In the latest episode of “Sports Headlines That Sound Completely Made Up,” Johnny Manziel is officially stepping into a boxing ring against social media personality Bob Menery on May 23, 2026.
The former Cleveland Browns quarterback will fight Menery in a boxing match airing across YouTube, X, Twitch, Kick, and TikTok. Basically every app on your phone except LinkedIn. Somewhere, an old-school boxing fan just fainted reading this sentence.
The event is being promoted by Brand Risk Promotions and will take place at the legendary UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
And then there’s Dana White. The UFC boss is hosting the event and already fired off one of the funniest comments of the year, saying he’d bet $10K on Menery not even showing up to the fight. That is the kind of confidence normally reserved for people predicting rain in Seattle.
Honestly, Dana treating the event like a comedy roast before the first punch is thrown somehow makes this entire thing even better.
“Menery hits me up and says, ‘Who are you betting on?’ I said, ‘I’m betting on you don’t even show up, that’s my bet,’” White said on Instagram in April. “Menery never does anything he says he’s going to do,” White added. “… There’s no way 49 percent of people believe in Bob Menery and that he’s going to show up.”
Menery, 38, is known for making comedic voiceovers on social media and has previously hosted a podcast with the Nelk Boys, who have collaborated with White multiple times throughout the years.
The fight marks a new endeavor for Manziel, who quickly rose to fame while winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M before being drafted by the Browns in 2014.
Manziel spent just two seasons in the NFL before flaming out due to scandals and partying habits; he later had a stint in the Canadian Football League in 2018.
Celebrity boxing has become the fast food of sports entertainment. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. Are people still going to watch? Of course they are. Everyone claims to hate these fights, yet somehow the streams always end up crashing from too many viewers.
So mark your calendars for May 23, because nothing says “peak 2026 sports culture” quite like Johnny Manziel throwing punches while Dana White jokes about no-shows.
