NFL player Tommy Zbikowski likely returning to the ring 3/12

http://twitter.com/danrafaelespn#

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/spo...zbikowski_scheduled_for_pro_boxing_match.html

Report: Zbikowski scheduled for pro boxing match

Some people may remember when he fought his pro debut in Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Cotto-Malignaggi with some of his Notre Dame teammates in the crowd.

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Yeah I remember him. Those lefts at the end were Cooney-Norton-esque.

 

Bob Arum likes Notre Dame kids. Not sure this directly ties in, but ND graduate Mike Lee had his fourth pro fight on the Donaire-Montiel undercard.

http://www.toprank.com/ViewArticle....B_OEM_ID=23700&ATCLID=204896374&Q_SEASON=2011

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Polack-Irish is an easy sell on the East Coast I guess.

 

It does sell well on the east coast; however, this kid is from the Chicago area which has the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw!

I followed this kid as a high school football player because I was in sports radio at one point. Nebraska was very big on him. He played QB and was a hell of an athlete running the option. Turner Gil, former Nebraska great, who was a QB himself specifically told me in an interview that he LOVED the guy's footwork which was a direct result of his boxing background.

Incidentally, Gil also called me about a local QB here in Jacksonville, named Albert Chester, who eventually ended up at Florida A&M after getting screwed by Stanford.

 

He is a very poor football player. If he's any good he should go to boxing, and give further credence to the theory that all of boxing's best athletes are in the NFL, much to Irish's chagrin. ::

 

He's not a bad player. He's just as solid as any other solid NFL lifer. He won't be a star, but he's far from a scrub!

 

No. Coming from a Ravens fan who watches all their games.

Truly awful player.

I've never seen him play an actual position, safety though.

But, wow. Most inept punt returner I've ever seen. Slow, no vision whatsoever, and flat out doesn't know how to return punts.

Example.

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He was actually replaced mid-season and therefore probably won't play another down for Baltimore.

 

Despite the "Circus" Atmosphere that the Notre Dame & NFL Attachment will Bring, Zbikowski had a RESPECTABLE Ammy Boxing Background...He's Boxed Off & On Since Childhood, as Opposed to just Being Some Football Player who's Tipping his Toe Into Boxing....

If he's Matched Right, Dude Could Become a Certified STAR in a Few Years...

REED:cheer:

 

The word is spreading...

I guess this makes an interesting "how did you spend your summer" topic for potentially out of work football players.

 

he isnt good enough at boxing to make more than 200-300Gs a year. he should play football as long as he can

bob arum sure does like side shows

 

Yes he does. Unfortunately for him, it appears Christy Martin may not be able to fight on the ppv.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=36561

I wonder if she'll still make the CBS rounds. I'm thinking yes.

 

she's white, but wont be able to fight.

 

Brent Celek's wife is taking up boxing...has someone told Bob Arum yet?

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...

 

"Once he got his first bout at age 10, it didn't take Tommy Zbikowski long to fill his amateur boxing book.
"My official record is 66-13," he said, with several exhibitions not counted."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-06-05/sports/0606050080_1_tommy-zbikowski-boxing-cystic/2

There is no reason to believe he has the potential to become a star in boxing. Guys with 66-13 amateur records and zero am titles (to my knowledge) don't project to be successes in the pro game. At all.

 

I agree that he may not be a star fighter, at least not as a heavyweight. I think he'd be a solid cruiserweight. In this day and age, there have been "project" guys who have gone on to do something in boxing.

Kermit Cintron did not have much of an amateur background; neither did Hasim Rahman; Saul Alvarez did not have any amateur fights and David Lemeiux may have won a few Canadian championships but did not have any international success.

I really like Lemeiux, too but who's to say he won't be another Matthew Hilton? Now that was another Canadian that dominated their amateur ranks but was just solid as a pro.

For good measure, Jorge Paez only had two amateur fights and turned out to be pretty good for a while, at least.

With all of that said, 'ol Tommy is an intense, intelligent guy and if he were smart he'd stick with football.

 

He actually looked pretty good.

 

Better than I expected for sure. The guy he was fighting was a big uncoordinated oaf though.

 

I don't see this going beyond the Butterbean 4-round undercard attraction, and if it does, it will only be after his football career is over and he's allowed to box.

 

Uuuuh, Guys w/FEWER than 80 Ammy Fights HAVE Become Stars...For Instance, Chavez, Jr. had ZERO Ammy Fights...If Moved @ the RIGHT Pace, Tommy Z Can Become a MAINSTREAM Boxing STAR...

That's NOT To Say that he'll B an Elite Level, World Class, Potential HALL OF FAME Fighter, it just Means that he'll B MARKETABLE...



REED:dancingBaby:

 

I wasn't expecting much to be honest, thats why i thought he looked good.

 

My point has nothing to do with how many am fights, but how relatively unsuccessful he was as an amateur.

I agree that Zbi can make money in the sport if matched up correctly and if his chin can withstand the invariable shots that even bad fighters will land against him. The problem is that even bad fighters hit pretty hard and most people don't have good chins.

 

He's making the rounds...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...s-hed-knock-out-chad-ochocinco-in-45-seconds/

 

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If I remember correctly, this kid won the chicago golden gloves.

And 66-13 is an excellent amateur record these days for guys from the states...especially heavyweights.

 

What's next...

http://www.southbendtribune.com/spo...to-stay-busy-in-ring-20110314,0,7956091.story

 

There's been talk of a fight card at Notre Dame in September, to coincide with a golden domer football game.

I guess if the NFL isn't back by then, there's a chance he could be on it as well.

Given how light his opposition is, he can pretty much fight as often as he wants until the NFL resumes.

 

REED's Got No Problem w/that, for Now...Most Prospects DON'T Begin to Face Even MODERATELY Durable Guys til their 10th Fight or So...Zbikowski has Built In APPEAL & Just Enough of a Boxing History to Garner the RESPECT of Hardcore Fans....

This ISN'T Ed "Too Tall" Jones, All of a Sudden Deciding to Give Boxing a Shot....WAR Tommy Z!!!!....



REED:cheer:

 

This is actually a current headline on ESPN's front page (http://www.espn.go.com/)..."Steward trains Ravens' Zbikowski for next fight"

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6246198

Emanuel Steward trains Tom Zbikowski

The story is from Chris Mannix of SI.com:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/mma/boxing/03/21/zbikowski.steward/index.html


NFLer-turned-boxer Zbikowski hires Hall of Fame trainer Steward


Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski has hired Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Steward, Steward told SI.com. Steward will work Zbikowski's corner when Zbikowski fights on the undercard of the Yuri Gamboa-Jorge Solis featherweight title fight Saturday night in Atlantic City.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/mma/boxing/03/21/zbikowski.steward/index.html#ixzz1HLajlSqW