Who Are The Scariest Kickboxers and Muay Thai Fighters?

As always, fighting anyone is scary and no matter how good you are, I feel like you should treat every opponent like they are dangerous. Never get too cocky or take anyone lightly. That all being said, some opponents are much more scary than others. Maybe it's because of the way they fight or maybe just the look in their eyes, their posture, their body language, persona, etc.

Strangely or not, these kind of intimidating, scary killers seem to be more common in boxing than in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and even MMA- at least in my opinion. Seeing interviews and actually meeting a few in person, kickboxers generally come off a little more friendly and jovial- even some of the ones who look pretty scary in person. I am not sure why this is exactly. I find it a little odd myself because in terms of physical toughness and damage taken, kickboxing is the more brutal sport. Not only are you are you having to deal with kicks and knees and elbows (in Muay Thai's case), but there is far less head movement and footwork to evade damage in kickboxing so many of these strikes are blocked or just absorbed, which is painful in both cases.

Some of the difference between the sports in this department may be cultural. Boxing is a worldwide sport but has generally been dominated by people from North America, Latin America, Great Britain, and the former Soviet states. With Kickboxing and Muay Thai, those sports are mostly dominated by fighters from Western Europe, Northern Africa and of course, Thailand. The businesses are a little different too, targeted at slightly different audiences. If I had to generalize, I would say that boxers are presented as baaaaaaad men whereas kickboxers are more like superheroes or video game characters. Probably an overgeneralization but it has something to do with it.

In any case, there certainly have been some kickboxers and Thai fighters who truly are frightening and intimidating and not anyone you want to meet in a dark alley. As Halloween approaches, here are a few of my favorites terrifiers, in no particular order:

Dieselnoi Thanasukarn

While certainly not as physically intimidating as a Mike Tyson or Sonny Liston, Dieselnoi 100% belongs on this list and any list like it for one very important reason - he holds the unique distinction of being the only champion-level fighter in any sport I can think of who had to retire early (before age 24) because literally no one would fight him! He held the world Muay Thai lightweight title and had beaten all challengers in and around his weight division, including a man largely considered to be the GOAT, Samart Payakaroon. Months and months went by and without anyone stepping up to fight Dieselnoi, he had to find other work. 

So why did everybody chicken out? In part because of Dieselnoi's size. He was 6'2 but fought at 135 pounds, which meant he towered over most of his competitors. This alone is not necessarily an advantage in combat sports but Dieselnoi made it an advantage with his famous, "sky-piercing" knees. When shorter fighters got in close enough to strike him, he would clench and throw knees up to their heads and there really wasn't a whole heck of a lot they do about it. If they tried to run, he would use kicks and long punches to herd his opponents into a corner where they were eventually clenched and kneed. It's like an alligator smothering its prey before pulling it down into the water.

Ramon Dekkers

The closest thing to a Mike Tyson of kickboxing has to be Ramon Dekkers. He held belts in both kickboxing and Muay Thai - being one of the first Westerners to become a champion in Thailand - and he accomplished this in large part to having thrown some of the most ferocious punches anyone had seen at the time. Thais were more known for kicks, knees and elbows with punches largely being used for set-ups but Ramon would not only change this but pave the way for other Dutch fighters to compete at the highest levels, creating a style that people from all countries have adapted. 

The similarities to Tyson were his use of especially powerful hooks, body shots (particularly the liver punch) and highly aggressive pressure to blitz and overwhelm his opponents, resulting often in brutal knockouts. This is how he got the nickname, "Turbine from Hell." Dekkers also showed fearlessness in being willing to fight in Thailand, which was not that common for outsiders. Besides competing on their home turf in their national martial art/sport, Thai judging is very different from western kickboxing and a foreigner getting a favorable decision was rare. Dekkers didn't care though. He just mowed through the competition like a....turbine from hell!!

Badr Hari

I mentioned earlier that many of the most prolific kickboxers are not scary people in person and in fact, quite warm and sweet. This cannot be said for the bad boy of kickboxing, Badr Hari. Or it could not be said in his younger days. With an over 90% knockout rate (!!!) in the ring and 8 felony assaults outside of the ring, Hari was/is definitely a man to be feared.

These are not necessarily good qualities in a fighter or a person but it is certainly scarier to fight someone like this. Not only do you have to worry about their rage and aggression but there is a certain unpredictability when dealing with an unbalanced, angry person. He once stomped on a guy's head after a knockdown during a K-1 tournament (this is an illegal strike) and although he was immediately disqualified, this is not something you want in the back of your mind when stepping into the ring.

Ignoring all of that, Badr Hari is/was also one of the most talented heavyweight kickboxers ever. He is 6'6, very athletic and he's as technically-sound as anyone. While he was a dominant champion for a while, he probably could have achieved more in the sport, had he been a little less scary and kept his act together!

Rodtang

In my favorite movie of all time, the original Halloween, when Dr. Loomis shot Michael Myers multiple times and Michael fell out a window onto the ground, only to disappear seconds later, audiences were pretty shocked. Nowadays, this trick of the unkillable killer has been done over and over in movies and is surprising to no one, but back in 1978, it was not so common. In combat sports, there have certainly been some tough fighters who don't go down even after taking some good shots but I don't think I've ever seen anyone as seemingly unaffected by punches, kicks, knees, elbows or anything as Rodtang. He is the closest thing to a Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees or any other seemingly unkillable horror movie character in the ring. 

This is true for fatigue as well. I have not seen any signs of fatigue or him having to slow down. This is a big thing. An otherwise intimidating, scary-looking dude can turn into a coward when he is tired. But Rodtang never stops.  He just keeps coming forward with relentless attacks. Some swarmer type of fighters tend to overwhelm their opponents with a high volume of strikes but just about everything Rodtang throws is vicious, with bad intentions. His nickname is "The Ironman" but he could just as easily be known as "The Boogeyman."

Wanderlei Silva & Mirko Cro Cop

Both are better known for their legendary MMA careers but have also competed (and started) in kickboxing as well, so they get an honorable mention here. The two faced off for the first time in Pride FC 2002 and when I saw them come out into the middle of the ring for the stare down that would later become famous, I remember actually being scared sitting on my couch. The intensity of both men was palpable. Even though there was no finish to the fight, I was on pins and needles the entire time because I knew at any moment, one of them could take the other's head off. Going back to horror movies again, it would be like Jason fighting against Michael Myers. 

We've seen plenty of intimidating characters in combat sports but I don't know if I've ever seen two fighters of equal scariness going at it in the same ring. Hagler-Hearns was pretty close but I could always see the softer side of Tommy Hearns. That he was really a nice guy and though he would kill me, he wouldn't want to kill me. Whereas when I looked into the eyes of both Wanderlei "The Axe Murder" Silva and Mirko "Right Kick - Hospital, Left Kick - Cemetery" Crop Cop, I could only see darkness. Of course, this is another example of people being different in the ring vs. real life because my wife and I actually got to meet Wanderlei at a fan expo and he couldn't have been a nicer guy. Still though, we should always fear a man who makes a simple wrist warm-up exercise into something terrifying.

