Fighters who still "lived the life"..

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Brixton Bomber, Dec 17, 2015.



  1. Nighttrain

    Nighttrain 'BOUT IT 'BOUT IT Full Member

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    Tony Zale looked pretty good. I thought Jack Dempsey looked good into his golden years. I met Earnie Shavers in the 90's and he looked like a brick!
     
  2. scarecrow

    scarecrow Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Anybody notice that it's usually the lighter weight guys who blow up and get very fat and soft?

    Might have something to do with having smaller frames and not being able to carry weight well.
     
  3. turpinr

    turpinr Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Ken Buchanan is still trim looking
     
  4. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yes he sure is.
     
  5. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Carlos Palomino still looked really fit many years after retirement.
     
    Flash24 likes this.
  6. LXEX55

    LXEX55 Active Member Full Member

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    Up until he got sick, Ray Robinson looked good.
     
  7. Anubis

    Anubis Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Then there's Buster Douglas, who porked up to around 400 pounds after Holyfield, nearly died from a diabetic coma in 1994 (a significant news item when waiting to see if he'd survive), returned to training, dropped 150 pounds, and actually returned to competition with some success by the late 1990's, coming within a couple pounds of his weight for Tyson. Even then, his stomach looked like he'd recently given birth, showing the after effects of that weight gain, as it did during his ten round shutout over Rocky Pepeli on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

    He'd be dead if he hadn't had boxing to return to, but he's reached 55 now, while Buster Mathis, Sr. was dead at 52. (Mathis reached around 550 by his death, but we have footage of him at 232 for Chuvalo, energized with his dander up in his best performance on film.)

    One guy we might have expected this to happen to was Tony Galento, but he remained physically active going into professional wrestling after boxing. Later in life, he did require diabetic amputation, but lived to be 69, respectable considering his indulgences. (Max Baer, Sr. let himself go, but his body still looked good enough to adopt a fighting pose in trunks with his sons. A heart attack death at 50 didn't seem in the offing, or for Benny Leonard at 51. Louis had a heart ailment then accelerated by the self abuse of cocaine use, so I'd exclude him from a discussion like this. Everybody who saw him referee Frazier-Quarry II knows how badly he'd deteriorated.)

    Lighter weight guys can certainly blow up after retirement, but it doesn't usually kill them.
     
  8. AlFrancis

    AlFrancis Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Eder Jofre always looked after himself. A lifelong vegetarian I think.
     
  9. young griffo

    young griffo Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Johnny Famechon was a fitness fanatic post retirement, who walked around near his fighting weight and did roadwork virtually everyday of his life. Sadly it was while maintaining this regimen that lead to him being hit by a car whilst jogging in Sydney and suffering serious and life threatening injuries.

    But like the champ he is Fammo fought and persevered and after years of rehab he was able to relearn to walk and talk which all led to his eventually being able to walk his new bride down the aisle unaided when he remarried subsequently.

    Famechon never,ever let himself go. It just wasn't who he is.
     
    roughdiamond likes this.
  10. LXEX55

    LXEX55 Active Member Full Member

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    Sandy Saddler.
     
  11. Momus

    Momus Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Nino Benvenuti still looks in good shape well into his 70s.

    Johnny Nelson looks like he did in his prime.

    Steve Robinson runs his own gym and has added muscle since his boxing days.
     
  12. Nighttrain

    Nighttrain 'BOUT IT 'BOUT IT Full Member

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    especially true when they regularly cut weight during their career.
     
  13. thanosone

    thanosone Love Your Brother Man Full Member

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  14. Eel87

    Eel87 Active Member Full Member

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    Fernando Vargas has gotten himself back in decent shape.
     
  15. Charles White

    Charles White Chucker Full Member

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    Both Klitschko brothers keep in tremendous shape. Others who haven’t seemed to let themselves go are John Ruiz, David Haye, Steve Cunningham, Zab Judah, Oliver McCall, Luan Krasniqi, and many others that aren’t immediately springing to mind but I’ll think of later.
     
    BEATDOWNZ likes this.