Why Are So Many Old Boxers Remaining Competitive?
There was a time not so long ago that any boxer over the age of 30 was considered to be pushing the limits of being “over the hill.” With a few exceptions, the “prime” of a fighter’s career was considered to come when he was in his late 20s. With the exception of someone like George Foreman, who regained the heavyweight title in 1994 at the age of 45, most boxers in their mid-30s and over were considered to be past their expiration date and on the way to retirement.
However, things have changed significantly over the past two decades. Fighters in their 30s are at the top of the sport, with many boxers in their late 30s and older still fighting at a very high level. Glancing at the heavyweight division gives several examples of this phenomenon. Of the top 10 highest ranked boxers by BoxRec.com, all but two of them are over the age of 30. 34-year-old Wladimir Klitschko is at the top of the division, followed closely by his 38-year-old brother Vitaly.
This trend has continued throughout all of boxing. Eight of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world according to BoxRec.com are 30 or older. This includes 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins, who recently won a unanimous decision against 41-year-old Roy Jones Jr. in a major PPV fight. Boxers such as Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Sergio Martinez have managed to stay at (or in the case of Martinez rise to) the top of the sport in their late-30s or older.
So why is this happening? Why are so many fighters able to retain their skills and remain so successful in boxing deep into their career? One of the biggest reasons is that fighters and their trainers have become so sophisticated with their training techniques. Boxers understand the importance of keeping themselves in shape – not just when preparing for a fight but during their entire career. Fighters are eating better, working out more consistently (and effectively) and are taking dietary supplements and other things to help them stay healthy. (Whether all of these performance enhancing substances are legal or not is a different question.)
Another reason that boxers are fighting longer is because they are able to extend their careers by taking on less fights. In previous generations, it wasn’t unheard of for a boxer to fight once a month or more when starting his career and continue fighting at a hectic pace even once he reached a championship level (think back to Joe Louis’ “Bum of the Month” club). This has changed as managers and promoters realize that minimizing the wear and tear on fighters can help them to significantly extend their careers. This is especially true of older fighters, who typically only box once or twice a year against big-time opposition.
The reduction of rounds in championship fights has also had an impact on the longevity of fighters. Up until the 1980s, championship fights went 15 rounds. (The last few rounds of the fight were typically called the “championship rounds” because that’s when title fights were said to be won or lost.) The final rounds of a fight could take a serious toll on fighters who were already exhausted from a gruelling bout. Rules were changed in the mid-1980s to limit the maximum rounds of a championship fight to 12 rounds. While that might not seem like a lot on the surface, fighting three less rounds each fight (and removing the three most difficult and draining rounds) could be the equivalent of dropping 15 or 20 rounds in the career of a boxer – potentially adding one or two more fights to the tail end of their career.
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