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Jose Canseco was on top of the baseball world in the late 1980s as one of the most dominant sluggers in the MLB, but his steroid scandal forever tarnished his successful career. Since retiring from baseball and admitting to using steroids, Canseco has gone off the rails. Just recently, he asked for $1 from every American to help fund his presidential run. But Canseco’s newest publicity stunt might be his most absurd yet.

Jose Canseco’s epic fall from grace

Jose Canseco’s MLB career should’ve set him up for an extravagant life in retirement. The slugger hit 462 home runs and won a league MVP award during his 17-year stint in professional baseball, and he earned over $45 million along the way.

But Canseco saw his fortune wither away in the years following his retirement. He admitted most of his earnings disappeared thanks to divorce and taxes.

“Here’s how Canseco, sitting in his living room, legs crossed, breaks down the math on that contract,” Kristina Rutherford of Sportsnet wrote in a 2012 feature. “40 percent went to taxes. His divorce to ex-wife No. 1, Esther Haddad, cost him $6 million and two six-figure sports cars. ‘Divorce and taxes alone are devastating,’ he says. ‘Women are expensive.’”

In recent years, Canseco has only gone off the rails even more. He announced in 2020 that he wanted to run for president, and he asked all Americans via Twitter to each send him $1 to fund his campaign. Canseco never ended up running.

Canseco is back in the news this week, but you’d never be able to guess why.

Canseco agrees to fight a Barstool Sports intern

In a shocking announcement Wednesday, Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast revealed that Jose Canseco has agreed to fight their intern, who goes by the nickname Billy Football, in a boxing match next month. The fight will serve as the main event of Barstool’s ‘Rough N’ Rowdy’ pay-per-view show in West Virginia on Feb. 5.

“There’s a very good chance he dies in the ring,” Billy Football said jokingly on Wednesday’s episode of Pardon My Take… “I would commit manslaughter, I wouldn’t commit murder. For the record, I have no intent to kill him.”

The beef between Canseco and Barstool Sports started two years ago when Pardon My Take co-host, Dan Katz, offered to fight Canseco via Twitter. That matchup never materialized, but now Katz has a younger, stronger intern to take his place.

Canseco later confirmed the boxing match to TMZ Sports.

“Logan Paul, I am coming for you after I wreck this guy,” Canseco said.

How can you watch Jose Canseco in the ring?

Jose Canseco is just one of the many former athletes and celebrities to try their hand in the boxing ring. Former NBA player Nate Robinson didn’t fare so well in his fight against YouTube phenom Jake Paul, so Canseco is hoping he doesn’t embarrass himself the same way.

The bizarre boxing match will take place on Feb. 5 in West Virginia. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET, and Canseco and Billy Football will cap off the night in the main event. You can purchase and watch the fight through BuyRnR.com.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.