Warner Welcoming Challenges in the Ring

Jun 30, 2022

By: Mitchell Courtney

You have almost certainly heard stories of athletes retiring unexpectedly at an early age to pursue other passions in life or in the work that they do. The list includes iconic names such as Michael Jordan, Barry Sanders and Björn Borg. Jordan pursued a career in baseball following the death of his father, Sanders noted that his desire to exit the game was greater than his desire to stay in it and Borg simply said that the sport of tennis did not feel the same to him anymore. As unconventional as it sounds, former Iowa Wild defenseman Hunter Warner wanted to pursue a career as a professional boxer.

After playing parts of six seasons in the Wild organization from 2015-21, Warner announced that he was retiring from professional hockey. While the news was surprising to those who were unfamiliar with his upbringing and his family life, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Warner was simply following in the footsteps of his father.

His father, Jeff, was a professional boxer himself and even had a stint in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), wrestling under the ring name “J.W. Storm.” From 1989-00, the elder Warner went 22-2 in the ring as a professional boxer, earning each of his 22 wins by knockout and later training under legendary boxing figure, Emmanuel Steward. Steward was dubbed the “Godfather of Detroit Boxing” and trained Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko as well.

“We grew up always watching boxing. We didn’t watch hockey because my parents weren’t really into it,” Hunter said. “I first had an interest in boxing prior to my first junior hockey try-out. I told my dad that I wanted to learn how to fight to show teams that I was willing. It’s not really a big part of the game anymore, but when I was coming through the ranks, scouts and coaches loved it if a player was willing to step up and defend their teammates.”

Although he had grown up in a boxing household, the Warner family’s move to Minnesota allowed Hunter to explore other avenues athletically.

“My dad grew up in a really rough neighborhood, and he was a boxer and a wrestler,” Hunter said. “He wanted our focus to be on family, so he moved us to a small town in Minnesota. My dad didn’t play hockey but my older brother, Colt, started playing with his friends on the outdoor rink and, honestly, I just wanted to do whatever he did.”

The Warner children were drawn to hockey and they quickly realized that they had each inherited their father’s athleticism.

“Not to sound arrogant, but my brother and I were both gifted athletically,” Hunter said. “With hockey at first, I was pretty raw, but I still got by on my instincts and my God-given ability. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I switched to defense and began to be coached and refined.”

As Hunter grew older, more people began to take notice of his skills on the ice and it became apparent that he would have the opportunity to play at a higher level. Receiving a scholarship offer was something that increased his belief in himself.

“When I was around 16 or 17, I started getting some attention, and I got a college scholarship offer,” Hunter said. “That alone was like getting to the NHL in my eyes. That definitely boosted my confidence. I started to think I could actually do something with hockey.”

Despite deciding against playing college hockey, Hunter played with the Waterloo Black Hawks and the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Following his time in the USHL, he spent two seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL). After not being selected in the NHL draft, Warner signed a contract with the Wild organization prior to the 2015-16 season and began his professional career in Iowa, finding some early success in the process.

“Hockey was always my dream, and I had a good start to my professional career, especially at NHL training camp,” Hunter said. “There were some huge highs, but I eventually started to go through a little bit of a valley. When Tim Army became the coach in Iowa, he kind of rejuvenated me and gave me a huge opportunity that I ran with.”

Even with a vote of confidence from Iowa Wild Head Coach Tim Army, Hunter struggled with some injuries and began to ponder his future in the sport. He desired to get to the NHL level but had not yet earned his first call up. Ultimately, he retired from professional hockey without ever playing a game in the NHL, but he noted that he does not regret his decision.

“I had always boxed with my family back home and my brothers and my dad were involved,” Hunter said. “I got offered a contract in boxing and at the time, my contract was up in Iowa. It was always something I wanted to try and I got to go home, be with my family and train with my dad and my brother.”

Throughout his journey in professional hockey, Hunter used boxing as a way to stay in shape and prepare himself for the physicality of the game. In the offseason, he would train as if he were preparing for a prize fight.

“Honestly, it is the best workout you can have,” Hunter said. “It did me well in the summer time, and it was kind of addicting. A lot of people take up boxing as a fitness class because it helps to keep you in great shape. The skillset also translated well to the ice because I had to be able to handle myself in rough situations.”

However, after retiring from hockey, there was an adjustment period and he developed a new level of respect for professional fighters and their training methods.

“Anyone that plays hockey for a living is going to be in pretty good shape,” Hunter said. “When I first started to spar more and realize what kind of gas tank you need in the ring, I was kind of confused. I was hitting a wall in my training and I remember thinking, ‘I am in great shape. I don’t understand why this is so hard.’ I definitely plateaued at a certain point, but my brother and my dad explained the importance of the mental side of the sport to me. You can be in great shape, but it’s the mental fatigue that makes it so challenging.”

Even for a player who recorded 211 penalty minutes in 193 career AHL games, the mental warfare inside of a boxing ring was another thing that Hunter had to get used to as part of his training.

“It sounds kind of barbaric, but for three minutes straight, you’re trying to not get hit in the face by someone and trying to hit them back,” Hunter said. “It can be daunting and it wears on you mentally. There’s a lot of pressure on you to be on your game, because if you mess up you’re getting hit in the face.”

Conversely, Hunter believes that his time as a professional hockey player prepared him for the showmanship and promotion side of boxing.

“I think playing hockey professionally gives me an advantage in the ring,” Hunter said. “For some people, fighting in front of big crowds can be nerve-wracking. Being comfortable performing in front of a lot of people was something that I was used to already. Experiences like the one I had in Iowa are invaluable in that regard.”

Although he has put his hockey career behind him, the memories he created with the Wild organization in Iowa are still near and dear to him.

“My favorite memories center around being able to play playoff hockey professionally in Iowa,” Hunter said. “It wasn’t until my third full year, but we made the playoffs for the first time in the 2018-19 season. Not only making playoffs, but to win our first series against Milwaukee was special. Everyone did their part, we trusted each other and we made history by being the first team in Iowa Wild history to make the playoffs and to win a series.”

In a team sport, especially at the professional level, the camaraderie is something a lot of former players reference when discussing their careers. Hunter mentioned that he felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when the Minnesota Wild staff joined the celebration.

“The Minnesota Wild staff flew down to support us, and they were in the locker room celebrating with us,” Hunter said. “They were proud of the next wave of talent for having success. Obviously, they see players in Iowa as players who could potentially come up and make an impact in Minnesota.”

When summarizing his time with the Wild, Hunter recalled his hunger for success at a young age and expressed his appreciation for everyone involved in making his time in the Wild organization so special.

“When I first got to Iowa, I was a young kid just hungry to work hard and be the best person that I could be,” Hunter said. “It took every single member of the organization doing their part to be successful and it was great. I didn’t make it to the top, but I had a great opportunity.”