Why You Should You Give Kickboxing A(nother) Chance

We offer both boxing and kickboxing classes at our club. The vast majority are boxing class and the even vaster majority of our members prefer boxing to kickboxing. Some have tried it once or twice but didn't like it, some don't even want to try it. It is a new challenge, for sure, and if you have been boxing for a while, feeling uncomfortable and trying something new may not sound super appealing. I do believe it is worth giving a real shot though. Not just once or twice but try it for a whole month. Those first couple times may/will feel uncomfortable and uncoordinated with the new movements and spacing. It might even hurt a little too. Throwing round kicks with your shins on the heavy bag, particularly a newer, stiffer bag, is not going to feel good at first.

In both cases though, it's gets better. The movements start to come together, feel more natural, and any pain in the shins goes away. It's an amazing thing. I can kick the bag 100 times as hard as possible with my right leg and not feel anything at all (except very tired). And believe me, I am not some guy like Dalton in the movie Road House who thinks "pain don't hurt." I'm a big ol' baby but just kickboxing once or twice a week has totally conditioned my shins, as well as knees and elbows. You just have to give it a little time. And I think it will be well worth it too. Here are several reasons:

Challenges are good!

Especially if you have boxed for a while, you are going to continue to get better but the improvements start to become a little more subtle and harder to perceive. Going from feeling slow and clunky with kickboxing to getting into a groove will happen relatively quickly and be very obvious to you. And this feels good! Part of why it feels so good is that you know it wasn't easy at first but you fought through and now have a new skill to build on. Like I said too, this won't take a very long time. The improvements will come fast and you will be super proud of yourself.

Fitness Boost

By changing up your work out a little and getting your muscles to work a little different, your fitness level will undoubtedly level up. 

 

Balance

Because kicking involves being on one leg, your balance will improve through kickboxing. Balance is a trainable skill that becomes better the more you practice it. This works the other way too. If you don't train balance, it starts to go away too. Just like a muscle.

Coordination

Boxing certainly involves coordinating your hands and feet together but kickboxing presents some new situations to develop this skill. Besides the different strikes, we can also learn do things like switch stances dynamically as well as do some skipping and spinning moves that require a lot of coordination. Just like balance, this is something you can improve through training. Plus, you can lose it by not training it.

Self-Defense

Particularly when being attacked by a bigger, stronger opponent, many of the strikes we throw in kickboxing are very practical in real-life scenarios. Elbows and knees can be thrown in extremely close range and do a lot of damage as well as stun your opponent. Front kicks can keep someone from getting into your space too.

Self-Confidence

All of these things I have mentioned so far - overcoming challenges, better fitness, balance and coordination as well as self-defense skills - lead to increased confidence. It's a good feeling and it has a way of snowballing into other parts of your life. You just have to be able to work for it.

Fun!

Again, it may not feel that way at first when you are struggling to learn but once you start to get it down, kickboxing starts to become really fun. It becomes a celebration of what your body can do and sometimes, we get a little flashy and you feel like you are a movie action hero. You might think there is no way in hell you could possibly feel that way but you would be surprised. I have seen some people you might never expect to do it fly through the air and throw down. Plus, you are mixing it up. Something new can just be fun on its own.

Also remember that just about anyone who can box can also do some kickboxing. We have members who are 75 and 76 years old who do it and have gotten pretty good. You also don't have to be in any better shape or more coordinated or athletic or anything. Kickboxing is for everybody. Of course you want to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program but even someone like me with knee and calf issues can do it. I may not be able to kick as high as someone else but with proper technique, I can do a lot more than I thought I would. If you're brand new to boxing, maybe get a little more acquainted with the punches and terminology first, but it shouldn't be long before you are ready to begin your journey as a Nak Muay!!

Self-Defense Class FAQs

We have started up a weekly self-defense class at our club and it is something that I truly believe EVERYONE should have some training in. My background is in self-defense - specifically a system called Krav Maga and I have noticed that there are a lot of terrible self-defense information out there online and in books (as well as misconceptions in the online community as to what Krav Maga actually is). After taking a deep dive researching this, I still see videos every day on Instagram that teach techniques I find much less effective, much more difficult, and often put the defender in even more danger. This is what led me to start up a self-defense class at our gym!

Below are some FAQs about the class, what we teach, and self-defense in general:

Can I start any time?

Yes! Doesn't matter if you've taken any of our previous classes or have any experience whatsoever in self-defense training. You can (and should) start any time! And the best time is NOW!!!

What equipment do I need?

Nothing! Just yourself. No wraps nor gloves are used.

Will I get hurt?

No, you will not get hurt but we will be dealing with some tough situations where someone could be choking you or trying to pick you up and take you somewhere. This might be uncomfortable but we want to make sure you learn the proper techniques to get away safely.

Do I need a partner?

No. We will definitely partner up at times to practice things but we will always have even numbers.

Is this a fitness class?

No. We will warm-up and there will definitely be some work but the goal in this particular class is not  fitness.

What do you teach exactly?

We teach you how to deal with a threatening situation in a way that gets you out of danger as quickly and as safely as possible, based on the system I mentioned earlier, called Krav Maga. Self-defense is not fighting, where the goal is to win based on either an agreed upon ruleset or common sense type of rules (like two guys squaring off in a bar fight, going at it until one of them can no longer stand up). Self-defense is about survival by any means necessary.

What is the difference between Krav Maga and other martial arts?

Every single other martial arts and fighting system have some form of sport-like competition, as mentioned earlier, with certain rules and a specific format. Maybe it did not originate that way in some cases but that is what it has become. With many of the Asian martial arts, like Karate, Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do, there is also a showy, demonstration type of component as well. Not that those are bad things and are often beautiful to watch but if part of the goal is look good/cool, it may not translate well to a street survival scenario. Krav Maga is based solely on survival, with no rules. This doesn't mean that Krav Maga is better than other martial arts. It is just different but I also know that not every school teaches it properly. The system itself was originally based on self-defense only, which includes unarmed combat as well as defense against modern weapons.

Who would win a fight, someone who has trained extensively in Krav Maga or MMA/Muay Thai/Jiu-Jitsu/etc.?

I have seen this asked many times online in places like Reddit and Quora and I am only mentioning it here to further explain how the very question is flawed at its base. Someone who has trained extensively in Krav Maga should not be fighting anyone on any level. The goal is survive as safely as possible, not "win" a fight. That may not seem like a big difference in certain circumstances, but the more I learn, the more I realize how that simple distinction changes everything. If I am squared up against another fighter and we are about to go at it, I have already failed at self-defense.

