Wilder vs Parker: who will you be rooting for?

Max Thunder · Jul 20, 2025

Dubblechin said: ↑

Go back and look at all the all-time great heavyweights who never won a fight when they were 38 years old or older.

Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Jack Sharkey, Max Baer, Jim Braddock, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Floyd Patterson didn't. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier didn't. Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis didn't.

Look at some of the middling heavyweight champs who never won a fight when they were 38 or older - John Tate, Frank Bruno, Lamon Brewster, Ruslan Chagaev, John Ruiz, Nikolai Valuev and David Haye didn't.

Some former heavyweight champs certainly beat a couple guys. But they weren't as good as a 31-year-old, active Joseph Parker.

Michael Dokes won one fight after turning 38 (against 8 wins/20 losses Doug Davis), as did Chris Byrd (against 4 wins/3 losses Matthias Sandow) and Hasim Rahman won one fight after turning 38 (against Galen Brown) ...

But those opponents aren't exactly a former champ who is currently ranked #5 by RING.

In fact, if Wilder wins against Parker, it may be one of the GREATEST wins by an aging former heavyweight champion in history.

Who had wins after the age of 38?

I believe only EIGHT heavyweight champs in history managed to do it:

* Wlad
* Vitali
* Evander
* Holmes
* Jersey Joe
* Max Schmeling
* Primo, and
* George Foreman. That may be about it.

Who did they beat (after turning 38) who was better than Parker at or after that age?

Schmeling didn't beat anyone as good as Parker after age 38. Neither did Primo. Foreman beat Moorer. Was Michael Moorer been better than Parker? MAYBE. MAYBE not.

Vitali was still 37 when he beat Sam Peter. Did Vitali defend against anyone better than Parker in his second reign? (That's questionable. He didn't defend against many good heavyweights.)

Evander was still 37 when he beat John Ruiz in their first fight.

But when Evander turned 38, Evander started losing to everyone. His only decent wins were against Rahman, Fres Oquendo and Lou Savarese. (Rahman got stopped by a headbutt. Oquendo and "the Tuna" went the distance.)

Were they better than Parker? (Again, questionable.)

Larry Holmes outpointed Ray Mercer. Was Mercer better than Joseph Parker, though?

Mercer struggle with Bert Cooper before that. Lost to Jesse Ferguson a year later. Got a gift against Marion Wilson. He certainly had some awful nights. And Holmes won a decision.

Finally, after turning 38, Wlad only beat Alex Leapai, Bryant Jennings and Kubrat Pulev. Were they better than Parker? (Again, questionable.)

Only Jersey Joe Walcott, who won one fight after turning 38, a 15-round decision against Ezzard Charles in their fourth and last fight, would likely have a better win at that advanced age.

Maybe you rate some of the others higher than Parker, but, the point is, there aren’t many.

So, if Wilder can somehow manage to beat the 31-year-old former champ, it would rank among the best wins by an aging heavyweight champ all-time.

A WIN BY WILDER would be HISTORICALLY HUGE. Right up there among the biggest wins by aging former champs, EVER.

Let's see if Wilder can pull it off.

And, if he does, if he can score a KO, instead of slogging to a points win.
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Dubblechin · Jul 20, 2025

Max Thunder said: ↑

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Excellent win. No doubt. Usyk has his number, without question.

But 38 isn't a start for any pro athlete. If it is ... you start to raise a few eyebrows.

Most changed their styles to make up for their aging bodies. Foreman did. Hopkins did.

Those who just straight up improved over how they were in their athletic primes, regardless of the sport ...

Well ... we all know why, whether we choose to look the other way or not.

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Wilder vs Parker: who will you be rooting for?

Who are you rooting for: Parker or Wilder?

Rooting for Parker

Rooting for Wilder

Neither, I just want to see a good fight

Not interested in this one

Max Thunder Proud member of the Cult of Vikings Full Member

Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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Wilder vs Parker: who will you be rooting for?

Who are you rooting for: Parker or Wilder?

Rooting for Parker

Rooting for Wilder

Neither, I just want to see a good fight

Not interested in this one

Max Thunder Proud member of the Cult of Vikings Full Member

Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member