UPDATE: It appears that the comments from Le’Veon Bell have reached Vontaze Burfict, at least according to former Bengals cornerback Adam “PacMan” Jones. Jones quote-tweeted Bell’s video saying that he spoke to Burfict and that the fight would need to be in the octagon, rather than the ring, and could be broadcast on the Pat McAfee Show, should the parties be interested.
UPDATE 2: Le’Veon Bell has now responded. See tweet below.
Le’Veon Bell’s football career has been over quite awhile now, but that hasn’t kept the former All-Pro running back turned boxer from holding a grudge against a former opponent.
Bell, who recently won his most recent boxing match — the second win of his career — against JMX Joel Morris in New Orleans on April 22, wants a shot at former NFL linebacker who was a notoriously dirty player and once caused a significant injury to Bell.
Appearing on a recent show of Misfits Boxing on YouTube, which is a crossover boxing promotion founded by English YouTuber KSI and run by Mams Taylor, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland (excuse me for not knowing who they are), Bell was asked if there was someone he’d really like to get a shot at in the ring from his previous life.
Bell raised some eyebrows by hesitating before saying that the person he’d like to get a shot at the most is a former NFL player, though he wouldn’t mention his name. However, it seems rather obvious that he’s talking about former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
“They had purposely injured [me]. I don’t think I want to say the name, but people who watched my career when I hurt my knee, people know,” Bell said, according to a video clip he posted on his Twitter page Sunday night. “Yeah, people know. I would love to put my hands on him in the ring.”
Burfict, of course, injured Bell midway through the 2015 season in a November 1 game. Bell was dragged down from behind by Burfict, who landed on Bell’s right knee. That caused it to bend inward and Bell tore his MCL. At the time, it seemed like a routine tackle but as Bell pointed out, the belief not only by himself but his teammates as well, was that Burfict intentionally injured Bell and gloated about ending the Steelers’ star running back’s season prematurely.
Burfict reportedly gloating about injuring Bell caused a number of Steelers teammates, including linebacker and Bell’s close friend Vince Williams, to get heated with the Bengals’ cheap shot artist, leading to a social media argument that garnered headlines.
The injury Bell suffered in the 2015 season was the second knee injury he suffered against the Bengals in consecutive seasons at then-Heinz Field. At the end of the 2014 season, Bell was hit on the knee by Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, which caused Bell to miss the Wild Card matchup against the Ravens that season.
At the time of the 2015 injury, Bell was leading the AFC in rushing yards and was a key piece offensively for the Steelers in a season in which they finished 10-6, second in the AFC North. Pittsburgh went into Cincinnati and beat the Bengals, 18-16, in a thrilling Wild Card matchup that saw running back Jeremy Hill fumble the game away and cornerback Pac-Man Jones take an ill-advised penalty on then-Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter, helping Pittsburgh win on a late field goal from Chris Boswell.
That game also featured another dirty play from Burfict, who knocked out wide receiver Antonio Brown with a vicious head shot over the middle, sparking the fracas with Jones and Porter as Brown was attended to on the field.
Bell calling out Burfict, though not by name, is certainly eye-opening. His feelings about the former Bengals linebacker are shared by Steeler Nation, as well as around the league outside of the Bengals’ fan base. Bell has already fought one former NFL player in the ring, that being former running back Adrian Peterson, so it wouldn’t be anything knew for Bell if he got a crack at Burfict.
If the former Steelers running back could get the pariah that Burfict is inside the ring, that would be quite the show, and could help raise Bell’s profile as a boxer at this point in time.