As to whether or not someone would be able to survive when challenged by a fighter, that depends entirely on the individuals and the situation, not so much the system. It also depends on who the individual trains with, and where they train. I have read things about various martial art schools that are totally different than where I trained. In general, any time anyone tries to tell you that one skill is better than another is speaking from a place of ignorance.

What are the 3 Tenets of a good self-defense system, o' wise one?

#1) A self-defense system should be something anyone can learn and can work in a variety of different scenarios with opponents of different sizes, strengths, mental states, and physical conditions.

While it is impossible for any technique to work ALL the time in EVERY possible situation, we want to play the percentages. Anything that relies on something like physical strength (like picking up or physically moving your attacker) or specific conditions (your attacker is wearing a gi and you are on a padded floor in a well-lit gym) is not a high-percentage technique. You could be attacked at any time, under any condition, by any attacker and the system must account for that as much as possible.

#2) A self-defense system should be something that can be learned by anyone relatively quickly and be as simple as possible.

Besides the time it takes to learn and train and practice, a more complicated martial art as a self-defense system will be harder to remember in a real-life situation. I can't tell you how many things I have seen in online demos where someone will go through a series of steps to defend themselves when a much easier option is staring them right in the face. The more steps you have to a technique, the much less likely you are to remember them all in the heat of battle and the more chances something may go wrong.

#3) A self-defense system should purely be based on survival, putting the defender in as little danger as possible and getting them to safety as quickly as possible.

As mentioned several times now, and something I cannot stress enough - self-defense is not a fight. The goal is to get away safely. The best way to do this is to put yourself in as little danger as possible. I see many techniques where the defender will take the attacker to the ground. This is a huge, unnecessary risk. You certainly may survive okay but why limit your ability to leave the scene by going down and staying locked up with someone? Plus, what happens if there are multiple attackers? The ground also introduces additional variables and we want to eliminate as many of those as possible.

What if my attacker is bigger and/or stronger than me?

First of all, I want to say again that this is exactly the type of situation self-defense training should be geared towards. This is not a sport and there are no weight classes or rules, and most of the time, it is a bigger, stronger person who would actually attack you. It can be difficult situation for sure but you can survive it. It depends on the attacker and their goals. You may be able to overcome the disadvantage by getting away. You might be able to surprise the attacker with something unexpected that buys you time. This is why we want to make sure that none of our techniques rely much on physical strength or stature. 

Will fighting back just make them more angry and hurt me more?

This is a good question. And sometimes the answer is yes. But there are a lot of variables to consider, with the main being - what does this person want with you? Are they trying to just rob you? Then maybe just give them what they want if you really think they will go away. But what if they are trying to sexually assault you? Fighting back may indeed make them fight harder but it also might help you to escape the situation. Is that worth taking the risk? Or what if they are trying to take you somewhere? I can tell you what I have heard from many people in law enforcement as well as experts on these subject: fight for your life. If this causes your attacker to hurt you more to stop you from escaping, so be it. Getting taken to another location is almost always something you want to avoid at any cost. But this is a judgment call you have to make in the moment, based on the situation. You need to be prepared to make a decision. 

What if my attacker has a weapon?

There are many techniques to defend against any weapon. Nothing is 100% and the cost of being unsuccessful can go up dramatically with a weapon for sure, particularly with guns and knives (especially knives). Just like in the question above, you will have to make a judgment call during a very tense moment. If the attacker has a gun pointed to your stomach and tells you give them your wallet/purse/phone/whatever and you think that giving them those things will make them go away without shooting you, by all means, do it! Money or material possessions aren't work risking your life for. If that attacker wants to take you somewhere, it is certainly possible they intend to kill you anyway so you may want to consider trying to escape. You will want to know your options.

C'mon, I can't really defend myself if someone has a gun on me, can I?

If they are close enough, you certainly can. Even if they are further away, you might be able to do it but it will require getting closer first. In some ways, a gun is actually easier to deal with than a knife. More people die from knives in general and you may likely not even know they have a knife until it is too late. Guns may be used to threaten you and the disarm is easier because you can grab a gun from any angle except one and get out of the line of fire. I often hear people say something to the effect of that no human can move faster than a bullet so there is no real way to defend yourself in that situation. Besides having plenty of cases where humans have effectively disarmed people with guns, the logic is flawed. You don't have to be faster than a bullet. You just have to be faster at getting out of the line of fire than someone's brain telling them to pull the trigger and aim properly. That all being said, we all know guns can be extremely dangerous and that there are situations that you can’t anticipate, or even know are occurring. But in some cases, risks can be mitigated, and we should prepare to be able to try. 

What about me carrying a weapon? Or something like pepper spray?

If you do this, make sure you are well aware of all federal, state and county laws regarding the weapon you carry. Another thing to consider is that if you get into a self-defense situation, there is a chance this weapon can be used against you. With pepper spray in particular, it can easily get into your eyes too, depending on the situation. You also may be able to find things you can use for weapons out in public if need be. The easiest example is a restaurant or bar. You've got plates, bottles, cups, silverware, hot things, even Tabasco sauce can be a good weapon. You might think I am kidding put try putting a dab of that in your eye some day and see what happens. Only kidding, do not try this. But I am not kidding when I tell you that it is painful and temporarily disabling. The point is that you can use different things as weapons and the more aware you are of what's around you, the better chance you'll have in general if a self-defense situation arises.

What is the best self-defense technique I can use?

I already gave this one away but it truly is awareness. I know it's not as fun or interesting to anyone wanting to learn physical self-defense techniques but it 100% true. Nothing else even comes close really. Being aware of your surroundings, people, buildings, exits, entrances, other escape routes, etc. is the best thing you can ever do to keep yourself safe. Besides just using these skills to avoid or potentially get out of a dangerous situation, demonstrating some sort of awareness can also make you less of a target when it comes to predatory crime. Certain criminals look for people who are not paying attention to victimize. You don't want to be walking around paranoid all the time either but do keep your head up, your eyes open and focused on the situation you are in, the people and things that are around you, and if you have any gut feelings about something being wrong, go with your gut and take some action!

Was Boxing Better in the 2000s?

In short, no. Boxing was not better during the years of 2000 through 2009. In fact, boxing faded almost completely from cultural relevance in the 2000s. Of course, the sport's heyday was in the late 60s and 70s, but even in the 80s and 90s, we had plenty of stars, plenty of household names that even non-boxing fans here in America knew of. By the end of the millennium, that started to change. We still had people like Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya and Mike Tyson but they were past their prime and in the case of Mike Tyson, had become a sad sideshow.

Does this mean there were no quality boxers and superstar talents? Absolutely not. Some all-time greats were in their prime at some point from 2000-2009 but they didn't really move the needle in terms of bringing in casual fans. Floyd Mayweather Jr. could certainly be an exception. Almost. The problem with Floyd was that he just wasn't very exciting to watch for most people after he became a champ. He had a defensive style and had mastered the art of not taking damage during fights, which also meant that he didn't take a lot of chances either. Boxing purists, most of them at least, loved it but this is exactly the schism that would (and continues to) plague boxing in the 21st century. It became a niche sport for only hardcore boxing fans, with little interest - or at least desire - to bring in the mass audiences.

