Is Boxing an Old Man's Game Now?

They don't have any real testing in football and sports in general, it would be counterproductive to actually try to catch the marketable names. and for boxing, p4p also comes with the legacy. Sure there are a few up there now that are older, but they are also atg and I would not bet any money that they are clean. again you probably know a lot more about tennis, but it was my impression that 25 was when they would start to fall off, now it's their prime. Also factor in that boxers, while taking part in probably the toughest sport in the world, are only doing it a few times a year and experience and guile plays a huge role in 1 v 1 rather than team sports.

I'm sorry to break this to you, friend...on xmas of all days. But your football heroes are using. Ronaldo is a walking lab for top shelf PEDs. and it does apply, it used to be that after 30 you might as well retire if you aren't a goalie or at the very least a CB. Tennis used to be a teenagers sport, right?...maybe i'm wrong. Guys are going in their 30's now too. lol come on, speculation will not win you arguments. I'm not saying football isn't a better playground for the plus 30 club but how many great players do you still see playing at the very highest level over 35? Cristiano may well be the best player in the sport at this very moment and over the course of the last 12 months or so, he is only 29, Messi even younger. Muller is starting to solidify his place as one of the best and was the outstanding striker of the world cup, he is only 24/25. Neymar is in his early 20s still and one of the leading international goal scorers and one of the top 5 player plying their trade in europe. Manuel Neuer, the best goalie in the game is still only 28. Tennis hasn't been a teenage sport for decades now, although the bets players have shown themselves by their early 20s...which is what I've maintained all along. In boxing, a guy can be in his mid to late 20s right now and not even be considered a star. Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, the leading tennis players of our generation were considered world class by the time they reached 25, some earlier.

yeah, soccer lol and no it doesn't apply to that I will concede that NBA/NHL is problematic, as are most American sports, the drug scandals there are disgraceful. It doesn't apply to the same extent to Europe or Asia. I'm sorry to break this to you, friend...on xmas of all days. But your football heroes are using. Ronaldo is a walking lab for top shelf PEDs. and it does apply, it used to be that after 30 you might as well retire if you aren't a goalie or at the very least a CB. Tennis used to be a teenagers sport, right?...maybe i'm wrong. Guys are going in their 30's now too.

Which football are we talking about? lol I follow the worldwide one and I think it applies to that, and tennis like you mentioned is another example. I think the older athlete is not as rare as it was 15 years ago. NBA & NHL players seem to go longer too...HGH, TRT etc makes a big difference, and they are always trying to come up with better PEDs. yeah, soccer lol and no it doesn't apply to that I will concede that NBA/NHL is problematic, as are most American sports, the drug scandals there are disgraceful. It doesn't apply to the same extent to Europe or Asia. Even in the US, athletes caught doping are often suspended or banned for life.

what sports do you follow? I follow football, cricket, rugby, boxing and sometimes tennis, the best guys are still those in their mid to late 20s. Of course we have anomalies like Federer but it's still rare. Which football are we talking about? lol I follow the worldwide one and I think it applies to that, and tennis like you mentioned is another example. I think the older athlete is not as rare as it was 15 years ago. NBA & NHL players seem to go longer too...HGH, TRT etc makes a big difference, and they are always trying to come up with better PEDs. Barry Bonds was doing career numbers in his late 30's. Lance Armstrong was still a top 5 guy in his last comeback, and while I have no idea about cycling, it is suppose to be one the most grueling sports.

I don't follow football, but that might be a much more unique sport. The injury rate has to be off the charts. From sports that I do follow, the old 'past 30 and you're done' mindset is finished. and in general about the comments here, how about you guys stop disrespecting the sport you follow. The boxrec stats point to more fights today (more overall participation, ino older fighters were tough as nails and fought more) than in the last 30-40 years. The only time it was much bigger was in the 1920's and that was almost exclusively in the US, guys are not going to be fighting week to week anymore. Drugs is the only answer. what sports do you follow? I follow football, cricket, rugby, boxing and sometimes tennis, the best guys are still those in their mid to late 20s. Of course we have anomalies like Federer but it's still rare.

