Per wiki, Archie Moore “was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time” and “is the only man to have faced both Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.” The fight against Marciano doesn’t count, but Ali was born in the ‘40s and Moore turned pro in September of ‘35.
(Moore also fought Willie Pastrano, who was born in November of ‘35.)
Nolan Ryan pitched until he was 46, and in his last season (1993) about one-third of all the players who appeared in the majors that year weren’t born yet when he made his debut in September 1966. That includes Robin Ventura (b. 1967), meaning that Ryan had a famous fight with someone who wasn’t born yet when he first pitched in the majors.
Since careers last longer, you might be better off looking at the British Touring Cars Championship. I think they’ve had a couple of father / son combos there, but I’m not sure.
BTW if you look at the British Truck Racing Association, you’ll see that Wayne and Joanne Eason - husband and wife - are competitors.
Sachin Tendulkar played his first Test match in Nov, 1989.
In his final test against the West Indies, Kieran Powell of the West Indies was born the year after his debut. On his own team, Kumar Singh is a similar age.
A lot of the Indian team were only born the year or two before Tendulkar’s debut, including the current captain, Virat Kohli.
I haven’t done any research into it but Jamie Moyer pitched in the major leagues until he was almost 50. I’m sure he had a teammate or two along the way that were born after he made his debut…I’d be very surprised if he didn’t.
Moyer’s first year in the majors was 1986, his final year was 2012 although he only appeared in 10 games. But he had 13 teammates that year born in 1986 or later.
Larry Holmes had gone 20-0 when Maurice Harris was born in February of ‘76, and spent a good long stretch as the heavyweight champ before Harris went pro in turn, and ultimately outpunched Harris at Madison Square Garden in July of ‘97.
An epic moment. Thanks for the link. Ryan went to town on Ventura and got him but good, first with the beanball and then with 4 punches to Ventura‘s head and a 5th punch to the lip.
Mario Lemieux played his last season with current Penguin captain, Sidney Crosby. (Occassionally on the same line).
Lemieux only played 26 games that year though – he retired for the final time due to heart problems.
Pretty cool (yesterday!) Bruins rookie Trent Frederic making his NHL debut on a line with his idol David Backes. Link shows a photo of them from twelve years ago.
Minnie Miñoso had two games with the White Sox in 1980; of all the playing staff that season, only Wayne Nordhagen and Ed Farmer were alive when he made his MLB debut.
If we include the Negro Leagues as “highest level”, Satchel Paige started his career in 1927 and finished three innings in '65.
First, I was deciding whether to mention professional wrestlers when I came across the above.
Second, while it’s not a real sport, I think it’s insulting to refer to them as anything other then professional athletes. And while they don’t actually compete against each other in the ring, the need to perform at the highest level to keep their position was, until recently, essential.
A 40 year old ice skater trying out for “Jurassic Park on Ice” against a 20 year old ice skater is a professional athlete competing against another, just not in a sport.