Should there be an age limit in boxing?

[Controversial]

What do you think, should boxers be refused a licence over a certain age?

[Coco]

Most boxers are refused a new licence if they apply for the first time when they are 35 or more.

[joshj909]

All depends on their health and ability to ensure there's some degree of safety. Obviously both decline with age so would need to do it on a case by case basis and take the age into account as one of the factors.

[jimmystone]

I don't believe there should be an age limit. I do question why anyone would want to box into their late forties though.

Most men don't live like men should anymore, particularly in the West and so either have full on mental breakdowns or start trying to prolong their youth in a ridiculous fashion. Men used to have had a hard physical existence, fathered children and kept a household, often multi-generational, and by the time they were forty were happy to put the slippers on at the end of the day and put their feet up and start to grow old contentedly. Nowadays they've done fornicate all, so they start going to the gym at forty, buy some new teeth, get a hair transplant and dress like teenagers. It's sad really.

[KiwiRider]

I believe that the amount of fluid surrounding the brain increases with age as the brain slightly shrinks, this can happen during a wide range of ages depending on the individual/diet/race/sex etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596698/
As this can show up in a scan, I believe there should be a measured amount of brain to brain fluid as a % that will determine whether you can box or not.
Generally this happen in your late 30's, but has been measured in people as young as 30.
I don't believe in discrimination over age as a number, but I do believe in protecting fighters who may seem physically up to par, but run the risk of severe and/or permanent brain injuries.
Case in point: Adonis Stevenson.

[Trent]

Depends on the fighter. Hopkins was still world class at 45. Jones on the other hand should have been forced retired at that age.

[p4p1]

I believe that the amount of fluid surrounding the brain increases with age as the brain slightly shrinks, this can happen during a wide range of ages depending on the individual/diet/race/sex etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596698/
As this can show up in a scan, I believe there should be a measured amount of brain to brain fluid as a % that will determine whether you can box or not.
Generally this happen in your late 30's, but has been measured in people as young as 30.
I don't believe in discrimination over age as a number, but I do believe in protecting fighters who may seem physically up to par, but run the risk of severe and/or permanent brain injuries.
Case in point: Adonis Stevenson.

With that in mind , I wonder if there should be a limit of the amount of KOs for boxers looking to renew licenses etc. When I was younger there was a guy around who used to get knocked out in practically every fight he had. I know there was talk of stopping him from ever fighting again for his own health and safety but it didn't happen. Despite weighing a good 20+kgs less I dropped him with one shot in sparring when I was 17. There was no reason why he should have been able to keep fighting professionally when a strong wind would blow him over.

[KiwiRider]

I believe that the amount of fluid surrounding the brain increases with age as the brain slightly shrinks, this can happen during a wide range of ages depending on the individual/diet/race/sex etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596698/
As this can show up in a scan, I believe there should be a measured amount of brain to brain fluid as a % that will determine whether you can box or not.
Generally this happen in your late 30's, but has been measured in people as young as 30.
I don't believe in discrimination over age as a number, but I do believe in protecting fighters who may seem physically up to par, but run the risk of severe and/or permanent brain injuries.
Case in point: Adonis Stevenson.

With that in mind , I wonder if there should be a limit of the amount of KOs for boxers looking to renew licenses etc. When I was younger there was a guy around who used to get knocked out in practically every fight he had. I know there was talk of stopping him from ever fighting again for his own health and safety but it didn't happen. Despite weighing a good 20+kgs less I dropped him with one shot in sparring when I was 17. There was no reason why he should have been able to keep fighting professionally when a strong wind would blow him over.

It's unfortunate that we still don't really have a good handle on the human brain. There are few sureties.
And some people have permanent damage from one or two concussions, and others, like you described can have many and suffer little if any side effects..
I know of a guy who got knocked out on the job site and suffers migraines on a monthly basis years later.

[margaret thatcher]

People age so differently, but generally as the age goes up the fighters get worse and boxing becomes more risky. Guys like Hopkins are hugely outnumbered by guys the same age who are way way past it.

