Former San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore celebrated his 39th birthday in style, not just by making his pro boxing debut but also by winning the bout by knockout.

Gore landed a vicious right cross on his opponent, Yaya Olorunsola, flooring him immediately and beginning his pro career with a 1-0 record.

Frank Gore’s move to boxing

While Gore’s knockout of Olorunsola with a right cross marked the beginning of his pro career, this was not the first time that the NFL star has taken up pugilism.

In December 2021, he had an exhibition bout against NBA all-star Devon Williams, which he lost. Prior to the fight, the former 49er had said that he had “been training in boxing since 2006, but that was just to get in shape for football.” 

Read More: Former NFL Player Frank Gore Pays Tribute to San Francisco 49ers Ahead of Boxing Debut

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In the fight, Gore landed 38/166 punches against Williams’ 48/156 across four rounds. He fought with a significant height and reach disadvantage and came out second best that night.

Read More: Frank Gore on Twitter: “Today was a great day!!! Want to thank my team for all the hard work‼️🙏🏿 https://t.co/k5Y2n5Nhh7” / Twitter

That he won his first pro bout by knockout attests to the preparation he has done for the fight. He said that in his first week of pro training he considered “what have I got myself into?”, referring to the brutal training that pro boxers have to go through.

Frank Gore was a mean footballer

Gore is one of the best running backs in NFL history and has been a veteran of 16 seasons. He played for five different NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers (2005-14) and the Indianapolis Colts (2015-17). He played for the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.

Gore’s career in the NFL was a long one. He holds the league record for the most games played by a running back.

Gore retired in 2022 as a player of the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a one day contract with the club so that he could retire from the club where he drafted as a rookie.

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