Punching on for positivity
Boxing program a serious challenge but life lessons learned will always be there
AS I was driving into Broadbeach from the northern suburbs of the Gold Coast on Thursday afternoon, all I could think was, “you’re a damn grown man, why are you willingly going to fight someone?”
The nerves were extremely high. Eight weeks of training and I was about to go toe to toe with a bloke.
We were the first fight on the card. A massive crowd had amassed at Amnesiia Nightclub, the ring was set in a sunken floor, so the crowd was surrounding the fight.
As we entered the ring, those same thoughts, of “what the hell am I doing” still plagued me.
Let me tell you, those thoughts went straight out of my head when Tyrone “The Cyclone” Jensen punched me square in the nose. Everything else that was on my mind went out the window, all the doubt and fear gone in an instant, survival mode kicked in.
I think Tyrone wouldn’t mind me saying I got the best of the first round. I landed some big punches and I tried to end it, but to his credit, he’s a tough bastard and weathered the storm. And if you were there and reading this, I’m sure you can attest to some of the noises those punches were making.
As the bell went, I knew I was in it. I was breathing heavy, but I felt decent.
The second round came around and it was pretty even through the first part, before Jensen landed a couple of big punches and got over the top of me a bit.
As I sat down at the end of the second, the crowd was going wild. I was heaving the big breaths in. I stood up, everything felt heavy, but it was two minutes, how long could that be? Let me tell you, it was an eternity as Jensen stepped it up and really took control of the fight, landing some big blows that I’m sure I’ll feel for a few days to come.
And the decision went his way. I knew it before they announced it and I took the loss on the chin ... several times.
As I predicted it was an absolute war out there and at the end of it, we had a beer together, laughed about it and talked about the high we were trying to come down from.
And while I lost the fight, I think the whole program has been a massive win. Not only for my mental health, weight loss and skill building, but also being tested. Genuinely tested. It was just the two of us out there, there’s no excuses, no time for them.
Talking with Gavin Topp the creator of Fight Like A Pro in the wash-up of the absolutely epic night, he reiterated those feelings.
“It’s a mission that we’re on, the modern world and the way it’s changed, we need to have that man time, that contact with other blokes, with that masculinity,” he said.
He said the training was about learning something about yourself.
“It’s about who you have to become to step through those ropes, that’s where the value is, that’s where the treasure is.
“To be that bloke at the end of the eight weeks so that we can put you in there that’s the treasure.
“I think every one of us has the ability to step up, but most of us aren’t trained, they think they can’t do it and it’s easy to see it in the boxing. But in everyday life, some people don’t step up, so if you can learn to do that in the eight weeks of training, you can do it outside the ring as well.
“Everyone has a different journey. We all start on different points, people’s blind spots get put under the spotlight, their character, some blokes are good at talking themselves up, but when it comes to the action, nothing happens.
“Then you see some blokes who really come out on the night.”
He says the life lessons learnt in the ring will translate to outside it.
“When the punches come, whether it be in relationships, finances, when the hits come, you can hit back,” he said.
“You can have results in your life, or you can have excuses in your life, but you can’t have both.”
If you are looking for a challenge, to get out of your comfort zone, then look no further than Fight Like A Pro. I’m telling you now, you’ll be tested physically and mentally, like you’ve never been before. You will laugh, cry, be scared, get angry and have the time of your life.