Major League Baseball on Wednesday had a night where seven pitchers age 40 or older were scheduled to start: Roger Clemens, Kenny Rogers, John Smoltz, Jaime Moyer, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Woody Williams. Only because Rogers, 42, was rained out did the sport not break its previous record for most oldness in pitchers in one night.Tonight in El Paso, Evander Holyfield, 44, continues his comeback against Lou Savarese, 41. I've been checking the records to find out when was the last time two guys over 40 fought each other. It's certainly happened many times. But maybe not before on pay-per-view.
Savarese has fought older gentlemen before. But when he fought a 48-year-old George Foreman, Savarese was just 31. And when he fought a 45-year-old Tim Witherspoon, he was 37. Holyfield was still a youngster in his twenties when he battled a plucky Foreman, who was 42 at the time.
In boxing, when you hear about two guys over 40 fighting each other, your first thought isn't: "Wow, it's remarkable how they can keep going after all these years." Your first thought is: someone help these guys hang up the gloves. If boxing didn't involve a risk of permanent damage for athletes with long careers, it would be amazing. It's hard enough to last a few rounds in your twenties. But 44? As much as we want these guys to retire, they remain extraordinary athletes.
Some press on tonight's senior league matchup: Vic Ziegel's headline writer in the New York Daily News calls the fight one for the ages (which recalls the promotional nickname of Holyfield-Foreman, "Battle of the Ages"). Patrick Kehoe of BoxingScene.com and FOXSports.com says Holyfield isn't the real deal anymore. A lot of papers have run the AP's take on the bout.
1 comment:
Holyfield will be alright as long as he is matched with faded, old fighters such as Savarese. However, he may well be hurt seriously against a young and hungry contender. In my opinion, he should just walk away from boxing since he has nothing more to prove.
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