George Reeves' mother allegedly paid a retired boxer to fight her son so he'd give up boxing and focus on acting

Sometimes, your parents already have your life planned out. They choose your career and even scold you for wanting something different; possessive parents don't allow their children to explore on their own. In their eyes, it's their way or no way.

George Reeves' mother, Helen, told many lies to her son throughout his childhood, especially about his biological father and date of birth. She was even known to be jealous of Reeves' relationship with her second husband, Frank Bessolo. Once she divorced him, George was allegedly prohibited from mentioning his name.

Of course, the young boy, who was massive and more built than his peers, held a lot of anger in his heart. So, he turned to boxing to help him release it.

In the book Hollywood Kryptonite: The Bulldog, The Lady and The Death of Superman by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, Reeves developed an interest in boxing while a student at Pasadena Junior College. And it wasn't just something fun to pass the time; Reeves was pretty good at throwing hands.

"He was good at it; he could have been a contender. A Pasadena sports writer by the name of Mannie Pineta once sparred with Reeves and described him as 'the greatest ring prospect in 1932.'"

Boxing was also Reeves' escape from his mother's possessiveness, and Helen despised that.

"It was one activity of George that she severely disapproved of. Boxing served as a dual purpose: It gave him back some control in his life and it was a place where he could act out the rage he felt toward his domineering mother, to punch through the skein of lies she was weaving for him."

However, no matter how much Reeves loved the sport, his mother wouldn't allow her son the freedom to choose his own career path. The book says, "When George entered the Golden Gloves competition as a six-foot-two and one hundred and ninety-five-pound lightweight, Helen was appalled by her son's willingness to hurt himself and mar his good looks.

"At the last minute, his mother wouldn't let him fight. She was afraid he'd get banged up and ruin his acting career. So Helen allegedly paid a retired boxer to beat up her son before he set foot into the ring. George eventually gave up and decided to become an actor."