something to discuss....maybe... http://www.suite101.com/content/boxing-champions-are-getting-older-a162212
I agreed with this: "If there was one thing that the fighters of yesteryear did with monotonous regularity it was actually fight."
Hopkins, Johnson, Wallcott, Moore and Robinson. If you keep yourself in good shape no matter how many times you fight a boxer can fight at the championship level at any age.
The second reason outlined in the article, regarding activity, says all that needs to be said. It has nothing to do with "lifestyle." Boxing age isn't defined by your chronological age. It's about how many times you've been in there having a little piece taken out of you each time. It stands to reason then that we'd have older champions now.
There is something wrong when age is no longer a factor. I can understand it in the heavyweights, its basically super heavyweights now. Everyone is carrying extra pounds and work rate is rationed. An older fighter who has filled out naturally can compensate with experience now that sustained work rate is less a factor in the division. In the lower weight divisions the 24 hour weigh in has made a mockery of what actual weight division a fighter is now. Where as before moving up a weight class was less of an option a fighter would burn out quicker making weight and perish before is physical prime there is now so much more lee way now. Fighters can comfortably weigh 20lb over the official limit by fig time. To be fair to modern boxing a great fight is still a great fight regardless of age etc. fighters today would like to fight more often if they could.