What’s it like to be a professional boxer? Well, let’s pretend you have decided to become one.
Needless to say, you have to be pretty determined to get into boxing. You will get hurt, so you have to have a reasonably high tolerance for pain. Also imperative is, you have to be in great physical shape. Not just good, but great. Ever try running up 8 flights of stairs? That’s probably how it feels to go one round against another boxer. Of course, that’s assuming you don’t get hit. We’re just talking offense here.
Of course it won’t do to be squeamish about blood and gore because it’s integral to the sport; preferably on the part of your opponent. Compassion for your fellowman will have to be relegated to the backburner. Inside the ring, you are expected to be merciless.
Then there’s the matter of dedication to the craft. A professional boxer trains almost everyday. You hit the gym in the morning (after your early morning jog) and another time in the afternoon or early evening.
Oh, and you have to watch what you eat. Actually, your trainer will see to it that you eat right. What’s right? It depends on your trainer. But as a rule, it will be for the singular purpose of keeping your weight down. Ever hear of a boxer who had trouble making the weight because he was under the limit? Nope, the battle with weight is almost always tasteless, unsatisfying and fraught with hunger.
Assuming you learn the skills and are ready to step into the ring for a real fight, you start as a 4-rounder. In the event you win a few of these curtainraisers, you graduate to the 6 or 8-rounders before getting into the limelight as a 10-rounder. How often can you fight? Well, if you win all your matches and don’t get cut or injured in any way, and if you have a top-notch manager, maybe 6 or 7 times a year.
How much do boxers earn? Here in the Philippines, 4-rounder get paid around 4,000 pesos a fight. On the other end of the spectrum, championship purses are about 70 to 80,000. Wait a minute, you say. “But Manny Pacquiao cleared”….shut up and listen: We’re talking Philippine championships here.
And what did it take for Manny to earn the kind of greenbacks he now has? Consider…he started in his teens as a flyweight (112 lbs) and now at 27 years old is a super-featherweight (130 lbs). On the way up, he got knocked out twice, knocked down several times more, cut, blackeyed, elbowed, pushed, wrestled atop the ring; and gypped, hood-winked and God-knows-what-else outside of it.
And he’s one of the lucky ones.
So, am I discouraging you or anyone else from getting into boxing? No. Just letting you realize how hard a life these fell as live because they love boxing and yes, they feel it’s their only way out of the doghouse.
And that’s why I admire boxers. So good luck to you and your dream of being a Manny Pacquiao.
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We certainly don’t lack Pacquiao wannabes.
Diosdado “the Prince” Gabi of Davao went through all of the above and more. He left the Philippines over 6 months ago to try his luck in the United States. He has fought once and won by technical decision.
He endures the loneliness of having left behind a wife and young son to pursue his dream. He hardly gets to communicate with them since he cannot afford to splurge on too many long-distance calls.
Fortunately for Gabi, his benefactor in America- Michael Koncz saw to it that his papers were in order so he could get a job while waiting for that golden opportunity. Gabi earns the “princely” sum of an hour in the arts and crafts company Koncz’s wife manages. He hits the road at 4 a.m. before going to work, then goes back to the gym after work.
Tomorrow (Manila time) our prince takes a big step towards the fulfillment of his dream in Sta. Ynez, California. He challenges power-puncher Vic Darchinyan, the IBF flyweight champion. The Armenian-Australian champion is undefeated in 24 fights (19 KO’s) and is said to punch like a featherweight.
Gabi (26-2-1, 18 KO’s) is known to be speedy, wily and smart. We pray that tomorrow, he is also lucky.
Word has it that Solar Sports will air the fight on a slightly delayed basis starting around noon tomorrow. I will have a late lunch.
