Old boxers seem to be able to keep their coordination, balance, and instincts even when they're well past their prime. I remember this story about Jack Dempsey from our local paper back in the '60's:

There was a photo accompanying the article with Jack holding his fist up to the camera so that the perspective made his fist look as big as a basketball.

What a beautiful story, Shep. Thank you.

Dempsey's hands, at 185 were as big as Sonny Liston's or George Foreman's at 230.

The aspect of power in street encounters among boxers is threefold:

1. These are rarely face-offs but counter attacks, threat responses or sucker punches

2. Boxers do not have to jab an untrained fighter to hit him

3. Untrained fighters have no contact sensitivity and can't roll with the punch.

In the ring boxers only get to hit with full power when the opponent digs in and trades or walks into something. It is the same with stick fighting. You almost never see a full power shot in a stick fight against evenly mated opponents. So, for you boxers and stick-fighters beware of hitting the head and KOing people unless you are defending a woman or child from men, or it's a fight to the death—you hit harder than you know based on gym and ring experience.