successful boxers that got into the sport late?

[Forza]

Can you give some examples? They don't have to be champions, just guys that were solid fighters. Only 2 off the top of my head are Marciano ( started at 20 I believe ) and Ron Lyle.

Edit: oh and for out current generation, Sergio martinez ( 21 )

[fitefanSHO]

Bonecrusher Smith, I think was like 28 when he debuted.

Fought for the heavyweight title too.

[Forza]

Bonecrusher Smith, I think was like 28 when he debuted.

Fought for the heavyweight title too.

Wow that's really late

he has a bachelors degree in business as well, interesting.

[joe strong]

hasim rahman 10 amateur fight & 2 world titles...so many hate on rahman but he never ducked anyone & has had a very solid career. that lewis ko did lots for his career & has kept him in the picture ever since but he was pretty solid before that fight as well.the tua fights, maskaev,holyfield, the lewis fights, the corrie sanders fight...he had many classic fights but the younger fans never got to see how great the 90's really were.boxing was a mainstream sport with guys like tyson,holyfield,lewis, barrerra,morales,odh,etc...MMA was a joke & laughed at then but times have changed...

[joe strong]

Bonecrusher Smith, I think was like 28 when he debuted.

Fought for the heavyweight title too.

ye this is a good one & he beat tim witherspoon too for a world title.

[Forza]

I'm seeing an early pattern here, all these late starters are heavyweights.

[Scott9945]

Current middleweight champion Sergio Martinez started relatively late.

[New England]

I'm seeing an early pattern here, all these late starters are heavyweights.

big men peak later physically. and all men grow as they age. (your strongest age is closer to 30 than 20, especially in big men. some large men become stronger into their early 30's)

it's about the development of punching power and durability
man-strength is a term you will hear. you wont see a promotor waiting on a bantamweight to develop it for anywhere near as long as he will sit on a HW

as well as growing, filling out, learning how to control your big body




theres a thread with me going to war over it if you want some SERIOUS detail


otherwise you can just take my word for it ^^



you know what you usually call a 35 year old one time bantamweight?
a stubby jr LW :P


just look at juan manuel lopez
he's looking like he's about to outgrow the FW division
he doesn't have the style to move up (and has no fights at 130 anyway.) so he's largely done. calling it.



antonio tarver got a late start as well as a pro
and was a heck of an amateur as a young adult

[NChristo]

Dwight Qawi started when he was 25 with no amateur career.
Norton was 24 (?) when he turned pro.
Anthony Mundine 25
Jess Willard was nearly 30
Ray Mercer 28.\
Yoko Gushiken started at 20 (?), late for a Flyweight, been watching a lot of him recently.

[Greatest1942]

Bonecrusher Smith, I think was like 28 when he debuted.

Fought for the heavyweight title too.

Ron Lyle 27 when he started.

Rocky Marciano started to box at 22 . Considering he was heavy champ, it is quite late.

Fitefan already mentioned Smith already...so skipping that.