How Sad Is It That 3/5 Top P4P'ers are 35 Yrs Old and Up ?

[UrDazed]

You don't get in the p4p because you're young. :ANYWORD: it takes time to prove your worth. And that means you will have to get older. And some are put in there for promotional reason. Like Floyd and Broner.

In 96 the top fighters were Johnson, Delahoya, Whitaker, Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Mosley, Trinidad etc.

All young dudes. the young dudes of today just can't hack it.

[PAC-BOY]

In 96 the top fighters were Johnson, Delahoya, Whitaker, Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Mosley, Trinidad etc.

All young dudes. the young dudes of today just can't hack it.

I agree. That was a different era in boxing for sure. We had better match ups then as well. Fighters fought more.

[-PBP-]

Amateur system has nothing to do with they just aren't good enough. Look at some of the younger big names out there, Ortiz, Canelo, Rios, Mattysse, Chavez Jr. All of them can crack and none of them are what I'd call pity pat punchers they just aren't good enough.

Matthysse is 30, Ortiz and Rios aren't pound for pound caliber talents to begin with and Canelo and Chavez Jr. don't come from the amateur system.

Amateur boxing has historically played a major role n the development of elite U.S. boxers. Look at the U.S. fighters that have been ranked in the top 3 p4p over the past 30+ years:

Sugar Ray Leonard
Thomas Hearns
Aaron Pryor
Michael Spinks
Donald Curry
Mike Tyson
Pernell Whitaker
Oscar De La Hoya
Terry Norris
Roy Jones Jr.
Shane Mosley
Winky Wright
Bernard Hopkins
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Andre Ward

That's 15 fighters ranked in the pound for pound top 3. 7 of them were olympic medalists and all of them with the exception of Winky Wright and Bernard Hopkins had stellar amateur careers. Donald Curry couldn't participate in the Olympics because of the boycott of 1980. But look how long it took Hopkins and Wright to get into the rankings.

The downfall of the amateur boxing system in the U.S. has been a major factor as to why there aren't many young fighters that are pound for pound caliber talents.

If I'm to offer my take on things I think the current situation is down to the wrong fighters getting exposure. There are probably a lot of p4p or fighters with the potential to become p4p level sitting around in obscurity and failing to get developed. Nowadays stars become stars before they prove it with their sweat, investments are protected so they don't move up the ranks.

That's always been the case. Boxing is a business first. If your not marketable, you will never be a star. And one of the best ways to market a young fighter is through their success in the Olympics and the amateurs. Look how HBO, ShowTime and NBC showcase the fights of the U.S. Olympians on their undercards.

[Shogunofharlem1]

Anybody remember tuesday night fights? That was the spot for young fighters to come in and make their bones. Dudes like Alvarez and Broner would be on something like that trying to build their rep instead of promoters trying to turn them into cash cows already.

[Weebler I]

What does age matter?

[baya]

i'd a gone with 'impressive' rather than 'sad'

[oscar_angels091]

You don't get in the p4p because you're young. :ANYWORD: it takes time to prove your worth. And that means you will have to get older. And some are put in there for promotional reason. Like Floyd and Broner.

you are one annoying *******

[UrDazed]

What does age matter?

That there aren't many young stars on the rise.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

30 and up is the best athletes. It's the trend and it's because nutrition and the advancements in strength and conditioning.

[RlCKY]

That there aren't many young stars on the rise.

They're just coming up slower. They're turning pro later and their competition level stays low for a while. Guys are getting 25+ fights before getting title shots which in turn means they're becoming champions later. By the time they either defend it a bunch of times, or move up in weight, they're at least 30.

Hell even Canelo, at the rate he is currently going, will be 30 by the time you talk about him as top p4p, if ever.