photo furnished
Scot England, 59, formerly of Sullivan, will earn the title of oldest professional welterweight boxer in the world when he steps into the boxing ring in Nashville on December 5.

•November 22, 2023•

Hendersonville, Tennessee’s Scot England will earn a unique title when he steps into the boxing ring in Nashville on December 5th. The soon-to-be 59-year-old will become the oldest professional welterweight boxer in the world.

“My boxing dream began four decades ago when I became friends with my hero, Muhammad Ali,” says England. “The first time I walked into Ali’s living room, he asked, ‘Are you a boxer?’ I said, ‘No, Champ. I’m not tough enough for that.’ But now, almost 40 years later, I am tough enough.”

There are currently about 400 pro welterweight boxers in the U.S. and 2, 000 worldwide. Of those, official boxing rankings put Scot England as the number one oldest in the world.

“The oldest welterweight was 51 years old. But I’ll have about 8 years on him,” says England. “My opponent is just 28, so he’s about three decades younger than I am.”

For the past two years, England has been training with Army veteran Eric Draper, who has won over 20 professional fights. Draper says he respects England’s effort to gain his first victory. “Every day, somebody is telling somebody what they can’t do,” Draper says. “But Scot is proving that this can be done. I love to see an older guy like him in the ring, slugging it out with us young guys.” Read More