Does Sparring Generally Take Its Toll On You Quickly

maracho · Feb 18, 2012

Oh and for the joints I'd use B and D vitamins and glucosamine and chondroitin cream and/or capsule. Take cold showers and get lots of sleep. Low Testosterone weakens the joints so ease up on sex

SJS19 · Feb 18, 2012

john garfield said: ↑

Here's a piece I did about a JT presser that might shed some light on the enigma, S:

Toney XXL

Nostradamus would have a gimme with James Toney.

Its a medical problem: Knee-Jerk Zidane (a less pernicious strain of Duran-Tourettesadly, incurable). But unlike ZZ, James only has flare-ups outside the ring. Canvas causes 47-minute remissions. For 23 hours, hes on earthquake watch -- a seismic event going someplace to happen.

The recent tremor was at the new Palm restaurant in Los Angeles: a presser for Toneys WBC 12-round heavyweight eliminator on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING against Samuel The Nigerian Nightmare Peter on Sept. 2, tabbed NO RISK, NO REWARD, at STAPLES Center, just across the street.

Note to Goossen Tutor: When you issue MEDIA ALERTS for Toney pressers encourage raincoats .

Pressers are no-muss no-fuss: Get the information out. Above all, run smoothly; the pricey rooms only booked for so long. Sure, theres supposed to be some salty quotes and face making for the morning editions (or nanoseconds later on the web) but nothing that changes the architecture of the building a safe bet with Toney. He starts with irascible and brings new meaning to G Rated.

Plus, with his history, its a re-hash -- just insert Peters name. And, if youre under deadline, theres file-footage of Toney presser explosions. Theres bound to be a 270-pounder; he flattens them for drill sparring at Wild Card A little Photoshopwhos to notice the difference? But, the temptation to see the happening live is too much.

After entrées that would make it criminal to write anything negative about the promotion, the media took seats in the front section of the banquet room, waiting for the curtain to go up. The principals, Samuel Peter, manager Ivaylo Gotzev and co-promoter Dino Duva took their places, with Dan Goossen, Toneys promoter, at the podium, and reps from SHOWTIME and STAPLES Center in attendance. Only Toney was conspicuous by his absence like the champ making the challenger wait.

Goossen, checking his watch and the door for any sign of Lights Out, soft-shoed, soliciting questions. One no-clue Teletubbie piped up with queries that were to reporting what Julie Louis-Dreyfus was to dancing on Seinfeld.

The Toney circus arrived not a second too soon.

James, in shades and a Guys-n-Dolls butterscotch pinstripe tricked-out with enough diamonds and platinum to warrant the presser at Ft. Knox, was the ringmaster. Hip-hop Pomp and Circumstance befitted his arrival. Let the games begin was in his swagger, impatience on his face -- a contrail of aggression in his wake.

Team Toney, a Felliniesque-aggregate of family, sparring partners and acolytes (the only thing missing were the acrobats) filled the remainder of the five rows of folding chairs and clogged the doorway, raising the buzz to a GM assembly line. No one just over 59 makes a bigger entrance.

Samuel Peter, big as he is, in a pinstripe that would cover Dodger Stadium, was invisible. It was like sharing the screen with Steve McQueen. He was a spectator at this show.

Hows it feel fighting in L.A., Dawg? one of JTs Detroit homies shouted out.

L.A. gonna be Detroit for one night, Toney beamed. D Block in the house!

The usual Alphonse n Gaston ensued -- each side praising the other for taking the fight. Were not going to sink to the level of the others youve seen. Toney drummed on the table with his fingers.

When Peter mumbled in the cadence of South East Nigeria in response to how hell do against Toney, a reporter blurted out, I dont understand? Toney crooked an eye, He said hes gonna beat me. Next question! (Redd Foxx couldnt have thrown it away better.) With every utterance, he strutted sitting down.

He doesnt answer questions; he suffers them. It took more endurance to sit there than do 12 rounds.

The sniping picked up slowly, with Toney jabbing over Duvas remarks -- the needle sharper each time from both. Toney, shaking his head, s******ing exasperated, Talkin about me like he gonna run through me like Swiss cheese. It was Groundhog Day for the 77th time. Caltech was warning a Magnitude 6.5.

Then, in a coup of statesmanship, Duva put a ten-ton straw on the camels back.

With an eye to the box-office, after giving Toney faint praise for his skills; he called him dumb for taking the match. Russian roulette with live rounds. Warming to the task, Duva put some sinew in it the second time, leaning closer to Toney from the podium.

You talk a lot for a guy thats not getting in the ring, old man. You sound like you want to fight me, Toney spat.

From Goossens swivel-around and lynchm sentiments from Tonyites, Duva realized he may have stepped over the line and tried to smooth things. Looking at the mother of Jamess children doing his best Rodney King, Why cant we all just get along? Duva explained, I didnt mean you when I called James dumb

A shouting match between Toney, Duva and Gotzev escalated from predictable to out-of-control (which fits Toney better then Lights Out). Photogs scampered for angles. We were at DEFCON 3 no Ali wink and nudge.

(The tip-off to a faux show: the guy that goes berserk is usually in sweats, not an ad for Jacob The Jeweler.)

Adding fuel to the fire, a front-runner with the Toney hoards called-out Duva to bet on his man. Pick your poison! Toney snapped.

