This writer is 73 and has either seen the greatest fights and fighters in person or on film. I’m regularly being asked “why isn’t boxing what it used to be?”
My answer is “the trainers are not passing on their knowledge in fear the one they give this knowledge to may be taking the job they would have gotten.
I recently got a letter from former boxer and trainer Philadelphia’s “Classy” Al Massey. Here is what he had to say:
“Being the professor of the sweet science of boxing’s lost art, it’s my duty to inform you of your strengths and to build on them.
A good boxer will never become a great fighter without a very good teacher (trainer). The same with the ordinary boxer becoming just another good boxer. I trained Olympic Gold Medal champion Michael Spinks for 18 months and three fights all knockouts! He became world light heavyweight and heavyweight champion and today he’s in boxing’s Hall of Fame.
I also took a so, so boxer, Roger Stafford, and made him a very exciting number one contender in the world in his weight class! (Stafford went to Las Vegas and achieved Ring Magazine’s “Upset of the Year” defeating Pipino Cuevas, 29-7 and Stafford 17-2 in November of 1991). Cuevas was the former WBA welterweight champion who lost his title to Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns who was 28-0 at the time. Two wins later Cuevas was a heavy favorite when Stafford was brought to the gambling mecca of the USA.
It’s a beautiful thing to learn, there is nothing wrong with fear. Fear allows the mind a special ability to anticipate danger. Now conditioning is a major plus, understand, it involves the mind as well as the body. There is a mental text of will, a text of emotion, a text of your heart, a text of your human desire to push yourself to win at all costs. That’s what fighting is all about, winning.
With a lesser plan or goal, your mission to win could at best be a weak and very delicate one. You will easily damage the heart, will, and desire to be the winner.
That is from a man who is pushing 70 and hasn’t been around the fight game except as a viewer for over 30 years. An exception in days beyond were when brilliant Cus D’Amato passed his knowledge onto Kevin Rooney who while the trainer for Mike Tyson never saw his fighter lose until he was “replaced”.