Legendary fighters fighting well beyond their “prime” is something that has always happened. We all remember Muhammad Ali taking those unnecessary fights with the likes of Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick, Mike Tyson taking fights with Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. The most recent example of a great fighter with a legendary name being beaten up by a younger fighter is Roy Jones Jr who was almost killed in a Russian ring this past weekend when he faced Denis Lebedev.
Although fighters fighting on well beyond their primes is nothing new fighters like Roy Jones and Evander Holyfield need to be taken away from the boxing ring. Despite them both having serious issues regarding finance they need to find some other way to make money. Roy Jones Jr has got other avenues, at the moment he's a promoter and he does work for HBO. Although he apparently owes a large sum to the IRS having his brains splattered across a Russian ring won't help anyone at all.
Rather amazingly on the same day the Roy Jones Jr was knocked senseless and left face first in a ring in Moscow Bernard Hopkins became the oldest professional champion (regarded by the WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF). Hopkins shows what a fighter can do with just the old skool tricks, he wasn't the biggest, the strongest or the fastest, though he was a fighter who could out think his opponents. Unlike Jones who had all the natural talent a fighter could wish for, Hopkins has had to do things the hard-way and as a result time hasn't take the toll it has on Jones. The once lightning reflexes of Jones have evaporated whilst Hopkins, who never relied on natural gifts has seen his experience and skills come from hard graft and have seen him secure his name in the record books for another great achievement.
How long can Bernard Hopkins go on for? I'm not sure, but I'll be tuning in to see just how long Bernard can remain at the top.
Although fighters fighting on well beyond their primes is nothing new fighters like Roy Jones and Evander Holyfield need to be taken away from the boxing ring. Despite them both having serious issues regarding finance they need to find some other way to make money. Roy Jones Jr has got other avenues, at the moment he's a promoter and he does work for HBO. Although he apparently owes a large sum to the IRS having his brains splattered across a Russian ring won't help anyone at all.
Rather amazingly on the same day the Roy Jones Jr was knocked senseless and left face first in a ring in Moscow Bernard Hopkins became the oldest professional champion (regarded by the WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF). Hopkins shows what a fighter can do with just the old skool tricks, he wasn't the biggest, the strongest or the fastest, though he was a fighter who could out think his opponents. Unlike Jones who had all the natural talent a fighter could wish for, Hopkins has had to do things the hard-way and as a result time hasn't take the toll it has on Jones. The once lightning reflexes of Jones have evaporated whilst Hopkins, who never relied on natural gifts has seen his experience and skills come from hard graft and have seen him secure his name in the record books for another great achievement.
How long can Bernard Hopkins go on for? I'm not sure, but I'll be tuning in to see just how long Bernard can remain at the top.
