RossTraining.com Blog

November 8th marks an anniversary of sorts for Roy Jones Jr.  It was November 8th, 2003 when he first showed signs of normality.  He labored through a close decision over light heavyweight Antonio Tarver, after having beaten John Ruiz convincingly just months earlier at heavyweight.  Roy then went on to lose three fights in a row, two by knockout.  It looked like it was over for Roy. He just wasn’t the same after rapidly cutting to light heavyweight after the Ruiz fight.  He looked like a shot fighter after three straight losses.

Yet to the surprise of many, Roy is back in the spotlight.  Tomorrow night he faces off with unbeaten super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.  My logical side tells me that Roy is far past his prime, and I shouldn’t be interested in this fight.  Logic is losing the argument for me however. As a youngster, I vividly remember watching Roy Jones in 1988 as an amateur on the US Olympic team.  It was that year’s Olympic games that sparked my passion for the sport of boxing.  I recorded all of the fights and still have the old VHS tapes.  Roy Jones Jr. was the one fighter who stood out to me.

Years later, I received an 8 x 10 autograph that was personalized to me from Roy.  Former world title contender John Scully (a mentor of mine) had gotten it for me.  He knew Roy since the amateurs and later trained with him as a pro.

You can actually see a brief video of John sparring with Roy back in 1988 at the the link below.  The two were sparring in preparation for the 1988 US Olympic Trials.  The sparring took place at Sugar Ray Leonard’s gym in Maryland.

Scully and Roy

There is no question that the interest sparked from the 1988 Olympic games is at least partially responsible for where I am today.  It was then that my passion for the Sweet Science took off.  It’s hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since those Olympic games.  I would have never imagined that Roy would still be fighting at this level.

The kid in me is excited about this fight.  Calzaghe has been a dominant champion throughout his career.  I remember reading about his interest in fighting Roy Jones many years ago in the International Boxing Digest magazine.  I wish it had happened back when Roy was in his prime, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Here we are however and I’m excited about tomorrow night’s fights.  Scully and many other fighters from our old gym are actually making the drive to New York to see the fight live.  We are all hoping for the old Roy, as opposed to an old Roy.  Calzaghe is a great fighter however, who has not received the credit that he deserves.

Regardless of the outcome, I hope that it turns out to be an exciting, fan pleasing fight.   To those who are not familiar with either fighter, below are two highlight clips that you may enjoy.

Enjoy the fights!
Ross

PS - One last thought worth mentioning…  I’ve written about Roy in this entry as I followed his career since the amateurs.  This should not take away from Joe Calzaghe however, who has been a dominant force in boxing throughout his career.  He is unbeaten and will certainly be very difficult to beat.  I wouldn’t bet money on this fight.

I just wanted to thank those who came out to the ESPN2 televised fights at Mohegan Sun last week.  I was fortunate to meet some of the site readers and forum members.  I didn’t realize how many Connecticut readers were on the site.  It was a tough fight for Matt, but one that he will certainly learn from and build upon as his career progresses.

No one ever knows how a fighter will react after hitting the canvas.  Nwodo is considered by many to be the biggest puncher in the division.  Matt weathered the storm however and made the necessary adjustment, ultimately winning via an exciting 4th round TKO.  It turned out to be a great night, as CES fighters won every bout on the card.

Ross

With the Olympic Games underway, it is a great time to focus our attention towards an Olympic powerhouse.  And while the story alone is interesting, there are important lessons that can be realized by studying the success of one small island nation.

Cuba is without question the most dominant force in amateur boxing.  This small island of 11 million people won its first Olympic boxing medal in 1968.  In the time since, Cuba has captured 32 medals, including 26 gold.  These astounding numbers are slightly deceiving however, considering that Cuba boycotted the 1984 and 1988 games.  Their totals would have likely surpassed the 40 medal mark (through 2004) if they had competed in the 1980’s.  In 1992, they came back and won 9 medals, including 7 gold.
So, how does this nation of 11 million people create so many champions?  New York City alone has over 8 million people.  Cuba isn’t competing with New York City however.  Cuba has dominated the United States, along with the rest of the world.  An entire world of boxers cannot compete with an island of 11 million people.

How can it be?

Many will read of Cuba’s success and assume that the nation has the most sophisticated training methods in the world.  They must have dedicated PhD’s, sports scientists, nutritionists, certified trainers and specialists, etc. all working around the clock, right?  After all, our industry promotes the message that one cannot excel in today’s sporting world without highly sophisticated methods.

