Anyone who wants to rise to the top as a boxer must have two fundamental characteristics that are found in all world-class fighters. The obvious one, of course, is the talent necessary to compete successfully in the sport. The second one is the determination to win, come what may. Talent without the necessary resolve to triumph is not enough to get one to the top. Or to keep him there very long should he somehow make it on talent alone.
A compelling determination to win is essential for success in the ring. During a fight, the resolve to stand firm in the face of a formidable opponent’s onslaughts, temporary setbacks, physical punishment, weariness and whatever other challenge a boxing match throws at one is a must if one is to prevail.
Mind you, if the will to win is not coupled with the requisite talent to do so, this stubborn trait can get you hurt. On its own, it may be an admirable quality but it certainly is not enough to get a man or woman to the top in such a tough sport. No matter how tenacious, a strong will can be beaten down, as it often is when confronted by a good fighter. Because if the good fighter is just as determined as the one with lesser skills, he is then equipped to deal even with a tough opponent who will not easily to accept defeat. It is the will to win combined with talent that creates a mix that makes for greatness in the prize ring.
Scanning the past for a moment, three extreme examples of men who possessed an indomitable will to win and the requisite ability to do so were the late world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, former world middleweight champion Jake LaMotta and former world welterweight and middleweight champion, Sugar Ray Robinson.
Anyone climbing into the ring with either of these men knew he was in for a fight [except for when LaMotta took a dive, as he admitted to doing]. And if he didn’t know, he soon found out. Marciano retired undefeated after 49 fights. Lamotta occasionally
lost, but that was to very good fighters or as a “favor for a favor” to the mob.
Lamotta’s nemesis, Robinson, is considered by many to be the best the sport of boxing ever produced. He defeated LaMotta five out of the six times they fought. He possessed supreme confidence in his ability to dominate all comers. And he had the ring mastery to back-up his belief he was unbeatable. Indeed, his conviction he could handle anyone who had the temerity to face him often came across as arrogance, but he habitually proved his point. And that was during the days when there were some great welter- and middleweights plying their trade in the squared circle.
Certainly, boxing demands other qualities of its participants. Physical strength, health, good reflexes, and coordination, for instance, are factors contributing to success in any sport. And boxing is no exception. But though necessary, these characteristics do not produce champions. They need to be alloyed with the stubborn determination and the finely honed talent cited above before they turn out a contender for the top honors.
A professional boxing match is not for the faint in heart. Indeed, even the victor in a well-matched fight often absorbs considerable punishment. It doesn’t matter how fistically talented one may be, a ten- or twelve-round fight is going to produce its lumps for both contestants. Boxing is more often than not a gruelling, demanding, punishing business.
So if one really wants to be a contender, he had better take careful stock of his assets and determine whether or not he has what it takes. For success in the fight game demands talent and determination. And plenty of the latter. For from it come the requisite courage and stamina needed to win. So, all else being equal, a boxing match comes down to a battle of wills between two combatants. And the most resolute of the two will end up with the victory.
