When you are preparing a match against an opponent you don't think you can win any sport, is it different in boxing? And also is the mindset different during the match?
I think mentality plays a huge role, if not the biggest role. If you don't believe you can win you probably won't put as much effort into your training. During the match, you might begin to give up, get stuck with a "what's the point" attitude. Then you clam up and look for a way out. Whereas if you believe you can win you'll pull off an effort or feat you never thought you could. Someone else could probably go more in depth than I just did, but mentality is THE most important aspect of competition. It affects everything: your preparation, your effort, your thought process, etc.
