Keep losing yet coaches have high expectations

Hi everyone, I love reading the threads on this site. I'm soon to be 20 and have been boxing since 17, from the moment I started I was told I was a natural by my coaches and friends at the gym, even posting videos on here and receiving some really positive and inspiring feedback in my inbox which really has boosted me in taking it serious, this sport is my passion, these 3 years have flown by and boxing is what everybody who knows me identifies me with.

I developed pretty quickly and had my first bout in 3 months, which I lost badly. I then lost a close contest in my second and won my third clearly. I then lost on a split-decision to a guy on his 25th bout (now professional), then beat a guy in a competition who had only lost once in 8 bouts and had stopped about 5 of them, he's now a professional with a known promoter. I lost in the semi-finals in a really boring bout where I couldn't land against my really lanky opponent. Having moved away I joined a new gym and after 7 months had gone by since my last bout I fought a guy with the exact same record as me (this was in February), it was an absolute war but I clearly took the first two rounds and rocked him in the second, he took the third and then was handed the split-decision. That loss has really hit me hard, even though EVERYBODY who spoke to me afterwards said it was a robbery and I even thought I won myself which is unusual.

Since then I've had an injury which has put me out of sparring, I've tried to spar twice since the bout and each time it aggravates the injury but it's getting better now. However, the loss, my record (5 loses and only 2 wins), lack of sparring as well as my little activity is really worrying me about a future career in this, I dont know whether I'm being irrational or not. I live and breath boxing and I only do it because I want to make something of it, because it's my passion. If it wasn't for what everybody tells me, the caliber of the people I have beat or come close to beating and the fact I have comfortably boxed pro's, I would have put it to the side a long time ago.

Before my last bout, my coach sat me down and said I can get something out of this, this could be my career. Sounds like strange stuff to hear with only 7 bouts in three years, although because I've been training for 3 years I'm pretty good when I'm fit and ready. I've put on 3kg since the bout in February but I've given myself the motivation to start shifting it now for some upcoming bouts in the summer, the last couple of times I've sparred I felt like I'd lost all my skills, against guys I used to pick apart with ease I felt like I had forgotten how to land + evade. If I lost this next one (6 losses and 2 wins) it will absolutely crush me. I'll keep on going because of everybody's faith in me, but there's only so many defeats I can take when expectations are so high. Am I being irrational? I;m getting older and feel like I should be on at least 15 bouts now, and surely if I was going to make a decent pro I would have won half of them? I really don't know, could do with some advice guys. Thanks

 

I mean I agree to an extent with what you say about pro boxing, but I'm looking for advice as a whole, based on all the information I gave. Saying I should give up based on my record which is still under 10 bouts seems a bit extreme, I don't know whether you're being sincere but thanks for your reply. I'm sure there's been people with worse records who have succeeded, didn't Luke Campbell lose his first 4 bouts?

 

It's definitely true that the majority of my opponents have been more experienced.

First opponent had been training a year and had 1 bout, I had 3 months training.

Second opponent had 3 already and had a year and a half of training, I had 6 months.

Third opponent had 6 months training and no bouts.

Fourth opponent (In a competition) had 24 bouts.

Fifth opponent (competition) had 7 and won 5 by TKO/KO.

Sixth I'm not sure about

Seventh opponent had the exact same as me.

I do agree it would be useful to box more people with the same experience, but another way I see it is that if I'm as good as I apparently am according to everybody, why can't I beat these guys in front of me? If anybody would like to see some videos, I'd be happy to show via inbox

 

Thanks man, honestly I think what I'm unsure of is whether I genuinely do have the talent I'm constantly told or whether it's just general motivation. But then again, I look around at the special treatment and attention I've had in the past, and it's reassuring. I guess I'm just paranoid about not actually being as good as I thought, because I've failed in so many other aspects of life in the past.

 

Thank you, that's one of the things which has kept me going, the thought that things will eventually swing in my favour and things will click. It just gets more difficult in life when things like work, money and time come into play. I don't want to sacrifice so much if I truly can't get to where I want with boxing. But I'm confident I can, I just suffer with low confidence, but I'm in good hands and this is my passion so hopefully things will work out.