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THE PRICE OF PAIN
By Jim Amato PhilBoxing.com Tue, 23 Dec 2008

In many sports a participant is subject to pain. It goes with the territory. The nature of the beast so to speak. To me there can be no greater obvious damage to a participant than in boxing.
If you are a boxer and happen to be matched with a superior opponent you must try to summon the courage to endure the pain. It is the game and it is expected of you. Anything less from you could brand you as a coward to the average fan.
He who sits on couch and sips beer watching you take a first class shellacking. Oh the fan will call you a gutless dog but he has probably never stepped into the ring. If he has. it was probably not against world class opposition. I have seen some great fighters take terrible beatings. Case in point, the recent beat down of Oscar De La Hoya against a fighting machine named Manny Pacquiao. It was decisive and it was sad.
This brought back the memories of the great Ali being battered by Larry Holmes. Of Holmes being wasted by a young terror named Mike Tyson. There was an aging Jose Napoles being savaged by John Stracey. The worst for me was seeing my hero Roberto Duran being tormented by William Joppy. I can bring up so many other examples. Like Bobby Chacon being ripped apart by Ray Mancini. Etc, etc...It all spells one thing...SADNESS. Look at some of the beatings the great Julio Cesar Chavez absorbed as his career was winding down. Time waits for no man. Even the greatest will be defeated. Erosion takes a man's talent like a flowing river cuts through the earth.
I hope now the Oscar will retire. He has nothing left to prove. I worry that another great fighter, Shane Mosley will suffer a sad defeat at the hands of Antonio Margarito soon.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Jim Amato.
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