BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?

Subject: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:13 AM

Without cheating (i.e. looking it up!) can you say who is the oldest surviving ex-heavyweight boxing champion?

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:25 AM

Ali?

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:26 AM

or maybe the one who sells grills....

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:43 AM

Who is older: Ali or George?

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: gnu
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:47 AM

George "I am gonna throw a punch now" Foreman.

Glad he never hit me!

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:52 AM

OK.. I cheated because I never remember dates.... Ali is older than George, but George regained the title at a later age... so which is it? By birthdate or title date?

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Ed T
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 11:52 AM

Boxing records 

I believe Ali is a few years older than Foreman. I good site to check it out from:

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 12:02 PM

I'm glad I didn't say the first name in my head.... Ezzard Charles... which kinda shows MY age! (He died in 1975)

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Ed T
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 12:04 PM

The boxing records site is very good, and you can find just about anyone with a search. I registered for free-not sure if it is eventually required, if you look up alot of stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: gnu
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 12:45 PM

sgeek... Ali is older? I was sure it was George. Maybe because he made it big before Ali.

A lad here in town was a great boxer. Fought out of Boston for a time. Bob Fighting Irish Harvey. Middleweight (?) or just below. His last big match ended with the fans causing much damage to the venue as he had clearly won but not by the score cards. He's good fun. I can tell him the same joke a week from today and get just as big a laugh.

Hmmm... I wouldn't want Bob to hit me either. We're both 57 but he is in great shape, physically.

My old man was a pugilist of note. Won three weight classes in one night. He handily defeated the first and the other two couldn't get to Moncton due to the snowstorm. He taught me to box after I came home with a bloody nose. I became most proficient and asked to step in the ring. He chose my opponent. It was a wise choice. Got the crap beat out of me in less than one round and that was his plan. Never stepped in the ring again. But, I never lost a street fight again. Got the mangled knuckles and pretty face to prove it.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 01:01 PM

Ali (then Cassius Clay) won the Light Heavy gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, which he later chucked into the river after being refused service in a whites only restaurant in Louisville. Foreman was 12 years old at the time.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 01:07 PM

sgeek... Ali is older? I was sure it was George. Maybe because he made it big before Ali.

??? Ali is 7 years older & won his first title when I was a kid... but under his birth name of Cassius Clay... it took a long time for me to get used to his Muslim name because I had always seen him on TV under his original name.

It was years later that George made the headlines...

I just wasn't sure if Ali was still alive... seems like so many are passing away of late.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 02:27 PM

Well, I remember exactly where I was when Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston in 1964.... and that was just over 50 years ago. Helped me guess.

(BTW.. the young Black kids in Hattiesburg, Mississippi were all rooting for Liston!)

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 02:42 PM

I favored horse racing, not boxing... so what I mostly remember was his guest appearances and his "poetry recitations"... lol

Rocky Graziano is still the first image I see when thinking boxing... I always felt sorry that those men felt this was their only way out of poverty.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 22 Aug 14 - 02:43 PM

Well, the answer is - in some ways - unsatisfactory.
Ernie Terrell ( born 1938 ) is the the oldest surviving ex-heavyweight champ.
But, he was never considered a legitimate champ as he was fighting at the same time as Ali in his dancing prime, and only became champ because Ali signed to have a return with Liston which was against the wishes of one of the boxing association who eventually recognised Ernie as champ.
Of course, Ali subsequently beat Terrell in the famous "what's my name" fight.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: gnu
Date: 23 Aug 14 - 04:45 AM

Hmmm... must be the meds. Sorry.

Subject: RE: BS: The oldest surviving heavyweight champ?
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 23 Aug 14 - 09:12 AM

No sweat, gnu.
I had forgotten about Terrell. After they stripped Ali of his title me and my boxing chums considered the WBA a 2nd rate outfit. When I asked my Dad about it he said the this is the way the establishment deals with someone that they look on as an uppity black man.