Between the Ropes: Got What it Takes?
are simply known for punishment; offering wear and tear to the physical anatomy.
What’s it like to be a prizefighter?
Punching faces and slipping punches in an effort to keep the bills paid. Arguing amongst crooked officials and promoters over contract disputes, legal disputes, keeping your body in its best physical condition possible, training camp, money issues, politics, corruption, deadline pressure and chaotic madness. To top it off, the other fighter staring at you across the ring would rather die than see your hand raised in victory. With the bell sounding to begin round one, you bite down on your mouthpiece, say a quick prayer and proceed forward..
Training camps/Press and Promotional touring
Boxing requires a tremendous amount of physical, spiritual and mental toughness. To be in shape is totally different than to be in fighting shape. Training camps are generally conducted at a minimum of 7 weeks or more depending on the fighter/trainer’s preference. Training camps are generally delivered in long, exhausting and vigorous workouts. In addition, fighters must run everyday, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. It is important for a fighter to discipline his or her body properly throughout training camps and workout sessions.
* Making weight
A fighter below the heavyweight limit can often at times experience difficulty in making weight for a fight. For example, a fighter belonging in the 147lb (welterweight) division may continue to fight in that weight category although they continue to struggle making the limit of 147lbs. As a result, either two of the following issues are occurring.
Maybe that fighter needs to fight at a higher weight class to prevent his/herself from dehydrating in the process of losing weight. Many fighters enter the weigh-in scales at 147lbs but balloon up to 165 or 170lbs the following night or two. This can be a perfect example of a fighter who isn’t dieting correctly or hanging around in a weight class for longer than he/she should.
For a fighter who is advancing to a new weight class, it would be necessary to maybe hold a longer training camp to allow the fighter a chance to adjust at a new weight. In addition to that, the fighter must eat the proper foods along with balancing between more healthy diets in order to add the pounds on with less percent of body fat.
Moving up in weight isn’t always the key to solving issues with making weight, sometimes the growth of politics and corruption can keep a fighter pinned to a weight class that he/she is ready to grow from.
* Stress/Restlessness
Believe what you wish, but many fighters often feel tension and nervousness before fights, it’s just never admitted. Infact, the truth is crossed out through the fighter’s fight persona and the fact that he/she knows the world is watching. Even some of today’s top fighters and world champions experience nervousness at some point in their career. Once again, it’s often never admitted but shown throughout their behavior in the ring
And out of the ring. Beyond popular belief, there’s no problem with being nervous about an upcoming fight. The most important thing a fighter learns is that he must now allow his fear to control him and disrupt is performance on fight night.
* Interviews & press city touring
A good matchup can draw in good numbers; it’s necessary that fighters make several trips within the country or internationally to promote an upcoming fight. The two fighters along with their trainers and managerial staff often accompany fighters to the press conference. Fighters get a chance to voice out their opinion and also meet the up and coming opponent they are scheduled to fight.
In many cases, press conferences are particularly loud, vibrant in emotion and edgy for the two combatants. Promoters often instigate and attempt to build up their fighters amongst people’s opinion. Within this attempt, fighters are also vocal, threatening, and expressive about their views and promises. The secret of promotion in building a fight is to sell it. Thus, the two combatants are enemies, but co-workers in selling tickets. The more interesting the fight build up and its fighters, the more PPV or TV numbers it will do.
In interviews fighters are generally asked the same tiring questions about their upcoming performances and the progression of training. Fighters often use the same line each time, “Training camp is going great, I am in the best shape of my life and I am ready for March 16th.” It sounds sweet, but this doesn’t always occur at every training camp of a fighter’s career and later on after retirement they often admit it. There’s no doubt that a fully conditioned boxer will experience better camps than of one who doesn’t condition his or herself and isn’t as disciplined. As more and more time declines.
Fight Night and what you soon realize�
This is it; its fight night and you’re fighting for the world title belt. Your physical well-being, you’re life and your career and future are all at stake as you walk to the ring. The fans scream and shout your name as you pass by, but they have no idea what its like to really be in your shoes. The opponent your promoter’s have aligned with you is undefeated and promises to end your career. With 37 victories and 35 by KO he may just do so. But you don’t want to believe that, you just want to believe everybody who’s been supporting you up to this point. But you really don’t. This could be your last professional fight and last night of life, you hope that the hanger-ons and managers are behind you and not just exploiting you for a paycheck. The fans cheer in appreciation of the dominating performance, on your end or the pain you manage to dish out. But after the victory or loss, your entire body aches from head to toe, your hands are severely swollen, face puffy and you can barely see anything out of your eyes. You really want to retire, but you can’t because you gotta move on to the next mandatory challenger.
Yes, fighters feel even more stress afterwards, especially in defeat. For in defeat, fighters often face rejection amongst the public eye, against some of their very own promoters, networks and friends. Many fighters who have slipped out of their peak and into their prime often experience the cold shoulder. Suddenly they aren’t as popular as they once were.
Other fighters soon realize that promoters and trainers can often exploit them as well. Regardless of a victory or a defeat, a trainer and promoter still make their percent promised to them within the contract. Sometimes, promoters and trainers can be in it together; throwing you into a fight you really aren’t prepared for, all in the hopes of gaining more money from you. If they line you up with a blockbuster of an opponent although you aren’t necessarily ready, and your cut is $2 Million, they still get their slice of the pie. Because its more, that might work out all the better for them. Truthfully, it’s really bad for you. You are the one taking all the punishment and doing the prep to prepare for such a fight in the first place. It happens all the time, networks, politics and promoters that often try to exploit their fighters and take what little dime they’ve earned.
In the end..
At the end of the day, many fighters are often broke and busted. Very few fighters out of the bag make it to the realm of success they seek. Some continue on although they know they should retire, absorbing even more abuse then they did when they first
entered the ring. There have been occasions where fighters are killed in the ring or have suffered permanent injuries as a result of boxing. It’s tough and hard sport to compete in, a fighter will need more than an iron-will to be a champion.
A fighter must love this sport like another lover, a fighter has to eat, sleep and breathe this sport, they have to be discipline, focused and feel confident in order to be sharp, they have to be in physical and mental shape in order to fully compete at the max. In many cases a conditioned and determined fighter still wasn’t good enough, but that is slim. Any fighter who has the will, discipline, passion, and the ability to believe they can be the best there is can ultimately prove to be just that.
