Which fighters at 35+ were still formidable opponents? Walcott, Holyfield, Lewis, Johnson, Holmes and Foreman come to mind. What about the lower weight classes?
Well, Archie Moore and Bernard Hopkins should be mentioned. I think Duran deserves beeing named here, too, also he wasn´t quite as good as he was in his younger days. What about Joe Calzaghe?
At heavyweight, only Walcott (winning title at 37) and Lewis (v. Tua, 35, v. Rahman rematch and Tyson, 36) looked arguably at or near their best at 35+. Holmes I'm not sure about, it's arguable that he had slipped considerably by the time he faced Carl Williams and Michael Spinks, though I'm no expert. Jack Johnson was a great boxer but out-of-shape and over-the-hill by age 35, living the high life and avoiding the best challengers out there. Evander Holyfield was clearly past his best at 35. Tons of courage and determination though. 35 is pretty darn old for a fighter, even for a heavyweight. But experience can make these men competitive against younger fighters. Archie Moore is obviously a good example of a fighter who had but success after the age of 35, but I cannot really compare him to his earlier years of which there is little or no film. Fitzsimmons too was a great fighter who stayed successful up to an advanced age. Ray Robinson too, but no one claims Robinson was better in his 30s than he was in his 20s. Mike McCallum was still very good at 35 if I remember rightly. The fighters in lighter divisions are usually aging a few years earlier than the big men, if anything, so no one comes to mind. But I might be forgetting someone.
how about sonny liston?do really know his real age,he was beating everyone until running into cassius clay.
I don't think Holmes, Foreman or Holyfield retained much of their abilities after 35. They did ok in certain fights after that age, but were pale imitations of the fighters they were earlier in their careers. I have heard of Archie Moore being the best '35+' fighter in history, but I cannot accept that anyone has been better older than Bernard Hopkins. At over 40, he jumped 2 weight divisions to dominate the light-heavyweight#1, then completely outboxed a top 5 P4P guy who hadn't lost in eight years, and should've got the decision v Calzaghe- ie, I think he peaked in his early 40s! Definitely on the way back down now as he did look short of stamina in the last couple of rounds v Calzaghe. Still a legend tho.
Oh don't get me wrong, i'm not looking for fighters who peaked at 35 or higher, but rather, if you imagine they were born at the age of 35 (with the ability they had at that point), who would rank among the best, in a head to head sense?
My apologies, i choose the wrong words. What i meant is simply if we only look at fighters 35+, who of them were the best?
I don't think Holmes, Foreman or Holyfield retained much of their abilities after 35. They did ok in certain fights after that age, but were pale imitations of the fighters they were earlier in their careers. I have heard of Archie Moore being the best '35+' fighter in history, but I cannot accept that anyone has been better older than Bernard Hopkins. At over 40, he jumped 2 weight divisions to dominate the light-heavyweight#1, then completely outboxed a top 5 P4P guy who hadn't lost in eight years, and should've got the decision v Calzaghe- ie, I think he peaked in his early 40s! Definitely on the way back down now as he did look short of stamina in the last couple of rounds v Calzaghe. Still a legend tho.
Ok, disregarding what they were at 35 relative to their primes, it's difficult to ascertain who were best head-to-head at that age (and over) .......... For example, at heavyweight, I think Holmes was better than Lewis, but at 35+ it becomes blurred. Lewis probably edges him. Where they sit compared to someone like Walcott is hard to gauge. Even the Muhammad Ali who beat Shavers would beat a lot of good heavyweights, as would the 1951 version of Joe Louis ! I think head-to-head prime-for-prime is difficult enough ! Obviously, if Sonny Liston was really 40ish when he beat Patterson then he's hands-down the best heavyweight at 35+