Floyd also fought anywhere from 126 pounds to about 150 pounds. Unless you are super exciting, super charismatic and have a compelling story, it is very hard to carry the sport in terms of popularity at any lower weight class. Boxing usually goes as the heavyweight division goes and I don't think it can be argued that the new century was a dark time for the big fellas. Here is a list of the heavyweight champions from 2000-2009:

1. Lennox Lewis

2. Herbie Hide

3. Vitali Klitschko

4. Chris Byrd

5. Evander Holyfield

6. Wladimir Klitschko

7. John Ruiz

8. Hasim Rahman

9. Lennox Lewis again

10. Chris Byrd again

11. Roy Jones Jr.

12. Corrie Sanders

13. John Ruiz again

14. Lamon Brewster

15. Vitali Klitschko again

16. Nikolai Valuev

17. Siarhei Liakhovich

18. Wladimir Klitschko again

19. Oleg Maskaev

20. Shannon Briggs

21. Ruslan Chagaev

22. Sultan Ibragimov

23. Samuel Peter

24. Nikolai Valuev

25. Vitali Klitschko again

26. David Haye

There are at least 3 problems with this list. First is that many of these names are not at all familiar to non-hardcore fans, nor were they at the time. Second is that very few of them are Americans, which of course matters to other Americans, but it also matters to the rest of the world a little, too. American fighters are almost always going to be more popular. The third problem is that it is a long list! Nobody was able to hold onto the belt for very long. Some were able to retain the belt, like the Klitschko brothers, but no one remained a champion for more than 2 years in that span. For boxing to achieve mainstream success, it needs dominant fighters and during the better eras, if you were to ask the average layperson who the heavyweight champion was, they could probably tell you or at least muster a reasonable guess. If you asked most casual sports fan this question in the 2000s, I don't think many of them would be able to venture a guess at all.

There was certainly some talent, no doubt. Both Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko had skills, as well as plenty of TKO finishes but not as much of highlight reel stuff that gets people excited and not against big name opponents. Plus, part of selling the sport of boxing (or just about any sport) is personality. The Klitschko brothers are good guys and are heroes in their native Ukraine, but certainly not dynamic, interesting personalities that can act as the face of their sport. Lennox Lewis, who started off the 2000s as the champ, is very much the same thing for me. Nice guy, cool cat, great boxer but doesn't get people excited and interested.

The 2000s also saw more attention and awareness come to the uglier side of boxing, which is the fight business. We certainly saw this in the 90s too, but it really came into prominence later. The average Joe may not have known who the heavyweight champion was at any point during that decade but probably knew who Don King was and had some knowledge that the boxing business was generally messed up. Promoters had control and we started to see a bit more ducking of fights, as well as just fights not happening because the two parties couldn't agree on contractual terms. HBO and Showtime still covered some big fights, although more and more began to migrate to pay-per-view, as boxing knew their hardcore fans would pay a high price and stopped fighting for the casual audience.

For over 100 years, boxing had also been THE combat sport that everybody knew. This would change in the 2000s. Mixed martial arts and the UFC started becoming bigger and bigger, and that spark turned into a fire in 2004. The UFC had launched a reality show on a small cable network, Spike, where prospective fighters trained and competed in a tournament that went on through the duration of the show, culminating in the finale, where the 2 best prospects went against each other in what would be their first,recognized professional fight. Season 1

matched Stephan Bonnar against Forrest Griffin, which is widely believed to be a fight that changed history forever. The UFC had stalled a bit in  popularity and was on the cusp (or at least close to the cusp) of just being relegated to another niche sport until the finale drew in record audiences and catapulted the league into mainstream success. It is said that much of the viewership came in during the broadcast, as people literally called their friends and told them to turn the TV on right now and check out this legendary fight.

Besides combat sports fans liking the UFC's mixed martial arts product, they also liked that in many ways, it was the opposite of boxing. It was a league, controlled by one commissioner just like the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. and if you were the champion, you had to fight all of the best contenders in your weight class. By the end of 2009, the only boxing fight people really wanted - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao - had been stalled for at least 3 years (would be another 5 before it finally happened) whereas the UFC had just enjoyed their greatest success ever with UFC 100. Both sports were trending in opposite directions.

Things wouldn't exactly get better in the following decade for boxing. However, as I write this now, in 2024, I would say that there is definitely some new life in the sport. It's not culturally relevant in the way it was in the 1900s and probably never will be but there is some more overall awareness and in a different way. Social media has changed the game, for sure, and more people actually train in boxing than ever before. It used to be that only boxers learned how to box, but now it is something people do for fun and fitness. While they may not tune into the pay-per-view fights regularly, they may see highlights on Instagram and generally have a greater understanding of the sport and the fighters than most did in the 2000s. There is plenty of talent out there too. Sadly, most of it is still in the lighter weight classes but maybe average fans will start to appreciate them more as they learn the sport so it doesn't have to be carried by the heavyweights.

One more thing I want to say because I only briefly mentioned his name but after learning recently just
how underrated he is according to the internet, I feel like it is worth bringing up Manny Pacquiao again. In my opinion, he was the best fighter of the decade from 2000-2009 and as mentioned in my last post, the greatest southpaw of all time. He had only 1 loss, to Erik Morales which he avenged, in 26 fights during the 2000s against relatively high-profile opponents and finished almost all of them. He was exciting to watch and worth paying to see. There weren't many other people I could say that about during Y2K so here is to you, Pac Man.

Speaking of great fights, I feel I would be remiss in my generally-negative spin on 2000s-era if I didn't mention that one of the best boxing matches you will ever see took place in that decade. Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti I in 2002. The whole trilogy was good but this was a slugfest like no other. Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera I is widely considered one of the best and it is certainly a great fight. Corrales vs Castillo is up there too. I just watched Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas and probably liked it better though. And Ward-Gatti is still my #1. One great thing about living in modern times that, of course, we did not have in the good ol' days is that we can watch any of these fights, or any other classics from any era, online with the touch of a button and that is pretty sweet!

Best Southpaw Boxers of All-Time (well, in the last 50 years at least)

Since the sport began, boxers have stood in a staggered stance (one foot in front of the other). The main reason for this is simple - you want to be able to move in all directions equally as well as be balanced in all directions. If your feet were together or completely square and someone were to push you straight into the chest, you would fall backwards.

There are other reasons to have a staggered stance and one of them has to do with punches. We traditionally like to have our power side (dominant hand) furthest from the target. Provided that the punch is thrown properly and continues to accelerate, this means it will deliver more power the further it travels. You can also put more of your body, more rotation, into the punch. This is the same reason that people stand in a similar type of stance when they want to throw something as hard/far as they can.

