The eyes of the world were on boxing this weekend and in terms of action delivered in the ring, Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin 2 delivered in spadefuls.
A back and forth battle that had a little bit of everything if you’re being honest with yourself.
If a person were watching a boxing match for the first time last night, they would have got their money and time’s worth.
If you take emotion out of it and just look at it as a fight, it was a modern classic.
Indeed, world-famed basketball superstar loved the fight like most too:
One of the best fights I’ve ever seen!! Ultimate competitors in @Canelo @GGGBoxing!! Salute to the both of you. Could watch y’all fight any day. ??#KingTalk?
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 16, 2018
I can’t say he’s wrong with that summation, really.
It was a sight to behold at times how competitive and tough the two boxers were.
While they were dishing out a ferocious beating to one another, they did so in a skillful manner and showed that they could more than take back what they offered in offense.
One of the best fights of 2018 for me.
Last night’s fight got me thinking about Golovkin and Canelo’s characters as people and for some reason I recalled a saying in my head from old Mike Tyson trainer and mentor Cus D’Amato, who said one time:
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
Golovkin and Canelo showed they are the former of the above last night with their actions.
Perhaps the polar opposite of the word coward, both of them proved themselves to be the hero in the above context.
It’s amazing how much this phase rings true in all walks of life, outside of the context Cus utilized it in his boxing teachings.
We all at various times in our lives are confronted with painful states of being and like Cus mentions above, one has a choice to run, or, use one’s fear to benefit the situation.
Fear, like anger, is not necessarily a negative emotion.
I truly believe if one can liberate themselves from their fears through genuine personal responsibility and a fearless, honest look at one’s self, anything personally, professionally or spiritually can be attained within reason.
Recently I turned 30 and had actually been reading up on some of Cus’ old teachings as part of a personal development plan.
I found that much of Cus’ philosophy and psychology intertwines with a prominent Canadian clinical psychologist called Dr. Jordan Peterson in that, they both are avid preachers of personal responsibility.
They both also have a rather dark view of the world which I think is okay at times, as it’s realistic.
Dr.Peterson talks a lot about that shadow (psychology concept) within all of us, in that, we all have a dark side.
Although this might be uncomfortable for people to admit, it rings true in what Cus says above too, in that, the hero and the coward really are not very different as individuals.
As troubling as that is to concede.
But, it’s what the hero does and the coward doesn’t do that separates the two.
We all want to be the hero of our own movie (our own life) but ultimately, it’s the choices we make and actions we take that decide that.
It’s never too late though.
Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez proved that once again last night with their actions.
Two of boxing’s and life’s great warriors.
