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Ex-boxer Mike Tyson has been convicted of rape, among other things
Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP
German tennis icon Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a court in London but can still appeal.
Other sports legends have already served prison sentences.
A selection in alphabetical order:
Tony Adams
, England, football, former England international, 57 days in prison for drunk driving
Trevor Berbick
, Canada (deceased 2006), boxing, brief WBC world champion, sentenced to five years for sexual assault (served 15 months in US, then deported to Canada)
Jürgen Brähmer
, Germany, boxing, multiple convictions, including three years and six months in prison, two years and six months in prison (partially served)
Breno
, Brazil, football, in July 2012 the then Bayern Munich defender was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for serious arson
Riddick Bowe
, US, boxing, former WBA, WBC, IBF heavyweight champion, serving 18 months for kidnapping
Plaxico Burress
, USA, football, Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants, sentenced in September 2009 to two years in prison for illegal gun possession
Ruben "Hurricane" Carter
, USA (76), boxer, innocent 19 years in prison for murder, sentence overturned in 1985
Uli Hoeneß
, Germany, soccer, former international, manager and president of Bayern Munich, sentenced to three years and six months in prison for tax evasion, early release after almost two years
Marion Jones
, US, athletics, disqualified three-time Sydney Olympic gold medalist, served six months in prison for doping abuse and check fraud in connection with the Balco affair (2008)
Bruce Kindall
, USA, diving, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for manslaughter (released after nearly five years) in 1988 after driving under the influence that killed two teenagers.
Ryan Leaf
, USA, football, quarterback, 1998 second draft (San Diego Chargers), four years in the NFL, five years in prison for larceny and drug possession
Sonny Liston
, US (deceased 1970), boxing, former world heavyweight champion, five years in prison for robbery (only served two years)
Craig MacTavish
, Canada, ice hockey, four-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, 1-year drink-driving charge for "manslaughter with a vehicle."
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
, USA, former multi-weight boxing world champion, unbeaten in his 50 professional fights, was sentenced to 90 days in prison for domestic violence in 2012, served 63 days
Carlos Monzon
, Argentina (deceased 1995), boxing, former world middleweight champion, served 11 years for murder
Matti Nykänen
, Finland (died 2019), Olympic ski jumping champion, multiple convictions for violent crimes, served 13 months in prison, further conviction to 16 months
Lester Piggott
, England, former star jockey, sentenced to three years for tax evasion (released after 366 days)
Oscar Pistorius
, South Africa, former Paralympics star, shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in their apartment, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Pistorius claimed to have accidentally shot Steenkamp because he mistook her for a burglar
Graciano Rocchigiani
, Berlin (died 2018), boxing, multiple convictions, including nine months in prison for violating probation
Gustav »Bubi« Scholz
, Germany (deceased August 2000), boxing, sentenced to three years in February 1985 for involuntary manslaughter, released August 1987
Wolfgang Schwarz
, Austria, 1968 Olympic figure skating champion, sentenced December 2002 to 18 months in prison for human trafficking, sentenced in August 2006 to 8 years in prison for inciting kidnapping
OJ Simpson
, US, former football star, sentenced to 33 years for robbery and kidnapping in December 2008, paroled from prison after nine years
Felix Sturm
, Germany, boxing, was sentenced to three years in prison, sentence reduced to two years and four months, for tax evasion, violation of the anti-doping law and assault
Roscoe Tanner
, USA, tennis, Wimbledon finalist 1979, multiple convictions including two years in prison for fraud and theft
Bill Tilden
, USA (died 1953), tennis, won twelve Grand Slam tournaments (including three Wimbledon), imprisoned twice for sexual acts with minors and for seducing minors into criminal acts (seven months and ten months)
Stig Töfting
, Denmark, former Danish national football player (also played for Hamburger SV), four months in prison (April to July 2003) for assault
Mike Tyson
, US, boxing, former world heavyweight champion, multiple convictions including six years for rape (released after three years), one year for endangering traffic (released after nine months)
Michael Vick
, USA, Football, 23 months in prison for conspiracy to involve illegal dog fighting
Compiled by sid