Watch Liam Neeson's Tragic Real-Life Story in New Channel | Channify

Liam Neeson has developed a reputation for being one of the fiercest, most powerful performers in Hollywood. He delivers an intensity that resonates with audiences, but his professional success has come hand-in-hand with devastating hardship and loss. This is Liam Neeson's tragic real-life story. Long before he became a bonafide action star, Neeson dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. At age 9, he joined a local boxing club run by his family's parish priest, telling HuffPost UK, "He had two ropy pairs of ratty, old, ancient boxing gloves and a book on how to box. He started at page one. […] And then six years later […] he guided our club to become one of the best clubs in Ireland." Neeson started competing at 11 and dreamed of reaching the same levels of success as his hero, Muhammad Ali - who he met several times - but his career hit the ropes as a teen. Neeson told ESPN, "I must have been 16. I actually won the fight, but I came out of the ring and I had obviously got a concussion because my trainer said to go downstairs and take my clothes off and stuff, and I couldn't figure out what downstairs meant. […] I remember thinking, I've got to get out of this." Neeson's soccer ambitions also fizzled. While studying physics and computer science at Queen's University in Belfast, he caught the eye of the Bohemian Football Club and tried out for the team. That didn't work out, but Neeson eventually drifted to the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, where he honed his passion for acting. Watch the video for more about Liam Neeson's Tragic Real-Life Story. #LiamNeeson #NatashaRichardson #Taken Boxing dreams KO'd | 0:18 Brush with death | 1:39 Losing the love of his life | 2:18 Tragedy strikes again | 3:27 Sparking major controversy | 4:13