A trainer’s impact is invaluable for the success of a boxer
From the standpoint of a boxer, the benefits of having a trainer are numerous. The trainer’s impact, in and off the ring, is so immense and well-entrenched that no boxer can reach the pinnacle of fame and greatness without an influential and supportive trainer
alongside him.
Well, the question arises, whether it is necessary for a boxing trainer to be a former boxer or not. The trainer is supposed to be well aware of the nitty-gritty details of professional boxing. If he is a former boxer, then it will be surely an added advantage
for him and his boxer.
John Frazier is one good example.
He was not only a great boxer because he had the potential to be one, but also because he was trained by an equally influential and famous trainer, Eddie Futch. Without a doubt, he made a quick and strong impact in the boxing ring.
He made a name for himself in boxing as a trainer after he trained Frazier, Montell Griffin, and Riddick Bowe, who later defeated the would-be/in-the-making all time great, Muhammad Ali.
He also trained some other boxers with respectable success records such as, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.
He himself was a former boxer with a respectable success record. He was the winner of the Detroit Athletic Lightweight Championship and the Detroit Golden Gloves Championship in 1933.
However, the heart problem put a halt to his professional boxing career and he chose to try his luck in the field of training.
The decision paid him off with invaluable achievements as a trainer. Don Jordan was his first trainee who marched on to win the world welterweight championship in 1958.
The success of amateur boxing and becoming the founder of Motown record label was also largely due to the impact that Futch left on him.
In order to make a larger-than-life impact on the boxer, the trainer empathises with the boxer, his abilities, strong and weak areas/strengths and weaknesses. He enjoys a multi-faceted role. He is a motivator, supporter, a friend, and critic of his boxer’s
abilities.
He devises various strategies that are bound to help the boxer, physically and mentally, in and off the ring. He makes a solid assessment of the boxer’s skills and spots the weaker areas that can potentially cost his boxer a fight.
Like any other sport, the game of boxing is all about victories and defeats, knock-outs, controversies, and injuries. In case of victory for the boxer, the trainer gets all the praise and is credited for all his hard work, and in case of defeat, he is frowned
upon.
The core responsibility of a trainer is to transform his boxer into an invincible fighting machine.
The impact of the trainer is powerful as it determines the success or loss rate of a boxer.
The abovementioned legendary boxers were lucky to have a trainer like Futch. However, this is not to say, that every boxing trainer is capable of pulling off successes, most of the time.
There are some bad trainers as well who fail to leave a substantial and powerful impact on the boxer, which in turn puts a question mark over the abilities of the boxer.
It is up to the boxers to choose the best trainers for them since it is essential for them to leave a far-reaching impact on the boxing world.
The success of a boxer and impact of a trainer are intertwined, considering the aforementioned reasons and examples. Hence, a fighter’s trainer acts like a foundation to a building.
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