Who determines who is in their prime?

[Fenster]

Great fighters pull off wins past their prime precisely because they are great and can adapt. If 90s Foreman fought like the 70s version he'd have lasted three rounds before begging for an oxygen mask.

The problem with guys like Roy is he couldn't change. So without doubt a young Roy would've murdered the old one, however, it would be fascinating to see how old Hopkins deals with the young one and that goes for old/young - Calzaghe, Barrera, Pac, Floyd, etc, dozens of great fighters change for the better yet are not necessarily better than their physical prime.

[ykdadamaja]

My thing is I think we just use the word "prime" too loosely at times to justify a good fighter being beaten by another good fighter on a good night.

How many times was Darchynian "done"? He wasn't done, just got his head knocked off by Donaire.

The Oscar that lost to B-Hop wasn't done, but the Oscar that got retired by Manny was well beyond done.

The Mayweather that fought Berto was done... and we see by the damn exhibitions that he is done. For good. Mayweather may be so in tuned with his body and knows the psychology of the sport that he KNOWS that even if he wanted to continue to have "real fights", he probably would have gotten hurt even if he won most or if not all of them.

Let us not forget: His father, uncles and his best friend, Nate, all have pugilistic dementia or some brain damage. Not so much the youngest uncle, but Roger is suffering now and Floyd Sr. has signs of it and Nate retired form boxing EARLY with brain injury and Floyd has been taking care of him by giving him a job even after his career was over!