Heavyweight Champs' Lifespans

[The Old LefHook]

Sonny Liston—40
Rocky Marciano—45
Max Baer—50
Ezzard Charles—53
Bob Fitzsimmons—54
Marvin Hart—55 (plus one day)
John L. Sullivan—59
Primo Carnera—60
Joe Louis—66
Joe Frazier—67
Jack Johnson—68
James J. Braddock—69
Floyd Patterson—71
Tommy Burns—73
Muhammad Ali—74
Ingomar Johansson—76
James J. Corbett—76
James J. Jefferies—77
Jersey Joe Walcott—80
Gene Tunney—81
Jess Willard—86
Jack Dempsey—87
Jack Sharkey—91
Max Schmeling—99


Average= 69.04 years≈69 years

Standard Deviation=14.6 years

Median=70 years

[Willie Pep 229]

Sonny Liston—40
Rocky Marciano—45
Max Baer—50
Ezzard Charles—53
Bob Fitzsimmons—54
Marvin Hart—55 (plus one day)
John L. Sullivan—59
Primo Carnera—60
Joe Louis—66
Joe Frazier—67
Jack Johnson—68
James J. Braddock—69
Floyd Patterson—71
Tommy Burns—73
Muhammad Ali—74
Ingomar Johansson—76
James J. Corbett—76
James J. Jefferies—77
Jersey Joe Walcott—80
Gene Tunney—81
Jess Willard—86
Jack Dempsey—87
Jack Sharkey—91
Max Schmeling—99


Average= 69.04 years≈69 years

Standard Deviation=14.6 years

Median=70 years

Do the numbers change much if we pull out the tragedies?

Marciano (45), Liston (40), and Johnson (68) are the only ones I can think of . . . I not surprised that JJ figured out how to live a long life and still cut it short anyway.

I think we can consider Baer's early demise to be 'natural' (but not related to the game.)

[The Old LefHook]

Do the numbers change much if we pull out the tragedies?

Marciano (45), Liston (40), and Johnson (68) are the only ones I can think of . . . I not surprised that JJ figured out how to live a long life and still cut it short anyway.

I think we can consider Baer's early demise to be 'natural' (but not related to the game.)

Such attributes as might have contributed to early demises on the list probably come with the territory of championship mentality.

Willard lived a long life for a giant.

Eliminating Marciano and Liston from consideration raises the average lifespan to 71.45 years and lowers standard deviation to 12.737.

[famicommander]

Looks like your list only includes lineal champions. Here are the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO deceased champions

Ernie Terrell - 75
Jimmy Ellis - 74
Ken Norton - 70
John Tate - 43
Michael Dokes - 54
Greg Page - 50
Trevor Berbick - 52
Tommy Morrison* - 44 (WBO champion before the belt was recognized by any of the other three bodies)
Corrie Sanders** - 46 (WBO champion when it was recognized by two of the other three)

[Dr. Z]

Sonny Liston—40
Rocky Marciano—45
Max Baer—50
Ezzard Charles—53
Bob Fitzsimmons—54
Marvin Hart—55 (plus one day)
John L. Sullivan—59
Primo Carnera—60
Joe Louis—66
Joe Frazier—67
Jack Johnson—68
James J. Braddock—69
Floyd Patterson—71
Tommy Burns—73
Muhammad Ali—74
Ingomar Johansson—76
James J. Corbett—76
James J. Jefferies—77
Jersey Joe Walcott—80
Gene Tunney—81
Jess Willard—86
Jack Dempsey—87
Jack Sharkey—91
Max Schmeling—99


Average= 69.04 years≈69 years

Standard Deviation=14.6 years

Median=70 years

The average man lives 76.4 years. It makes sense that fighters live 6.4 years less.

[The Old LefHook]

The average man lives 76.4 years. It makes sense that fighters live 6.4 years less.

It quite depends on where the average man lives. The average man in Mali lives fewer years than the average man in Japan et al.

[Dr. Z]

It quite depends on where the average man lives. The average man in Mali lives fewer years than the average man in Japan et al.

While that is true, I'm guessing the average fighter in Japan lives less than the average man there.

I looked it up, its 81.8 years is the average lie expectancy in Japan for a man. I suspect diet and lifestyle have a lot to do with the longer than average life. For example I see very few " fat " people there, and very few who abuse drugs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy