I'm a lifelong fan of boxing, which had it's peak in the late 80s/early 90s, but it's starting to build back up again -- though I really miss the days when I could watch three 2 hour cable shows devoted to boxing, plus the potential for more major network/free TV tours, each week. One thing that I have always been curious about is how often a fighter could fight in a year. So much of what determines how "active" (aside from injuries) a fighter is, especially as they become champions, seems to be based on the politics of setting up fights, etc. Let's say that we live in a world where fights take place more frequently and without the politics, so there is no scheduling/money related delays. How frequent could a fighter fight? How much time would be necessary to recoup/train following a 12 round fight? Thanks!
It depends entirely on what stage of their career/development they are in. At contender level, quarterly is probably ideal. Green prospects you obviously want in there as much as possible, at least bimonthly.
you have extreme examples like young Tyson, who fought 20 times in like 2 years, at the opposite end of the spectrum you have Guillermo Jones, who fought 2 times in 3 years and still managed to hold a major belt
Assuming we're taking promotion/buildup out of the equation, just going off what is physically feasable to have afighter in top condition and preparedness for each fight I'd say every 2-3 months (ie 4-6 fights a year). Of course injuries, general wear and tear, age and the length and nature of their fights -eg early KO or grinding PTS battle, brawler or defensive - will all play a role so I think realisticly 3-4 12 rounders is the most that should be expected.
it comes down to the damage incurred in the last fight and the individual fighters ability to recover from it. it could be 3 weeks or 6 months, its different for every fight and every fighter.
Thanks for the replies so far. I really didn't carry my question out to it's more logical conclusions or consider how widely varied it could be for the type of fighter/fight. Maybe a couple of follow-ups -- 1) After a 12 round bout -- assume bruising/cuts, but no broken appendages, etc. How long before a fighter is generally physically ready. You can fill in the blank in what type of fight/fighter this was. 2) Assuming a fighter is "healthy," how long does the typical fighter need to be in shape for a title fight. I know it could be as varied as there are fighters, but I'm just trying to get a feel for the length of time in a camp, etc. (These were prompted by a computer game I was playing -- where I'm sure I have them fight way too frequently, if this was "real." )
Very interesting thread. Here's my opinion on the matter. Usually all fighters start off very active considering they're young and looking to make a mark as soon as possible. The older a fighter gets and the farther he makes it in the sport in terms of championships, saving his 0, beating name opponents and so forth the less active a fighter gets. In my view, the older a fighter gets the more difficult it is to go through serious training camps unless there's enough money or anything else to motivate involved. Usually fighters would be more active against lesser opposition simply based on the training camps not being as physically demanding as for a serious opponent. The serious training camps will take their toll on a fighter which eventually reduces activity in my opinion. It's not easy to make it far in the sport but when a fighter does they need proper management to keep going. A good example would be Pacquiao vs Rios, surely Pacquiao won't go through a similar training camp for Rios as he would Marquez or Mayweather yet Rios will obviously go through the most difficult/serious training camp of his life. At some point, Pacquiao was in a similar position years ago as he was rising and looking to get his shot. While politics play a major role, a fighter's physicality plays a bigger role. It all depends on the fighter and how his body could handle three fights a year at the top level after years of activity(lifetime basically) in the sport. Some fighters can remain active, some can't. The team handling the fighter down under are the ones that have the answers to why their guy can remain active and why not.
so many factors go into. a fighter just starting out his pro career he can fight like 6 times a yr. then wen hes a little more developed and recognized and steps up in comp its gunna tone down a bit. also if hes a a couple wars there gunna give him a little bit of a layoff. typically a good fighter in his prime 2 or 3 fights a yr
