Re: Ring walks. Where do you stand?
For some I guess the musical ring walks are a way of shaking off the butterflies and getting loose. My opinion is, if you're rapping, dancing or entertaining on your way to the ring, you're expending energy you should be saving for the fight. If we all had a nickel for every time there was a kid that came to ring dancing, rapping and clowning on the way to the ring and then spent the last few rounds sucking wind clinching or stumbling trying to outrun an opponent, there would be enough money for everyone on this board to watch may/pac without going into our pockets.
I don't mind the music or even seeing the trainers/ cutmen and 2nd's walking to the ring. You can tell a lot about how a fights going to go just by the fighters demeanor during the ring walks. Confidence, focus, hydration levels, etc. The solo walks on the Haymon shows based on last night were a little sallow but I would agree.. somewhere in between. A fighter gets their song, their corner and a fixed amount of time to get their butt to the ring. Any money that would have gone toward, rappers, chariots, ridiculous flying carpets, horses and carriages, back up dancers, etc gets pooled for incentive bonuses like the ufc offers. Something like
-KO of the night, Lowest landed on %, Highest Punch out put of the night, Sportsmanship award, etc.
They want your @$$ beat because upsets make news. News brings about excitement, excitement brings about ratings. The objective is to bring you up to the tower and tear your @$$ down. And if you don't believe that, you're crazy.
Roy Jones, Jr. "What I've Learned," Esquire 2003
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