What constitutes as a boxer being in his prime or past his prime?

You can usually see their speed drop off. They throw less punches, because they're probably more cautious of being countered.

Punches that they'd have slipped start landing. Sometimes their style changes. Boxers become jab n grabbers.

Guys that were too scared to give them the time of day before start crawling out from the shrubbery and asking for a fight.

Other fighters are often the first to scent blood in the water. Taking GGG as an example, when he was smashing all and sundry, he had to scrounge around for fights. Now that he's slowed up, the offers are pouring in. The Brook fight was the first inkling that things were not 100% in GGGland.

 

A fighter is in his prime when hes the best at boxing.

What are you trying to ask?

 

When they are performing to their best for a period of time. And when they are gone past their best

 

It's just one of those ridiculous things people tend to hold against fighters. A 30 year-old guy smashing everyone in his path is in his prime, but when he comes up against someone better than him at 31, he is miraculously past his prime.

Any person's prime is their physical peak, some fighters' true greatness is being able to extend that physical peak, entering it earlier or overcoming the disadvantages of physical regression by becoming better in other areas.

An example:

27 year-old Floyd Mayweather - in his prime - would lose in a 12 round fight to 37-year old Floyd Mayweather.

 

They'll get worse, or stop using entirely, things vital to their style. This could be a physical attribute such as their speed, or a technique which they can't 'pull the trigger' on (such as Joe Louis' right hand).

It can happen for a number of reasons at nearly any age. Drugs, poor lifestyle or simply age and wear and tear.

Weight class also has an affect. A bantamweight will burn out faster than a light heavyweight, usually.

Fighting Harada was a legendary fighter, and absolute dynamo. He was finished at 26 after 10 years as a pro. Wheras some one like Bernard Hopkins didn't even have some of his best wins until age 35. Context matters.

 

Well Mayweathers prime was at 140 because that's when he was best at boxing.

A fighters prime is when they are best at boxing.

 

There is physical prime and then skill prime.

In rare cases a boxer may elevate their skills despite being past their physical prime, which are usually the late starters.

Sure, Mayweather was able to hone his defensive style but a defensive style would not work against top fighters that are much taller. Funny thing is Mayweather was longer and taller than Canelo in the ring.

Regardless of skill, physicality drops past early 30s. Sometimes a boxer has enough skill that even with 80% of their peak athleticism they are still able to compete with top fighters in their prime.

 

Fighters decline sometimes physically, but sometimes mentally.
Ex. If a fighter suffers a brutal KO loss he still might have stamina, speed or reflexes, but mentally he is not there anymore.

 

You have to go on when a fighter is operating at their best ,prime isn't a number its a level of ability wheather they lose speed /gain strength .get smarter ,get slower ...you take a fighter and see what they lose or gain and what the ACTUAL peak form is.….etc.

Prime usually lasts only for a specific period it could be short or long depends on the fighter its NOT a set definition for anyone, some guys are better with age some aren't somejust hit a stride and fade fast some last longer and fade slow..


You take stats and probability with LIKE opponents to see the best possible outcome of a fight, bias has no business in determining a fight ,you have to look yourself what fighters are good at and who they fought first then add the stats ..etc....so things you mentioned are always useful but almost always aren't used bc it would then point to results many don't wish to go with.

Motivation is also overlooked when factoring outcomes.

 

Physical prime is from 24-28ish, although this differs per fighter. The prime in terms of learning your craft, honing your skills and still being physically able is around 28-32. These are just rough numbers as every fighter is different, and every career is completely individual. Some of the other posters stating that mental prime is an important factor is spot on, I have seen fighters mentally check out of the sport before their bodies have left it's peak.

An example of the mental aspect is Derek Chisora, people were saying he was shot and past it in 2012 and yet he's still hanging around the top echelons of the division. He can mentally check out of fights and not motivate himself to perform well, which I believe had caused people to prematurely say he was over the hill, in spite him being in good physical shape.

 

Pac is past prime since after the Cotto fight. He's had a little resurgence of late (barely) but nowhere near his prime.
Prime Pac:
- destroys Tim Bradley and Jeff Horn easily (imagine Tim Bradley or Jeff Horn vs Joshua Clottey or Antonio Margarito, when Pac was already slowing down),
- doesn't get KO'd by an old Juan Manuel Marquez (a young JMM wasn't able to even knock Pac down in 3 fights)
- beats Keith Thurman with one hand tied behind is back, layoff or not (take another look at Pac vs Cotto). Pac actually got worse against Thurman as the fight wore on, which is very uncharacteristic.
- might edge out Floyd despite the size disadvantage (I had old Pac winning 4 rounds, as did two of the judges)

Prime is when a fighter's overall ability, physical and mental combined, is at it's best.

 

Age is just a #

 

I’m not sure but probably the older guy is prime and the younger guy is shot, based on this forum’s opinions of Mayweather fights.