Fighters in their 40’s, should they be made to retire or not?.

By Boxing News - 11/12/2011 - Comments

By Gari Jones: Having been watching Boxnation these past couple of weeks, I’ve been left pondering the idea why do some fighters keep on going? Boxing is a young man’s game, careers are short, the training is rigorous, retirement comes way before your state pension and there’s always the risk of permanent damage. Now anyone can get seriously hurt in the ring, whether your 18 or 45 there’s always a risk, but as boxers get older the chances of a serious injury or permanent damage increase.

Many boxers know they can’t go on forever and at sometime realize they have to call it a day. British fighters like Joe Calzaghe (36), David Haye (31), Ricky Hatton (31) and Lennox Lewis (38) all retired (respectively). All of them made good sums of money, reached the top and retired before any long lasting damage could be done.

I would consider 36-37 years old to be a good retirement age. Most professional sportsman does this, e.g. footballers, rugby players, American footballers, wrestlers and boxers. But it seems not all of them though; some of the most recognizable names still fighting today who are now forty years old or over, they are James Toney (43), Glen Johnson (42), Roy Jones Jr (42), Audley Harrison (40), Evander Holyfield (49), Bernard Hopkins (46) and Vitali Klitshcko (40). Despite having their best years behind and suffering defeat quite often, they’re all still active fighters today.

Now I could make an exception with Vitali and Bernard Hopkins as they are both still at the top of their games, but that doesn’t mean they escape the age factor. Although both men have taken very good care of themselves both in and outside the ring Vitali has slowed down with age. Bernard Hopkins isn’t a spring chicken either despite still being a Champion he popped his shoulder when being thrown down (although rather timidly) by Chad Dawson back in October. Point is these men as well as many other boxers getting on in life should maybe start to consider calling it a day. Just think about it for a second.

• James Toney just suffered a devastating loss to Denis Lebedev and looked awful. Flatfooted, no body movement, he kept losing his balance, slow to the punch and was so exhausted he couldn’t even get off his stool to congratulate Lebedev at the end.
• Glen Johnson’s loss to Lucian Bute was totally one sided, never once imposed on the fight. Two Judges scored it 120-108 one did give Glen a round scoring it 119-109. He’s now lost six (6) times in his last thirteen (13) fights
• Roy Jones Jr has lost his last three fights (two of them by KO) but it seems he enjoys getting a pasting as he’s fighting again in December against Max Alexander
• Audley Harrison ENOUGH SAID
• Evander Holyfield should really call it a day, although he is winning fights it’s only against low tier low level opposition and each time he fights he is looking incredibly weary.

The trouble with these people is they are their own worst enemy, no matter how bad they get beat or how terrible they were in their last fight they just won’t quit. They may occasionally get a win but looking at their records it’s always against journeymen or low level opposition. And the people they do lose to, the younger versions of them would’ve totally destroyed them

As required by Law a boxer must have a valid license to box, so it begs the question what rules, regulations or standards do the Boxing Commissions of certain states or country’s use when issuing these people with a license. Most state laws require a full physical and medical history and maybe even a CAT scan to prove there’s no physical brain damage. Although specific state requirements vary, you generally must be between the ages of 18 and 36 and in good health to apply for a professional boxing license.

So what requirement does a person in their 40’s need to fulfil in order to obtain a license from an athletic or boxing commission? It seems if you’re young all you need to be is in good general health and you’re away. But it can’t be the same for James Toney, Glen Johnson, Roy Jones Jr, Audley Harrison, Evander Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins and Vitali Klitshcko CAN IT. Normally a licence is valid for one (1) year from the date of issue, so the chances are since turning thirty six (36) these guys have only been seen for a renewal 4-10 times respectively.

I don’t know what the exact terms and conditions are for each area or for over forties, but having seen what’s happened in months I think it’s time these commissioners start reviewing licence issuing more thoroughly, maybe on a fight by fight basis. If boxers over forty are getting their heads smashed in all the time what will it take to get a change, a boxer dying in the ring or someone getting permanent brain damage?

One of the best examples of this is Muhammad Ali whose Parkinson’s disease was attributed to his long stay in boxing. In a career spanning over two decades and sixty one (61) professional fights, Ali did not retire from professional boxing till 1981 and at the age of thirty nine (39). Ali had originally announced his retirement On September 6, 1979 but in a comeback at the very end of his career Ali suffered two heavy defeats, one at the hands of Larry Holmes and the other to Trevor Berbick. Due to the long sustained head trauma he especially received in his later years, it is considered to be the contributing factor to him suffering Parkinson’s disease.

It’s no one’s right to tell any boxer when it’s time to call it a day, but when will boxers and the boxing world realize that fighters who usually go way beyond their heyday always run the risk of permanent damage or serious injury.



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