The Essence of a Fighter
 By Jason Petock (March 28, 2006)  
What is it that makes up a fighter? What makes these courageous men do what they do daily without the immediate promise of anything other than a grueling training regimen and years of strict discipline and a common routine replaced by hard work, sweat and pain? Many would say that it is the journey to become a Champion that drives these warriors. Thing is most fighters never become Champions and although it is an aspiration of most fighters you meet, the percentage that actually achieve this honor is less than you think. It can’t possibly be for the pay, especially seeing as most boxers don’t make that much money and usually have to struggle to make ends meet and barely get by. This is the stark reality of a boxer on his lonely journey to become something, anything in the often unforgiving world of professional prize fighting. For every crowned Champion and top contender there are 100s if not 1000s of hungry up and coming fighters with their eye on the prize. These boxers have more desire in their hearts usually and sadly many of them never get their 15 minutes of fame or day in the sun because the system is designed to be a monopoly, and we all know a monopoly is self serving and runs on its own agenda, void of outside participation or ‘interruption’. These ‘interruptions’ are flesh and blood fighters who deserve a shot to showcase what they bring to the table and what they have to offer to the game. They need to be given the same opportunity as all the other fighters out there who are already on top and earned their stripes a long time ago.

Anyone who judges fighters for a living or a hobby or whatever also needs to take into consideration what these men go through. If there is any doubt what it takes to be a fighter on any level, be it amateur or professional, just take a look at some of the great men who have passed over the years, men who fought because they wanted to fight. Granted many of them earned a living eventually and became successful, but they started on the bottom and drove on until they cracked that glass ceiling and shattered it into a million pieces. Some of them never became famous yet upon their deaths they became more popular than they ever were in life. They left behind legacies and stories that touch all of our heart to this day and make many of us long for those days that came and went so quickly, scores of years before several of us were even an idea in our father and mother’s eyes.

It cannot be stressed enough no matter how many words are used and how many times it is emphasized by me or anyone else the value of the modern fighter, and the memory of the ones who came before him. Boxing is steeped in deep tradition and values that extend back to the turn of the century and even before that. Boxing has always been a way for the lower classes to uplift themselves out of poverty and grasp onto hope through the discipline. This hasn’t changed much since boxing’s early beginnings, when Greek athletes in the Hellenistic and Roman periods came from lower class families and fought for their own honor and dignity by right. The history of boxing stretches back for generations and generations and it is our responsibility and duty to uphold this history by honoring our current fighters and what they do when they lace up their gloves and fight with their hearts for our entertainment and do what so many of us can only experience by living out our dreams through the boxers that we admire and revere.

So at this moment I would like to acknowledge some of the fighters who I feel in my own humble opinion are more than deserving of being called ‘the essence of a fighter’. They are warriors who maybe have or haven’t always been acknowledged as they should have been in history or even now, but who are the embodiment of what it means to be a true fighter in every sense of the word. This is my modest attempt at a tribute to the men who fought and gave me a dream to cling onto through their memories and battles. I only hope that my simple writing does them justice in some way and that they’re watching from afar or reading it if they are still around. The following is a small list of those who have contributed so much to the sport in every way and will never be forgotten, but rather cemented as warriors eternally (in no particular order).

Mike Tyson Marvelous Marvin Hagler Azumah Nelson
Gerald McClellan Micky Ward Roberto Duran
Harry Greb Joe Louis Sandy Saddler
Jack Dempsey Sam Langford Willie Pep
James J. Braddock Archie Moore Jersey Joe Walcott
Arturo Gatti Ezzard Charles Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sugar Ray Robinson Jake LaMotta Marco Antonio Barrera
Najai Turpin Tony Zale Emanuel Augustus
Joe Frazier Rocky Graziano Vernon Forrest
Rocky Marciano Julio Cesar Chavez Shane Mosley
Roy Jones Jr. Oscar De La Hoya Pernell Whitaker
Bernard Hopkins James Toney Freddie Roach

Now before anyone looks at this list and says where is this guy or that guy’s name, consider the fact that this is a small list of my opinions and that it is not to be seen as ‘expert’ or ‘in stone’ in anyway. This is a fraction of the list that I would have to make to recognize all the greats both past and present that have touched us all with their bravery and courage. With this said, looking at this list makes me realize how important all boxers are whether they are known or unknown. It takes a special type of person to step into that ring and fight the battles that the rest of us cannot. And for that I take my hat off to all fighters no matter where you are and no matter what your record looks like. Because you know what? You count. You all are the essence of what a fighter is because you took that first step and became a boxer. Some of us tend to forget this. Let’s do the haters a favor and remind them once in awhile.
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