Is boxing really a "young" mans sport?

[Boxfan83]

With fighters nowadays having successful careers in their late 30s early 40s, has boxing become more of a "seasoned" athletes sport? Ive noticed a lot of pressure is put on young fighters (under 25) to take on tuff challenges and their youth is always acknowledged as an advantage but is it really?

[Strategic1]

Generally speaking, I do think the prime of a boxer is generally in their mid 20s to late 20s. There are some who do perform well in their early 30s.

But a boxer performing at an elite level in their mid to late 30s is rare.

It's just a scientific fact, that in terms of athleticism and performance, your 20s is the prime for most. But in boxing of course, there are other factors like ring smarts, experience, craftyness that can make a huge difference.

Still very few can perform in the mid to late 30s... Floyd, PAC, BHop, JMM are exceptions.

[Bram]

I do think that there is some pressure on the younger guys to step up now and show what they can do earlier because it's a sport hungry for big names and the sooner someone can become a big name, the longer we'll have to watch them and the more the more big fights they're likely to be in.

And I do still consider it to be a younger man's sport. At the pinnacle you're talking about guys in their late 30's now and a few even older, but I don't see too many of these younger big named guys sticking around that long. I can't see Canelo and Thurman and Broner sticking around fighting for another decade and a half.

[Grimmer]

Carl Froch had his first professional fight at a few months shy of being 25.

Won his first world title against Pascal when he was 31 and fought at the highest level for pretty much every fight since.

Ring age in boxing counts for more than actual age. Fighters can be relatively green at 30, some can be shot by their mid twenties, depending on their ability, style and the level they've fought at and for how long.

[slimshandy69]

Generally speaking, I do think the prime of a boxer is generally in their mid 20s to late 20s. There are some who do perform well in their early 30s.

But a boxer performing at an elite level in their mid to late 30s is rare.

It's just a scientific fact, that in terms of athleticism and performance, your 20s is the prime for most. But in boxing of course, there are other factors like ring smarts, experience, craftyness that can make a huge difference.

Still very few can perform in the mid to late 30s... Floyd, PAC, BHop, JMM are exceptions.

you say that but look at the big boxing stars now, Wladimir 38 ggg 32, kovalev 31/32, Carl froch 37, Manny pac 36, floyd, 38, adonis stevens 37 etc etc...

Why cant people accept due to better diet, conditioning, training methods and knowledge prime is now 30, and arguably sustainable throughout your 30's depending on how motivated you are.

If you take skill sports like golf, snooker, darts which limits physicality is manily cordination and eyesight, the primes are in your 30's, and in some cases 40's.

If you take the best quarter backs currently, you have 37 year old brady, 31 year old rodgers and a 38 year old peyton manning.

most people in temrs of mode live till there late 80's and early 90's, so why would 25-28 make sense in terms of physical prime?

You are also forgetting sport iq, which is far higher in your 30's than 20's...

[Strategic1]

you say that but look at the big boxing stars now, Wladimir 38 ggg 32, kovalev 31/32, Carl froch 37, Manny pac 36, floyd, 38, adonis stevens 37 etc etc...

Why cant people accept due to better diet, conditioning, training methods and knowledge prime is now 30, and arguably sustainable throughout your 30's depending on how motivated you are.

If you take skill sports like golf, snooker, darts which limits physicality is manily cordination and eyesight, the primes are in your 30's, and in some cases 40's.

If you take the best quarter backs currently, you have 37 year old brady, 31 year old rodgers and a 38 year old peyton manning.

most people in temrs of mode live till there late 80's and early 90's, so why would 25-28 make sense in terms of physical prime?

You are also forgetting sport iq, which is far higher in your 30's than 20's...

I'm not debating iq/ring smarts. That allows these elite fighters to still school the young guys.

At the same time, the guys you mentioned are elite level boxers. They are in the top 10%, i'd argue top 4%-6% of all boxers.

Of the thousands of professional boxers world wide, you won't find many like them.

Yes, boxing is a skill sport, but the physical aspects is still 40-50% of performance...And this is a physical sport. Could be higher, or lower depending on how you view it.

[slimshandy69]

I'm not debating iq/ring smarts. That allows these elite fighters to still school the young guys.

At the same time, the guys you mentioned are elite level boxers. They are in the top 10%, i'd argue top 4%-6% of all boxers.

Of the thousands of professional boxers world wide, you won't find many like them.

Yes, boxing is a skill sport, but the physical aspects is still 40-50% of performance...And this is a physical sport. Could be higher, or lower depending on how you view it.

Even sprinters are dominating into there early 30's. Yes hes pedded up but hasny tyson gay been winning late at 32? You have to remember even the 25-28 guys are pedded up, so its all evens out.

If you look at froch v Groves, or maidana v floyd, both 36 year olds ha etter cardio than both a 30 year old and a 26 year old.


In frochs case hes got better cardio and strength than groves and hes over 10 years older.

The reason you get more people in there 20's is that they sre the blood line, people enter a sports in there teens to early 20's, very rarely do they enter the sport in there 30's. The sport woud not be sustainable otherwise.

Also in your 30's nd 40's you have bigger fish to fry such as family and having children etc, also you may have earnt your dollas, so you not as hungry as you were when you were in your late teens early 20's.

But if you keep your testostrone levels equal to that of a 25 year old, you would aegue that your physicality remains, and your IQ in the sport improves...

Perhaps i am just in denial as ive hot 30 now and wont admitting i am not a young buck anymore

[Biolink]

Carl Froch had his first professional fight at a few months shy of being 25.

Won his first world title against Pascal when he was 31 and fought at the highest level for pretty much every fight since.

Ring age in boxing counts for more than actual age. Fighters can be relatively green at 30, some can be shot by their mid twenties, depending on their ability, style and the level they've fought at and for how long.

I don't think it matters as much to a bigger man like Froch that got his start late. Chin and power start to matter more at higher weights, whereas the smaller guys have to have their reflexes, chin, and everything be tuned on point by the time they turn pro.

[Strategic1]

I will say this...
sport science, optimal training methods/knowledge/conditions, and more knowledge on nutrition/diet allows older athletes to stay sharp.

I'm approaching my mid 30s...so yea, I want to believe as well.

But if you look at other sports... they all have a similar pattern. But there are a few who manage to stay on top.

[GateKEEPER88]

Its rare to get a fighter who has
ring iq ,ability and skills, with great intangables And dedication to the craft.

Thats andre ward ..

Its all in who is coaching/training them as well.

Take ward for example. He was taught and earned ring iq
And was taught skills,and was born with intangables
and ability.and has a very good coach his whole career.
the one thing ward does lack is a good business sense Which is also required.hiring bad management cant hurt.

Then you have guys like demarco and salido and pascal
along with eddie chambers