When the old man almost had it.

First sentence: I am not looking for a win.

I was thinking of old timers who looked like they recaptured lightning in a bottle, coming soooo close only for it to come crashing down. It's not as easy as I thought. I thought examples would come streaming into the old noggin, but not so much. Here are the 3 I came up with.

1) Willie Pep v Hogan (Kid) Bassey - Willie was 36, had been on a steady diet of club-fighters when he gets the call for a non-title 10 rounder with world champ Bassey. By all accounts, Pep turned back the clock and was boxing like a dream and ahead on 2 out of 3 cards when fatigue crept in and it came crashing down in the 9th.

2) Herol Graham v Charles Brewer - at 38 and on the comeback trail, Graham had beaten Vinnie Pazienza and Chris Johnson when he receives a title shot against Charles 'The Hatchet' Brewer. Graham looked like he was on his way, having decked Brewer twice during the contest, when Brewer catches him in the 10th.

3) John Conteh v Matthew Saad Muhammad - although Conteh was still only 28, he was a good few years from his prime. With noted managerial issues, hand issues, recent struggles with Parlov and Burnett, not to mention that receding hairline, he seemed to be far older than 28. But he turned back the clock against one of the hottest fighters of his time and had the bout even after 13 rounds before Saad sent him crashing to the canvas twice, wiping out the closeness on points for Saad to take a unanimous decision.

Any more you guys can think of?

 

Wlad-Joshua
Fitzsimmons-Jeffries II
Eubank-Thompson II
Jeffries-Corbett I

All outstanding examples. All of them so close.

 

Perfect. I recall reading about this and how Driscoll was way ahead on points at his advanced age with only a couple of rounds to go. Can't remember how it was stopped though, but good example.

 

I just watched it. It appeared to be fatigue and too tired to get out of the way of those right uppercuts from Ledoux. The stoppage was strange. Driscoll came out for the 16th round ready to go but a towel (actually a couple of towels) followed him out of the corner.

 

I like your style, Fergy, but this would be a bit difficult as JJ was the defending champ and not embarking on a comeback. But good thought.