Greatest Fighters over 40 years old...

[DaxxKahn]

Willie Pep

The criteria for Pep's opponent selection at 40, consisted of: Having a pulse...... And for some, I still think they might have failed that test!

The truth was post Lulu Perez in 1954, no one knew if Pep was on the level, or being controlled by outside forces, and that really hurt Will 'o
The Wisp, later in his career, not least because he was not allowed to fight in New York City.

After having 200 bouts and still being able to get in the ring and fight past 40 shows something

[Britkid]

Willie Pep

The criteria for Pep's opponent selection at 40, consisted of: Having a pulse...... And for some, I still think they might have failed that test!

The truth was post Lulu Perez in 1954, no one knew if Pep was on the level, or being controlled by outside forces, and that really hurt Will 'o
The Wisp, later in his career, not least because he was not allowed to fight in New York City.

After having 200 bouts and still being able to get in the ring and fight past 40 shows something

Sadly for Willie it showed he had blown his fortune, and needed the money....

[DaxxKahn]

The criteria for Pep's opponent selection at 40, consisted of: Having a pulse...... And for some, I still think they might have failed that test!

The truth was post Lulu Perez in 1954, no one knew if Pep was on the level, or being controlled by outside forces, and that really hurt Will 'o
The Wisp, later in his career, not least because he was not allowed to fight in New York City.

After having 200 bouts and still being able to get in the ring and fight past 40 shows something

Sadly for Willie it showed he had blown his fortune, and needed the money....

Agreed after all those bouts he should have been living well....

Can you imagine fighters today with that many bouts....Top level fighters

[Britkid]

After having 200 bouts and still being able to get in the ring and fight past 40 shows something

Sadly for Willie it showed he had blown his fortune, and needed the money....

Agreed after all those bouts he should have been living well....

Can you imagine fighters today with that many bouts....Top level fighters

Too right; some (naive) people say, today, a Lil Floyd could of beaten a Ray Robinson....

But as you suggest, let us level the playing field, and ask who sees a Floyd Mayweather Jr beating Ray Robinson, after Mayweather has 201 pro fights in his legs ala Sugar Ray?

[JazMerkin]

Sadly for Willie it showed he had blown his fortune, and needed the money....

Agreed after all those bouts he should have been living well....

Can you imagine fighters today with that many bouts....Top level fighters

Too right; some (naive) people say, today, a Lil Floyd could of beaten a Ray Robinson....

But as you suggest, let us level the playing field, and ask who sees a Floyd Mayweather Jr beating Ray Robinson, after Mayweather has 201 pro fights in his legs ala Sugar Ray?

I think he could've beaten SRR. I just don't think he would've & those are 2 very different things. SRR was unbelievable at MW, & I remember this guy Mick who runs my gym saying that SRR at MW was 25% of what he was at WW.

The fact that Pep & SRR, in some people's eyes the 2 best of all time, had to fight on so long was a true shame. I don't consider either man great in their 40s, the only fighters I think get that are

Archie Moore
Bernard Hopkins
George Foreman

I don't think you can give it to guys who were great still being able to beat weaker opposition like Holyfield, Holmes, SRR. Don't know enough about Fitzsimmons to judge

[Britkid]

The fact that Pep & SRR, in some people's eyes the 2 best of all time, had to fight on so long was a true shame. I don't consider either man great in their 40s, the only fighters I think get that are

Archie Moore
Bernard Hopkins
George Foreman

I don't think you can give it to guys who were great still being able to beat weaker opposition like Holyfield, Holmes, SRR. Don't know enough about Fitzsimmons to judge

There was IMO only one great fighter at the age of 40+ and his name was Moore, Archie Moore.

Hopkins has shown himself a clear second.

Foreman is vying for third place, and personally I agree with you, he is.

But Robinson is floating around Foreman as he did beat a couple of contenders aged 40+, hell Holmes is up their purely on the strength of the Mercer win and McCall performance and Fitzy for beating Gardner and by Newspaper decision, O'Brien. But all this shows, is that outside Moore and to a point Hopkins, how weak a full top ten list is.....

[DaxxKahn]

The fact that Pep & SRR, in some people's eyes the 2 best of all time, had to fight on so long was a true shame. I don't consider either man great in their 40s, the only fighters I think get that are

Archie Moore
Bernard Hopkins
George Foreman

I don't think you can give it to guys who were great still being able to beat weaker opposition like Holyfield, Holmes, SRR. Don't know enough about Fitzsimmons to judge

There was IMO only one great fighter at the age of 40+ and his name was Moore, Archie Moore.

Hopkins has shown himself a clear second.

Foreman is vying for third place, and personally I agree with you, he is.

But Robinson is floating around Foreman as he did beat a couple of contenders aged 40+, hell Holmes is up their purely on the strength of the Mercer win and McCall performance and Fitzy for beating Gardner and by Newspaper decision, O'Brien. But all this shows, is that outside Moore and to a point Hopkins, how weak a full top ten list is.....

I pretty much go with the three mentioned

Moore
Hopkins
Foreman

as legit fighters who were/are dangerous past 40 for anyone. The rest get credit for being competitive with younger fighters no for their net worth as fighters

[Taeth]

Bernard Hopkins IMO is by far the best over 40 fighter.