Why?
Another celebrity boxing match has been booked, but this one truly seems like a terrible idea.
41-year-old retired NBA player Lamar Odom is set to box 33-year-old former pop star Aaron Carter. TMZ reported the news, adding that the celebrity boxing match will be a three round exhibition on June 12, in Atlantic City.
While he’s going against a lifelong athlete, who’s much bigger, Carter calls himself a true “fighter” with extensive experience in “street fighting.”
“I wanted to let you guys know I’m not just a music producer, an entertainer, a singer, a dancer. I’m also a fighter” Carter proclaimed. “I grew up street fighting, and I’m really looking forward to this match.”
They have since released training videos to try and hype up the match. Odom is a bit awkward moving in the ring as he’s obviously still trying to learn a new sport, but Carter legitimately looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing at all.
Odom is 6-foot-10, and will have a significant advantages in size and athleticism over the skinny 6-foot-1 pop star. Being past their prime and having a massive size difference isn’t the biggest issue here though. Both have had very serious health conditions stemming from drug abuse and addiction in the past, and stepping into a ring for added brain trauma just doesn’t seem like something that should happen at all.
Odom nearly died in a brothel in 2015 because of a drug overdose. He was in a coma after suffering kidney failure, several heart attacks and 12 strokes. Doctors didn’t think he would make it, let alone fully recover, but Odom somehow battled back and got well enough to play competitive basketball again in 2019.
Carter, who grew to fame as a child pop star in the early 2000’s, also dealt with substance abuse and drug-related arrests in the years after. He also battled severe weight loss, reportedly going as low as 115 lbs in 2017. He’s also been involved in numerous controversies and legal issues through the years, along with filing for bankruptcy in 2013.
While having a reason to get in shape could be good for them, there seems to be much safer and healthier ways to make money than signing up to get punched in the head.