Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
The 1990’s was an era that produced an array of talented fighters, Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins and Evander Holyfield are three that spring immediately to mind. The suprising thing, is that all three of these former world champions are still vying to compete in the boxing world today.
Former undisputed light-heavyweight ruler Roy Jones Jr is now 42 and has lost eight out his last thirteen bouts and was badly knocked out by Russian Denis Lebedev. The former boxing superstar has still refused to confirm his retirement and is said to be considering his options.
With his record unimpressive over the last seven years and the fact that four of those losses were awful knockout defeats, maybe his family or the boxing commission should take the decision out of his hands.
The same could be said for four-time world heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield who at 48, has lost half of his fights since turning 40 and still has desires to be undisputed world champion again, which could take him well into his 50’s.
Granted he did win the lowly though of WBF Title in April 2010 against another aging fighter from the 90’s, 42 year-old Francois Botha, but that can hardly give him the right to now call himself a five-time world heavyweight champion.
He has lost his license to box twice over the last six years, only to be given it back and the people who are responsible for this should really look at the way his speech has deteriorated over that time period.
Maybe there is one exception to the rule though in 46 year-old Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, who has defied the aging process for the last eleven years. He claimed the middleweight title in 1994 at the age of 29 and held the title for over ten years, beating some of the best fighters in the world until losing twice to Jermain Taylor in 2005.
You could have forgiven people for thinking he career was over at the age of 40, but he came back to beat Ronald “Winky” Wright and Antonio Tarver in the following years before losing again, but only to the best super-middleweight boxer of his generation Joe Calzaghe in 2008.
Again, people would be right to think its over, he is 43 and he has had his day. Hopkins proved them all wrong once again by unanimously defeating undefeated 26 year-old unified world middleweight champion and Jermain Taylor conqueror Kelly Pavlik, by a landslide margin.
Only the fact that the bout was a non-title fight stopped “B-Hop” from reclaiming all his titles at the age of 43.
Hopkins was 46 years and 4 months on fight night against Jean Pascal in May 2011 as he became the oldest world boxing champion of all time and has admitted that he could fight until he hits 50 as he aims to be the face for the older generation in boxing.
He overtook “Big” George Foreman who held the record of oldest world champion of all time for seventeen years after won the WBO Heavyweight Title as a 45 year-old in 1994, defeating Michael Moorer via tenth round KO in Las Vegas.
Here are some of the other well known fighters still climbing inside the ropes well into their 40’s.
Oliver McCall: aged 45 (WBC Heavyweight Champion 94-95) last bout: August 2011
Tommy Morrison: aged 42 (WBO Heavyweight Champion 1993) next bout: TBA
James Toney: aged 42 (Three-weight world champion) last fight: November 2011
Antonio Tarver: aged 42 (3 time light-heavyweight champion, current IBO belt holder) next bout: TBA
Matt Skelton: aged 44 (WBA world title challenger) next bout: TBA
Bob Mirovic: aged 45 (Former Australian heavyweight champion) last bout: Feb 2011
Silvio Branco: aged 44 (WBA Light-Heavyweight Champion 2004 and 2007) next bout: December 2012
Glen Johnson: aged 42 (IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion 2004) last bout: November 2011 v Lucian Bute
One of rhe oldest active boxer at the moment is 49 year-old Danny Thomas, who is enjoying the most successful time in his 26-year career.
With 36 losses in his 57 bouts, the heavyweight had never won more than two fights in a row since his career began. He then decisioned Dione Craig in December in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana, USA to record his fourth victory in a row.
I feel compelled to also give Australian Dexter "Dingo" Dunworth a mention as he turned pro at the age of 51 in 2007, lost his first fight in the US and then racked up nine straight victories, becoming US Mid-American and US Arkansas State cruiserweight champion, before retiring two months shy of his 53rd birthday.
A remarkable story by a man who awkwardly fell into boxing after a street fight and ended up turning pro, to prove its never too late to fight if you have all your faculties to get the job done.
