Any ATG's or decent HOF's who had a late start to boxing?

[dan_cov]

Can't check & no ATG or HOF material or anything but I think Anthony Mundine was a very late starter too, coming from a football background he must of been in his early-mid twenties?

Same with Seth Mitchell I could be wrong but I think I recall them saying he didn't step foot in a boxing gym until he was 26, kind of shows too.

[New England]

rocky marciano and bernard hopkins. there might be others, but in terms of ATG, those are the ones i remember.


as with any athletic endeavor, the younger you start the better. your body needs to get exposed to teh sport while it's still developing. it will map out your body for the rest of your life.

[dan_cov]

There was a guy who fought Kelly Pavlik (Right at the end of his career) who didn't start until his mid twenties and he was self taught, he'd never had a trainer, taught himself purely from watching footage. Not a great fighter but still that is impressive and just shows if you put the work in who knows how far you can go.

[KO'er]

George Foreman never laced up a glove until he was 18, he won an Olympic Gold a year later.

Won the heavyweight championship world only 6 years later. Incredible isn't it.

[Cardinal Buck]

Hopkins turned pro late, but had been boxing since a young age.

[#1Assassin]

Carl Froch and Bernard Hopkins are future hall of famers who were late to turn pro.....

that doesnt count as far as im concerned. otherwise you would have to say someone like rigo got a late start to boxing too but we all know thats not the case. he has been boxing since he was a kid, he just waited a long time to turn pro.

froch didnt get a late start to boxing at all, he boxed as a kid, gave it up and then started again at a late age resulting in him turning pro late. just like tarver and hopkins who i will go into more detail about below. none of them were strangers to boxing when they picked it back up.

Good shout on B-Hop, he started in prison right?

no he picked it back up in prison. BHop boxed as a kid and did very well at a regional level. then he got caught up in the street life and eventually went to jail where he like mentioned started boxing again.

i dont think he qualifies as someone who got a late start to boxing, just someone who got sidetracked.

[joseph5620]

I believe Sonny Liston but I'm not sure of his exact age when he turned pro.

Sergio Martinez is the latest that I can think of.

[Cardinal Buck]

Not exactly great, but I think Primo Carnera started late.