The Rio route: Winners and losers of athletes who traded sports

Rio Ferdinand, one of the most cultured defenders of the Premier League era, is now set to try his hand - or hands - at boxing.

The former England captain and winner of 10 major titles with Manchester United retired from professional football two years ago. Since then, he's been earning a living in TV punditry and through running his own clothing line - but he's also been jabbing bags and skipping rope down the gym.

Now 37, if Ferdinand is still at his footballing weight of around 87 kg, he would compete in the cruiserweight division.

He's not the first sportsperson to test himself in another discipline. Here are the winners and losers from athletes trying out another sport:

Winner - Bo Jackson

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The legend of Bo Jackson began in high school when practically no track and field record was safe.

The Alabama native went on to carve out a Hall of Fame career at Auburn University, where his mind-blowing talents were hard to ignore during his final years. In 1985, he smacked 17 home runs for Auburn's baseball team before rushing for more than 1,700 yards on the gridiron en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.

Naturally, scouts from the NFL and MLB were eager to see what sport he would commit to after university, with Jackson initially starting out solely as a baseball player with the Kansas City Royals. He eventually worked out a deal with the Los Angeles Raiders that allowed him to play both sports before a hip injury ended his football career.

Unfortunately, the injury robbed the world of a chance to witness one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, as it later affected his baseball career and forced him to retire when he was 32.

Loser - Michael Jordan

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On the heels of three straight NBA championships, Michael Jordan stunned the world with news that he was retiring from basketball. He added another surprise when he later announced that he was pursuing a baseball career.

Jordan retired from the NBA at the age of 30 before beginning his career in the Chicago White Sox minor league system in hopes of eventually getting promoted to the big leagues.

Unfortunately, Jordan never made it out of Double-A after posting a .202 average with just three home runs and 51 RBIs. Baseball's loss was the NBA's gain, as Jordan returned to basketball, immediately helping the Chicago Bulls win another three titles.

Winner - Ian Botham

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"Beefy" didn't have the most illustrious delve into the world of football while still playing cricket for Somerset and England - he notably made his debut for Scunthorpe United in a 7-2 home defeat to Wigan Athletic - but he had the sense to quit while he was ahead.

Botham eventually focused solely on cricket. He became one of the greatest all-rounders the old game has seen, finally removing his protective cup in 1993 as a national legend who transcended the world of stumps and square legs.

Still, for him, one of his greatest feats will be representing his beloved Scunthorpe.

Losers - Boxing fans

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It was impossible not to raise a smile when MMA star Conor McGregor mocked boxing great Floyd Mayweather in the lead-up to their August bout, but it was ultimately a travelling circus.

Mayweather, boasting a 49-0 record and having held 15 world titles across five weight classes, was never going to be beaten at his own game. McGregor predictably found it hard to bypass the cocksure boxer's huge left shoulder, and, after being toyed with by the veteran, was put out of his misery via a TKO in the 10th round.

The total purse received by Mayweather and McGregor was at least €130 million, according to pre-bout estimates by Keith Idec of Boxing Scene. The fans' pay-per-view fees should've been refunded.

Winner - Curtis Woodhouse

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Another cricket all-rounder, Andrew "Freddy" Flintoff, won a narrow-point decision in a one-match boxing career at the age of 34, but his achievement pales in comparison to what Curtis Woodhouse managed.

He was a Premier League footballer who had represented the England Under-21s but, after coming to terms that he appreciated fighting more, Woodhouse pursued a professional boxing career in 2006. By 2014, he was British super-lightweight champion after defeating Darren Hamilton on a split decision.

"I never had any natural talent. I could always fight, but the noble art was very difficult for me to grasp," Woodhouse admitted to The Telegraph's Gareth A Davies in 2016. "I believe boxing gave me redemption and showed me what I lacked in my football career - discipline and dedication."

Loser - Chad Johnson

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Chad Johnson discovered that an ability to dominate soccer games on PlayStation doesn't translate to actual success on the pitch.

The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver pursued a soccer career during the NFL lockout in 2011 during a trial with Sporting Kansas City. His failure to make an impact in a reserve game was the end of his soccer venture, as Sporting KC only offered him a chance to train with the reserves rather than a contract with the Major League Soccer team.