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By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Javan Hill knows that moment.
The very instant when a fighter – be it in the locker room, on the ring walk or in the midst of the action – noticeably loses focus on the task at hand.
And it’s at that point, he says, where a trainer earns his paycheck.
“Right there, that’s my job,” said the veteran Kronk-reared cornerman and nephew of Detroit-area legend Emanuel Steward. “It’s the time where you pretty much have to know your fighter – what makes him tick and what makes him happy and sad – so you know how to go in when the heat is on and smooth it out.
“Hopefully you don’t encounter any problems. But if you do, it’s knowing your guy personally that’ll help you get out of it. It may be that he’s not motivated or something, and you have to know how to handle it. It’s almost like being a psychologist – figuring out what’s wrong and working with their minds to set it right.”
Hill’s next portable ringside couch appointment comes Saturday night in St. Louis, when he and Motor City client Cornelius Bundrage take on defending champion and hometown hero Cory Spinks in a bid for the IBF junior middleweight title at the Scottrade Center. [Click Here To Read More]
The very instant when a fighter – be it in the locker room, on the ring walk or in the midst of the action – noticeably loses focus on the task at hand.
And it’s at that point, he says, where a trainer earns his paycheck.
“Right there, that’s my job,” said the veteran Kronk-reared cornerman and nephew of Detroit-area legend Emanuel Steward. “It’s the time where you pretty much have to know your fighter – what makes him tick and what makes him happy and sad – so you know how to go in when the heat is on and smooth it out.
“Hopefully you don’t encounter any problems. But if you do, it’s knowing your guy personally that’ll help you get out of it. It may be that he’s not motivated or something, and you have to know how to handle it. It’s almost like being a psychologist – figuring out what’s wrong and working with their minds to set it right.”
Hill’s next portable ringside couch appointment comes Saturday night in St. Louis, when he and Motor City client Cornelius Bundrage take on defending champion and hometown hero Cory Spinks in a bid for the IBF junior middleweight title at the Scottrade Center. [Click Here To Read More]