Because the previous sports activities adage goes, Father Time is undefeated. However each infrequently, somebody walks in and defies the chances.
Manny Pacquiao will try and do exactly that when he steps into the ring, coming off a four-year retirement, on July 19 in opposition to WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
At 46 years previous, Pacquiao is chasing historical past. Beating Barrios received’t simply add to his legend; it additionally makes him one of many oldest boxers to win a world title.
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins, of america, leaves the ring after defeating Beibut Shumenov, of Kazakhstan, by a break up choice after their IBF, WBA and IBA Mild Heavyweight World Championship unification boxing match, Sunday, April 20, 2014, in Washington. AP
The oldest world boxing champion? Bernard Hopkins owns that distinction.
Hopkins has held the report since profitable the WBC mild heavyweight title after beating Jean Pascal in Might 2011 on the age of 46 years and 126 days previous.
READ: Bernard Hopkins backs Manny Pacquiao to upset Mario Barrios
The ageless Hopkins, who had his finest years as an undisputed middleweight king, went on to reset his mark thrice.
After dropping the world title to Chad Dawson in April 2012, Hopkins regained his world champion standing in March 2023, defeating Tavoris Cloud on factors to say the IBF mild heavyweight crown at 48 years previous. He retained the belt seven months later with a unanimous choice victory over Karo Murat.
Exhibiting no indicators of slowing down, Hopkins topped himself once more after unifying the IBF and WBA titles, edging Beibut Shumenov in April 2014 when he was already 49 years and 94 days previous.
His record-setting title reign got here to an finish in opposition to Sergey Kovalev in November 2014. At 51 years previous, Hopkins got here again and took his first stoppage loss by the hands of a 27-year-old Joe Smith Jr. in December 2016 in what turned out to be the final bout of his storied profession.
George Foreman
IBF heavyweight champion George Foreman of the US smiles as he holds belts for the Worldwide Boxing Federation (IBF) championship and the World Boxing Union (WBU) championship after defeating Axel Schulz of Germany in a 12-round choice on the MGM Grand Backyard in Las Vegas 22 April. AFP PHOTO (Photograph by JEFF HAYNES / AFP)
Earlier than Bernard Hopkins, the late George Foreman was the oldest to say a serious boxing crown.
And he did it in spectacular style after scoring a shocking Tenth-round knockout of a 26-year-old Michael Moorer in November 1994. At the moment, Foreman, who captured the IBF and WBA heavyweight belts, was 45 years previous.
READ: Boxing nice George Foreman lifeless at 76, says household
He retained the IBF heavyweight strap at 46 years and 102 days previous when he clipped Axel Shulz by majority choice in April 1995.
Foreman final fought in November 1997, dropping to Shannon Briggs by majority choice lower than two months earlier than his forty ninth birthday.
Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes
Heavyweight challenger Larry Holmes, 45, flexes his muscle groups throughout the weigh-in ceremonies 07 April at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holmes, who weighed in at 236 lbs, will combat Oliver McCall for the WBC title 08 April. AFP PHOTO (Photograph by JOHN GURZINSKI / AFP)
Though it had been achieved earlier than, it’s nonetheless no straightforward feat.
Actually, there had been a number of who tried and failed. Amongst them have been legendary heavyweights Evander Holyfield and Larry Holmes. Holyfield was 46 years and 62 days previous when he challenged for the WBA belt.
He got here up brief, dropping a majority choice to Nikolai Valuev in December 2008.
Holmes suffered the identical destiny in April 1995.
Using on seven straight wins following a loss to Holyfield, Holmes was 45 years previous when he received one other world title shot.
Holmes, nonetheless, ran right into a assured Oliver McCall, who was coming off a stunning knockout of Lennox Lewis. Holmes misplaced to McCall by unanimous choice.
Manny Pacquiao
Historical past beckons for Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao had already stated that he plans to turn into the oldest world champion in boxing historical past.
He strikes nearer to that aim when he beats Mario Barrios, who’s 16 years his junior.
A victory will make Pacquiao, who will probably be precisely 46 years and 214 days previous on combat night time at MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas, the second oldest simply behind Hopkins.
