Was Steve Harvey a boxer before becoming famous as a TV host? Here's his past relationship with the sport

Veteran TV host Steve Harvey is undeniably one of the most well-known personalities today. Hosting some of the world's most famous reality shows like Family Feud and Judge Steve Harvey during a career spanning over 30 years, the West Virginian has cemented himself as a Hollywood legend.

While Harvey began his career as a stand-up comic in the 1980s, he worked several jobs before making it big. The legendary host has been an insurance salesman, a carpet cleaner, a mailman, an autoworker, and most interestingly, a boxer.

Despite avoiding conversations about his past life, the seven-time Daytime Emmy Award winner opened up about his boxing career during the taping of 'Family Feud' in 2020.

Taking questions from the audience, Steve Harvey addressed a fan who asked why he quit the sport. Explaining that he got hit hard during one of his fights, Harvey said, (via nickiswift.com):

"I didn't stop, a Puerto Rican hit me harder than I've ever been hit in my f***ing life. That motherf***er hit me so hard, not only did I not know where I was, I didn't know who I was."

While the identity of this Puerto Rican boxer remains secret, Steve Harvey continues to be fan of boxing. The 66-year-old is often seen at high-profile bouts and was in attendance at the historic Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight in August 2017.

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Steve Harvey narrates hilarious story about giving his children "title shots" at home

Given his 27-year-long career as a stand-up comic, it's unsurprising to hear Steve Harvey put a comical twist on his stories, even if the story is about disciplining his son.

While Harvey's boxing career didn't work out for him, it inspired his son Jason to take up boxing lessons. In an animated video uploaded to his YouTube channel in 2020, Harvey told his followers the story about the time his 16-year-old son tried to impress his girlfriend by sparring with his dad. He said:

"The thing I've always told my sons was, I'm the heavyweight champion of this house. Title shots are available 24/7... That was just a rule I had... Little did I know he was gonna show off in front of his girl."

He continued:

"I walked back to the foyer... I let him throw a couple of body shots, then I faked a punch at his head, and he threw both hands up to block. I punched him dead in the kidney. He dropped down on both knees and peed a little... That's the last time my son ever showed off."

Watch the full video below: