To most people, boxing has become irrelevant. A throw-back to the golden age of Vegas, the rat pack and largely something that doesn't exist in the present. The other day I was at a gas station picking up a beverage and the gas station attendant (presumably from the Philippines) Was discussing with a patron (presumably a Mexicano) the upcoming Pacquiao v Marquez rematch. They were both knowledgeable and passionate about their respective countrymen. It was nice to see people actually caring about boxing, even if it was more for national pride than sport.
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard..
-Dan Gable
On this same note, I (among others), witnessed the rarest of rare entities the other weekend:
An entertaining Heavyweight Boxing match. Alexander Povetkin vs. Eddie Chambers. Both undefeated fighters. Undersized heavyweights. Povetkin is a machine, a fitness fanatic, not pretty, but he busts his butt every round. Chambers is a talent. He's got super fast hands, he counter punches beautifully.. his conditioning on the other hand.. not so much. Povetkin won the fight on sheer will and work, but it was close. A great fight, and a lesson to any competitive athlete.
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2 comments:
Inspired by the typical boxer physique, I tried to incorporate jumping rope into my workouts a couple of years ago. I never really got the hang of it.
Also, thanks for posting that note about the battle between the natural and the worker. I'd kill to be a natural, but I wouldn't trade my work ethic for anything.
I really wish I could combine the two, but c'est la vie, no?
Skipping rope is a good way to get in some interval cardio, and learn to coordinate your feet. However, most folks feet, and legs can't handle the pounding. The real 'secret' to boxer's physiques is high intensity intervals of heavy bag punching, speed bag work, and calesthenics.. Great genetics don't hurt.
I am a good athlete, but I've never really been a 'talent' at anything. The irony is I've trained my butt off for years to become a good natural athlete.
Fix what you can control and to hell with the rest. As a "racing" athlete, you know that better than anyone. You set goals of time, not place, or rank, because you never know who's going to show up at a particular event.
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