Boxing is Fun!

After my euphoric first win in the Golden Gloves and amateur boxing career I feel a sense of calm and stronger purpose. I’m going to the Garden and I’m very confident about this prediction. At 33-year-old I probably shouldn’t be able to compete with the younger roster. However, my secret weapons can’t be emulated as my feeling of youthfulness comes from staying away from meat since I was 15, working out for almost 20 years and understanding sports is more mental (90%) than physical. Even if my opponents could share the excellent training and timely advice I receive through my trainer it would be near impossible to deter me from my goal. My goal is to win. Not to have fun.

When I was maybe 17 or 18 I jogged to Bedstuy Boxing Center (now New Bedstuy Boxing Center) and began my membership and goal to win the NYC Golden Gloves. For a myriad of reasons that focus of winning the Gloves was lost. Somethings became more important. Now that I’ve contributed years of my time to helping people I’ve figured out a way I can still do that and do something very personal to me. And while my life is like a scrambled unclear puzzle in pieces, I figured why not just go for it while it’s still hectic and crazy and perform the only way I’m familiar with performing—under pressure. Life isn’t going to slow down for me. However, life is so phenomenal that at any given moment we can choose to just upgrade our own mental capacity to thwart negativity and refocus on positivity. For instance, I can just flip this one switch and I’m easily the Champ: Walk into Madison Square Garden again for the first time and claim what no man can receive nobly with a trillion-dollars.

My eldest daughter Rayne (10) called me one night some weeks ago and asked me questions only about boxing. One of them, “will your fights be on television?” She later emailed me “I love you have fun and win.” The concept of having fun in this tough sport escaped me and everyone who spoke to me except her and my coach/trainer. Well, my trainer has an intimate experience and knowledge about the sport and competition, but my dear daughter believes that her father should have fun—in boxing? When my coach said this, it became the one thing I dismissed. It didn’t sound logical. My goal is to win the gloves. Period. I had already day-dreamed of KOing every fighter I faced. Where’s the fun in that?

I thought about it for some days, weeks. And before I knew it I realized that the tactic to winning is having fun. Being relaxed and enjoying your sport is priceless and crucial toward your plan of winning. Even being here is somewhat fun. Well, it’s fun to win. So, I understand part of it. I can’t say I’ll attempt to empathize with losing here. I want to only have fun winning! Winning is fun!