Speedsters aging well?

[Cardinal Buck]

Mosley managed to remain relevant alot longer than your average "speedster". He was still regarded as elite well into his late 30's.

But then again, just about anybody could look fast against Margarito & Mayorga.

He did manage to clip Mayweather twice in the second round....That's something.

[Counter Troll]

floyd and hopkins have aged better than say roy or others because:

1. they have good defense and dont take alot of punishment

2. they stay in the gym year round and arent like duran, bowe, hatton, etc guys that would blow up in weight between fights

3. they have great fundamentals and technique.... Floyd is clearly not the same floyd that fought corrales or gatti,, he doesnt have huge springs in his legs before, and combinations are not as often,,, but his skills, and fundamentals still allow him to be the best in the world

Somewhat agree with your 3rd point (regarding Roy). He just simply & stubbornly refused to even attempt to adapt to a new style of boxing that was more suitable for a boxer in his mid-30's.

Neither B-Hop or Floyd still boxes with the EXACT same style as they did when they were in their 20's. But Roy to this day, boxes with the EXACT same style as he did when he was in his 20's.

But Roy took ALOT less punishment than either Floyd or B-Hop during his prime. Infact he might've took less clean punches than any top level, long reigning, dominant champ or ATG in the history of the sport before he reached the age of 35.

He also was every bit the gym rat that Floyd & B-Hop were.

I think in Roy's case, the weight issue has to be at the forefront of reasons for his rapid decline.

[Cardinal Buck]

^good post, but I think Roy was destroyed mentally by Tarver's left hand. Had that punch never happened, I think Roy would've rebounded from the first fight and stayed on top for at least another year or two.

[StarshipTrooper]

Regardless of Floyd Mayweather's Jr. place in boxing history, I think it is pretty safe to say that among slick boxers heavily relying on their reflexes, Floyd is quite unique in his aging more gracefully than others. What are other examples?

We all know from recent times that RJ, Pea, SRL were all shot by 35. Lifestyle and the type of skillset undoubtedly playing a role.

Who could we consider? Pep fought in his 40s, but his last title fight came before he was 30 I believe. Locche made it to 33, which is not bad in the 70s with that style.

i should say that Napoles' unearthly skills and more orthodox style saw him through for a little while longer, but I hesitate in classifying him as a speedster.

of course SRR did very good in his second run at 160, but he was heavily slipping compared to his prime IMO

who else?

PEDs can do marvelous things.....

[Panthershock]

PEDs can do marvelous things.....

my su****ion as well, too many fighters defying age nowadays

saw the same thing happen with baseball players (Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro etc) in the steroid era

[Counter Troll]

^good post, but I think Roy was destroyed mentally by Tarver's left hand. Had that punch never happened, I think Roy would've rebounded from the first fight and stayed on top for at least another year or two.

Possibly.

But he had already shown clear signs of DRASTIC slippage in the prior fight before the KO.

In Roy-Tarver I . He had no stamina and was completely gassed by the middle of the fight. Which was wholly uncharacteristic. His legs were shot. Didn't have the same pop in his punches. His upper body reflexes weren't the same. He was already a complete shell of himself. All he had left was fast hands. Which alone was pretty much useless with his legs gone and overall reflexes deterioated. He was literally half the fighter that he was prior to the weight drain in both Tarver I & II. All handspeed. Nothing else.

[StarshipTrooper]

my su****ion as well, too many fighters defying age nowadays

saw the same thing happen with baseball players (Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro etc) in the steroid era

Yep. I have no doubts that's what's going on.

[Counter Troll]

my su****ion as well, too many fighters defying age nowadays

saw the same thing happen with baseball players (Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro etc) in the steroid era

Was Archie Moore on PEDS when he went back and forth from Light Heavyweight to Heavyweight beating several top contenders in both divisions when he was well into his mid-40's?

[StarshipTrooper]

Was Archie Moore on PEDS when he went back and forth from Light Heavyweight to Heavyweight beating several top contenders in both divisions when he was well into his mid-40's?

Archie Moore was a one of a kind freak. That's a big difference from lots of guys doing it like today.

[Counter Troll]

Archie Moore was a one of a kind freak. That's a big difference from lots of guys doing it like today.

Yeah but i don't think that PEDS are the lone explanation or even the primary explanation as to why older fighters are generally having alot more success than in prior eras. I don't attribute it PEDS at all. I think it has more to do with the unprecedented number of minimally skilled, marginally talented prospects and contenders rising thru the ranks today, masquerading as world class boxers. We have a whole generation of boxers who's general technique, skillset(s), and even athleticism is vastly inferior to their predecessors. Which is why the top 10 p4p & LEGIT world champs are for the most part, older than they've ever been.