Justin's Jab Journal, edition #4

By Justin Hackman

27/03/2019

Justin's Jab Journal, edition #4

Let’s get this week’s journal started… 1) There’s a short list of trainers out there that transcend coaching.  You see it in Barry Hunter who trains brothers Anthony and Lamont Peterson.  There was Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao.  Of course, Angelo Dundee and the great Muhammad Ali.  And there’s also Joe Goossen. These guys have something in common-- they are father figures first, coaches second. They are the types of guys that don’t need to say the words in order for their fighters to know they are loved.  Coming with that is an inherent level of dedication, of trust.  They aren’t there for a paycheck; they are there because win or lose, they care about their fighters.  Long after the entourage has gone home, the cameras have stopped clicking, and the autographs have ceased, there’s Barry.  There’s Freddie, there’s Angelo, and there’s Joe. And the fighter then realizes his self-worth. He understands that he can perform beyond his potential, and not just in the boxing ring.  That’s more powerful than any left hook, sturdier than a stiff jab. 
 
2) Hard work required. After talking with Joe Goossen this past week (which you will see here on Boxingtalk.com in a multi-part Q&A), it is abundantly clear that he is as committed an individual as they come.  You’re not going to train under Joe Goossen if you’re not ready to put in the amount of effort that he also demands of himself.  Whether he’s training fighters, or studying for his role as a commentator on Fox’s PBC broadcasts, Joe puts in the effort required to be great. That’s how talent is cultivated and performance is perfected. That’s no easy road though. It’s a road that guarantees its occupants will trip and fall.  Numerous times.  So when it comes time to perform, the ring will ask you: have you walked this road?  If the boxing ring demands the truth out of its entrants, then we will find out who are the liars. The fighters who chose an easier road will eventually be exposed.  When Joe’s fighter Diego Corrales went down for the second time against Jose Luis Castillo in round ten of their fateful first fight, Joe and Diego looked at each other and understood – we’ve been here before.  There was no panic, no retreat.  Simply, “you gotta fucking get inside on him now.”  Easier said than done.  But not to Diego.  Diego had already overcome pain and adversity in training.  Joe and Diego trekked that road together.  I’m not claiming that every boxer who trains hard could do what Diego did next.  I’m also not implying that Joe was the only reason Diego won that fight.  What I am saying is, Joe knew Diego could do it, and Diego felt that.  That level of understanding in one another and two-way trust doesn’t just appear because you’ve taught a guy how to bob and weave.  It exists because they had together differentiated between thinking and knowing.  That process takes time.  It takes the commitment required to consistently rise when you’re knocked down.  Rising is easier when you’ve done it before.  The power of a loved one’s belief in you creates as strong a bond as this world has to offer.  That type of team is capable of special things.  And for that one special night, boxing truly became a team sport.
 
3) Fox's broadcast crew.  On the subject of tough roads, Fox’s PBC broadcast team finds themselves there currently. And as previously noted, that’s a good place to be. I have been a critic of some of those football guys that now occupy the boxing commentary booth because I viewed it as Fox trying to swindle me.  They put on mainstream sports faces instead of true boxing personalities, as though we wouldn’t know the difference?  I felt insulted.  When we tuned into HBO, we as fans knew those guys were talking to us; their audience had a high level of knowledge and passion for the boxing game, and they produced their show accordingly.  They challenged us with debate and history like we boxing fans do with one another.  They were one of us.  In the past, I got the feeling with Fox that they were catering to an audience that was tuning into boxing for the first time.  I don’t want that.  I want my boxing professors catering to the PhD candidates, not the undergrads.  Even HBO had first-time viewers for probably every single broadcast they ever did.  But they made those viewers assimilate to their level, not the other way around.  I have gained a level of respect for Fox and their broadcast team because Joe Goossen made it clear to me just how hard that team is working to be better: “Look, HBO Championship Boxing started how many decades ago?  I’m sure if you went back to the beginning, they probably had to figure it out too.  When you put the amount of work in, the amount of passion that my co-commentators have, the extreme level of commitment that our production team has, all the preparation behind the scenes, believe me, I foresee nothing but success.  It makes me tired just watching how hard these guys work.”  Remember that treacherous road that Joe and Diego took?  It appears that the Fox commentating team is now navigating a similar one in their own way.  They’re putting the training in, and I have no doubt they’ll be better as a result.  And perhaps a few friendly jabs from me along the way won’t hurt. 
 
4) I love referee Kenny Chevalier.  And it’s not only because he’s just so adorable in those wee pants. It’s because I think he’s a fantastic referee that takes his job very seriously. If he ever tried to over-assert himself, like so many referees do, fighters would see right through that. But they respect him. And so do I.  The man strikes me as just as much of a fighter as the other two guys who share the ring with him.
 
5) The line of the night came from Jarrett Hurd.  When asked about Sergey Lipinets’ kickboxing background and whether he’s ever faced anyone like that, Hurd responded: “I’ve never fought anyone with that kind of background, but one thing you gotta keep in the back of your mind is, mostly he doesn’t kick.”
 
6) Rocked to the body. It was in the first minute of the fourth round when Lipinets ripped a shot to Lamont Peterson’s body that seemed to hurt Lamont.  I say “seemed” because it generated only a subtle response.  It wasn’t fully revealed until moments later when Lamont appeared sluggish and reluctant.  Furthermore, Lamont then planted his feet and instead of standing his ground, he went in to hold and got clocked with a right hook to the beard as punishment.  The ring demanded the truth from Lamont in those moments.
 
7) The difference between thinking and knowing was apparent when after being hurt to the body in round four, Lamont tagged Lipinets with his own left hook downstairs in round five.  Only at that moment did Lamont appear to be reinvigorated with the bit of life that left him in the previous round.  This wasn’t a physical enhancement.  There was no “select button” as his opponent is chatting in the corner in between rounds.  This was a confidence booster as a direct result of learning that he was capable of hurting Lipinets.  A great achievement, yes.  However, one might argue that Lamont should’ve entered round one with that confidence, that grasp of knowing.  I’m not implying he didn’t train properly.  In fact, according to Joe Goossen's reports, Lamont Peterson was the last guy to leave the gym everyday, and it showed. Lamont's punch output had a higher rate than previously seen for him.  I’m merely pointing out that Lipinets began this race further down that road from Lamont.
 
8) Win or lose, a father is there.  In comes the white towel from Peterson's corner, and out went Peterson's last hope of defeating Lipinets.  And there is Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter hugging his fighter in defeat, just as a father would do for his own son in need of saving.

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