Thus, for the 90% of us who are right-handed, we would stand with our left foot forward, right foot back. For the 10% of lefties, otherwise known as southpaws, they would do it the opposite way - right foot forward, left foot back. This disparity tends to give southpaws a little bit of an advantage over right-handed, or orthodox, fighters. Imagine you have 10 people training together. Based on the average, 9 of them are orthodox fighters and only 1 is a southpaw. That one person is going to get a ton of experience fighting against righties whereas the orthodox group is only going to have one southpaw to practice with. Fighting against them will be awkward and different because it is not what you're used to. But it is what they are used to. 

This made it difficult for a lot of land-handed boxers to get fights in the early days. Probably still does in certain cases. If you are an up and coming fighter and trying to manage your career wisely, you don't want to take any chance that you might take a loss to someone who may not necessarily be better than you, they just fight in a style that you aren't used to. Once a southpaw makes a name for themselves, it is a different story but getting over that initial hump could be tough. Eventually, plenty of lefties did make names for themselves and went on to become some of the greatest fighters of all time.

Here are my Top 5, plus a longer list of currently active boxers who may easily become an all-time great southpaw, once their career is over:

Honorable Mention - Rocky Balboa

Despite the fact that Rocky was not a real boxer nor even a real person, I believe he deserves special mention here. His character was indeed a southpaw (unlike Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie actually called "Southpaw") and it was woven into the story. In fact, many average people were introduced to boxing through the Rocky films. Some became fans of the sport, some didn't, but those movies became part of our pop culture. In fact, even just the term "southpaw" got into our modern vernacular because of Rocky. And a case can easily be made that Rocky may be the most important boxer of all time, outside of Muhammad Ali when you look at the cultural impact. So this is for you, "Italian Stallion" and now onto the real fighters...

#5) Hector "Macho" Camacho

There are others who could challenge for this spot, like Vincent Saldivar, Tiger Flowers and Gabriel Elorde, but they all fought many years ago and I can't speak too intelligently about how good they really were and how good their competition was. Then there are more modern guys who I did see fight, like Prince Naseem Hamed and Sergio Martinez but I would put Macho ahead of them because he was a relevant fighter for a longer period of time and he was a hell of a lot more exciting than all those guys. Had probably the best hand-speed for his size, finished most of his fights in his prime and only got knocked down one time after many, many fights. He showed heart and toughness when he was getting pummeled by a younger, hungrier, and all-time great himself, Julio Cesar Chavez. Plus, before personal problems and drug abuse started to take its toll, his style was very fun to watch and he brought a joy into the ring that no one else really ever has.

#4) Joe Calzaghe

One of the strangest styles of boxing you will ever see, Joe Calzaghe threw fast, slappy punches that
would still manage to knock people out and overwhelm them with aggression. Kind of like the Diaz brothers' (also southpaws) "Stockton Slap." He won titles in two different weight classes and is largely recognized as the best Super Middleweight of time. Joe retired undefeated, at 46-0, with wins against Chris Eubank, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. I might have put him a spot higher on my list if he performed better in some of his seemingly easier fights. And he might be more of a household name if he fought more in the USA but he mostly competed in the UK, particularly in his native Wales.

#3) Pernell Whitaker

"Sweat Pea" Whitaker is undoubtedly one of the best defensive fighters ever and was truly a master of the sweet science. His head movement and footwork was as slick as they come. From the mid-eighties to the mid-90s, Pernell was mostly unhittable. Hardcore boxing enthusiasts might rank him even higher than I would because he was such an amazing tactician and that makes them sound smart but for me, who is not as cool nor smart, I need more fight finishes (the majority of his victories were unanimous decisions) as well as signature wins to consider him the top of the tops. But still, he is awesome. Champion in 4 different weight classes and defended his unified lightweight belt 6 times, which I think is still a record.

#2) Marvelous Marvin Hagler

The consummate boxer-puncher, Hagler had speed, power and a granite chin. In his 67 fights, he was only credited with being knocked down once and it was pretty clearly a slip. He had an 84% knockout-to win percentage, highest of all undisputed middleweight champions and he held that same belt for 6 and a half years, which is 2nd longest of all time. The only loss he suffered in the last 11 years of his career was his final fight against Sugar Ray Leonard, which was a split decision that is highly disputed. Even as his skills began to decline with age, he still fought in the greatest, most exciting fight of all time against Thomas Hearns in 1985. He also fought in an era I grew up in, with the 4 Kings, and defeated two of them clearly (Hearns and Duran), potentially defeating the other (Sugar Ray), depending on how you saw that fight.  Marvelous was also held back by what I talked about earlier, where  opponents wouldn't take fights with him because he was a southpaw. He was a top-ranked middleweight for years before he finally got a shot at the title. Once he got it though, he never looked back and went on a historic run of 12 undisputed middleweight title defenses. Plus he was just a baaaaad man, and that always wins points with me.

#1) Manny Pacquiao

Of course I looked up how other people rank the best southpaw fighters online before writing this and many of these choices are pretty universal and obvious, but what surprised me was how few people had Manny Pacquiao as #1. Bert Sugar was the only person I could find who agreed me. I've seen him as low as 4 on some lists and on Reddit posts not even get mentioned. To me, it's not even really close. This is backed up by statistics, the quality of opponents he fought, and the eye test.

First, let's talk statistics. He is the only boxer in history to win titles in 8 different weight divisions. 8! If you were to win titles in 4 different weight divisions, you would likely be an all-time great and you would have half of what Pac Man accomplished. He started his career at 108 pounds and eventually won a title at Super Welterweight, which is 147-154 pounds. That is pretty insane. He is also the only boxer to hold world titles in 4 different decades, he was the oldest welterweight champion at age 40, and the first boxer in history to win the lineal championship in 5 different weight divisions.

Of course, none of this matters if he fought a bunch of bums. But no, he fought and defeated bona fide hall of famers.  Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, and Timothy Bradley. Who has a resume like that? Supposedly the best ever, TBE, Floyd Mayweather Jr. ducked Manny Pacquiao for years. When Floyd finally fought Manny in 2015, Pac Man was definitely past his prime but I still don't think Mayweather won that fight. 

Yes, there were some losses too. Besides the Mayweather fight, there was a decision loss to Erik Morales and Timothy Bradley. Both of which, Pacquiao would avenge. Most notably though, it was a vicious knockout by Juan Manuel Marquez that would be the only potential stain on his resume. It was at the very end of the round, Manny walked right into it, and it was the 4th time he fought Marquez, scoring a draw and close decision victories before. I can't imagine any boxers now fighting someone 4 times, let alone a hall of famer like Marquez. To me, a loss like that doesn't weigh as much when you are constantly fighting killers.

Then there is the eye test. Pac Man had some of the best hand speed and quick bursts we've seen. He was aggressive and exciting, kamikaze like in his younger days, but his punches were also extremely accurate and his defense, footwork and fight IQ generally kept him safe in the ring. I truly can't understand why he doesn't get more credit. To me, he is the unquestioned best southpaw ever, the best boxer of the 2000's decade, and one of the greatest of all time.

