Gerald McClellan: 'Walking from the locker room to the ring is the scariest feeling'

[krispy kreme]

Exactly. Half, no wait, nearly all the guys saying that **** would piss their damn pants before getting in the ring.

Boxing is something else man. I've even seen guys who were good streetfighters, tough guys who fought on the streets and weren't scared of anyone, completely **** themselves in sparring. Just something about boxing, the guaranteed one on one nature and the only person who will intervene is the ref or doctor if you are getting beaten up, just intimidates the hell out of people.

No doubt, man....

[ufirst]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10186819/

I wonder if all boxers feel this way. McClellan was a mean dude, so if he felt like this, I reckon it's safe to say a lot of boxers do. Anyone here ever been a pro/amateur fight, is the walk-in the worst part?

Yup. it is. In the amateur tournaments you're all in the same locker room most times and you'll be sitting next to the guy you're about to fight. When they call your last name & you start warming up, you're sizing dude up. Dudes deal with it differently, some get loud trying to psyche others out, some focus on getting a sweat. You might have to walk out the entrance side by side & the butterflies are crazy at that point. All that **** goes away once the bell rings though (it better)

[REMOVED SHARK 97]

Well there are crowds of 20,000 in the Arena, and your in a backroom with about 4-5 of your team, with near silence.

Yea it would get nerveracking, just walking out into a different atmosphere.

[TheAuthority]

I wonder if all boxers feel this way. McClellan was a mean dude, so if he felt like this, I reckon it's safe to say a lot of boxers do. Anyone here ever been a pro/amateur fight, is the walk-in the worst part?

I used to nearly **** myself walking to the ring. I could rarely sleep the night before, and I was so nervous on the day of the fight that I had difficulty eating.

IMO, the worst part is not the walk, it's the "seconds out ... " part - Serious adreneline rush.

[SplitSecond]

mike tyson said he felt like that also, the start of the walk in he'd be terrified, but the closer he got to the ring the more confident he'd actually get

[DoubleMM]

I've never saw it, I wonder if he really feels that or if he's just putting on a show. Pacquiao's ring-walk is weird as hell, like a WWE match saying hi to all his fans.

I should add the rest of McClellan's quote which probably explained his mindset before going to the ring,

Pacquiaos ring walk is scripted by HBO to give him a good guy image. All those smiles, waves, hellos is all one big act.

[BillyBoxing]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10186819/

I wonder if all boxers feel this way. McClellan was a mean dude, so if he felt like this, I reckon it's safe to say a lot of boxers do. Anyone here ever been a pro/amateur fight, is the walk-in the worst part?

Yeah,I have been an amateur fighter for 3 years.
He's damn right,once the bell rings,you feel better.

Before the fight,you are thinking too much about the dangers,your opponent....
And the walk to the ring,is the last moment,the closer moment to the fight,where the intensity is very high.It's horrible.
That's why some fighters don't look at the public and the opponent.

When the fight starts,you don't think anymore about your opponent or the public or the consequences if you loose,you fight.ACTION!!

Most,if not every fighters I know feel the same way.
The difference is an experienced fighter learn to manage this sensation,to be cool with that.

It's definitely the worst part.

[BillyBoxing]

I used to nearly **** myself walking to the ring. I could rarely sleep the night before, and I was so nervous on the day of the fight that I had difficulty eating.

IMO, the worst part is not the walk, it's the "seconds out ... " part - Serious adreneline rush.

LOL,for real.
I could rarely sleep the night before,and I'm tempted to say that for my very first fights,I couldn't sleep well the 3,4 nights before,lol.I was 17 years old at this time.
When I look back,I say to myself that I was crazy to do boxing at this age.
And I was already fightin in the middleweight division(75 KG),it was ****ing.lol

This sport ain't no basketball.lol
It's not a game.

[jkaisen41]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10186819/

I wonder if all boxers feel this way. McClellan was a mean dude, so if he felt like this, I reckon it's safe to say a lot of boxers do. Anyone here ever been a pro/amateur fight, is the walk-in the worst part?

I think in almost every sport it is like that.

Even if I now walk out into an arena (before playing B-Ball) or walk onto a soccer field... I'm always a little nervous... but as soon as the ref whistles it's on and everything is alright...

I spar with a friend of mine in my Garden often and once in the ring but never had a official bout... but I have to say that I love it personally... but I can imagine how it must be to walk out in an arena of 5,000 people or plus... some boooing... going to ring knowing that there is an dude who was trained to punch a guy in the face and body... it's a scary thought *looooooooooooool*

[BillyBoxing]

I think in almost every sport it is like that.

Even if I now walk out into an arena (before playing B-Ball) or walk onto a soccer field... I'm always a little nervous... but as soon as the ref whistles it's on and everything is alright...

I spar with a friend of mine in my Garden often and once in the ring but never had a official bout... but I have to say that I love it personally... but I can imagine how it must be to walk out in an arena of 5,000 people or plus... some boooing... going to ring knowing that there is an dude who was trained to punch a guy in the face and body... it's a scary thought *looooooooooooool*

"I think in almost every sport it is like that"
NO!!!
PLEASE....
When you walk to the ring,it's smelling death.

"I spar with a friend of mine in my Garden often and once in the ring but never had a official bout..."
It's sparring.
You CAN'T compare a sparring session with a friend and a real fight against a boxer in fight mode.

In a fight,the guy in front of you want to kill you,and if you don't kill him,he will.It's him or you.
You are not goin to quit,and if the guy murders you and the ref and the trainer don't stop,you are goin to be murdered.
It's no joke.
Def not a garden slapfest with a friend.

And I'm not sure your friend was hittin you with 10 oz gloves 100%....

And if you spar with a bad amateur kid,he's goin to ruin you inside of 1 min.Even with 16 oz gloves and huge headgears.