If Chins Could Bill: Wilson’s ability to take a punch still brings him regular paydays.
If Chins Could Bill: Wilson’s ability to take a punch still brings him regular paydays. Credit: (Photograph by Charles Steck)

Ray Mercer‘s recent career switch bodes ill for the future of heavyweight boxing. Mercer, who is among the many heavyweight champions that local pug Marion “Mo” Wilson (pictured) has gone the distance with—-their 1994 fight ended in a draw—-is making the jump from boxing to mixed martial arts.

He’s scheduled to face Kimbo Slice, a legend in the YouTube-fueled field of underground streetfighting, on June 16 in Atlantic City. Mercer says that he jumped to mixed martial arts after a deal to fight fellow former champ Hasim Rahman (another guy Mo Wilson survived against) fell apart. The Slice bout will be part of an event called the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and Mercer predicts that “one punch…is all I’ll need to take him out.”

Photograph by Charles Steck