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All this talk nowadays about fighters who have continued on despite now comin to the age of 40 an so on and so forth, it just seems to always spark up a debate...Now when you look back in time at some of the fighters who may have fought past there primes, you think about fighter like....
1. Sugar Ray Robinson- Retired at the age of 44 after 25 years of fighting, turning prob at age 19....Look at it this way, in his last proffestional year of 1965, and alot of this had to do with money yes, but desire as well, although fighting with some diminshed skills, he fought 14 time in only 9 months....He fought fights only 15-20 days apart in some fights with them goin to 10 round distance!! now this is astounding to say the least, despite that fact that we know todays training regime to make weight puts a lot more emphasis on the body due to the fact that fighter normally walk around 2-3 even 4 weight classes above where there respected fighting weight at...Now robinson, who was fighting at 160 his entire career, was probably only walking around at/or around this weight when he wasnt fighting...his style was a crowd pleasing tactical one at that, exposing ppl's defensive style's with his multiple combinations and lazor like accuracy, while still being able to avoid punches that his combatants were throwing at him, a hit and dont get hit mentality...Although he was never one to shy away from letting his hands go in the fire so to speak, he would take a good deal of punishment in some of his more memorable bouts, his bouts with Fullmer, Turpin, Maxim, Basilio, Paul Pender, and how could we forget Jake Lamotta (They only fought ehhh 6 times), were all battles no matter what the outcome was.....
His style had changed over the years from a fleet footed, master of the ring, one who could always stay on his toes and he was the efiniion of "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in his early career, but it was almost as though he had 2 careers...In his later years, he was a fighter who still used his legs, but it was almost his offense that was his defense....He would throw a lot of combos, using his jab and stepping in with vicious hooks. Look at the last Robinson V Basilio fight, at age 38, he controlled the middle of the ring because he was able to still throw punches in bunches...His jab kept most of his opponents off him throughtout his career, but moreso in his later years. Basilio of course was a true Welterweight throughout his career, and when he was on the outside, Robinson was able to tee off on him, but when they got inside it was a different story.......
This being said, and I know im stammering a bit, what does it say for someone like this to be able to continue to fight untl there well past there best days, and still be successful???
Now I know when we talk about yester years and today's they are 2 totally different days, but even today we have Hopkins and Toney to speak about thses too who are well past there primes and still able to fight 12 round fights with young competitors and win......There defensive style is what has allowed them to stay here for so long......
Could Ray have been around today if he were in his mid 40's and still fighting!?! And if so, how well would he have done in today's sports of boxing, fighting in his 40's compared to what he accomplished in his hay day from the 1st Basilio fight till the end of his career?!?
Is this going to continue in the years to come because of the way that athletes are able to train themselves with the resources presented nowadays?!?!
And if soo, will it have to take someone possibly getting hurt inside the squared cirlce to call a halt on this warriors continuing well past there best days?!?!
SRY soo long Fellas........Here a snack so you guys can eat while you read!!!
1. Sugar Ray Robinson- Retired at the age of 44 after 25 years of fighting, turning prob at age 19....Look at it this way, in his last proffestional year of 1965, and alot of this had to do with money yes, but desire as well, although fighting with some diminshed skills, he fought 14 time in only 9 months....He fought fights only 15-20 days apart in some fights with them goin to 10 round distance!! now this is astounding to say the least, despite that fact that we know todays training regime to make weight puts a lot more emphasis on the body due to the fact that fighter normally walk around 2-3 even 4 weight classes above where there respected fighting weight at...Now robinson, who was fighting at 160 his entire career, was probably only walking around at/or around this weight when he wasnt fighting...his style was a crowd pleasing tactical one at that, exposing ppl's defensive style's with his multiple combinations and lazor like accuracy, while still being able to avoid punches that his combatants were throwing at him, a hit and dont get hit mentality...Although he was never one to shy away from letting his hands go in the fire so to speak, he would take a good deal of punishment in some of his more memorable bouts, his bouts with Fullmer, Turpin, Maxim, Basilio, Paul Pender, and how could we forget Jake Lamotta (They only fought ehhh 6 times), were all battles no matter what the outcome was.....
His style had changed over the years from a fleet footed, master of the ring, one who could always stay on his toes and he was the efiniion of "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in his early career, but it was almost as though he had 2 careers...In his later years, he was a fighter who still used his legs, but it was almost his offense that was his defense....He would throw a lot of combos, using his jab and stepping in with vicious hooks. Look at the last Robinson V Basilio fight, at age 38, he controlled the middle of the ring because he was able to still throw punches in bunches...His jab kept most of his opponents off him throughtout his career, but moreso in his later years. Basilio of course was a true Welterweight throughout his career, and when he was on the outside, Robinson was able to tee off on him, but when they got inside it was a different story.......
This being said, and I know im stammering a bit, what does it say for someone like this to be able to continue to fight untl there well past there best days, and still be successful???
Now I know when we talk about yester years and today's they are 2 totally different days, but even today we have Hopkins and Toney to speak about thses too who are well past there primes and still able to fight 12 round fights with young competitors and win......There defensive style is what has allowed them to stay here for so long......
Could Ray have been around today if he were in his mid 40's and still fighting!?! And if so, how well would he have done in today's sports of boxing, fighting in his 40's compared to what he accomplished in his hay day from the 1st Basilio fight till the end of his career?!?
Is this going to continue in the years to come because of the way that athletes are able to train themselves with the resources presented nowadays?!?!
And if soo, will it have to take someone possibly getting hurt inside the squared cirlce to call a halt on this warriors continuing well past there best days?!?!
SRY soo long Fellas........Here a snack so you guys can eat while you read!!!
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