A Life Lesson

There is no way Miguel Cotto wanted to fight another round in that condition, but he did anyways

Rocky Balboa said it best: It's not about how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep going. 

It's a lesson in boxing that separates the prospects from the champions and the champions from the legends. But it's also a lesson that applies to much more than the epic battles that happen in the squared circle. It applies to all facets of life. 

As you can clearly see, the content on this blog has not been updated for the last month and a half. The reason for the absence is because life hit me harder than any punch any boxer has ever thrown. It's a blow no one should ever have to experience. 

So for the last month and a half I have been picking myself up off the canvas and trying to get back on track. I haven't had a whole lot of interest in the fight game during that time, but I decided to watch it again last weekend, which brought me back here. 

I watched Cheick Kongo get absolutely dismantled by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 and it made me think of that important lesson. No matter how hard Kongo got hit and no matter how much punishment he was taking, he didn't give up. He could have easily stayed down, but he tried to get to his feet and he tried to fight even when he was pinned on his back. 

He wouldn't let Velasquez beat him.

Then the main event saw Wanderli Silva take on Rich Franklin. Once again, Silva was exhausted and battered, but in the closing seconds of the fight, he threw everything he had at Franklin in one last effort to win. 

After watching those fights, it reminded me of why martial arts is more than a sport and why it's a lifestyle. 

Then there was the Miguel Cotto vs Joshua Clottey boxing match. Cotto's left eyebrow was a bloody mess for the whole fight and it bothered him to no end, but he never stopped. Clottey later fell to the canvas and hurt his knee. He was immobilized for the next few rounds, but he hung in there. 

Both men fought through adversity and never quit. 

At the end of the day, a sport is just a sport, but when it comes to combat sports, it teaches you to never quit. You don't need to win, you don't even need to be technically sound, but the one rule is don't give up on yourself. 

Boxing pushes your body to places you never thought you could go — life pushes you into areas you don't want to go.

Kongo lost badly and will now have to start all over if he wants to get to his dream of winning the title. But he will be back and give it his best shot again, and that's the beauty of the sport.

Sure, I haven't written for the last two months, but it's time to come back. Not because what I write is important, but because writing is what I do and now is no time to give up on things. 

The ring is a scary place to return to after a bad loss and life is a scary place after a bad loss too. But whatever happens, always walk back in. You might get knocked out again, but if you keep coming back, you'll get your win.

I don't know when I'll get my win or how hard I can hit life back, but I do know I can get hit really hard and keep going. So if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get going.