Attention GP 'n S89: Exasperating enigma?

Hmm, food for thought, GP. I think we all know fear of failure. What's the expression, 'Feel the fear, but do it anyway?' More easily said then done, of course. I guess the truth is, that emotional hurt, shame, ego-bruising, can be a lot more painful, and last a helluva lot longer, too. I think you'll find that as you get older rejection won't hurt as much. When we're young everything is in bold print, flashing neon lights, 'cause very often it is a "first" that we are experiencing. As we get older, and the rejections start to pile up, they sting less, are minimized in the great scheme of things.

 

Leaving it all in the ring ain't for everyone.

 

We've noticed, and appreciate the clips you've shared of yourself.

Eventually, that may change, and what you do in the ring and gym could expand to permeate your approach to life in general. You've not been afraid shown us what you're made of, even in defeat, and it's a far cry from a certain former poster with the initials CZ who knows neither shame or pride. (If GP vs. CZ were to ever take place, I know who I'd be betting the rent, my car, next paycheck, and all my personal possessions on, and it's not the loser with the Russian last name!)

No, what would be weird is if CZ were to somehow win against you, in which case we'd know the Russian Mafia was involved.

 

Cheers for the advice.

I honestly can't see why. Thats my pet hate.

Hey, I wouldnt take a dive for anyone, Russian mafia or no Russian mafia

 

There are many reasons -conditioning is one. Some guys get it in there head that they're out of gas or they truly are getting out of gas so they choose to survive rather than tip the opponent and get stopped. It's better to blow a lead than it is to get stopped and publically humiliated. Other guys get hurt or injured and viewers may not even know it and then they cruise rather than take risks.

There's another reason. A friend of mine blew opportunity after opportunity (that is, title shots). He was a demon early on -beating Olympians, wrecking bigger guys, the works. He was a boxer-puncher and his division was weak at the time -probably weaker than it had been, ever. But the higher his star rose in the division, the lower he sank into a morass of substance abuse and laziness. He started getting winded after 6 or 7 rounds and word got out about him ("Take him into deep water and drown him.")

Years later I asked him about it. He said he was afraid of success. He sabotaged his own career. He never thought he deserved to be champ because of deep-rooted issues, and so he made it so. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I don't think that his story is very unusual. It varies in how it happens but it isn't unusual. Ray Arcel said that boxers are not only superstitious, but very sensitive. Teddy Atlas said that boxers are very insecure -they're doing something "unnatural" after all.

'Fact is, most fighters aren't exactly steeped in middle-class values (which is, despite the idiotic ideologies that deny it, very good and necessary). Fatherlessness, poverty, abuse, neglect, delinquency, immaturity, illiteracy -when it comes to these variables, fighters are overrepresented. Boxing is funny like that -it is doubtlessly the "hardest game" and it takes a rare kind of mental and emotional strength to handle the stresses of battle and (especially) success; and yet those who populate it are often already broken men.

They're often desperate men too, and that makes for some serious fighters and serious fights, but what happens to these guys at the end? They end up broke, punch-drunk, or both. The picture gets clear when you think about it.

 

This is the best thread I've ever read on ESB and just fantastic even if it weren't on a boxing forum.Thanks to all of you that contributed!!Very enlightening:good