George Zimmerman will step in the ring for a Celebrity Boxing match and is looking for an opponent, and in an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com he says it’s a hobby he had “prior to the incident.”
“It was my idea,” Zimmerman, 30, says of the match that will be run by the event’s founder, Damon Feldman.
“Prior to the incident I was actually going to the gym for weight loss and doing boxing-type training for weight loss and a mutual friend put me in contact with Damon and provided me with an opportunity and motivation to get back in shape and continue with my weight loss goals and also be able to help a charity out.”
While Zimmerman didn’t confirm or deny if he was getting paid to put on the boxing gloves, he did tell Radar that some of the proceeds will go to a charity.
“I’d love to tell you [the charity] but unfortunately there’s so much animosity still from people out there, that if I name the charity now they would get bombarded with negativity, so I’d rather not,” he said.
“I’ll leave it up to them to say if they want it to be publicized or not. But I will tell you that it’s an animal rescue.”
Aside from the Martin shooting, Zimmerman has racked up quite a few charges and arrests due to altercations with his ex-wife and current girlfriend — including felony aggravated assault, domestic violence and an alleged assault on his father-in-law.
So is boxing the best idea for Zimmerman moving forward?
“Boxing isn’t new to me. It’s something I had picked up well before the incident and it’s something that I liked, I enjoyed, and I kept up with it and I was able to lose a tremendous amount of weight and get a healthy lifestyle,” he told Radar.
“So it’s not a new hobby, it’s something I have been doing and wanting to pursue to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
According to Feldman, the March 1, 2014 match, which will air only online and Pay Per View, is still searching for a Zimmerman opponent.
“I don’t have a preference [on opponent] as long as it goes to charity, doesn’t matter to me. Hopefully someone that won’t hurt me too bad!” Zimmerman said, but after thinking about it a minute told Radar, “If I had my top three I’d say Papa Smurf, the Easter Bunny and maybe the Michelin Man.”
Zimmerman tells Radar he wants a good fight, but will he return to the ring if he loses?
“Obviously if I get my butt kicked around, then no!” he said.