So though I think you have to go case by case to be precise, i honestly wouldnt have much of a problem with a max age of something around 45, even knowing there have been some who still fought well at that point. the ams do it already at an even younger age

another thing.....is some of the really old fighters ive seen have been gimmicks who were winning obviously thrown fights. generally when guys 50+ are boxing sad/bad/laughable things happen

[Riddick Bowie]

I don't know about 45 as an age limit. For one, Foreman was defending the real heavyweight title past 45. W. Klitschko is 46 and it would be preposterous to deny him a licence while a ton of boxers he can still easily beat are allowed to fight.

Perhaps 50, but otherwise it should probably be done on a case by case basis. Also it seems to be Hopkins last fight, at 50, that tipped him over the edge. When he speaks now you can tell he is in the early stages of something ominous.

[Nightmare Roy]

depends on the individual Hops for example

[JWP]

I'm surprised the WBA hasnt come up with a Masters Champion yet, but it is something that should be considered. Shorter rounds, bigger gloves etc for Masters events.

[mickey1975]

A friend of mine, former decent pro, knocked out everyone in the unlicensed a few years ago decided to give it one last shot at 48. He got dropped and beat on points by someone who wouldn't have gone 30 seconds with him a while back. You cant beat father time.

[brilo33]

i think there should i dont want to see any one over 35. but i think i have no right to tell a fighting man when to stop

[Delta Jay]

Age isn’t the appropriate metric. Someone like Danny Williams should be permanently banned and someone like Hopkins or Gennadiy should be fine.

[Delta Jay]

I'm surprised the WBA hasnt come up with a Masters Champion yet, but it is something that should be considered. Shorter rounds, bigger gloves etc for Masters events.

Infinitely better than YouTubers or exhibition fights.

[Crease]

For me, 45 as the cut off point is reasonable...
If you haven't made your money by then, I doubt you will when you get to 46 or 47...

[Crease]

I'm surprised the WBA hasnt come up with a Masters Champion yet, but it is something that should be considered. Shorter rounds, bigger gloves etc for Masters events.

There may be something in that... 2 min rounds, 10 rounds per fight... Maybe... But only for ex pros I would say... And that too should have a cut off point.

[margaret thatcher]

i like these exhibitions that have become popular lately, mostly among mexican ex pros. they are basically glorified headgear spars, if even that. but it gives dudes a way to staay involved and its all a bit of fun

[REEVE]

Varies massively from person to person but its fair to say that once you reach 32/33 the vast majority of people start to taper off, easier to pick up injuries, little niggles become issues, timing starts to go, you cut easier etc etc

I dont think once you get past say 36/38 you should be boxing against young hungry fighters

[1008876]

I personally think that the Masters Division is a great proving ground for this. Its basically an amateur class division for people over 35 who have never held a boxing license prior to being 35. So lets say someone can prove they are physically able to be "professionally competitive" in the Masters Division, I believe they should be allowed to at least attempt to get a professional boxing license for a limited time, almost like a temporary visa. Getting taken seriously in the pro's is a whole other question, but i think this would add to boxing's legacy of being a sport built around the idea that even an underdog can have a slim chance at a title shot. Boxing is dangerous no matter what age you are, period. The Masters Division is getting more and more popular because of former pro's like Hopkins and comeback stories like Big George. Here's an idea, what about a national Masters Division Championship tournament every three years that would allow the winner to go professional for one year. A year in which they must win at least every other fight to keep their license. Two consecutive losses and they must forfeit their license. If at the end of that year they have competed and are not given a title shot they must forfeit their license. If they are given a title shot and win within that one year, they get one more year to defend their title.

[olij999]

Age isn’t the appropriate metric. Someone like Danny Williams should be permanently banned and someone like Hopkins or Gennadiy should be fine.

This. Plus it would be legally unenforceable anyway in the UK to have an age limit, so it's a moot point.