Defended The Title In Their 40s

[Taansend]

After Adonis Stevenson kept his belt the other night what other boxers have successfully defended a title over the age of 40?

Hopkins the most obvious recent one.

I'm guessing the Old Mongoose did it.

But are there any less obvious names?

[SteveO]

George Foreman

[Taansend]

George Foreman

I didn't mention him as he was too obvious Steve

Thanks for getting the thread rolling though

[SteveO]

Ah, okay.
I'll try and think of some others.

[SenorPipino]

I thought that Sauol Mamby might have been one of those 40+ champions but he only made it to his late 30s.

He was so active at a world class level for so long that I figured he was a member if the very select over 40 champions club.

Mamby did actually have a fight when he was 60.

[oogiebe]

Defended successfully or unsuccessfully or both?

[Taansend]

I thought that Sauol Mamby might have been one of those 40+ champions but he only made it to his late 30s.

He was so active at a world class level for so long that I figured he was a member if the very select over 40 champions club.

Mamby did actually have a fight when he was 60.

He was quite the character

[Taansend]

Defended successfully or unsuccessfully or both?

OK, people who were champions in their 40's

[oogiebe]

Defended successfully or unsuccessfully or both?

OK, people who were champions in their 40's

LMAO!
Ruby Robert Fitzimmons (sp?)

[Boxing Writer]

Vitali Klitschko defended his title 3 times since turing 40 - against Adamek, Chisora and Charr.

[SteveO]

You were right about Archie Moore - he defended the light heavyweight title aged 42.

[Perseus]

Small club.
I know of 12 boxers who held "world titles" at age 40.

George Foreman, Vitali Klitschko

Guillermo Jones, Giacobbe Fragomeni(sp?), Virgil Hill

Bob Fitzsimmons, Bernard Hopkins(only 2 division title holder), Archie Moore, Adonis Stevenson

Thulani Malinga

Sam Soliman

Cornelius Bundrage

Not sure how many of the 40-something title holders had a successful defense but once somebody takes the time to look them up it will be a short list.

[Bodyshot3]

Strong suspicion that Andries was over 40 for his last two WBC title fights with Jeff Harding......including the last defence and the decider in London. The Andries birth certificate was apparently a bit of a best estimate

[oogiebe]

Surely Archie Moose. Or is he restricted to over 50? LMAO! (JK).

[Taansend]

Small club.
I know of 12 boxers who held "world titles" at age 40.

George Foreman, Vitali Klitschko

Guillermo Jones, Giacobbe Fragomeni(sp?), Virgil Hill

Bob Fitzsimmons, Bernard Hopkins(only 2 division title holder), Archie Moore, Adonis Stevenson

Thulani Malinga

Sam Soliman

Cornelius Bundrage

Not sure how many of the 40-something title holders had a successful defense but once somebody takes the time to look them up it will be a short list.

Thanks Perseus. Quality post

[Taansend]

Strong suspicion that Andries was over 40 for his last two WBC title fights with Jeff Harding......including the last defence and the decider in London. The Andries birth certificate was apparently a bit of a best estimate

Always a bit of a question mark there.

He was at a Duke McKenzie fight the day after he lost the rubber match to Harding & looked as fresh as a daisy.

Tough as old boots that bloke.

[Perseus]

Finally had the time to look up who actually had a successful title defense after turning 40.

Fragomeni, Hill, Malinga, Soliman and Bundrage all failed to record a successful defense.

Guillermo Jones thanks to WBA politics is down to whether or not one chooses to recognize his victory over Lebedev, subsequent drug test failure and being stripped of his belt as a defense of his title.
I say no.

I have 6 boxers recording a successful world title defense after turning 40.
Foreman, Vitali, Fitzsimmons, Moore, Hopkins and Stevenson

[Taansend]

Finally had the time to look up who actually had a successful title defense after turning 40.

Fragomeni, Hill, Malinga, Soliman and Bundrage all failed to record a successful defense.

Guillermo Jones thanks to WBA politics is down to whether or not one chooses to recognize his victory over Lebedev, subsequent drug test failure and being stripped of his belt as a defense of his title.
I say no.

I have 6 boxers recording a successful world title defense after turning 40.
Foreman, Vitali, Fitzsimmons, Moore, Hopkins and Stevenson

Nice one. Thanks mate

[BitPlayer]

Jack Broughton did if you want to go way way back.

[Perseus]

It seems we may or may not have another boxer who successfully defended a world title after his 40th birthday.

Manny holds the secondary version of the WBA welterweight title.
If that's good enough for you it means boxing is up to 13 fighters who held world titles at age 40 and 7 who had at least one successful defense of said title.

[Perseus]

New information came up on another thread so I'm updating this one.

Silvio Branco won a WBA interim belt that was upgraded when the previous WBA title holder retired.
Branco held the WBA title at age 40 but did not have a successful defense(defeated by Stipe Drews).

14 boxers had titles at age 40.
7 had a successful title defense.

[bwu]

Right off the bat, I'll admit this doesn't count, but I like any excuse to mention Daniel Zaragoza. He successfully defended the 122 lb. title twice in the year he turned 40. Put him on the list with an asterisk?

[Perseus]

Right off the bat, I'll admit this doesn't count, but I like any excuse to mention Daniel Zaragoza. He successfully defended the 122 lb. title twice in the year he turned 40. Put him on the list with an asterisk?

Without doing any research I'm sure a list of fighters who last held a belt at age 39 would be waaaayyy more than 14.

[Caractacus]

Sonny Liston (?)
even Ali thought 'if he wasnt a day over 40" for their first fight in 1964.

[Perseus]

.......umm.......no.
Liston probably wasn't 40 yet when he checked out in 1970.