Yet, to your surprise, Cuba’s methods would be considered rudimentary by many in our world.  Their athletes are not successful because of a state of the art facility.  Their coaches didn’t become successful by paying thousands of dollars on Internet certification programs.  Their small island isn’t blessed with a superior genetic pool.

So, what is the secret?

There really is no secret. Cuban boxers begin training as youngsters.  There is a boxing academy in each of Cuba’s 14 provinces.  Children have access to the sport, and take pride in becoming champions.  Within the video clips below, you’ll see how the Cubans advance through their system.  One of the young fighters makes the following statement:

“To become someone, you have to make sacrifices.  If you don’t, you can’t become what you want to become.”

These young fighters are raised with this mentality.  They train hard and become active as youngsters.  The combination of hard work, consistent work, pride, and experience is instrumental in their success.  Boxing is one sport where experience is a must.  No amount of bag work in the basement can substitute the need for real competitive experience.  Cuban fighters commonly rack up well over 100 amateur bouts, often much more.  This amount of experience is worth its weight in gold (literally).

Take some time to watch documentary below.  There is a related story at this link.

The Cuban story highlights many truths regarding athletic preparation.  Successful coaches know their sport.  Their knowledge wasn’t developed in a laboratory.  It comes through years of involvement in the actual sport. Speaking from personal experience, many of my own mentors would be considered uneducated from a societal standpoint. Their knowledge of the sport however is as refined and advanced as the most educated professional.  There is absolutely no substitute for experience.

There is also no substitute for hard work, just as there is no substitute for pride in your work.  The fact that a nation of 11 million people can continually dominate the international boxing scene shows us that there is much more to athletic success than simply having superior genetics.  Hard, consistent work with experienced coaches is the only real secret, and this is the message that we should all be preaching.

And no, this isn’t a knock against sports research and science.  A week doesn’t pass without me actively studying new material.  There are times however when we must fall back on the most simplistic definition of science.  Merriam-Webster lists the following definition:

Science - the state of knowing

Cuba knows how to develop champions, which makes their methods as scientific as any.  As a coach, it is useful to learn from those in the trenches, who continually produce champions.  Spending time in an archaic gym that produces champions then becomes just one more step in the “scientific” process.

Ross

In recent years, members of the strength and conditioning industry have become more involved (than ever before) in the development of combat athletes.  Fighters often turn to strength and conditioning coaches in search of greater strength, power, speed, and endurance. 

At face value, the extra attention (from the coaches) and the eagerness of the athletes should be commended.  Unfortunately, many athletes make the mistake of focusing too much attention on the supplemental work, and not enough on the actual skills of their respective sports.  The S&C coach who doesn’t truly understand the specifics of the sport is also at fault.  He must understand the intensity and steep learning curve of the combat sport.

Strength, power, and added endurance mean little if the athlete lacks skill.  Superior skill is the ultimate equalizer, and regardless of what you read in an advertisement, there is absolutely no substitute for skill training with an experienced coach.  As a fighter, much of your development takes place inside the ring or cage.   Even the best book, video, or web page can’t provide you with live sparring. 

The video clip below shows the importance and danger of skill.  Watch how Donald Curry counters the jab with a perfectly placed left hook.  

Milton McCrorry never has a chance to brace for the punch, as he is hit before he even knows it.  All of the strength training in the world wouldn’t have saved him, nor would the most sophisticated periodization model.  Curry beat him with skill.  The counter left hook is a thing of beauty when properly executed.  Developing the skill and instinct to land this punch without conscious thought requires many hours inside the ring.  You can’t buy this ring experience in a book.  It only comes to those who put in hours of work at the gym.

The lesson to be learned is simple.  Each piece of the puzzle is valued, but no single piece should stand in the way of skill development.  Supplemental work is supplemental.  Do not make the mistake of putting supplemental work in place of your actual sport/skill.

Ross

Please note that this video is NOT serious.  I couldn’t stop laughing…

This past weekend the UFC continued to exemplify brilliance.  Not only did the UFC put on SEVERAL excellent bouts, it do so at a reasonable price when compared to some of the recent boxing mega-fights. 

Please note that this blog entry is NOT a boxing vs. MMA thread, as both are tremendous sports.  But as someone interested in the welfare of each sport, I wish the powers that be (from boxing) would learn from the UFC’s success.  The recent Mayweather vs. Hatton bout came at a pay per view price tag of $55, and had one of the worst undercards in mega-bout history.  How will the sport attract new fans when they must commit $55 to get a taste of the action (and be forced to sit through the snoozefest undercard first). 

