At the moment Ring Magazine's pound for pound top ten averages 33 years of age. Doesn't say much in a vacuum though does it? And by the way, it ain't all BHOP. Take him out and it is still nearly 32.

2001-31
1991-27

Now I'm using Ring Champs as the p4p stats stop in 1989.

1981-26
1971-27
1961-29
1951-28
1941-26
1931-24

In other words 2011 and 2001 are more than 18% and 15% respectively over the 80 year average. That is an enormous gap. If one takes 2001 and 2011 out? They are 23%+ higher! More shocking still is they are approximately 10% over the the next highest period, 1961. Three things make 1961 interesting. It was viewed in its own time as a boxing wasteland, Archie Moore was a 45 year old champion and Old Bones Joe Brown was the 36 year old lightweight king. Yet today we are more than 10% older!

I have looked up tennis Grand Slam winners, hockey Stanley Cup winners, and the average NFL and NBA ages and there is no discernible age pattern over 50 years. Those sports are not getting older and have not seen any material difference over the past 15 or so years in terms of age. It is only boxing.

What is going on? What began happening in the 1990's? I think there are a number of possibilities (in no order)

1) We have an extraordinary group of older p4p top ten fighters today who are holding off a typical group of younguns;
2) The younger fighters simply stink and aren't driving an ordinary group of old lions away;
3) There is something going on with the technology or training or nutrition that disproportionately favors fighters in their 30's over fighters in their twenties;
4) It takes a certain number of pro fights to become truly proficient and that number is now more than fighters in their twenties fight. Today it simply takes a fighter into their thirties to become experts;
5) Some combination of the above.

Now if it it largely numbers one or two? Over the next decade we should expect a reversion to the earlier averages. If it is mostly three or four then we will have an older sport for the foreseeable future.

I have an opinion what is going on, but I'd sure like your thoughts.