This for me is the key thing. I am willing to bet leslie it tough as nails. I'm willing to be she has nothing but passion for what she does and a HUGE heart.
Knock-downs worry me though. Knock downs are not just having a bleedy nose which could be valid but something else has happened mentally.
Unless the canvas is slippery in one spot or you step on your opponents foot and they pull it away even slippages worry me because it would infer you are unstead on your feet more so than usual due to a blow/blows recieved.
I've only come close to being knocked down once in the ring where my legs felt a bit wobbly and the fact that happened doesn't seem safe in itself to me.
I instinctively feel there is a limit to the amount of punishment I want to allow my brain to be subjected to and that is part of my reason for no longer searching for a new boxing trainer.
I am honest with myself about how many more blows it would take to my brain for me to learn the lessons I would need to get further and weighing it up I doubt it is really worth it.
If she has the heart and the passion and she's working towards a long term goal why should we watch her be knocked down multiple times now?
Maybe if she didn't get stopped - who knows - perhaps the result would be different but is it really worth the risk of what she might be giving up?
Why fight the refs decision when it may mean the difference between coming back another day to fight brilliantly without permanent brain injury or not? No win is worth it in my opinion. Good on them for stopping it!
The other thing I'm thinking of if Leslie really did feel unhurt is time to consider how past experiences and the pressure of competition may have programmed her to fall.
I once knew a trainer in Japan who had a fighter who was knocked down in a fight. In the gym it would never happen and he would have some rough sparring sessions.
He'd heard so much negativity from people about the times he'd been knocked out in competition he was 'brain washed' and even the smallest punch knocked him down in competition.
The coach took him out of competition for a while, built up his confidence again and it no longer happened.
To be honest i understand part of the reason people get fighters in to compete is because they've heard of them but I really think writing endless threads about her and building things up must just put extra pressure on her she doesn't really need at this stage.
Perhaps it's best to allow her bouts to be personal goals and more private journey's until afterwards so she doesn't have to deal with all the hype in the lead up and can just focus. Just report on the result rather than raving on about it in advance It seems like a circus to me and I know I'd HATE it!
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