WBN Editor
Pride comes before a fall for aging fighters
The 1990’s was an era that produced an array of talented fighters, Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins and Evander Holyfield are three that spring immediately to mind. The suprising thing, is that all three of these former world champions are still vying to compete in the boxing world today.
Former undisputed light-heavyweight ruler Roy Jones Jr is now 42 and has lost eight out his last thirteen bouts and was badly knocked out by Russian Denis Lebedev. The former boxing superstar has still refused to confirm his retirement and is said to be considering his options.
With his record unimpressive over the last seven years and the fact that four of those losses were awful knockout defeats, maybe his family or the boxing commission should take the decision out of his hands.
The same could be said for four-time world heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield who at 48, has lost half of his fights since turning 40 and still has desires to be undisputed world champion again, which could take him well into his 50’s.
Granted he did win the lowly though of WBF Title in April 2010 against another aging fighter from the 90’s, 42 year-old Francois Botha, but that can hardly give him the right to now call himself a five-time world heavyweight champion.
He has lost his license to box twice over the last six years, only to be given it back and the people who are responsible for this should really look at the way his speech has deteriorated over that time period.
Maybe there is one exception to the rule though in 46 year-old Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, who has defied the aging process for the last eleven years. He claimed the middleweight title in 1994 at the age of 29 and held the title for over ten years, beating some of the best fighters in the world until losing twice to Jermain Taylor in 2005.
You could have forgiven people for thinking he career was over at the age of 40, but he came back to beat Ronald “Winky” Wright and Antonio Tarver in the following years before losing again, but only to the best super-middleweight boxer of his generation Joe Calzaghe in 2008.
Again, people would be right to think its over, he is 43 and he has had his day. Hopkins proved them all wrong once again by unanimously defeating undefeated 26 year-old unified world middleweight champion and Jermain Taylor conqueror Kelly Pavlik, by a landslide margin.
Only the fact that the bout was a non-title fight stopped “B-Hop” from reclaiming all his titles at the age of 43.
Hopkins was 46 years and 4 months on fight night against Jean Pascal in May 2011 as he became the oldest world boxing champion of all time and has admitted that he could fight until he hits 50 as he aims to be the face for the older generation in boxing.
He overtook “Big” George Foreman who held the record of oldest world champion of all time for seventeen years after won the WBO Heavyweight Title as a 45 year-old in 1994, defeating Michael Moorer via tenth round KO in Las Vegas.
Here are some of the other well known fighters still climbing inside the ropes well into their 40’s.
Oliver McCall: aged 45 (WBC Heavyweight Champion 94-95) last bout: August 2011
Tommy Morrison: aged 42 (WBO Heavyweight Champion 1993) next bout: TBA
James Toney: aged 42 (Three-weight world champion) last fight: November 2011
Antonio Tarver: aged 42 (3 time light-heavyweight champion, current IBO belt holder) next bout: TBA
Matt Skelton: aged 44 (WBA world title challenger) next bout: TBA
Bob Mirovic: aged 45 (Former Australian heavyweight champion) last bout: Feb 2011
Silvio Branco: aged 44 (WBA Light-Heavyweight Champion 2004 and 2007) next bout: December 2012
Glen Johnson: aged 42 (IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion 2004) last bout: November 2011 v Lucian Bute
His next bout is unscheduled so far, but the man ranked 240th in world will surely be looking to build on his undefeated streak and keep defying father time. He could be actively boxing past his 50th birthday this September.
I feel compelled to also give Australian Dexter "Dingo" Dunworth a mention as he turned pro at the age of 51 in 2007, lost his first fight in the US and then racked up nine straight victories, becoming US Mid-American and US Arkansas State cruiserweight champion, before retiring two months shy of his 53rd birthday.
A remarkable story by a man who awkwardly fell into boxing after a street fight and ended up turning pro, to prove its never too late to fight if you have all your faculties to get the job done.
The BBC in the UK claim to have found the oldest in 54 year-old Stephen Ward from Mansfield, who currently holds the EBF Midlands cruiserweight title and has no plans to give up his boxing career anytime soon.