Well, I don't have much moren to add to that. Just wanted to share my thoughts with you guys. The list actually just goes on and on. It is all because the heavy division is so weak of course, that is no news.
It's nothing new at all. Fighters tend to fight on too long because of: delusions in need of money nothing else they're really good at they enjoy the sport sense of purpose
Yes I understand but I ment that it seems in the last few years the numbers of old heavy's coming back has increased a lot because the scene is so weak. They all think they can still make it
Slightly easier for the heavys to,i mean most were never that fast in the first place,so think if they get fairly fit,they can still make some dosh before they have to quit for good.
As Zakman pointed out, money in number 1. Why else would shot fighters like Morrison or Bowe continue fighting when there prime years were close to 15 years ago. On the other hand you have fighters like Holyfield and Mccall who seem to be fighting for the chance to honestly get another title, which both were close in doing.
ego and the bad standard of heavyweight champtions makes it look possible to come back and reign again. i have to admit when maskaev and valuev came on the scene and won titles, i was considering joining a gym
It's really not that much more prevelant now, if at all, then in earlier years. When George Foreman made his comeback in the late 80s and got a title shot in 1991, eventually winning it three years later, you had a whole bunch of fighters, especially heavyweights, returning. Larry Holmes came out of a 3 year hiatus in 1991 (he actually did well) Earnie Shavers came back in 1995, after eight years off. Ron Lyle came back in 1995, after 15 years off, at age 54. Joe Bugner came back in 1995, after 8 years off, at age 45. Jerry Quarry came back in 1992 after 9 years off, at age 45. And then there were non-heavyweights like Alexis Arguello who made comebacks as well. Or guys who never retired, like Greg Page, and met tragic endings to their careers.
RIght and good point and good info. The division is pretty strong right now, and the comeback of the older fighters of late is nothing new, as you said.
The division is a little better than it was when guys like Ruiz, Rahman, Brewster, and Bryd were champs, but not much better. The division is certainly below average and has been for awhile, fighters who are champs seem to not want to fight, guys like Maskaev and Chagaev have ducked out of big fights recently. I think the talent is decent, but nothing like it was in the 90s.
Boxing is a sport where one punch can change a fight but it especially applies to heavyweights, so these old guys believe they can still win. For example Gatti stands absolutely no chance but Mccall can always win against anybody even when he is 50.
Yes, what Foreman did must have inspired many older fighters, but as has been said, they did it before Foreman did, so its nothing new. With fighters as impeccablly talented like Chagaev, Wlad, and Povetkin, I think this current era holds its own very well, and is not weak, AT ALL. Its just that the best fighters have not been fighting often enough, and have not been fighting each other. But the talent pool of current fighters is great, I think. Not weak at all.:good
