WRINKLE, wrinkle, little star… A 70-year-old boxer showed who’s the grand-daddy with an historic KO victory.
Mohican-haired Albert Hughes Jr smashed the Guinness world record by beating Tramane Towns, 43, in a farcical fight after 36 years out of the ring.
Albert Hughes Jr celebrates his small piece of history as he fights in the ring – and wins – at the age of 70Credit: YouTube / EmuGuru
Tramane Towns was twice sent crashing in his two-round defeat against Albert Hughes Jr in IndianapolisCredit: YouTube / EmuGuru
Albert flair featured in this rope opera as 70-year-old Albert Hughes Jr leaves Tramane Towns punch sunk with a right-handerCredit: YouTube / EmuGuru
Hughes made his debut in 1975, the year Muhammad Ali beat fellow heavyweight legend Joe Frazier in their third and finest bout, the ‘Thrilla in Manila’.
But that’s surely the only connection between The Greatest and The Oldest.
Admittedly perky pensioner Hughes looked in reasonable nick, whereas Towns had a classic dad bod for their batty bout in Tyndall Armoury, Indianapolis.
But Hughes, from Kentucky, needed to be anything but plucky in a slow-motion contest of few punches, low on energy but high on farce.
Wobbly, shuffling Towns had himself not fought for 11 years.
And he barely did this time, offering laughable resistance, especially when twice floored by fly swats from Hughes in round two.
Polite applause eventually rippled around the arena when fans realised the referee had signalled it was all over.
Hughes celebrated reasonably wildly, raising his arms aloft gingerly, and keeping them up for an impressive lap of the ring.
Victory surely assures him the Golden Oldie Gloves as he easily became the most elderly active boxer ever.
Previous record holder, Brit Stephen “Steve” Ward, was 60 years and 337 days old when he last fought, in Nottinghamshire on July 15 2017.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk