Home
>
Success
>
Success Lessons From Boxing

Success Lessons From Boxing

Sugar Ray Leonard and Sylvester Stallone recently opened an academy or gymnasium for contenders in downtown LA. The contenders are top middleweight boxers in the USA who have not been given a shot at the title.

Sugar Ray and Sly Stallone are well qualified to run the academy as both have been champions in their own worlds. Sly Stallone is a Hollywood 'champion'.His films about 'Rocky' have inspired countless boxers. Sugar Ray was a 6 times world champion. He knows what it takes to be a champion: "Champions never ever show signs of quitting."

Champions don't quit but more than that they don't even look like quitting and don't even think about quitting. The same attitude is essential for anyone who is serious about achieving their dreams.

Sly told the contenders that they will now have a shot at the title: "You are now in charge of your own lives, your own fates. If you blow it, you blew it." Success is about taking responsibility for your own actions. Champions don't blame others for their failures.

Sugar Ray speaks too: "Your family is your foundation. Your family is why you are doing what you are doing but you know what's going to make the big difference; what's going to determine who wins is this (points to his heart) and this (points to his head) If you want it, go for it."

The contenders were gradually eliminated from the Academy by a weekly series of 5 round fights. The first fight taught a lot about how to succeed in boxing or anything else. One of the 'weaker' boxers challenged the boxer who was supposed to be the strongest.

Alfonso Gomez from the Western middleweights was considered one of the weaker boxers but Alfredo noticed that Joey on his team who was being picked to fight the weakest of the Eastern middleweights did not look too happy or confident.

He volunteered his services, instead, to fight the strongest of the Easterners! He said: "I will fight Peter Manfredo. I can beat him." Alfonso was only 10 and 2. Peter was 21 and 0."

Alfonso smiled: "I'm a gambler. I'm not afraid to gamble. I am not worried about the competition. It's just about who wants it most and I know that I want it more than anything else in the world." Later Alfonso commented: "I am either going to be a hero or an idiot!"

Champions have to risk looking like idiots. So does any one who wants to achieve anything out of the ordinary.

Alfonso's team members were taken aback by his offer to fight Manfredo but Alfonso was so confident that the rest of his team agreed to select him as their first representative. Alfonso continued to speak with confidence: "He's going to be tough to fight but I know I can beat him There's no doubt in my mind that I can beat him. As soon as we take their best fighter the whole team is going to crumble."

Alfonso Gomez was utterly determined: "I'm going to give it my heart to make it. I want to provide my family with everything they want. It's a dream and it's a dream that I am sure will come true."

Gomez climbed into the ring the night before the fight to visualize his success. "A true champion never thinks: 'I'm gonna lose'. I'm going into the ring to visualize the fight. I want to visualize the fight to give me more confidence in myself. I really want to overcome any obstacles. I am confident and I say to myself: 'You're the winner; you're the winner; you're better than him. I actually imagine that I'm gonna win. I raise my hands." Gomez raised his hands again and again punching the air in celebration.

"If you imagine it, it can happen. If I imagine I can fly, maybe in the future I will." Champions visualize their success vividly before it happens. So should anyone who has a great dream.

At the pre-fight conference a pressman suggested that Alfonso was not as good a boxer as Peter Manfredo. Alfonso like a true champion, let the criticism slide over his head: "I've always been the under dog. All I can say is: I can beat him on his best day!" His team laughed and applauded.

Peter Manfredo did not have as much to say: "I feel like I always do before every fight. I feel like a killer. I will do my talking in the ring. The better man will win tonight. The only one who can beat you is yourself. This is the shot of a life time."

On the way to the ring Alfonso was still sounding confident: "This is my passion; this is my dream; I will become the contender." Peter Manfredo, undefeated and ranked third in the world said "I'm a serious threat because I fight for my family. I can box; I can bang. That's why I am 21 and 0 today. I don't know how to lose."

Alfonso won the first round but Peter the second. Alfonso won the third round. Peter's corner man told him: "Peter, you ain't throwing enough punches." Round four was more even but Peter seemed to edge it. Alfonso's corner told him "Die in the ring, baby!" Alfonso gave it everything and won the fifth round.

Alfonso, the underdog, won the fight by unanimous decision. He was generous in victory. He held up Peter's arm and said: "Hell of a fighter! Hell of a fighter!" Alfonso's dream had come true. He laughed: "I took a risk but I beat a gorilla!"

Peter was shell shocked. He had been defeated in front of his wife and daughter. He had lost his unbeaten record to an unknown. "I came here with the confidence that I was a champ but it did not happen. I feel I let everybody down. Why was it when it is my chance to shine I blow it? I've fought since I was 5 years old? Where do I go from here?"

If Peter is destined to be a true champion, he will not quit. Sugar Ray himself lost 3 fights. Many true champions have experienced failure. A true champion or anyone who wants to fulfill their destiny does not quit or show signs of quitting. A champion does not blame any one else for his or her failures. He or she is usually motivated by love of their family. They are not afraid to risk looking like an idiot. They have the confidence to challenge the 'gorillas' and use tools like visualization to achieve their goals. They ignore the critics who see them as the underdog.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles" The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them. You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.

whole house cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.