Top 10 Greatest Pound-for-Pound Boxers Who Started Late

In boxing, there is often a stigma that to be the best, you must start at a very young age, with many starting as early as five years old! Although this may be the case for several top fighters throughout history, there are still many fighters who started at a much later age but still had quite a bit of success.

There are many more names that can be added to this list, but these names are certainly some of the most successful and most recognizable boxers who got into the sport later in life. Today, we’ll be exploring their accomplishments and a bit more about each boxer more in-depth.

#10 Dwight Muhammad Qawi

• Competed: 1978-1998
• Age when started boxing: 25 years old
• Record: 41-11-1
• Weight class(es): Light heavyweight, cruiserweight, heavyweight

Qawi has one of the later starts on the list, getting into boxing around the age of 25. He got into boxing while in prison and became a professional right after he was released. Despite his late start, Qawi saw major success along the way, including the WBC and Ring Magazine Light-Heavyweight belts. His reign was not as long as some, but he still went on for years, becoming a world champ from 1981-1983.

Afterward, Muhammad Qawi captured the World Cruiserweight Title, but eventually lost in 1986 to Evander Holyfield which ended his major career successes before hanging up the gloves for good in 1998. Qawi is a legend in his own right with titles and successes in multiple weight classes, making him a great fighter to kick off this fantastic list with.

#9 Ken Norton

• Competed: 1967-1981
• Age when started boxing: 24 years old
• Record: 42-7-1
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

Ken Norton was an interesting character in the boxing world. Another late starter, he didn’t get his start until he was 24 years of age. Norton is perhaps most well-known for going toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali on three separate occasions, defeating him in their first bout by split decision, which was one of the greatest upsets of the time.

Both Norton and Ali fought close fights each time they stepped in the ring together, and it showed just how talented Ken was as a boxer, despite his rather late start into the sport. Norton held the title of NABF Heavyweight champ before losing it Ali in their rematch.

Norton indeed came out of the blue and seized the short time he had with boxing to the fullest, earning him a spot on this list.

#8 Ray Mercer

• Competed: 1989-2008
• Age when started boxing: 27 years old
• Record: 36-7-1
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

Ray Mercer is a unique combat sports athlete that has not only competed in boxing but also other disciplines such as kickboxing and MMA. Mercer did not make his boxing debut until he was nearly 27 years old, which is quite old to start a new venture as a professional athlete.

Mercer had a fantastic start to his career, capturing the inter-continental heavyweight belt, the NABF heavyweight belt, and the WBO heavyweight title, all while going undefeated. He also won the gold medal in 1988 at the Seoul Olympic Games in amateur boxing. It was a spectacular run that was so impressive, up until he suffered his first professional loss in 1992 to Larry Holmes.

After the loss, Mercer was unable to find his rhythm again but also went up against some killers of the time, like Evander Holyfield and Lenox Lewis. Nonetheless, his initial rise was quite impressive and earns him a spot on this list.

#7 Clinton Woods

• Competed: 1994-2009
• Age when started boxing: 22 years old
• Record: 42-5-1
• Weight class(es): Super middleweight, light heavyweight

Not only a loveable character in the sport of boxing, but Woods was also the IBF light-heavyweight champ for three years, spanning from 2005-2008. Woods didn’t get a particularly early start into boxing, and for not being a heavyweight, this is quite impressive.

Woods ended up with a solid overall professional record of 42-5-1. He had a massive fight against Roy Jones Jr. in 2002 but was unsuccessful in walking away victorious that night. However, he would find massive success in 2005, when he captured the vacant IBF light-heavyweight title, beating Rico Hoye via TKO. He held on to the belt until 2008, when he lost to Antonio Tarver by unanimous decision.

Woods defended four successful titles during his reign and hung up his gloves in 2009.

#6 Sergio Martinez

• Competed: 1997-2014
• Age when started boxing: 22 years old
• Record: 51-3-2
• Weight class(es): Welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight

As mentioned earlier in the article, it is seen as quite impressive when boxers find success in weight classes other than heavyweight. Well, Martinez didn’t step onto the pro scene until his early twenties, but as soon as he did, he made massive waves throughout the world of boxing.

Martinez would go on to accomplish impressive feats, such as capturing the following belts:

• WBC Super Welterweight Title
• WBO, WBC, Ring Magazine, & Lineal Middleweight Titles

Martinez was one of the best of his time, hands down, finishing his career with an impressive record of 51-3-2.

#5 Anthony Joshua

• Competed: 1997-Present
• Age when started boxing: 22 years old
• Record: 22-1
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

Our first currently active fighter on the list, Anthony Joshua didn’t get his start into boxing until his late teens, which is rather late considering the success he has had. Of course, he suffered his first professional loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in June of 2019, but his path is impressive, nonetheless.

