Amateur Boxing - A How-To Guide, Part 3

I am doing a 3-part instructional on the preparation and planning needed for competing in amateur boxing over at The Art of Manliness. Part 1 looked at selecting a gym and coach, and some of the positive and negative aspects of the different gym types. Part 2 looks at the training environment, sparring etiquette and the like.  Part 3 discusses getting your physical, dealing with pre-fight jitters, and looks at exactly at what to expect when you step into the ring for your first fight.

The schedule tells you what corner you will be in (red or blue) and what number on the schedule you will be fighting. I always pray to not be first, but not to be too far down the list either. As I mentioned, nothing is worse than the long wait. Another small joy of amateur boxing is the close proximity to your opponent. From the moment you get there, everyone is eye-balling each other, mentally sizing the guys up, especially anyone who looks around their weight. Once the matchups are announced, you know which guy you will be fighting. You will most likely be getting dressed and warmed up in the same room as him. I had a fight last year where the room was so cramped that we were literally shadow boxing right next to each other as our bout neared. This is stressful.

Read the rest here