Not so much, you won't see the truly elite footballers on the planet being 35+, in fact, some of the greatest footballers of our generation were named such even before they hit their late 20s. I don't follow football, but that might be a much more unique sport. The injury rate has to be off the charts. From sports that I do follow, the old 'past 30 and you're done' mindset is finished. and in general about the comments here, how about you guys stop disrespecting the sport you follow. The boxrec stats point to more fights today (more overall participation, ino older fighters were tough as nails and fought more) than in the last 30-40 years. The only time it was much bigger was in the 1920's and that was almost exclusively in the US, guys are not going to be fighting week to week anymore. Drugs is the only answer.

i think the talent level of fighters in recent years has decreased atlas said hopkins would not have been a champion in the 1980s less youngsters are boxing boxing is less popular boxing is a tough sport It hasn't. The problem is that people only look at the divisions that has a popular boxer or two. Specially if American/Brit.

Fighters seem to want the glory without putting in the work these days..therefore the talent level,heart and toughness has dropped This. And they're fed bums by the dozens, rushed into fame with no real foundation and once they get a real opponent, they're dealt with with ease. Money & Fame is all they care about; Losing & being worthless is all they end up being. New Age Boxing.

we live in a diffrent era now where age is not such a factor, if u condition urself well and a master student of the game u can out last a ''keith thurman''

Fighters seem to want the glory without putting in the work these days..therefore the talent level,heart and toughness has dropped I thank Money, Haymon, and Arum for that... it's all for the money now... only up and comers fight legit comp now... once they're on top tho they fight s.hit contenders... look at Garcia...

Fighters became 'older' faster in previous eras as the fighting was tougher, more fights, longer rounds.. Simply a tougher game. Fighters now are much more protected in all aspects, with trainers, promoters, sports science, medical improvement, fewer fights, etc. This isn't to say fighters didn't fight until they got 'old' in earlier days, take Archie Moore for instance, fought into his mid 40s with a career of over 200 professional fights.

Lack of real strategic thinking trainers, if a young guy is fighting an old guy they are relying on their trainers brain to help them out. If your trainer is not able to out think (or match wits with) the guy you are fighting there is a huge problem. Unless that fighter is straight up too much man for the older guy (Porter-Pauli comes to mind) on the physical side then the brain plays an important role and the veteran is almost always going to have the edge there.

Then I guess its a lack of participating which used to be so prevalent in the past. What do u mean?

Why is the trend somewhat different in the lower divisions?

Boxing is an old man's game only if allowed to be as such, the young guy has to be real so you run into more guys who are not truly top end guys than you do real guys. Young guys can push a fight to places an old guy pretty much can't go, it is not always easy. Lots of young guys fall into the trap thinking they can play chess with an old man (which is always a mistake), when they need to focus on the physical things they can do that the older guy can not keep up with. A lot of that comes down to poor training, and if the guy training you knows less about boxing than the fighter you are facing (and the plan is not keep it simple and young man the old guy) tit is pretty easy to see why guys get outmaneuvered.

All strenuous athletic competition is a younger mans game, prime is something in my opinion which falls into 24-28 years old. Perhaps, but that alone won't always win you a boxing match. Experience, boxing IQ, and the proverbial skills play a larger part than just being in your psychical "prime."

Add politics to the mix. Referees are letting fighters clinch more which can be used by older fighters as an advantage. Judges are literally destroying careers by giving the preferred fighter the nod. Fighters are overly protected, most have the train of thought that if they have an 0=bigger payday making them take less risk therefore lacking a good resume

Yes, it's definitely an older man's sport now because experience and skills are trumping youth, speed, and power. These older guys (Mayweather, Pacquiao, Rigo, JMM, Wlad, ect.) are also better preserved through advanced nutrition, fitness (possibly even roids), and more time to rest between fights. Thus extending their shelf life in the sport. 40 is the new 25.

There are older athletes in all sports today. It's PEDs. Not so much, you won't see the truly elite footballers on the planet being 35+, in fact, some of the greatest footballers of our generation were named such even before they hit their late 20s.