At Least 1 of These Guys

It's hard to put current fighters in historical context while their careers are still active. They may go on to achieve greater success or maybe they fall off a cliff. But I think it is safe to say that at least one of these guys on this list below (in no particular order) will make their way into the Top 5 best southpaws of all time or at least the Top 10.

Oleksandr Usyk

Vasyli Lomachenko

Terrence Crawford

Gervonta Davis

Shakur Stephenson

Josh Taylor

Errol Spence

Amanda Serrano

I love boxing. I love the Olympics. So why don't I love Olympic Boxing?

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the Olympics, particularly the summer games. Love all the different sports and almost the entire world competes with the highest of stakes. In the old days, and even when I started watching, Olympic Boxing was one of the highlights, and many of the great boxers of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s came up through the games. People like, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, De La Hoya, Pernell Whitaker, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr. became Olympic stars and household names before they ever turned pro. 

But then things changed. Boxing's popularity in general began to dwindle and there were fewer exciting boxers to watch in the games, especially boxers from the USA (more on both of these things in a later blog post). There were undoubtedly still talented men (and now women!) competing but not at the same level and it's left me with the sad conclusion that, as much as I hate to say it, Olympic Boxing is just not all that great. Why?

Format

Fights in the Olympics consist of three, 3-minute rounds. That is not a lot of time, which means several things. We see far fewer finishes by knockout or TKO, almost none outside of the super heavyweight, heavyweight and light heavyweight weight classes and even then, they are pretty infrequent. 

We see fewer power punches in general because the scoring system does not differentiate between power punches and non-power punches. If it lands, it counts the same so there is less incentive to even bother, especially if you don't already have disruptive power, which most of these boxers don't. Why risk putting yourself out there and taking a chance when there is less reward for it?

Fewer body punches are thrown too because they are harder to score (the head snapping back is more obvious to all judges) and you don't have the time to try and wear your opponent down with body shots or try to open up the head by attacking the body first. 

In fact, if you don't come out and win Round 1, it is very, very hard to win the match in general. You would obviously have to win Rounds 2 and 3 clearly and that changes the complexion and strategy of the fight. 

Rounds are scored now with the “10-point must” system they use in pro-boxing but I don't believe judges can score a round a draw unless there is a point deduction. They must give the fighter they perceived to win 10 points and the other fighter gets 7-9 points, depending on something extreme, like a legitimate knockdown (which are rare). So it's not uncommon at all to have 3 toss-up kind of rounds, making it harder to perceive a winner.

Speaking of deductions, deductions matter a LOT in Olympic Boxing because again, there are only 3 rounds. So if I get a point taken away, I could potentially lose a fight where I won 2 of the 3 rounds on several judges scorecards.

In short, 3 rounds is just not enough to make an exciting boxing match without really, really exciting boxers. This brings me to the next issue.

Tournament Style

16 boxers participate in each weight class so if you get to the gold medal match, that means you would fight 4 times in less than a couple of weeks. There is even a preliminary round for people not seeded in the Top 16 so you could even fight 5x if things went your way. This is one reason why they do the aforementioned, 3-round fights. It would be a lot tougher to take more rounds of punishment and fight multiple times between the opening and closing ceremonies.

This further leads to a lack of power and exciting fights as there is an incentive for just doing the bare minimum to get by to the next round. Most of the fighters treat them as sparring matches and because there is less time to gameplan for specific opponents, you are not going to see a lot of strategy play out.

There Are No 2nd Chances

Let's say you train like crazy for no money, have to depend on sponsorships of which there aren't many in the US, win of all the qualifying tournaments to make the Olympic team of which there ARE many, and then just narrowly lose a judges' decision in your first fight against someone you knew very little about and couldn't really prepare for. That's it. You have to wait 4 years before you can get back to the Olympics and achieve your dream of winning a gold medal. That's rough. On it's own, it doesn't necessarily lead to a less exciting fight - in fact you could argue that it could make it more exciting since it's do or die - but it causes another issue in that it can deter talented boxers from even trying to make the team, which leads me to the next point.

America Don't Care

Since Andre Ward won gold in 2004, many of America's best and brightest fighters have not competed in the Olympics. Especially when you consider how many fighters come from poverty, it is a tall order to put so much effort into something that may not pay off at all when you could start making some money right away as a pro. It is a true that a great Olympic career can be parlayed into much more money when you as pro - Sugar Ray Leonard was the biggest example of this - but it's a longshot for sure, especially these days. We're kind of stuck in one of those never-ending cycles. There is less excitement about Olympic boxing in America because we are less competitive and we are less competitive in it because there is less excitement (and sponsorship money).

What about the other countries? It depends a lot on the specific countries. Cuba has been an Olympic powerhouse because their fighters cannot turn pro and the state invests a lot of money in their amateur boxing program. A lot of the former Soviet Union countries like Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have a lot of national pride in their boxing and while those fighters can turn pro, it is harder for them to make any significant money early on. Some of them even turn pro and then still fight in the Olympics, like Bakhodir Jalov fighting again in Paris 2024 after also winning the gold in 2020. This is another reason a young American boxing prospect may not want to try for the Olympics. Who wants to go up against a scary, 30-year old heavyweight who has competed in 2 Olympic games before and at the pro level? While it would make for a great movie, it is not a smart way to manage anyone's boxing career.

Many Americans, and I would guess most people in general, want to watch a sport that our country is good at and we also want to watch an exciting sport and very rarely does Olympic boxing fall into that category, leading me to my final point.

Styles Make Fighters

Because of the format I mentioned earlier and probably because of the success of countries other than the US, Cuba and Great Britain, a modified international style of boxing has developed. It is a style made for winning the Olympics and other international competitions. It doesn't need to be exciting, it doesn't need to knock anybody out (or even down), it doesn't need to put fans in the seats, it doesn't need to win anyone over except for a judges scorecard based almost entirely on points. All of this factors into every aspect of one's boxing, even their stance where you see far more southpaw fighting in international amateur competitions than in the pros. It does not make for a better product in my opinion, and seemingly in the opinion of the American audience as a whole because interest in the sport seems to dwindle every 4 years. With the Paris 2024 games going on right now, it is nice to see that boxing is more televised than it was in Tokyo, and more weight classes have been added to the men's division, but of the 20 or so fights I've seen so far, only a couple have stood out. As we get into the gold medal match, hopefully that ratio will improve a little.

Don't get me wrong though, fighting for one's country in the Olympics is a noble pursuit and anybody who does it is heroic in my book. Nothing can take away from their hard work, dedication and the many sacrifices they have made to get to this place. True for all of these Olympic athletes, even the race walkers. I wish boxing was more fun to watch and there were more American fighters that we could all get behind and cheer for. Sadly, I don't think that is the way the wind is blowing and there is a very real chance that boxing may not be in the 2028 games in Los Angeles. Hopefully, the IOC can find a new, suitable international governing body by then and if they need any help or ideas to make things better, they know where to find me.

