How Important Is The ‘O’ In Boxing

How Important Is The ‘O’ In Boxing 

By Simon Graham

Joe Calzaghe, Terry Marsh, Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather Jnr to name a few are part of an elite group of boxers, they all retired from professional boxing undefeated.

In the Current age of modern boxing many fans are left frustrated that great bouts between unbeaten fighters never materialise, mainly due to money but sometimes ego plays a big part in it too, that fear of losing a long streak of wins can sometimes play on the boxer’s mind, not to mention their worth at the box office.

Gone are the days when a price would be agreed, and two fighters would “get it on” nowadays it’s all about percentages or who fights for the biggest and best TV network.

My first ever season as a schoolboy boxer, I’d have been around 11 or 12, I went on a 7-0 winning streak, I knew that if I could see the season out with a just a couple more wins, I’d surely win the Clubs “Best new comer” trophy at the end of season annual awards presentation.

I lost my next fight which totally devastated me, I didn’t want to go to the gym, I wanted to give up boxing, and for a few short weeks I hated the sport, in truth I actually went on to lose my next 2 fights which opened up the door to my club mate who finished that particular season 10-0 ultimately winning the Best New Comer award, I was happy for him no question about it, but as a young kid I didn’t understand that taking a loss didn’t make me a bad boxer overnight.

My boxing career for want of a better phrase was very irregular, I got to a district level fighter representing my county but I knew my days were numbered when I first stopped an opponent, I felt sick to the stomach, and had uncontrollable guilt feelings every time I thought about hurting the lad I had stopped add to this a lack of motivation, encouragement and the allure of an early twenties lifestyle, it was the 90s after all.

Back to the topic in question, does the kudos of going 49 Fights unbeaten make you the greatest heavyweight of all time, some would argue that Marciano fought over the hill has-been’s, but it’s still a great achievement.

Ironic then that we hold the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao in such high esteem, these guys have achieved greatness by taking a loss, having the drive and determination to come back to face the demon that is losing and to get back to winning ways sometimes on more than one occasion.

Yesterday the BBBC have ordered that Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce both unbeaten fighters fight for the vacant British heavyweight title, both fighters are on the up, both fighters have countless people championing them as the next best thing to hit the heavyweight division.

For both fighters is this a massive risk to their credibility and their future careers, however does losing this fight really mean the end of the road for one of them.

In answer to those questions I would not hesitation to say no, and to back that answer up you have a back catalogue of fighter’s careers to look back on, Ali, Lennox Lewis, Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard the list goes on of fantastic boxers who took a loss and went on to achieve greatness.

Looking back now I’ve learned taking a loss defines us as a person, makes us who we are, my boxing career didn’t set the world on fire but it did set me up to able to take the blows and to keep moving forward with whatever life dealt me. Its how we come back from defeat that defines who we are and whether or not we are destined to succeed .

It sounds like a cliché but the fictional Rocky was kind of right, “It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”