Do you think fighters fight enough?

[Beanz]

I wonder about this. I know boxing has evolved since Joe louis (69 fights), Jersey Joe Walcott (71), Foreman (81), Holmes (75) etc etc.

David Haye has been in the World mix for a few years now and has already retired once with 28 fights.

Dereck Chisora - 19 fights
Manuel Charr - 23
Maruisz Wach - 28
Robert Helenius - 18
Odlanier Solis - 19

^^All either already had a title shot or are close to one and I get the feeling that by the time they hit 40 fights the world will have forgotten about them.

Whereas George foreman (81 fights) hadn't lost at his 40th bout
Larry Holmes (75 fights) never lost until his 49th fight.

Maybe I'm just reiterating the lack of decent heavyweights around now but I feel a bit more activity would help fighters.

Mayweather will go down as probably one of the top 5 p4p boxers of all time and we'll be lucky if he sees 50 fights. That's not right to me!

While boxers today do seem to have less fights I don't think total fights gives that accurate a picture of how busy someone is or has been. Joe Frazier fought only 37 times but the guy rightly is seen as a legendary fighter because of the important contests he shared with Ali and the excitement, heart and class he brought to the sport along with the affinity fans felt for a guy who was for many like the real life Rocky. His career?

In 1965 his first year as a Pro he fought 4 times
In 1966 he fought 9! times in January,twice in March, twice in April,May,July,September and November
In 1967 he fought 6 times
In 1968 he fought 3 times
In 1969 he fought twice
In 1970 he fought twice winning and then successfully defending the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles
In 1971 he fought once in "The fight of the Century" against Ali
In 1972,1973,1974 and 1975 he fought twice then once in 1976 and once again in 1981

He won the heavyweight titles in his 25th fight and like most fighters then slowed down to a couple of fights a year because the opposition was on another level and the purses were better. It is only natural that fighters and their promoters take more time to build fights as events once champions are established but plenty of fighters do stay busy nowadays on the way up. Chris Eubank Jr for example .Then you have guys like Wlad Klitschko who whatever you think of his style has had 59 fights and 3 of them in 2012.

Once you are a world champion then to fight two or three times a year seems entirely reasonable because each fight is a bigger event that needs building and promotion, the opposition and potential for punishment is a lot greater, you are probably getting older and more ring worn ( more susceptible to injuries) and you have earned the right to call out and defend against other elite boxers who may have equally important fights. To behave like you are already a superstar and pick and choose you opposition on the way up to the point where matchmaking is just fodder and tomato can after bum, for just a couple of fights a year is just bowl larks though.