Don Diego is the greatest football player, but did you know he was also a boxer?

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For some, Diego Armando Maradona will go down in football history as the greatest legend. The Argentine with a magical touch, who captured the hearts of millions, left us forever in 2020, but will remain a symbol of magic, footballing excellence and genius that we see less and less in mathematics and physics-based football today. Maradona was a unique football player, a crazy head and an impulsive character, whom few remember that... he also had a short boxing career under his belt.

Of course, Don Diego was never a professional boxer, but a promise made to a good friend forced him to step into the ring in 1996. And this remains the only case in which the Argentine legend changed his favorite football boots for boxing gloves.

The little-known boxer Santos Lasiar is the basis of Maradona getting into the ring. In 1981, the Argentine presented one of the biggest surprises in boxing at that time and became the WBA lightweight champion. He beat the considered invincible Peter Matebulda in an epic fight that went down in history as one of the greatest in Argentine boxing. On top of that, Lassiard is doing this in South Africa, Matebulda's homeland, and in Argentina he is being welcomed as a hero. Maradona subsequently promised to one day face his compatriot in a match - a promise he had to fulfill in April 1996.

Of course, the meeting between them is not an "official" boxing match, but a demonstration in 3 rounds for the enjoyment of the two legendary athletes, as well as the thousands who attend the match, which has become a true classic with a humorous twist.

At the time, Maradona was still a soccer player for Boca Juniors, while Lassiar was now a "retired" boxer. Already on the scales, the show is at its peak, as the two find themselves in totally different categories - Don Diego is the "colossal" 75.3 kilograms, while his opponent is behind him by almost 15 kilograms - 61.6 kg.

During the fight, the two bit each other from early on and exchanged terrible punches for the enjoyment of the thousands who watched the demonstration fight live. Diego, in typical style, comes out fully dressed in Boca Juniors colors and the fans cheer him wildly from the first gong. Towards the middle of the bout, the two are clearly no longer interested in fighting each other and decide to do a "double attack" on the referee of the bout, who takes all the punches with a smile on his face.

In the end, after 3 rounds, the trio of judges could not come up with a winner, awarded a draw, thus ending one of the most memorable boxing matches in the history of Argentina. Although only a demonstration.

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