“Wouldn’t Fight…if I Had a Gun”: Rejecting $15,000,000 to Battle Boxing Legend, Michael Jordan Once Backed Out Despite Ruthless Trait

Michael Jordan is one of the most competitive players ever. After winning three NBA championships in a row in the early 1990s, Jordan retired from the NBA. Jordan said at the time that he did not have much more to gain from the NBA and that he had done everything. So, having lost his motivation, he left the sport. Jordan was at the pinnacle when he left the NBA.

This was the perfect opportunity for another promoter to test his luck and offer Jordan the opportunity of a lifetime. But Jordan was not entertaining the proposal at all.

Michael Jordan will not step inside the ring

In 1994, after Jordan left the NBA, he tried to pursue a career in professional baseball. In his pursuit of joining another sport, Jordan was presented with the opportunity to step into a boxing ring.

And it was not an exhibition against an old or retired boxer, either. Jordan was given the opportunity to face Evander Holyfield or Michael Moorer for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. The promoter at the time, Dan Duva, told David Flak, Jordan’s agent, that they were serious about the offer. Jordan would be paid a guaranteed 15 million dollars, and if he wins, he would be given 25 million.

Duva said, “Michael Jordan fighting for the heavyweight championship would be the most spectacular event in the history of sports. This offer is not a joke. We are 100 percent serious”. Michael Jordan, being the competitor that he is, was expected to at least entertain the idea. His relentless drive to be the best is sure to make him at least try it out, right? No.

As soon as Jordan heard of the offer, he said, “I wouldn’t fight those guys if I had a gun in my hand.”

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It’s good that being the best in basketball didn’t mean that Jordan was aware of what he would be heading into. Holyfield and Moore were some of the best boxers in the world at that time. So for a novice like Jordan to get into the ring with them would not have been the smartest thing.

Michael Jordan’s competitiveness

Michael Jordan’s drive to always win and be the best is what helped him become one of the greatest players in basketball history. He pushed himself and his teammates to the limit in his pursuit of victory. Even off the court, there have been stories of Michael Jordan’s competitiveness. He sometimes plays cards with money and goes on the whole night till he wins.

Jordan never wanted to be anything less than the best. He consistently looked for opportunities to prove to people that he was the best. May it be on the basketball court, the golf course, or even while waiting for your baggage at the airport security. Jordan would always be the winner. So when the boxing opportunity was presented, it’s hard to believe that he completely let it go without thinking about it.

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Would you like to have seen the match between Jordan and Holyfield? Let us know in the comments!