by David P. Greisman

It’s been seven years since Virgil Hill last fought, long enough that the former light heavyweight champion and cruiserweight titleholder was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013.

He is 50 years old, turns 51 in January and is pondering fighting again, according to Forum News Service, which has a coverage area that includes North Dakota, where Hill lives.

Hill will fight in an exhibition bout this Saturday with his son, Virgil Hill Jr., who is 25 years old, a super middleweight who is 4-0 with 1 KO. Hill Sr. also is talking about an actual pro fight in February 2015.

“I was told I could never box again,” he said in the article. “I said if I went off of people telling me that and believed them, I would never have made it.”

Hill lost a pair of bouts in 2007, dropping a decision in a rematch with long-retired Henry Maske and then dropping his title via decision to Firat Arslan. That brought him to 50-7 with 23 KOs.

Hill turned pro in 1984 after capturing a silver medal at middleweight in that year’s Olympics. As a pro, he held a light heavyweight world title from 1987 until 1991, losing to Thomas Hearns. His next reign at 175 began in 1992, and Cyber Boxing Zone recognized Hill as becoming lineal champ in 1996 with a split decision win in a unification bout over Maske. Hill lost to Dariusz Michalczewski in 1997, then was defeated by Roy Jones Jr. in 1998.

He twice held a cruiserweight title, once from 2000 to 2002 and once from 2006 to 2007 (this time the WBA’s “regular” title while it also had a “super” titleholder), losing each in his first defense.

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