'Until the wheels fall off': Manny Pacquiao and the trouble with growing old in a young man’s game

When they say that the last thing to go is a boxer’s punch, it gives hope to just about any boxer who can still form a fist.

It is therefore not only an adage but cruel, for it suggests that where there is a punch there is always a way.

To do it right, and generate power, the punch must, A) be thrown correctly, and, B) land.

We should emphasize that it is star power, not punch power, we are talking about.

Mike Tyson's , for example, has outlasted even his ability to punch hard.

Mike Mosley suffered four defeats in a three-year period before deciding to retire in May 2016 .

Despite the signs, Mosley carried on and kept punching, despite the signs.

The sport is designed to cause damage and no amount of distance prevents them being drawn back together when the time comes.

Even injuries are no longer a deterrent in the eyes of some retired fighters.

At the age of 47 , Emiliano Marsili was still winning fights, still competing for European titles, and still, rather miraculously, unbeaten as a pro.