The Possibility of Hurt

Ed B. came in Monday night and announced that he plans to go pro soon.  I encouraged him to go for it.  He's young, and he's hungry.  Ed B. might as well do it now and see where it goes.  I want to see both his and JJ's debut pro fights when they happen.  Ed B. also goes to school with plans to be a social worker.

I talked to Yale yesterday about getting a fight in November at a boxing event that he's involved with.  He's going to try and get in touch with Andrea, whom I fought in the Loyola Boxing show back in September, and see if she wants a rematch.  Alan told me that I might need a license to participate in that.  Uh-oh.  I'll never have a problem updating my coach's license.  Getting another boxing license with my health issues is another story.  Oh well.  Ed B. told me, "You should have been in the Olympics by now.  For real!"  "I have fantasies about going pro, but they're just that -- fantasies," I said. 

I picked up the DVD copy I had made of the tape recording that Barry made of September's boxing show Sunday afternoon. The first fight was missing the first two rounds, and the tape cut off before the end of the last fight.  Other than that, all the other bouts were on tape.  What Professor and Willie told me about my match with Andrea was true:  at the beginning of one round, I threw punches right after we touched gloves, and I didn't throw many left jabs.  I'm not a natural southpaw, so I don't know why I was favoring my right cross. 

J came in after being missing for a minute.  Alan asked what happened, and she replied that she'd had headaches for days after the last time she sparred.  Guess who she was sparring with?  I swear that sometimes, I don't realize how hard I'm hitting.  I was alarmed when I heard that news.  "The doctors gave me Tylenol," J said.  "Did they do any tests?" I asked.  "No, but the headaches went away.  I'm fine now," she said. 

Yes, boxing can be a dangerous sport.  The object of the game is orchestrate punches like a chess game in order to best your opponent.  Sometimes, great damage is inflicted on both participants in the ring.  I've had ribs bruised, lips busted, numerous bruises and have showed up to work glassy-eyed after getting a concussion.  Things happen.  But it is never my intention to hurt someone so badly that they can't function for awhile, or God forbid, they can't function period.  I would probably have to sit down for a long time if I ever seriously hurt somebody.  Yet in this sport, there's always the possibility of a hurt.  You just have to try to avoid it if you can, and deal with it if it comes to that.