Does the age you start at really matter that much in boxing?

I think that guys like Earnie Shavers, and Sergio Martinez are the exceptions to the rule.

 

the heavier the weight, the less it matters

don't forget Ron Lyle.

 

It important to start early in order to develop experience. Most athletes start declining in the early 30's so ideally you would like your top level of experience to coincide with you physical prime.

 

I think it matters how long you have been training more then how long you've been fighting.

When you've been training for a long time you are atleast programmed to know what to look for in the other guys movement/body language and will react quicker on defense or know when or when not to throw a punch. If you walk into a gym for the very first time when you are older you probably won't do very well at all no matter how tough you are but I am sure there are guys out there that have been training in boxing for a long time (but never turned to prize fighting) that could turn pro and atleast have a good idea of what's going on in there and possibly become a decent opponent for hire.

There are also naturals in every sport or profession, so there will always be exceptions to the rule but you should never count on it to work out by starting late, the odds are against you.

 

boxing is a skill that is obtained over time. u must practice it to perfect it. u just cant put on a pair of gloves and expect to perform at a high level with no boxing training at all. u need to be a student of the game by studying other fighters and applying their techniques to develop your own style of fighting

 

If your a natural it dose not matter. True naturals are super rare. In reality it helps a lot to start young. The sport moves faster than you might think. Starting young devlopes your brain to react in time.

 

boxing relies more on skill than athleticism. it is not a sport where you can master one particular skill and be great, like hitting a home run ball. there are many moves you have to master, like throwing a hook, rolling with a punch, timing a punch. etc... and for every move you master, your opponent can use a counter move, depending on his skill. so it can becomes a chess match played on a tight rope where one wrong move and youre face down on the canvas. i am speaking of boxing at the highest levels, of course. mastering all this takes years, even with the benefit of great athleticism.

 

Practise makes perfect, the sooner you start the closer you will get to perfection, you can add in the factors of natural talent and athleticism but it's mainly hard work.

 

Hasim Rachman started at 22.

 

Marciano also started his career late at 25 years old.

 

takes 3 years to become a complete fighter, 5 to really hit your peak. always can get better but thats pretty much it

 

That's only if you keep up with the training on a day to day basis to keep growing, but if you take time off it will be longer than that definitely.

I think it does take a couple of years though to figure out and develop your true style

 

It helps to start early because it's a little difficult to put the effort into learning the basics of boxing when you have a full time job or other such commitments

 

No body is mentioning the ability to take a punch and how to react when your hurt the younger you start the better your muscle memory will be at different ways to deal with things like that Mitchell did not know what to do when he got hurt when his survival instincts kicked in it got him knocked out(grabbing the waist) but Berto gets hurt or buzzed damn near ever fight but knows all the right thigs to do until his brain reboots