Some boxing fans feel that today’s boxers are better because they are faster, stronger and more technical. They might be right, but what must not be forgotten is old school boxers might actually be better, since they probably had more heart when compared to their counterparts today.
People often talk about mental toughness and heart as being essential ingredients to success in the sport of boxing, but what is heart and mental toughness?
In autobiography of Teddy Atlas, he stated that the most important thing a fighter needs is discipline, which he said is about controlling oneself and making the right decisions. He also said that fighters need to face what’s in front of them and don’t lie to themselves to make an excuse to get out of the fight. Teddy quotes ,”Tough is just a word, to understand what you’re facing, to be in control of yourself, to have the confidence to face what you have to face and not break down under pressure.” pg. 154 in Teddy’s autobiography.
A fighter must learn to control their fear is probably what Teddy Atlas meant. Sugar Ray Robinson once quoted, “To become a champ you have to believe in yourself when no else will.” Around the time Leonard faced Hagler; most people believed Leonard wouldn’t last because of the layoff he was on. But after he pulled it off, he stated that the only person that needs to believe in you is you; it doesn’t matter what others think. Teddy also often talks about how a fighter must behave like a fighter and the legendary trainer D’Amato said a professional is someone who performs no matter what, this is what he told Tyson when he first got him.
The fighters that match the descriptions of Atlas and D’Amato’s of toughness are fighters such as Sam Langford, Harry Greb and Billy Miske. These fighters didn’t care in what physical conditions they were in since their will to win were often enough; they knew how to find a way to win.
Sam Langford one of the greatest boxers of all time actually fought in his forties despite being blind in one eye. Even having these disadvantages that didn’t stop Jack Dempsey manager from telling Langford that they were looking for an easier opponent, but then again anyone was easier than him. Langford faced the top fighters from lightweight to heavyweight, facing such great as Joe Gans, Joe Walcott, Tiger Flowers and even Jack Johnson even at the time he weighed about 148 while Johnson was about 195. After Johnson became the heavyweight champ he refused to give Langford a rematch.
Another fighter that was tough as nails or even tougher was Pittsburgh’s human windmill Harry Greb. Greb is considered by many boxing experts as the greatest middle weight of all time. He was a light heavyweight champ after defeating Gene Tunney on May 23, 1922, which was Tunney’s only lost. Before that bout took place he became blind in one eye after the bout with Kid Norfolk n 8/29/21, but no one would find this out until his death. He lost the next two bouts with Tunney, but on 8/31/23 he became the middle weight champ after defeating Johnny Wilson, then later he lost to Tiger Flowers who became the first black middleweight champ on 2/26/26.
Billy Miske was another tough fighter he actually fought while dying from a disease. Billy Miske was diagnosed with Bright disease in 1918. The Doctor advised him to stop fighting and gave him only five years to live. Even after the Doctors advised him to stop fighting, he continued to fight on and had thirty fights after being diagnosed.
He fought tough fighters such as Tommy Gibbons, Jack Dempsey, Harry Greb and Battling Levinsky. Even though he was dieting he kept it a secret from his family and couldn’t train because of his condition. On January 12th, 1923 he knocked out Harry Foley in the first round but became extremely ill and couldn’t do anything after the fight. Billy had one last wish for his family to have a nice Christmas, so he ask his manager Jack Reddy to give him one more fight. Jack didn’t want to because of his condition, then Billy talked him into it so he got Billy a fight with Bill Brennan on November 7th, 1923.
Despite not being able to train because of his condition, he could barley even walk, but when it came on fight time, he knocked out Brennan in the fourth round. Billy did indeed complete his wishes for his family to have a nice Christmas, but on New Year’s Eve 1924, Billy passed away. These great warriors proved that once a person learns to have a strong will to win and belief in oneself, a person could achieve what seems impossible to an average person.
