Johnny Manziel's legend will never die among Texas A&M fans, and for good reason— the first freshman to ever win the Heisman and one of the most electric players in college football history brought the maroon and white to new heights during his tenure in the early 2010s, almost defining the sport.
Since then, however, his story has not exactly been unfolding in a fairy tale way. He washed out in Cleveland after being drafted by the Browns— just like nearly every other quarterback to come to the Browns in history— in a tough scene that was only partially his fault, but he's been all over the place since then.
He's still enough of a celebrity, though, that his clout makes him a draw for certain events— and this is no doubt a big reason why this latest announcement from his camp makes sense for him... even if it's pretty surprising to Texas A&M fans.
Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel set to make boxing debut vs Bob Menery on May 23
While Manziel's prowess on the field was never in question, I'm not sure many Aggie fans considered him a prime candidate to enter the world of boxing. That is the move he has made, however, as he will be making his debut this month, May 23, in Las Vegas vs. Bob Menery.
Brand Risk Promotions Event 14 #BRP14
— Brand Risk Promotions (@BrandRisk) May 6, 2026
Johnny Manziel vs Bob Menery 🥊
May 23rd, 2026 | SATURDAY 📅
UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada 🇺🇸
Main Event Announcement 🚨 pic.twitter.com/NHBX4e2QGR
This was not on the bingo card for Texas A&M fans, but with Manziel, nothing can really surprise you at this point. Time will tell how wise of a move this is for Manziel.
Menery is a social media influencer and former podcaster, so it's not as if Johnny Football is stepping into the ring against a seasoned pro— or even another professional athlete. Of course, boxing and football are not the same, but Johnny obviously is a bit more used to taking hits than an influencer is, having played quarterback in the SEC.
The fight will be hosted by UFC mogul Dana White and will be streamed online. There were apparently rumors of something like this happening before, but it never came to fruition. We'll have to see how this one pans out.
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