How key is the mental side of boxing?

[chav]

meet any successful person (sportsperson, businessman etc) and they will have mental strength & stamina far and above the average man in their chosen field.

mental strength is everything, without it you are just a show pony. obviously it helps a great deal to have physical qualities to match that as balance is always key..

[Larry the boss]

prime example-zab judah..all the talent in the world..but lacks mental focus

[Rockin']

meet any successful person (sportsperson, businessman etc) and they will have mental strength & stamina far and above the average man in their chosen field.

mental strength is everything, without it you are just a show pony. obviously it helps a great deal to have physical qualities to match that as balance is always key..

again not true. I've handed so many big headed, confident and cocky people their asses through the years in the gyms that there would be no way I back that statement. Mental mind frame is greatly important but you gotta have skills or you'll just be a show pony.

You know how many guys were licking their chops when they see that this skinny whiteboy was the guy that they would be fighting. You'd think that somebody just cooked them up a big steak to eat with the big smile on their faces. They were confident that they would hurt me. The bell rings, I smash 'em in their nose and the mental strength begins to deminish. Skill got his nose bleeding and my frame of mind kept me on him. You'll do more with skill and a lack of focus than you will do with great focus and lack of skill..........Rockin'

[Rockin']

prime example-zab judah..all the talent in the world..but lacks mental focus

yes, when too elite fighters come together to throw mind set is greatly important..............Rockin'

[chav]

again not true. I've handed so many big headed, confident and cocky people their asses through the years in the gyms that there would be no way I back that statement. Mental mind frame is greatly important but you gotta have skills or you'll just be a show pony.

You know how many guys were licking their chops when they see that this skinny whiteboy was the guy that they would be fighting. You'd think that somebody just cooked them up a big steak to eat with the big smile on their faces. They were confident that they would hurt me. The bell rings, I smash 'em in their nose and the mental strength begins to deminish. Skill got his nose bleeding and my frame of mind kept me on him. You'll do more with skill and a lack of focus than you will do with great focus and lack of skill..........Rockin'

i did say balance was key.
most people can fire themselves up and believe they are mentally strong and i would say a large chunk of those people, it's just a false confidence that can be broken under the right circumstances.
the mental strength i'm refering to is rarely seen. most people like to think they have it and believe they have it until it all comes undone before their eyes. this is what sets the pretenders apart from the rest. add that to physical gifts and you are good to go.

[Rockin']

i did say balance was key.
most people can fire themselves up and believe they are mentally strong and i would say a large chunk of those people, it's just a false confidence that can be broken under the right circumstances.
the mental strength i'm refering to is rarely seen. most people like to think they have it and believe they have it until it all comes undone before their eyes. this is what sets the pretenders apart from the rest. add that to physical gifts and you are good to go.

agreed........Rockin'

[Pullcounter]

However, I find it hard to come up with a reasoned argument for why it should be difficult - I'm not a boxer and haven't dealt with it.

just watch victor ortiz before maidana and ortiz after maidana.

physically victor ortiz is the same before and after maidana. the difference is mentally ortiz is broken.

[Sparked_1985]

i'm an amateur fighter. the mental side aspect is the most important in boxing.
i see it as three aspects - technical (skills and talent which you are taught), physical (your strength, stamina, power, speed, fitness, speed etc which you improve with training), and the mental (your bravery, concentration, aggression, determination, motivation, calm under pressure etc. which has to come from inside yourself).

if you have all 3 together at once, you are golden. however, if you have only one, you always need the mental aspect to succeed, so i'd choose that over the other two every time.

a fighter who is fully focused mentally, but technically inferior to his opponent, beats a fighter who is talented and skilful but not mentally focused every time.

without mental strength, you cannot succeed in boxing.

Good post.

I always wondered if innate boxing skill could kind of overrun self-doubt. But, I guess the evidence points to say it can't.