Before his first lost, Joshua has amassed several belts, including the following:

• WBA Super World Heavyweight Title
• IBF World Heavyweight Title
• WBO World Heavyweight Title

·       IBO World Heavyweight Title

Joshua is set to have a rematch with Ruiz Jr on December 12th, and only time will tell how Joshua’s career will continue from here.

#4 Sonny Liston

• Competed: 1953-1970
• Age when started boxing: 19 years old
• Record: 50-4
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

If you are a fan of boxing, then you’ll know the name, Sonny Liston. However, what you might not know is that he didn’t start the sport of boxing until he was 19 years old, which is quite late, especially considering all of the success he had.

Liston finished his amazing career out with a record of 50-4 overall. During his time, he captured a heavyweight title to his name over Floyd Patterson but came up short twice to the great Ali, where he had two great fights with him.

Liston died quite young of congestive heart failure, but his remarkable story and accomplishments make me feel as though he deserves a high place on this list, considering just how great he really was.

#3 Bernard Hopkins

• Competed: 1988-2016
• Age when started boxing: 18 years old
• Record: 55-8-2-2 (no contests)
• Weight class(es): Middleweight, light heavyweight

During an era of absolute monsters at the middleweight/light-heavyweight division, Bernard Hopkins truly was an interesting name to follow. Hopkins started boxing around the age of 18 and fought even as recent as 2016.

Hopkins has earned countless titles in his long career, including the following:

• WBC Light-Heavyweight Title
• IBO Light-Heavyweight Title
• WBC Diamond Light-Heavyweight Title
• IBF World Light-Heavyweight Title
• WBA Super World Light-Heavyweight Title
• IBA World Light-Heavyweight Title
• WBC World Middleweight Title
• WBA Super World Middleweight Title
• IBF World Middleweight Title
• WBO World Middleweight Title
• IBF World Middleweight Title

As you can see, Hopkins has a long list of accomplishments that makes him worth of being placed so high on this list. He could be placed a bit higher, but his career ended didn’t end on as much of a high note as the others.

His last fight in 2016 was questioned in if he should have even competed. There was nothing else left to prove for him, but sometimes, the sport of boxing is just too sweet to walk away from at the right time, as we see with many fighters who want to extend their careers as long as possible.

#2 Deontay Wilder

• Competed: 2008-Present
• Age when started boxing: 20 years old
• Record: 41-0-1
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

Perhaps one of the best boxers alive at the moment, Wilder is making his claim at becoming one of the best heavyweights to walk this earth. Wilder is truly one of the biggest power punchers to grace the sport of boxing to this very day.

Wilder got his start in boxing in his late teens, and ever since then, has been an absolute force to be reckoned with. His current record is 41-0-1 and has knocked out everyone in his path, besides two men. He is the current WBC heavyweight champ, and you should expect him to make moves to new areas at some point.

A fight with Anthony Joshua was long dreamt of, but after Joshua lost to Ruiz, that fight has lost quite a bit of hype that was previously behind it. Now, the rematch with Fury hopefully will happen sometime in 2020, and this may determine the best heavyweight boxer in the world today.

Boxing seems too often miss great fights that go right past their eyes, and hopefully the rematch is one that does not fall victim to that.

#1 Rocky Marciano

• Competed: 1947-1955
• Age when started boxing: 24 years old
• Record: 49-0
• Weight class(es): Heavyweight

A man that finishes his career undefeated, as a champion, deserves this spot. Rocky Marciano had a fantastic record of 49-0 and didn’t start boxing until he was 24 years old, which is incredible. He was the NBA champ for quite some time, until he laced up his gloves for the final time in 1955, against Archie Moore.

Many argue that the level of talent during Rocky’s time was not as near as stacked as it is today. Although that may be true in some cases, you cannot discredit a legend like Marciano, who went undefeated, winning nearly 50 fights and went out as a champion.

Of course, if you haven’t made the connection already, the popular boxing movies, “Rocky” are based on this man in a sense, but just his name, not the story. That alone shows just how popular Marciano was in his day and the kind of impact he has left on the sport of boxing forever.

Wrap-Up

To wrap up, it is never too late to start the sport of boxing. Some of the best to ever do it didn’t get their start until their mid-twenties, which is insane considering all they were able to accomplish.

If you noticed, there is a bit of a theme here, as many of the men who had success later on in life generally fought at heavyweight or near it. This is common in many other combat sports as well, due to power playing being a much larger factor.

At that size, anybody can knock out anybody, which is why you see most of these success stories come from the heavier weight classes. All in all, though, the names that were listed today will forever be legends in the sport of boxing and what they were able to accomplish throughout their career will impact the sport of boxing for years and years to come.