Cristiano Ronaldo may have scored 946 career goals and carved out a legacy that will see him go down as one of football’s greatest – but boxing trainer Malik Scott believes he could improve the superstar’s mental game.
Scott is best known for previously coaching Deontay Wilder and his high-profile marriage to CBS Sports presenter Kate Abdo and is convinced he would ‘add attributes’ to Ronaldo if they were to sit down together.
The 44-year-old American told CanadaCasino: ‘I would enjoy just sitting down with Cristiano Ronaldo and speaking on competing, adding something to his mental attributes.
‘It can be just sitting down, dialoguing about something we have in common. And what we share in common is basically competing.
‘These guys know what it feels like to go out and compete in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
‘It’s the pressure that comes with that. And I’m someone that understands no matter what type of poker face they have, no matter how cool they play it, we could talk about these things that they’re dealing with.’
Cristiano Ronaldo could add some mental attributes to his game, says Malik Scott
Scott, pictured with broadcaster Kate Abdo on their wedding day, wants to give Ronaldo advice
Ronaldo’s iron-clad mentality has seen him win the Ballon d’Or five times and claim almost every major trophy in football except the World Cup.
His dedication to keep performing at the highest level has seen him still playing into his 40s and the former Real Madrid and Man United forward is renowned for leaving no stone unturned.
But Scott is clearly confident that even with a mastery of a different sport entirely that he could help Ronaldo improve.
The boxing coach has most recently been in the headlines for his relationship with broadcaster Kate Abdo, most notably when Jamie Carragher made an incredibly awkward joke about her loyalty to Scott on a live show.
During CBS Sports’ coverage of Arsenal’s clash with Porto last season, the former Liverpool defender donned an Arsenal shirt after the game, but Abdo refused as the Manchester United fan insisted she was ‘loyal’.
Carragher snapped back ‘not to Malik’, leaving Abdo and his fellow pundits stunned.
Abdo replied: ‘What? How can you even say that?,’ while Henry and Richards smiled awkwardly.
Carragher then attempted to explain the comment, noting that Scott ‘hasn’t had a mention on the show tonight.’
Scott (right) and Abdo have been the focus of attention on CBS Sports coverage on occasion
Scott – a former boxer who now trains Deontay Wilder – branded Carragher ‘obnoxious’ after his ill-judged joke, and threatened to ‘show up in a physical manner’ if he upset Abdo.
Carragher apologised and Abdo put the matter to bed during CBS’s Champions League coverage the following evening, but later admitted she ‘felt hurt’ when he appeared to question her relationship.
Speaking to The Ringer, Carragher later said: ‘We never ignore the elephants in the room. I was a little child. I was just getting a little smack and getting put back in place, and rightly so.’
Last September, Abdo tied the knot with her partner Scott in what seemed like a small and intimate wedding.
The pair took to Instagram to share several photos from their wedding day, thanking God for the ‘gift of marriage’ in their captions.
Scott also shed light on a FaceTime call with Thierry Henry, who has been the butt of jibes joking that he was in love with Abdo, his CBS Sports colleague. The running gag stems from their on-screen chemistry and playful interactions on the show.
‘Thierry, Michah, Jamie – they all sent their wishes,’ Scott added. ‘I actually just got off FaceTime with Thierry. I was proud of the job he did with the Olympics team.
‘What he was up against – no matter how big of a star you are in your craft – transitioning to coaching comes with a lot of pressure.’
Abdo, Carragher, Henry and Richards are known for their on-screen chemistry and light-hearted coverage of the Champions League.
And Scott has since appeared on a broadcast, smoothing over any tension that might have still resided.
Scott believes Richards could have a future fight on a Misfits card and has been impressed by what he’s seen in training with the pundit.
Jamie Carragher had suggested Abdo was ‘not loyal’ to her partner during a live broadcast
He added: ‘Micah Richards definitely has the potential for something like the Misfits. The main question is who his opponent would be.
‘Micah is strong and has good punching mechanics. When I had him on the pads, it felt like I was coaching someone very coordinated. He knows what it takes to compete because he’s competed at the highest level in his sport.
‘Boxing is essentially about staying calm under the pressure of someone trying to knock you out.
‘If you can do that, you’ve conquered more than half the battle, and I think he could do it.’
Scott believes a fight between his old charge Wilder and Anthony Joshua would make sense for both fighters but believes the American has a better legacy than his British heavyweight rival.
Scott previously opened up on his intimate wedding day with CBS Sports presenter Abdo
He went on: ‘AJ and Deontay in Africa makes all the sense in the world. That’s a fight that I will be very excited about. I will be there if they do that. I’ll be there if they fight anywhere.
‘Imagine you get to watch Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight each other in Nigeria. It doesn’t get any better than that.
‘Deontay Wilder (has a greater legacy than AJ), just because of how much he accomplished in little time and his reasons for doing it.
‘I think his storyline alone is just a lot more theatrical, doing it for his daughter who had Spina bifida and he had no other way. He had no other way out. He had to make it happen.
‘It was all or nothing. And then not only did he do that, but he came and brought electricity back into the heavyweight division with all these electrifying knockouts back to back and became heavyweight champion and had, I believe, 10 title defences, the trilogy that he had with Fury – it’s a real-life movie in my opinion.’