He wanted at Duva and Gotzev, ripping off his jacket that cost more to tailor then most cars. He drew no distinction between Godzilla and milquetoast: a slight means being rendered limb-from-limb and ground to powder.

It took all of the kings horses and all of the kings men to restrain him; he was bucking like a Brahman. Goossens eyes rolled, Here we go again. Toney went from zero-to-Vesuvius from the git-go, flinging a glass of water at Duva and Gotzev, spraying Goossen -- acting as honest broker -- and Peter, while he struggled to break free and disembowel the manager and promoter, knighted Dumb and Dumber, by Goossen.

With a wall of muscle shielding them, Duva and Gotzev, (now looking like an enraged flamenco dancer with his slicked black hair and knitted brow) berated Toney at blood-oath intensity. (Shades of Johnny Friendly taunting Terry Malloy in ON THE WATERFRONT.) Their number three heavyweight contender -- damp suit, not withstanding -- didnt stampede to their defense. This wasnt his arena. I do not do my fighting at a press conference, he said. I do my fighting in the ring. (Succinct, if a little stilted, like his style.)

It may portend for the bout. We were in a no-mans land no rules. Though Peter can separate a man from his senses (and his head from his body) with either hand, if it wasnt for his dam-busting power, hed be one more lumbering brute drilled in a gym to box -- a learned fighter, a managers hope to cash-in on heavyweight money, not a fast-twitch improviser like Toney.

On TV, the scuffles a giggle before the weather report. At Ground Zero, its a bar brawl -- large bodies blurring by. The chaos is not the worry; its the collateral damage.

While Toney was being bulldogged away by his camp, kicking, cursing and frothing, Goossen, ever the trooper in the midst of shot and shell, kept rattling-off the attractive seating packages to the few that werent caught up in the tsunami carrying Toney out of the room and down the staircase past wide-eyed business-lunchers and out the front door.

On the way out, some spit-balled precautions for James next presser: maybe a Hannibal Lecter rig, or shackled like Sampson.

Jim Hill, the CBS Sports TV anchor, still nimble as his NFL cornerback days, kept a mic in Toneys face, dancing backwards down the stairs while The Bulls of Pamplona were thundering.

Out on the sidewalk, Toney, ringed by press poking microphones like banderoles, bellowed and paced with the hell he was going to visit on Duva and Gotzev when they came out. All of it unintelligible, as if scrunched by a tight headgear.

Toney was at home: center stage the man, roiling and boiling for a fight, as large and animated as the two-story figure of Kobe Bryant plastered on the side of the Palm.

Fed up with waiting for Gotzev and Duva to exit, Toneys claque left en mass like a swarm of killer bees, angrily buzzing.

The chickens eventually come home to roost. All of Jamess excesses will one day come due. But for one night in September, before injury and age claim him, get a glimpse of old school, the doppelganger from Detroit not the rampaging bully, but one helluva fighter. Not no boxer, not a runner, not no track star.

Within 20 feet under ring lights, hes all about businessand what a businessman!
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Again, brilliant! Thanks.
Few of these guys are right, you should consider a book if you have the time. :good

Peppermint · Feb 18, 2012

Yes, sparring too much can take a lot out of you and add ring years to your life. I have quite a few fights am probably at the tail end of my career now and I can honestly tell you that because I used to spar 3 days a week on average for years, it has made me a bit more worn out than I would have been if I only sparred 6 to 8 weeks out from each fight. I had no downtime which was a mistake. Sparring is important, but you gotta remember that your body doesnt care about fights, sparring sessions, amatuer, pro, it only recognises damage to your body as damage.

timagen · Feb 18, 2012

I don't know how "quickly" you mean. You may just have to face getting old. The sixteen-year-old version of me would kick the crap out of the current forty-one-year old version, even though I am about fifty pounds heavier now.

If it gets to be too much, you can always just do bag and pad work. It's about the love of the game.

BoxerKid · Feb 18, 2012

timagen said: ↑

I don't know how "quickly" you mean. You may just have to face getting old. The sixteen-year-old version of me would kick the crap out of the current forty-one-year old version, even though I am about fifty pounds heavier now.

If it gets to be too much, you can always just do bag and pad work. It's about the love of the game.
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I'm 17, I'm not ready to face getting old yet lol.

timagen · Feb 18, 2012

BoxerKid said: ↑

I'm 17, I'm not ready to face getting old yet lol.
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Lol. Me either. The whole "growing old gracefully" thing is just a saying...it sucks in reality.

Borincano · Feb 18, 2012

:deal

john garfield said: ↑

You can be destroyed if you have a stupid, brave trainer who allows you to spar when you're hopelessly overmatched against an amateur or a pro who only goes to war, 'n doesn't use sparring as a learning experience.

Most important lesson is: Ya gotta have a trainer who's looking after your welfare, makin' sure ya develop, and not sparring monsters, soya get hurt 'n discouraged.

:deal, so true. I use to go to a gym like that where many fighters were thrown in there like sheep. Five rounds is a lot especially if you did not feel good.
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lfcirishdog · Feb 19, 2012

Rest is important you gotta get the balance right.

BoxerKid · Feb 29, 2012

My fight ended up getting cancelled anyways because my opponent pullled out.

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Does Sparring Generally Take Its Toll On You Quickly

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