Is There Such a Thing as Overtraining?

If you exercise or physically perform at high-intensity levels repeatedly without properly recovering, you can run the risk of developing what they call, "overtraining syndrome." Overtraining is a condition in which an athlete experiences unusual fatigue, declining performance and burnout. But don't freak out if you have ever felt this way! This does not mean that if you feel particularly tired one day, or even one week, that you could be suffering from overtraining syndrome. This is a significant, ongoing condition that lasts until a full recovery is made. It's not super common, at least not at very significant level, but it does exist. People can encounter it training in any sport or exercise program - although it tends to happen more with racing type sports where having a faster time is beneficial, like running and swimming - and can affect a person at any age.

Here are more symptoms typically associated with overtraining syndrome (OTS):

1) A highly noticeable plateau or decline in workout performance or progress.

2)  A perception of increased exertion during workouts, even early on when they aren't particularly tough.

3) Excessive and abnormal sweating or overheating.

4) Unusual feelings of heaviness, stiffness, or soreness in muscles.

5) A lack of feeling “refreshed” after regular rest and recovery.

6) Recurrent injuries, such as muscle sprains, tendonitis, stress fractures, and chronic joint pain.

7) A decline in enthusiasm for exercise.

8) Persistent feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, or low energy throughout the day.

9) A decline in motivation and/or self-confidence.

10) A lack of enjoyment in favorite hobbies and interests or other signs of depression.

11) Unusual mood or emotions, such as agitation, anger, confusion, irritability, and restlessness.

12) New problems with sleeping, including insomnia and poor sleep quality.

13) Problems with concentration and performance at work, school, hobbies, etc.

14) A sickly appearance, including changes to skin, hair, and nails (such as acne or hair loss).

15) An increase in resting heart rate and/or resting blood pressure.

16) Unplanned/undesired weight loss or weight gain or disordered eating.

17) Newish digestive issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and increase in thirst.

18) Decrease in libido and a change in menstruation (including irregularity or cessation of periods).

19) Repeated bouts of illness, such as colds and upper respiratory tract infections. 

It is very possible that you could have many of these symptoms and not suffer from OTS. There is currently no test that can definitively diagnose it either. Sometimes these issues can come up for reasons other than overtraining too, like other illnesses, injuries, or even just significant life changes so make sure to consider all factors if any of these things are happening to you.

But if it is related to overtraining, the good news is that it is pretty easy to fix with pretty obvious fixes - rest, recovery and nutrition. These things are important regardless but they may require more time when dealing with OTS. Getting 7-9 hours sleep every night consistently, not just once in a while, and making your sleep as comfortable as possible. Rehydrating and refueling properly after strenuous exercise. Stretching, foam-rolling and massage help too. Cut down on the intensity and frequency of your physical activity. Making sure you are following healthy eating habits. If you really do have OTS, you won't notice a change right away. I've heard it can sometimes take months in some cases.

As far as resting between exercise and training sessions, it depends a bit on who you are and what you do. When it comes to boxing, I have found that you can do it almost every day but you really need to listen to your body. In terms of whether you decide to train that day and how intensely you want your training session to be. Just about everyone should take at least one rest day. Professional boxers in camp right before a fight, usually never go for more than 6 days without a day off and again, the intensity level and even specific training can vary. 

It is important that your rest day really is a rest day. This can be harder than it sounds if you are pretty active in that your mind can play mean tricks on you. It can make you feel useless and lazy and like you ate too much and if you don't do anything to "correct" this, either that day or the next training day, you are going to lose what you have worked so hard for. Be very careful of this voice, especially if you train a lot and eat generally well. It can lead you down the path to a distorted reality, which leads to other problems like eating disorders as well as overtraining syndrome. Enjoy your days off, eat properly and remember that sometimes doing nothing is exactly what you need.

Another thing that can be tough for some of us is drawing the line between working really, really hard and pushing yourself vs. potentially overtraining. If it doesn't challenge you, it will not change you so if you want to see results, you will have to work harder but not so hard that we start to move towards OTS or potentially cause some other injury. This line is different for all of us. You have to just be really mindful of both sides and be willing to experiment a little.

You do not have to do any of this alone either! Fortunately, significant OTS is pretty rare with the vast majority of people, particularly those of us who primarily just box, but if you are worried about yourself, seek out some professional help - a coach, a trainer, a nutritionist, your doctor, all of the above. Keep a journal of how you are feeling before and after workouts so that you can share more detailed information with your wellness team.

Finding Your Bryn Smith

I have loved sports for about as long as I can remember. It started with with tennis because my dad was a tennis player but as soon as I saw American football on TV, I was hooked. I got into basketball, boxing, anything on Wide World of Sports or CBS Sports Saturday but when it came to baseball, I hit a wall. I really wanted to like it but didn't really understand the rules and thought the whole thing was a little on the boring side. My tennis dad was long gone and he wasn't a baseball fan anyway (I don't think) so there was no one to really introduce me to the game. 

By the time I was in 5th grade, I finally decided to try out Little League. All the other kids were doing it and I figured it could help me fit in. I foolishly assumed that I would be good at it because I was all right at other sports at other sports I played, but I did not take to baseball very naturally. To make it worse, I decided I really wanted to be a pitcher because the pitcher got the most action but as such, I exposed my suckiness even more. I really had no idea how to pitch and just like my foray into Muay Thai would be 10 years later, no one really showed me anything. I just figured I should wind up and throw the ball as hard as I can at the strike zone so that was what I did. Except I couldn't get the ball anywhere near the strike zone. So when I had an opportunity to pitch, I just walked everybody and hit a few kids and got yanked out of the game quickly.

I was moved to the outfield right away but did not want to give up on my initial "dream" of becoming a pitcher. I went to Target and bought something called a pitch back. It was basically a metal frame with a net in the middle and a square taped off to represent the strike zone. That way I could practice my pitches at home and ball would just bounce off the net right back to me. Even after a couple weeks of doing this, I still had terrible aim. I was lucky to hit the pitch back itself, let alone the strike zone.

I was too lazy to go to the library and get a book, too embarrassed to ask anyone how to actually throw a baseball and the internet had not been invented yet so I decided to turn to my old friend, the TV. I started watching MLB games to see if I could figure anything out. It did help me understand the game a little more but nothing really about pitching. The announcers talked about different kind of pitches like curve balls, sinkers, sliders, etc. but not about the actual mechanics.

One day though, the Dodgers were playing the Montreal Expos and I saw this dude pitch for the Expos named Bryn Smith. He pitched a little bit differently than the other people I had seen. He threw slow instead of fast. Later I would realize there were other pitchers like that but he was the first one I noticed. Not every pitch was slow but many of them would be. He could locate the pitch around the strike zone pretty well and when threw something faster, guys would sometimes swing at it even if it was way outside.

