Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski is preparing for a boxing match next weekend at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And he says he hopes it won’t be his last fight of the offseason.
Asked on a conference call today whether he might fight three or four times this offseason, Zbikowski said he hopes so -- and he thinks working out in the boxing gym is a great way to stay in shape before the season starts.
“I think that’s definitely possible,” Zbikowski said. “I’ve been more functional in my training with not a lot of weight training. Right now I’m at about five and a half rounds of fighting at my pace without getting tired. So I’d like to keep working in the gym and keep up my pace and be able to fight six or seven rounds. I mean, if you’re able to keep that pace, then four rounds shouldn’t be that much for you and right now four and five rounds is feeling really good.”
NFL player contracts prohibit activities like boxing that are likely to cause injury, but as a restricted free agent who hasn’t signed his tender offer, Zbikowski has no contract. If he wants to keep boxing professionally during the offseason, he can just wait until closer to the start of the season to sign his tender. In theory, he could go through his whole NFL career signing one-year contracts at the start of training camp and then boxing during the free agency period.
And Zbikowski said he’s not worried about getting hurt in the ring -- he thinks boxing is safer than football.
“Other than getting knocked out there is not really that many problems that are going to happen,” Zbikowski said. “There’s not really going to be any torn ACLs or bad ankles. Things like that. I’ve never actually been injured in a fight or sparring. All of my injuries have come more from football more than anything.”
Promoter Bob Arum said Zbikowski will keep getting fights if he wants them.
“As long as he is available to fight we plan to keep him very busy whether it’s once a month or every two to three weeks,” Arum said. “He’s been off for awhile but our matchmakers feel like he can compete at the top level of boxing at cruiserweight, so we’re going to keep him as busy as his schedule permits. Obviously, once they have to go back to training camp, we will be back on hiatus again. But as long as he’s available, he will be kept very, very busy.”
