Retirement..age vs mileage?

[mikeeod]

I feel that it is boxer dependent more than anything. Sometimes punishment is worse, for say meldrick taylor (after JCC fight). Other times it is an age thing, where Mike McCallum started to lose and be less effective as he got older. Some fighters like Glen Johnson actually improve as they get older, but I think most of those fighters had limited amateur careers and take some time to figure things out. Limiting punishment and staying in top shape can extend a career, as Hop n Floyd have proven. Both of those guys have great genetics also though, so I feel they are the exception and not the rule. The last two factors to me are weight fluctuations (up and down), and just rising too high in weight. Roy and Chris Byrd are examples of guys who went up and down at a point in their careers and seemed to lose something. Mayorga and Vince Phillips are examples of guys who were good at a specific weight (147,140) but ineffective at anything higher.

[Master]

High octane fighters like Tyson and Hatton will fade quicker than their opposites.

[mikeeod]

High octane fighters like Tyson and Hatton will fade quicker than their opposites.

Agree, but find it interesting that Manny is still pretty good despite being a high octane guy who fought killers throughout his career. He is more the exception though, as the two you named as well as Aaron Pryor, John Mugabi and many others have proven over the years.

[Master]

High octane fighters like Tyson and Hatton will fade quicker than their opposites.

Agree, but find it interesting that Manny is still pretty good despite being a high octane guy who fought killers throughout his career. He is more the exception though, as the two you named as well as Aaron Pryor, John Mugabi and many others have proven over the years.

You have to admit that Manny has slowed down quite a bit now. Still world class but just below the very best.

Old Manny Pac could live with Spence and Crawford quite easily.

[El Kabong]

Pressure fighters age out quicker than most...Tyson, Hatton, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson, Aaron Pryor....those are the fighters with all the moving pieces and who take damage to inflict punishment of their own. At age 27-29 they slow down a great deal.

Guys who can hit and not get hit last longer.....guys who can absorb punishment can last even longer depending on who they are fighting. Ali took a lot of damage, James Toney, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe even...they lasted long stretches, but their health has/will suffer because of it.



I think you've got so many punches, so many rounds, so much damage you can take over an amount of time and there's only so much you can heal up afterwards. I think you have to take it on a fighter by fighter basis...look at Willie Pep, fought 241 fights and was still fresh as a daisy because he rarely got hit and then you've got 'The American Dream' David Reid who only fought 19 total bouts because ptosis and other eye troubles namely Tito Trinidad detatching his retina because Tito hit him hard and often, and he had eye troubles since the Olympic trials.

[Alpha]

Depends on the fighter really, I've always believed that everyone tends to lose a step around 28, in all types of sport.

For boxing you need to add in gym wars/ sparring, style, knockouts or wars. Then genetics comes into it and lifestyle. Many factors contribute.

[Spicoli]

I think mileage, wear and tear and it's quality have more to do with it than age. The thing is I think it's a minority of boxers that can actually choose to retire. Age and time pass as the young just try to get another taste of the once big checks and large venues with a belt and ultimately it's the mileage and reputation for it that keeps them in. Next thing you know you're Livingstone Bramble or Demarcus Corley. Many many guys today who are flirting with one tough war too many but the 'name' trumps common sense in match making and we see them again, Juan M Lopez, Mike Alvarado, Soto Karass, Adamek, Orlando Cruz, Brandon Rios are doing nothing but collecting damage and should already be out. Guys like Hopkins looked at age and mastered-manipulated it and it feels literally had two completely separate but successful careers. I guess you can say the same for Foreman who made age a selling point and proved that walking away before 30 and actually maturing and growing wise with age breathes life into a second career. A head like a oak tree stump and concussive right-left also helped.