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Some fighters get by with athleticism,speed these things go with age..only truly special fighters are able to fight at advanced ages...they have the high ring iq and intelligence and know how to adjust their fighting style to fit their age..This is very rare and when you see it you have to appreciate it...Hopkins,Archie Moore,Foreman etc etc
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Foreman hardly had speed or superior reflexes, he relied on his power...which is what he did when he got old. Thing is he worked on his ring IQ and improved his allround boxing skills too. Foreman doesn't really fit into your criteria.
Moore is another one, hardly a speed demon in any sense of the word, he was always a tricky boxer who spoilt the opponent's work but he got better with age as he learnt more tricks and his great rival Charles went up to heavyweight.
Hopkins again, a very defensive fighter who took little risks with hardly great hand speed or reflexes. Much like Moore he expanded his repertoire and I personally don't believe he has gotten better with age BUT he has managed to stay fit, active and worked on negating his opponents offense better than probably anyone that has ever fought at 160 and above.
Guys you should have named and are pretty obvious are Ali, Leonard and Pep. As their speed and almost superhuman reflexes slowed and became almost pedestrian, they changed their style, they relied more on sitting down on their punches, on having to go to war, on holding, spoiling, in-fighting. Ali in particular is an almost different fighter in the 70s to the Ali of pre-ban. -
I disagree.
Pernell Whitaker was a great, great fighter in his prime. I would say 33 years old, a fairly young age, was his last year where he was on top. Not being able to look great as you get older doesn't mean you're less great than someone who fights at 38-50 years old.
There are so many fighters who's body and reflexes just give in at 33-35. There is a huge difference in styles between Whitaker and Chavez Sr. Yet they both pretty much went past prime at 34. Again for Roy Jones Jr, at 35 he was done.
33-35 is just the age where any great gives in, on average. Those who fight above 35 just took care of their body better. They probably didn't use any recreational drugs, no drinks, no PED's. Whitaker used drugs, Jones used PED's, Chavez Sr was a drinker. It's about taking care of yourself, not really that you are great if you are fighting at the top level at 40. Yeah you are great, but great at taking care of yourself.Comment
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yes and no,,,
roy slipped and was never the same,, because he didnt have fundamentals down,,
old hopkins wiped the floor with tarver, jones should have done the same in the 3rd fight
foreman never had killer speed or skill,, he just hit really really hard,,,
plus big george was super calm in the 90s,, he looked bored sometimes he was so calm,,, foreman was mentally tough, and relaxed and still hit like a freight train,, hence why he could get beat up for 9 rounds by moorer and still land the ko,,
floyd will do good in his old age, even if his reflexes and speed diminish because like hopkins he takes care of his body between fights, and has the fundamentals and ring IQ,
floyd wont be unbeatable, but he will still fight at a high levelComment
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A healthy life style is the way to go. Also mental strain is important. Some fighters lose to the game because mentally they can't take it.Comment
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Whitaker was an old 33. He had 500 amateur fights and was known to spar a large number of rounds. The drug problems didn't help either.
Even at 33 and with drug issues though he still gave a prime De La Hoya all he could handle and won in the eyes of many. That's still a testament to his skills.Comment
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Bradley at 40 will have ATG skills.Comment
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I've heard that power is the last thing that a fighter loses, when it comes to age.
Now, I'm not comparing myself to any world class fighter, but as far as physical strength, which is not completely indicative of punching power by the way, I'm stronger now then when I was in my 20's.
But my reflexes, eyesight, and even my hearing have started to decline somewhat.
To me, a lot of greats can trade their loss of physical attributes with experience and guile.
And some can't.Comment
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Everyone ages differently theres no set age that automaticly slows a fighter down.
Sugar Ray Robinson was fighting very tuff opponents at the very end of his 25 year career and winning and loosing against them, never being stopped.
Meeting fighters like;
Joey Archer
Stan Harrington
Joey Giardello
Ralph Dupras
Denny Moyer
Gene Fulmer.....in the early sixties to mid-sixties was no easy task. After 20+ years and over 300 (amatuer & Pros) bouts he had seen all the styles and could adjust to them well even without his reflexes being as sharp as they once were.
I remember Gaspar Ortega telling me that once he realized he was getting knocked down by punches that didn't really hurt him he knew he was finished.
The legs go first usually then speed then overall reflexes. If your a real power guy that doesn't go all the way away but without your speed your power will deminish. Every well known fighter wants to use his name (reputation) to pick up the pennies at the end but it gets dangerous if their to far away from their best. Thats when the game is at its most brutal stage! Ray.Comment
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