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by David P. Greisman - What is old?
Is it Andrew Golota getting beat up by Tomasz Adamek at 42? Or is it George Foreman winning the heavyweight championship against Michael Moorer at 45?
What is over the hill?
Is it Roy Jones Jr., then 40, getting knocked out in one round against Danny Green? Or is it Jeff Lacy, then 32, getting completely out-boxed by a 40-year-old Roy Jones?
Age, like the other elements of the proverbial tale of the tape, requires context. A taller fighter does not have a height advantage unless he knows how to use it. A boxer having the longer reach means little if he lets his opponent get inside. A younger fighter isn’t necessarily going to be faster, have more stamina or be better able to take punishment.
In other sports, there are the exceptional exceptions. Baseball had Satchel Paige pitching in the Major Leagues at 59, Nolan Ryan throwing a no-hitter at 44, and Julio Franco hitting a home run at 48. Football had two aging quarterbacks carrying their teams into the playoffs this year: 40-year-old Brett Favre and 38-year-old Kurt Warner. [Click Here To Read More]
Is it Andrew Golota getting beat up by Tomasz Adamek at 42? Or is it George Foreman winning the heavyweight championship against Michael Moorer at 45?
What is over the hill?
Is it Roy Jones Jr., then 40, getting knocked out in one round against Danny Green? Or is it Jeff Lacy, then 32, getting completely out-boxed by a 40-year-old Roy Jones?
Age, like the other elements of the proverbial tale of the tape, requires context. A taller fighter does not have a height advantage unless he knows how to use it. A boxer having the longer reach means little if he lets his opponent get inside. A younger fighter isn’t necessarily going to be faster, have more stamina or be better able to take punishment.
In other sports, there are the exceptional exceptions. Baseball had Satchel Paige pitching in the Major Leagues at 59, Nolan Ryan throwing a no-hitter at 44, and Julio Franco hitting a home run at 48. Football had two aging quarterbacks carrying their teams into the playoffs this year: 40-year-old Brett Favre and 38-year-old Kurt Warner. [Click Here To Read More]
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