Bernard Hopkins and the 5 Best Boxers in Their 40s
After Bernard Hopkins defeated Jean Pascal by unanimous decision this past weekend, he became the oldest man to ever win a major world title, breaking a record previously held by former heavyweight champion George Foreman.
Foreman won the world heavyweight title when he knocked out undefeated champion Michael Moorer in 1994. He was 45 years old.
Hopkins is 46 and defeated Pascal in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He decisively out-boxed and out-worked his 28-year-old opponent over the 12-round distance.
What makes the victory so great is that there aren't too many boxers over 40 that are fighting at the level he is fighting at. If they are, they aren't winning.
These are the top five boxers currently competing in the sport and they are all over 40.
No. 5: Evander Holyfield: Age 48
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Former undisputed heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Evander Holyfield (44-10-2) will be turning 49 this year and, with recent victories over Brian Nielsen and Francois Botha, he has no intentions of retiring anytime soon.
For over a decade, fans have been awaiting "The Real Deal" to retire and, while he awaits his unlikely title shot in the heavyweight division, they have been forced to watch him fight overmatched former contenders and opponents just as old as him.
If his retirement relies on him getting another title shot, maybe the best thing to do is just give it to him. There shouldn't be a reason he has to go through the opponents and fights he is if it isn't worth anything in the end.
No. 4: James Toney: Age 42
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In a 22-year career that spanned everywhere from middleweight to light-heavyweight to cruiserweight and all the way up to heavyweight, James Toney has compiled a record of 73-6-3 with 44 knockouts.
His success climaxed in 2003 when he was voted Ring Magazine's fighter of the year after defeating Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield.
Since then, he has fought against some of the best heavyweights of the past 10 years, including John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman and Samuel Peter.
His most recent fight came in February when he defeated Damon Reed.
A short stint in mixed-martial-arts halted his boxing career in 2010 when he took on UFC Hall-of-Famer and former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture. He was taken down and submitted in the very first round in their UFC 118 bout.
No. 3: Antonio Tarver: Age 42
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Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver (28-6) was one of the best light-heavyweight boxers of the 2000s. He defeated the likes of Roy Jones Jr, Glen Johnson, Montell Griffin, Eric Harding and Clinton Woods while claiming the WBC, IBO, IBF, Ring and WBA world championships.
A late start in his professional career can attribute to the current status he holds at the age of 42. With only 34 professional bouts and a 14-year career behind him, he still has a lot of time to be competitive in the sport.
He recently made a move up to heavyweight where he defeated Nagy Aguilera. His next fight will come against Australia's Danny Green on July 20 for the IBO cruiserweight title.
Future bouts with the main stars of the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions are the main goals of Tarver, and he doesn't have to do much to get there. His reputation as being the first man to knock out Roy Jones Jr. has carried him a long way and still does to this day.
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No. 2: Glen Johnson: Age 42
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The "Road Warrior" has had a long career of ups and downs, but it has all led him to the current position he is in as a Showtime Super Six Tournament semi-finalist.
His next bout will be on June 4 against Carl Froch and, at the age of 42, he still remains a threat to anyone in the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Johnson (51-14-2) was also one of the top light-heavyweight fighters of the 2000s, defeating fighters like Roy Jones Jr., Antonio Tarver, Clinton Woods, Eric Harding and Montell Griffin.
He has recently fought some of the best young fighters in the sport, including Chad Dawson and Tavoris Cloud. He didn't win against either of them, but he put up competitive fights in two of the three fights.
If he makes it past Froch next weekend, a bout with 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and undefeated star Andre Ward will be next.
No. 1: Bernard Hopkins: Age 46
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Being the oldest boxer to ever win a major world title undoubtedly makes Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2) sit at the top of this list.
Along with being the best active boxer over 40, he is one of the all-time best over 40 along with Archie Moore, George Foreman and Willie Pep.
His accomplishments far exceed what other middleweights of this era have done and it includes defending the middleweight championship 20 times, being the only man to finish Felix Trinidad and defeating many of the top stars of his era.
In his post-fight interview after defeating Jean Pascal for the WBC, IBO and Ring titles, he stated he had no intentions of retiring until he got to 50.
If he has three or four years left in the sport, future bouts with Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute could be on his agenda, and they will be as tough and significant as any other fights he has been in throughout his 23-year professional career.
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