How often do we criticise our fighters? How often do we ridicule a fighter for being afraid or beind hesitant? What do we expect from our fighters? Do we demand that our champions enter the ring completely removed from human sensitivity and emotion? Is it that we, collectively as fans are so selfish, that we expect our heroes to forget about their own sense of self preservation, their families and their lives, in orgder to place their own bodies in harms way each fight, in order to quell or lust for violence?
Or, is it simply our lack of education that makes us criticise a man who fails to live up to our standard of courage? Does one have to expierience the pain of being a fighter to understand why our fighters behave the way they do in the ring?
Personally, I believe that one does have to participate in order to fully contemplate the true nature of the fight game. The pain is one element, the nervous tension, the fear of defeat and embarassment just drops in the ocean of emotion which floods a fighters bloodstreeam before he enters the ring. Yet, we as fans do expect the man to dehumanize and gor forth to destroy his opponent. Joe Calzaghe dealt with this topic in a recent interview with the Ring Magazine. He stated "Do you expect me to smile out at my kids and then turn around and try and kill a man?"
It appears that even the most expierienced of Boxing critics, cannot fully grasp the concept that is a fighter's mentality.
Many people shake their heads in wonder when they see the friendship between Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, a friendship which blossomed after their three bloody wars against each other. The fan questions how two men could become so close having engaged in hostilities on three that will go down in history as perhaps the most awe inspiring fights every to occur in the ring. Yet, to a fighter this relationship may be viewed with less admiration and wonder. In fact to a fighter it is more likely that this situation is quite familiar and close to home. How many fighters spar with their close friends, spend hours sweating in the gym in efforts to hurt each other and gain respect for their associates through the business of real toe to toe boxing?
A fighters life is often admired and studied. The general public watches from the outside as another human being puts their body through inhumane preparations to be in their best posssible condition in order to inflict damage upon another person. The fighter constantly has his opponent in mind. An individual who is training equally as hard to attempt to conquer him. For months before the fight he is aware that another man lives with the purpose of being his downfall. It is impossible for the average man to contemplate this life, yet there are numerous people who deem themselves qualified to criticise these men and their efforts.
It's true that nobody forcee them to box and that we are the target audience, the people who pay their wages as such. However, If the demand was not there for fights to be shown, then there would be no industry would there? Fighters are in place to satisfy our own desires. Psychologists have often inquired as to why man possess such a fascination with the fight game. The general consensus was that man wish to see violence and they wish they had the ability to replicate what they see.
I suggest that everyone try boxing. At an amateur level, White Collar level or even among a close group of peers. Take a punch to the face. Attempt to understand the pain you feel, can you bear it, do you want more of it? Reflect on the physical feeling and ask yourself a question? How painful would it be to take a blow from a man who has trained for three months in advance to inflict damage to you? How quickly do you think you would be to hop in the ring with a fighter of world class calibre? A guy who makes his living from inflicting pain upon others?
There are a lot of questions in this piece, but at the end of the day I want you to answer just one; What makes you feel you are qualified to criticise these men?
