhammad Ali participated in a huge number of exhibition bouts over his career, but his 1976 match against Antonio Inoki in Tokyo was particularly memorable.
Inoki, Japan's marquee wrestling star, was restricted by stipulations preventing takedowns, submissions, throws or kicks while standing.
As a result, Inoki immediately dropped to his back from round one, repeatedly kicking upward at Ali. Inoki landed over 100 kicks with Ali barely landing a punch. Inoki was praised for surviving, while Ali's legs were left a mess. It was bizarre, it was farcical and it was somehow given as a draw.
Trevor Berbick vs Nobuhiko Takada
In another event literally promoted as "Boxer versus Wrestler," the former heavyweight world champion travelled to Japan in 1991 to face Nobuhiko Takada.
Berbick did not realise that Takada could kick below the belt. What followed was almost slapstick. Berbick repeatedly complained to the referee while Takada kicked him continuously.
Berbick left the ring without throwing a single punch, frustrated and humiliated.
Oscar De La Hoya vs Shaq O'Neill
One of the more forgettable bouts on the list took place in 2009 as part of a TV series. NBA star Shaquille O'Neal squared off with Oscar De La Hoya in four two-minute rounds while wearing headgear.
De La Hoya emerged the winner by an unofficial unanimous decision. Both the match and the series received widespread criticism.
Evander Holyfield vs Mitt Romney
In 2015, 68-year-old former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney took to the ring with 52-year-old Evander Holyfield.
Romey quipped, "The good news is that Evander Holyfield always hits above the belt, and sometimes in politics that isn't the way things are done."
The bout saw Holyfield fall to the mat early on, before Romney threw in the towel after two rounds. The good thing about this bout? It raised money for charity.
Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor
Even Jake Paul will struggle to match the financial success of the 2017 Mayweather-McGregor fight, which pulled in around $600m. Could a non-professional defeat one of boxing's greatest in his own sport? Unsurprisingly, the answer was no.
McGregor started reasonably well, showing sharpness in the early rounds, but it quickly became clear that his MMA striking power did not translate to boxing. Mayweather toyed with him, eventually stopping him late in the fight.
The outcome was hardly shocking given Mayweather's spotless 49-0 record, yet it still seemed to be to some MMA fans.
While Paul's bout with Joshua may raise eyebrows, it remains far less ridiculous than some of the historical oddities we've looked at. And that's the point to remember, for all its seriousness and skill, boxing has never been shy of theatrical chaos.
