Boxing Age

[noodles]

I'm 19 and turning 20 in two months, I've only been boxing for 1 month and loving it. I really want to box for the rest of my life and be a competitive pro boxer. I eventually want to be ranked in the world. Obviously, I take this incredibly serious. I was wondering, starting at the age of 19, if its too late to get to that competitive state. And have there been any other great pro boxers that started late?

[Jamoie]

I'm 19 and turning 20 in two months, I've only been boxing for 1 month and loving it. I really want to box for the rest of my life and be a competitive pro boxer. I eventually want to be ranked in the world. Obviously, I take this incredibly serious. I was wondering, starting at the age of 19, if its too late to get to that competitive state. And have there been any other great pro boxers that started late?

A lot of people will disagree with me but im gonna say it anyways. I believe 19 is too late to think about being a top level pro boxer. Think about the fact that the people at that level have been boxing since the age of something stupid like 7-8 years old, turned pro at the age you START boxing. How can you compete with that.
At 19 you can become a good pro, dont get me wrong. With the right training anything is possible, but the top top people in the game have an amazing advantage over you.

[AdamGB]

I was just helping to teach the juniors in the gym today... all about 8 years old... they don't really learn all that much... just how to get confortable in the ring... and learn the basic pricibles of covering up etc, when you get older you learn faster.

if you've got the talent and drive 19 isn't too old, try and compete as an amatuer this season and see what the people around you think about going pro after that.

You will most likely find out yourself your self.

I agree to an extent, 19 is pretty late to start, but it's not like the cut off age or anything... remember... age is just a number, look at Bernard Hopkins etc...

But remember, you've only just started, focus on now not years away. don't get a head of yourself.

You've yet to have an amatuer bout yet don't you? take it as it comes.

[kelstar2006]

im 18 and id really like to try boxing ive been interested since i was 10

[Von Milash]

kelstar, then what are you waiting for? Engraved invitation? -Jim Carrey, Cable Guy.

You know, boxing to me is funny. If you're coordinated and can throw, you can throw. It's not like hockey were you have to be on skates since you were 3. In my opinion, if you're gifted, you can be ranked having started at 19. As Adam said, the kids that are 8, well, most suck. They're in there for fun and exercise and to get used to the idea of boxing. We only have one kid in our gym, a little Mexican kid, who's any good for 11 or 12. The rest, it's just for fun.

So, my point, you can only be top-ranked if you're gifted, regardless of when you started. But at 19, I believe there is time for you, but you have work your bag off. In this case, I feel you could have some pretty nice paydays.

Take Gatti, he hits hard but his hand speed is not great. I beleive anyone with some athletic coordination can learn the essentials rather quickly, learn to bob and weave, shell, and hit hard. To become SRL, that's God given. There's no reason you can't become a hard hitter with an air-tight defence. ie, more of a brawler/fighter like Gatti-Ward, not a finesse boxer with tremendous hand speed like Mayweather.

Good luck.

PS - a good chin can make up for lost time too. K-1 champion and Pride star Mark Hunt didn't take up kickboxing until he was into his 20's and that was because he kicked a guy's ass and the bar bouncers said he should start competing. Now he's a top ranked HW with an indestructable chin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hunt

[X]

18 or 19 is quite late, because you will have to learn new techniques and might always seem to be 'mechanical' in the ring. You may also have developed some natural bad habits (techniquewise) that might take more work to get rid of.

BUT, physically, it is not too late - there have been many later starters in boxing (Rocky Marciano, Iran Barklay, Nigel benn etc come to mind, you'll note that they all had less than pefect boxing techniques ..... but talent is talent.

You should try, because it will be better to fail than to sit around in 5 years thinking 'what if, boo-hoo'

Good luck!

[Von Milash]

but you can also say that at this stage, he's got no bad habits. the worst habit to have is dropping your hands but a good trainer who throws back when working mits will quickly correct this.

[X]

That's a good point Von, I suppose it depends what else you have been doing?

If you have a few years of a certain martial art, you might find some of the stances and handguards are not suitable for boxing, but keep dropping into them out of habit. Also, if you've had a lot of streetfights, there are some bad habits that can be formed from that??

[Von Milash]

yes, both valid points. another is when kids hit the bag with no training. although done with good intentions, they accomplishing less than they think... in fact, they're..yep! developing bad habits.

the worst I've seen was a kid on myspace or youtube that jabbed and literally dropped his hand down to his hip when throwing his right. and did it every time for the entire round. terrible.

[AdamGB]

Do yourself a favour then... don't type in 'boxing training' on youtube...

[drgoodlooking]

If your heart is really in boxing, I wouldn't get discouraged at only 19. Rocky Marciano started at about 28.

[boxman]

Listen ma brother, if you are trully dedicated you can do any thing you want. Antonio Tarver turned pro at about the age of 29 after a long battle with a cocaine addiction and he has done pretty well for himself dont you think? Just stick with it and DON't listen to those who tell you it aint possible. Remember its only as possible as you belive it can be.

[boxman]

Oh yea and a guy by the name of Haseem Rahman didn't step into a boxing gym untill about the age of 20 and he wasn't even serious about it he just wanted to loose some weight. Just thought you should know that.

[ICB]

just turned 17 im going start soon aswell

[Von Milash]

I'm 33. Is it too late for me? Mind you, I've been told I hit very hard.