Why is boxing the only profession were employees refuse to retire when they are passed their prime. Case in point: In boxing you have boxers that fight way pass their prime, Commentators and broadcasters that appear to be blind and senile and over the hill Promoters that refuse to call it quits. All this is killing the sport of boxing. You have a systemic problem were the youth are not allowed entry into the business of boxing and the top fight venues. Let’s analyze the three.

1) Boxers
Roy Jones, Benard Hopkins, James Toney, Antonio Tarver retire. You are much too old to perform at the elite level. Roy jones you are punch drunk and get knocked out cold by C level fighters. Hopkins, Toney and Tarver in your last fight you have sustained injuries that were most likely due to the fact that your body is not as agile as it once was because of ware and tare. You are not durable and cannot with stand the punishment to your bones. This is called old age. We could also add a list of heavy weights to this Evander Holifield, John Ruiz, Riddick Bowe etc….. The list goes on!

2) Promoters
Don King and Bob Arum will both be 80 by the end of the year. it is time for you two to call it quits. You have brought us some great fights. But, lately you have practiced a business plan that is self-centered and bitter against your peers. Yes I said peers not enemies. You treat other promoters as if they are fighting against you when you should be working together to create better fights. You are a cancer that is destroying boxing and need to let younger promoters in to reinvigorate the sport.

3) Commentators
Larry Merchant you are 80 and are biased in your commentating half the time you do not know what is going on in that ring. You base your comments on a preconceived notion that you are the all-knowing (Boxing God) and your opinion is the Bible. Well it’s not: It is time for you to run off into the sunset and become a spectator. HBO needs to revive its cast and usher in a new breed of commentators. Roy Jones and Max are great. You can even bring back Big George. But, you need to go.

Harold Ledderman I don't know what fights you are watching you seem to be watching a different fight than what I am seeing most of the time. Could it be that you are 71 and refuse to wear glasses or are you reminiscing on past fights and confusing with the presence.

As a fight fan I am appalled at this and it is unacceptable. We the consumer need to start writing to HBO and Showtime and voice our opinions and if things don't change we need to vote with our wallet and not pay for sub-standard prehistoric fossilization of the sport we love.

The only one I dont agree with at this moment is BHop. I was one of the people who wrote him off right before he fought pavlik. Since then, he hasnt lost a fight. (not counting the fight with dawson) As far as everyone else goes, i agree. Especially Bob Arum and Larry Merchant.

Yeah, if anything, B-Hop still has a chance to land a few more big fights and not get humiliated. Everyone else can go, as far as fighters are concerned. Im still hanging tight with the HBO staff...maybe because they've been around forever. As its been said, the sport of boxing cant fire a fighter, so the only way they wont fight again is if they aren't physically able to continue. Usually that takes a few of their opponents to knock them senseless, for them to actually get the point though.

Far as the boxers goes, in their heads they think they still have it.

Big Ego's+ being surrounded by a bunch of yes men= a fighter fighting until he's 50

Great Post. I agree with everything except B-Hop retiring. Although he "officially" lost against Dawson he still got the belts. B-Hop can school most of the guys within his weight range. I hope we oneday can see a Hopkins vs Ward showdown now that would be interesting. Both have very similar intangibles and know how to fight dirty if need be.

Great post and list!

I agree about everything here, except Hopkins, who can still be competitive, though he may not win, he can still keep fights close.

Jack

This is a response to all who disagree with Hopskins. I placed Hopskins on the list because of the injury he sustained in the last fight and the fact that he was injured and hospitalized after his fight with RJJ. When and if he comes back he will probably be more prone to injuries in future fights and the other reason is I would like to see younger fighters get the spotlight to reenergize the sport.

Hopskins!? Im sure Hopkins will return sooner than later...besides, whether you're young or old in the sport, EVERYBODY'S prone to sustain injuries, some more than others. I get what you're saying though, since Hopkins is older. I forgot about him being hospitalized after the RJJ fight...maybe because I was hospitalized that night as well. The injuries went as follows...

Doctor's note:
1. Extreme boredom which progressed to intense stress
2. Slight alcohol poisoning from a high alcohol intake
3. Chipped tooth
4. Small nuisance injuries (scrapes and bruises)


Patient's response for injuries:
1. I was bored and disappointed, plain and simple
2. I tried to drink myself into hoping for better results. During the championship rounds, I was shooting for "stupor status" and discovered that had one too many.
3. I was drinking a beer and the guy beside me jumped up out of excitement and bumped my arm that I was drinking with, by accident.
4. Somebody told me that I fell in the parking lot on the way to my car...I believe.

I agree....especially, if he's allowed to continue the "right hand, clinch then headbutt" style of boxing.

That's that man's bread & butter, what cold world it would be if they took that away from him. The scruntiny he would endure...oh the scrutiny.