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Published by: Machete
Posted: June 14, 2009, 4:31 pm

It's been three months since my last ring appearance. I'm on a fresh new start, and I've had a lot of time to think about my former life. What I love about the ring is how it reveals character. It strips away all the masks and the lies and the bullshit, and shows who you really are, raw, straight, and true.

Are you the aggressive all-or-nothing guy? Are you the type who takes punishment and endures his way all the way through the end? Do you prefer to speed in and out, taking what you can and giving nothing back? Do you do anything that is necessary to win as long as you get away with it? Are you a pussy who falters at the first sign of difficulty? Whoever you are, whatever you are, it is revealed in the ring.

A thinking man like me usually treats a bout like a chess match, preferring strategy over blind bravado. This usually makes one relatively defensive and occasionally passive. Guard tight, head in constant motion, feet alert, waiting for that opportunity, that opening to put that bomb in.

Sometimes though, you want a win so bad, especially after you were unable to secure one four times in a row, that you just charge in. You don't give a flying, walking, or even a crawling fuck anymore, and instead of letting others (like the judges or your opponent) decide for you, you resolve to take it for yourself, even if you get your face rearranged in the process. You put the pressure on, you get as many hits in as possible, and you do the best that you can to take what he dishes out. You take some shots, but you don't mind. You can worry about that later. You're too busy trying to win. You let you guard down. You become vulnerable for a shot at the prize

The thing about opponents however, is that you never really know what they are capable of until you get hit. Some of them can put a real hurting on you. Usually it's the accumulation of hits over time that causes lasting damage, but sometimes you get clocked with one perfectly timed (or lucky) shot and you're scarred for life. In one night, one opponent can leave a mark on you forever. Just like that.

Your fight record. Much like your love life, no? You meet, you put your best foot forward (or to the rear), you get it on for a few rounds, there's sweat and heavy breathing, sometimes there's blood, and you can forget about each other after. Some may leave you satisfied, others may disappoint. But sometimes, you both experience a battle so intense that you remember each other for the rest of your lives.


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