Regarding career stages...

[kenyan_cheena]

Something I've been mulling over reagrding the career stages. Does anyone think that a fighters age when he starts his career should have an effect on the career stage? For example, Ray Mercer didn't start fighting professionally until he was 28, while most fighters start in their late teens or early twenties. Do you think that because of his age, Mercer's (and other fighters with similar
circumstances) beginning and pre-prime career stages should be SHORTER? Likewise, should a fighter who starts out early, say when he's sixteen or seventeen, have a LONGER beginning and pre-prime career stage?

[mrchallenge]

Thats an excellent question cheena. As far as I know, the length of a fighters prime has more to do with wear and tear on the body and toll punishment taken in fights rather than actual chronological age. Sometimes fighters age quicker due to lack of focus (Tyson, who was never the same after firing Kevin rooney in 1988), or drug abuse(Wilfredo Gomez, Aaron Pryor), or weight making difficulties (Donald Curry, who was washed up by 26).

Sometimes a single fight can render a fighter past his prime. Like Fernando Vargas, and david reid who was never the same after the Trinidad fight.

You have fighters like Antonio tarver, who turned pro at 28 and remains in his prime at 36 because turning pro late and the minimal punishment he absorbed in his career, preserved his body. So he's young 36.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have fighters like Wilfredo benitez, who turned pro at 15 and had great success, early in his career, and was shot by the age of 25. Old timers like Henry Armstrong, Lou Ambers, Kid chocolate and Jackie Berg were past their primes by their mid to late 20's because they fought so often, against very tough opposition and it takes a toll.

Sometimes a fighters style can shorten his prime. Joe Frazier, had such a high energy, high contact style, and killed his body everytime training for fiights that it took a toll,and he was past his prime by the time the Foreman fight came around.

Than you have Archie Moore, who fought hundreds of fights and was still in his prime going into is 40's. He is simply and anomaly, a genetic freak. Bernard hopkins may have the same genes.

Than you have fighters like Ali and ROy Jones, who age because they start losing speed and reflexes after 30 or so.

A fighters weight class also can be taken into account. Flyweights and bantamweights tend to age quicker than heavyweights. Many of Todays heavyweigts are stil in their prime in their early to mid thirties do to the fact that they started boxing late.

So it all depends on the individual fighter, theres no actual numerical formula where you can calculate how long a fighters prime is. Although when it comes to old timers, I've noticed that they tended to start slipping after 90 to 100 fights or so, no matter what age they may be,26-30 perhaps.

While modern fighters who fight less often with less punishment can have longer primes. I may have veered of course a bit but hope this helps.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by mrchallenge

Thats an excellent question cheena. As far as I know, the length of a fighters prime has more to do with wear and tear on the body and toll punishment taken in fights rather than actual chronological age. Sometimes fighters age quicker due to lack of focus (Tyson, who was never the same after firing Kevin rooney in 1988), or drug abuse(Wilfredo Gomez, Aaron Pryor), or weight making difficulties (Donald Curry, who was washed up by 26).

Sometimes a single fight can render a fighter past his prime. Like Fernando Vargas, and david reid who was never the same after the Trinidad fight.

You have fighters like Antonio tarver, who turned pro at 28 and remains in his prime at 36 because turning pro late and the minimal punishment he absorbed in his career, preserved his body. So he's young 36.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have fighters like Wilfredo benitez, who turned pro at 15 and had great success, early in his career, and was shot by the age of 25. Old timers like Henry Armstrong, Lou Ambers, Kid chocolate and Jackie Berg were past their primes by their mid to late 20's because they fought so often, against very tough opposition and it takes a toll.

Sometimes a fighters style can shorten his prime. Joe Frazier, had such a high energy, high contact style, and killed his body everytime training for fiights that it took a toll,and he was past his prime by the time the Foreman fight came around.

Than you have Archie Moore, who fought hundreds of fights and was still in his prime going into is 40's. He is simply and anomaly, a genetic freak. Bernard hopkins may have the same genes.

Than you have fighters like Ali and ROy Jones, who age because they start losing speed and reflexes after 30 or so.

A fighters weight class also can be taken into account. Flyweights and bantamweights tend to age quicker than heavyweights. Many of Todays heavyweigts are stil in their prime in their early to mid thirties do to the fact that they started boxing late.

So it all depends on the individual fighter, theres no actual numerical formula where you can calculate how long a fighters prime is. Although when it comes to old timers, I've noticed that they tended to start slipping after 90 to 100 fights or so, no matter what age they may be,26-30 perhaps.

While modern fighters who fight less often with less punishment can have longer primes. I may have veered of course a bit but hope this helps.

No problem. Thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed reply. It's much appreciated.