Writer Turned Fighter Part II: Pre-fight Jitters
 By "Big Dog" Benny Henderson Jr. (January 30, 2006)  
All Photos Benny Henderson Jr. ©
“You’re not going into the ring to fight, you are going into the ring to win!” – Boxing Trainer John Bray

Just days away and it will be on, the throw down is at hand and I am ready to lay some leather in a bad way!

Am I sacred?

Most certainly, but a bit of fear is useful from what I hear, and if that’s the case I have a bag full of enough fear to go around.

Okay, this is the deal, I am not considered to be fighter at this moment, I don’t understand or have an inkling of what it takes to face off in the ring, or what it is like to stare down my opponent, but one thing for certain is that in these past few weeks I have come to understand what it takes to prepare for a bout, and to be totally honest and blunt about it, it sucks!

To find time to work out and get my roadwork in when I am handing out anywhere from sixty-five to eighty hours of work a week isn’t easy, but I do my best with what I have. Imagine this, you are a truck driver and you are pulling up in a truck stop and see some fat guy smashing out some jumping jacks or shadow boxing in the parking lot, what would be your initial thought? Yeah, I have gotten some incredible looks doing so, but it is well worth it.

My eating habits have also changed. No longer the buffets, and I haven’t been to McDonald’s in so long I am not sure they even have the golden arches anymore. As far as weight loss, (laughs) for some reason I am not shedding the pounds like I expected. I have lost about ten pounds, but for the most part I am learning to utilize my weight and use it in my favor. Hey, if Butterbean can do it, so can I!

I am learning to be patient and look for the openings as they come; sparring is really something, getting hit, getting hit, and getting hit some more. But as I am told it is nothing like the real thing so one thing for sure I am used to getting hit. My trainer Doug Robertson who is helping me prepare for this bout is really impressed with my hand speed and the angles that I land punches. My power is decent, I feel stronger as time goes by, I am really excited to be getting this opportunity and at the same time I am nervous.

The pre-fight jitters have set in but I am dealing with the situation. I am finding out that opponents come and go; three times already the opposition has fallen through. So at this time it appears they have a for-sure opponent for me, another dreamer as I making his pro debut, Arkansan Kenneth Knuckles, and yes that is his real name, funny huh? My bout was scheduled for January 28th but has been moved to February 4th, it will be in Russellville, Arkansas at the Pope County Fairgrounds on the undercard of the JD Chapman versus Marvin Hill title bout.

The mental aspect of this is tremendous; I am going to get in the ring with some over-grown gorilla whose only goal is to knock my block off, but in return I am preparing to do the same. I am ready for war, I am going to battle, and I fully intend in making this a hellacious throw down and come out as the victor! And as cheesy as it sounds I am not going into this alone. I have God, I have my church, my family, my friends, and honestly all of you guys, the readers and the Dog Pound!

I am going to get mushy for a second.

The outpouring of support via emails has been great. I am not just saying this to be nice but all of the ones who have written me have inspired me to want to fight, to put on an entertaining show, and most importantly, win! I want to win, and I want to win for you guys, I feel that I cannot let you down. I’m not implying that my life or your lives depend on me being victorious but I feel that I have the entire Doghouse readers in my corner, and if that is fact then my opponent should practice falling so he won’t hurt himself when he hits the canvas!

I am not trying to be cocky, what in the heck do I have to offer up, I am not this hot prospect who has a solid amateur foundation to build on, I am not planning on conquering the heavyweight division, but I do plan on administering some vicious pain to my opponent. I most certainly want my opponent to go home to his family safely and securely after the fight, but while he is in the ring with me I want to punish him, I want to feed him jabs, take his heart and stop him in entertaining fashion! Sounds gory don’t it? Well, this is boxing, it is real and I am taking this very seriously.

So when this is all said and done I will be fighter; I am on the brink, and I am ready to go toe to toe! I will be able to look back and be proud of my accomplishment knowing that win or lose I tried, and that I lived out my dream of being a boxer. After the 4th of February I will be able to say that I am a fighter, maybe not a good one but never the less, a fighter.

When I sit down to write the final instalment on my experience in the ring I hope I will be writing it as the victor.

In closing I want to say that it isn’t easy preparing for a fight when you have a family and hold down a fulltime job and life, so I have mad respect for the ones who have done so chasing their dreams of the pugilistic sport. And I stress my thanks to you all. Coyote Duran, Ant and every Doghouse reader who took the time out to write, and a big shout out to the Dog Pound. When I climb into the ring all of you boxing freaks will be with me! My brother Lamon Brewster, JD Chapman, Ben Sons, Josh Hammock, Lance Foreman, Matt Hicks, Mario, John Bray and my referring buddy Steve, your advice is well taken.

To Still Waters Worship Center, Mengus Ministries and the cats at Slug Out, thank you for your never ending support. Stacy Goodson, I thank you for this opportunity! Thank you to my family, especially my son who gave me some great advice, “Daddy, if you get knocked out don’t come crying to me!”

For ticket and fight info on Slug Out III please visit: www.SlugOut.com. Tell them the Big Dog sent yah.

ALSO READ: Part ONE
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