Three-time NBA all-star Deron Williams is ready to step into the boxing ring. After a report from NBA reporter Shams Charania, industry sources confirmed to CBS Sports that Williams is signed to compete on the undercard of the Dec. 18 Showtime pay-per-view event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury. The source also confirmed that NFL star Frank Gore is expected to be Williams’ opponent.
Williams was the third overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2005 NBA draft. He would play for the Jazz until 2011 when he was traded to the New Jersey Nets before finishing his career up with the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers. During his career, Williams was an All Star three times, twice named to the All-NBA second team and also played for Team USA in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, winning two gold medals in the process.
Williams also a stake of Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas, where he regularly trains. He will have head coach Sayif Saud in his corner for the fight.
Gore is the NFL’s third all-time leading rusher with 16,000 career yards. He also holds the record for most games played by a running back. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Gore was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. After played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2005 to 2014, Gore bounced from the Indianapolis Colts to the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets before ending up as a free agent during the current season.
Williams is 37 years old, six-foot-three and played basketball around 200 pounds. Gore is 38 years old, slightly heavier, playing much of his career around 215 pounds but is also much shorter at five-foot-nine.
Paul vs. Fury will be held in Tampa, Florida as the social media star faces the bother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