A light bulb went on in my head! What if I tried to pitch slow? Would my aim be any better? I went back outside to the pitch back and sure enough, my aim was indeed a lot better. And you might be sitting there thinking, "Duh!" but you have to remember that I was about 11 years old at the time and not very smart. I did start taking notes on baseball pitchers though, trying to come up with a strategy so I could not only land my slow ball in the strike zone but figure out a way to trick the batters so they don't just hit it over the fence every time. 

I practiced and practiced and one day, convinced the coach to let me pitch again. I honestly don't remember if we won or lost the game but I was so much better!! Only walked a couple, think I hit only one kid but I also struck dudes out, got 'em to ground out, pop out and don't think I gave up any runs. Maybe some of that is selective memory but I know it was way better and the other kids weren't laughing at me any more and best of all, I got to pitch some more for the rest of the season. I actually got a little better at everything (hitting, fielding, etc.). Of course the main part of this was just getting experience but the confidence I got from pitching better helped too.

I guess now that I think about it, this story could be about why you should generally take things slowly and thoughtfully first instead of trying to go really fast and hard right away but actually, it is about Bryn Smith the pitcher. Or at least what he represented to me. I was trying this new sport that I didn't really understand and wasn't very good at but when I saw him, I connected with something and thought maybe I could do this. I know nothing about the guy, personally, nor did I become a baseball fan, it was just seeing him throw the ball differently, got me to see things in a new way.

Why am I telling you this? Because you can do the same thing with boxing! I know not everybody loves the sport like I do and while I can pretty much guarantee if you are reading this, you are a better boxer than I was a Little League player at first, but maybe you sometimes feel awkward or like you aren't able to box as fast are as powerfully as someone else. First of all, don't be discouraged by this but the point I have very, very slowly been getting to is that YOU should find YOUR Bryn Smith! 

Maybe there is a boxer out there that you might connect with on some level. Maybe it is a style that suits your personality. Like if you are a big, lumbering guy who might have trouble pulling off the speed and footwork of Hector Camacho, look at a fighter like Zhang Zhilei to model yourself after. Or maybe it has nothing to do with style, you just like them for some reason. Maybe you have something in common. Or anything, any connection you find. 

So how do you find this fighter you connect with? At the risk of belaboring the obvious, I will say the good, 'ol internet is your answer. Search for current champions or "most exciting boxer" or "best boxer right now" or maybe get more specific for something that relates to you personally. I was really proud of one of our members, who is left-handed, because she searched for great southpaw boxers when she joined. More people should do that stuff! Read up on some of these people and watch their YouTube clips. Doesn't matter if you are a big fan of boxing the sport but if it is something you are doing for your own health and fitness, you never know what you might find. As I mentioned earlier, I was not a fan of baseball nor did I even become a fan of Bryn Smith but I still found something about his game inspirational and was able to play better because of it.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

I don't know about these days but back in the 70s and 80s, movies where anyone learns some kind of physical combat skills always featured an old man coach/sensei character and almost always, this person did not look physically strong or capable. Not exactly what you would expect to teach you how to be a badass but the idea being that this person was such a badass, it didn't even matter how strong in stature they appeared to be. Yoda, Mr. Miyagi, Mickey from the Rocky series and pretty much every sensei in the Kung Fu movies are examples. The sensei could even blind but it didn't matter. They could "see" purely through their own awesomeness. But do these characters exist in real life? For the most part, they do! This man below is Angelo Dundee, who most famously trained Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Carman Basilio as well as Sugar Ray Leonard, older George Foreman and plenty of others:

Doesn't look very imposing, does he? And this is him as a young man. If someone was going to teach you boxing or corner you in a fight and he looked like this, you might think, "How is he going to teach me how to fight? What does this guy know?" But he is maybe the greatest of all time. This is true in all sports, not just combat. The best coaches and teachers may not necessarily appear like the big, strong athletic people they work with.

Something like this kind of happened to me when I started training in a martial art called Krav Maga. When I first met my trainer, I was the slightest bit put off that he was this older, very small dude. He did look kind of tough though, I will give him that, but somehow I expected a large, younger super soldier type. Of course my preconceived notions were completely blown out of the water when we started to working together and I realized that my trainer was as hardcore as it gets. There was even a time years later when we were working on some knife defense techniques and it was me, Barney (my trainer), a big dude who was then the head of security for the Golden State Warriors basketball team, and another big, strong guy who could pass for a Russian Spetsnaz. Anyway, part of the technique involved controlling the knife hand of an attacker and I remember taking turns with everybody and when these bigger, stronger, younger dudes put their hands on me, they had pretty good control of my knife hand and I couldn't move it much. But when Barney did it, I felt like there was no way I could ever move my knife hand ever, even if I was 10x stronger than I was. His technique and weight distribution were so good, it overrided any size and strength advantages. It didn't make scientific sense to me but here was, totally immobilized by the smallest guy in the room. I thought that stuff only happened in the movies!

This doesn't just go for people either, it goes for places too. The very first combat training I ever did was Muay Thai and speaking of movies yet again, the gym I went to could have certainly been in one. It was dingy and dark, all the equipment looked very well used and you had a bunch of people all training pretty much separately doing different stuff. One guy was throwing round kicks on a sand bag, another one was skipping rope, someone else was shadow boxing, two guys were sparring, etc. It was in a bad neighborhood in San Jose, CA and many people there were competitive fighters and they sure looked like it. So my impression was that this place was the real deal. Where only tough, serious Nak Muays trained. And that might have been true but no one really taught me Muay Thai. I would just train on my own and if I saw someone who worked there, hope that they would come over and help me. Sometimes they would but it was a pretty short interaction and I never knew exactly what I should be working on. I just did my best to copy some of the people who looked like they knew what they were doing. I went to this gym on and off for about 7-8 months or so and if you were to come to one of the kickboxing classes at our club, I would teach you more in 5 minutes before class than was ever taught to me in the 7-8 months I trained at this very traditional, hardcore kind of place.

So my point is that while the appearance of my old gym suggested it was somewhere I could really learn how to be a fighter, it really wasn't. At least not for someone like me who wanted guidance and didn't have a training partner. I've mentioned this before, but the best fighters, the cream of the crop, can still flourish under these conditions as they show a lot of natural ability and get some attention from the coaches (or, in the case of boxing in particular, over 90% of the good fighters are trained by their dads, who are already involved with the sport). But regular schmoes like myself? Forget about it.

I guess this holds true for just about everything in life, right? Appearances can be deceiving. You might think that someone or something really looks the part and maybe talks the part but in reality, they aren't. And you might think that a creepy, old, shriveled up gremlin can't be a great warrior but you could be as surprised as Luke Skywalker was when he saw Yoda bring that X-wing out of the swamp.