The UFC then comes around and puts on an action packed card from start to finish.  The two main events were both mega-bouts.  The UFC didn’t split up the action however.  They put both fights on a single show.  GSP and Chuck put on two tremendous performances.  The action never stopped.  That is how you attract and keep new fans!

And thanks to John Hackleman (Chuck’s trainer) for the shout out on your blog!

http://www.thepit.tv/2007/12/31/the-pit-had-a-great-year/

Ross 

I can’t say it was a surprise.  Floyd Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton on Saturday night via a 10th round knockout with a beautiful check hook counter.  Afterwards, Floyd changed his tune and expressed his respect for Hatton (something that wasn’t seen leading up to the fight).  My question is this… 

Did Floyd need to piss everyone off to draw excitement for the fight?  Like it or not, but kids look up to world champions.  I respect the hell out of Floyd’s talent, but it would be nice to see the Pound for Pound champion carry himself with some dignity and respect.  He may not want the title of role model, but that’s what you get when you are on top.  I see young kids trying to imitate Floyd and that is a problem.  If my son ever came home talking to me the way Floyd spoke leading up to the fight, he would have big problems.

Sugar Ray Leonard didn’t need to talk trash to become a household name.  Ricky Hatton didn’t need to talk trash to generate an entire nation of support.  No matter what Floyd will ever say, Hatton had more support in Floyd’s own backyard. 

You don’t need to be a bad guy to attract fans.  Boxing had a great comeback year in 2007, but it would have been even better if Floyd carried himself in a way that would attract NEW boxing fans.  Forget about the hardcore fans who will always tune in.  Boxing needs to keep attracting NEW fans.  Aside from Oscar de la Hoya, there aren’t many household names in the sport of boxing.  Most boxing fans couldn’t even name the heavyweight champion.  Can you imagine that happening back in the 1970’s?  The heavyweight champion used to be the most revered title in the sporting world. 

Floyd may not realize it, but when he pushes new fans away from the sport with his crude behavior, the entire sport pays the price.  He may be Money Mayweather, but most in his sport are not. 

Ross

The video below offers one more reason why ALL fighters (regardless of style) deserve respect.  Whether you are a boxing fan, MMA fan, or a fan of all combat sports, the fighters deserve respect for laying it all on the line to entertain the fans. 

Check the video below to see what some fighters go through for their love of combat.

Enjoy,

Ross Enamait

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to the following video clip.  The blog entry was titled How Bad Do You Want It? 

After posting the video, I’ve received several messages from readers who had misinterpreted the meaning behind my original posting.  I was not suggesting that we make it a daily habit to train until we collapse.  Clearly, we need to push ourselves to improve, but a little common sense goes a long way.

I posted the video to demonstrate the potential of the body and mind. This ‘win at all costs’ mentality is very important as a competitive athlete.  You may never need to display this kind of courage, but it is something that great athletes have in their back pocket if necessary. 

For a combat specific example, take a look back at the first Ward vs. Gatti bout.  The 9th round says it all.  These two men were operating on heart and courage.  Everything else was depleted. 

Clearly, these men didn’t train to this level each day at the gym.  The extra reserve was there if needed however.  Unfortunately, not all athletes have this reserve.  Some athletes have heart, others will break when the going gets tough.  It is often heart that separates the great from the ordinary.  The physical qualities may be identical, but if one athlete has the drive to push through pain and fatigue, he will come out on top. 

And believe it or not, athletes do not worry about health when fighting through an intense battle.  The triathlete in the original video wasn’t worried about her health when she pushed through fatigue.  Only an athlete can understand.  We all know that it isn’t healthy.  Life isn’t just about health however.  Life involves taking risks and going after your dreams.  Some dreams may include danger along the way, but it is this danger that adds meaning to life.  As you push through the extreme challenge, you finally feel what it is to be alive.  If you quit along the way, you must live with it forever.  You can never go back and push through those final moments of pain. 

We only have one opportunity to live, and some have different interpretations of the world ‘live’.  This is similar to the deadlift thread from last week.  Some view the deadlift as dangerous, while others live to pull heavy loads from the floor. 

Once again, don’t worry if someone has different interests and motivations.  We must all live our own life.  Don’t try to live someone else’s as well.

Ross

I’m all for all combat sports, and happy to see boxing make a nice comeback this year.  There have been some great bouts, with many others lined up in the near future (ex. Cotto vs. Mosley).

Here is a brief video that shows some of the year’s highlights.

Enjoy,

Ross