First Fight Tomorrow - Advice/Thanks!

[Santa_]

True.

Take a lot of hard punches straight to the face like Jarrett Hurd.

Hurd's a beast bro. It takes years to get to that level. OP seems to have the work ethic and motivation to get there though so the sky's the limit.

One step at at a time.

[abracada]

I've been a member of this site for years, and been a boxing fan for even more - first fight I purposely watched was Froch-Pascal, not a bad way to start - but I only set foot in a gym 6 months ago. I was 16 stone 10 (234 lbs), and possessed of pretty ****ty physical and mental health, addicted, if not to food and drink, then to the actual acts of eating and drinking.

I'm fighting tomorrow night, and my weight today is 13 stone 2.5 (184.5lbs), and the boost in my mental and physical health is enormous - I'm knocking the **** out of my PhD - won an award at my first conference - and life in general is better. NSB's played a big role in my relationship with boxing, so I'd like to extend a big, big thanks to all of you - you functional, dysfunctional, reasoned, ranting, all-around crazy bastards who love this sport as much as I do.



I also wanted some last-minute advice. This isn't an ordinary fight, it's a Chessboxing fight. A round of chess, then a round of boxing, then back to the position - 5 chess rounds, 4 boxing rounds scheduled. I know, I know, nutty as ****, but I've been a chess player all my life and obsessed with boxing for half that time. I've got the chess down - it's boxing advice I need.

Amazingly, I have the advantage over my opponent in boxing - he's only been doing it for half the amount of time I have! I'm 5ft 11, 184lbs, he's about 2 inches shorter and 210lbs, but I'm pretty sure we're the same natural size; he's not had as much time to burn his body fat as I have. We sparred three weeks ago, and I had my way with him - I'm prepared for him to be better on the night, but I've improved as well.

Because it's the first fight for both of us, this is an exhibition; as such, it'll be frowned upon if I'm obviously trying to KO him - although if I'm losing in the chess, all bets are off, I'm going for it. So, colleagues of NSB, what advice can you give me that'll help me win tomorrow? Anything at all - in the ring or out of it, specific or general - all is appreciated. I'll be able to describe myself and my opponent in greater detail if needed.

Oh, and the fight's being streamed - should be from around 7pm GMT on https://www.twitch.tv/londonchessboxing

Thanks again NSB, it's been awesome!

̶g̶i̶n̶g̶e̶r̶b̶r̶e̶a̶d̶m̶a̶n̶

Roger

In my first few fights I simply tried avoiding getting hit for first 1 min of each round then upped the my pace for the remaining time, works a treat especially if your opponent gasses out in that first 60 secs

[Ray Corso]

Be FIRST with your punches and use straight punches to set up your hooks and body shots!
Above all be first with your jab!

Good luck, chin down.

Ray

[gingerbreadman]

Hi all, thanks for the advice! Unfortunately didn't manage to win the fight, but that was more down to some very chaotic elements in the chess (that neither of us really foresaw) than the boxing - the ref trains both of us, and he had me winning every round. I'd been ahead in the chess for most of the game, but my opponent's a strong player, we play a lot. Slightly more annoyed with not having the stamina to follow through when I hurt him - which was a few times, although difficult to tell with the 16oz padded gloves. Having said that I've only been at this for 6 months, I'm probably 15lbs off my true fighting weight and my although my opponent's flabby, he's built like Chagaev underneath it, so he's probably 1 or 2 weight classes above in real terms.

I cringe to link footage when I'm such a rudimentary amateur, but I'm pretty heartened by the fight - as much as you can be by a loss - because at the end of the day I think I'd beat him 70/30. Thanks for all the help, any further feedback would be invaluable!

[Fight is the first link listed & first fight of the card - I'm the ginger guy]

https://www.twitch.tv/londonchessboxing/videos/all

[OctoberRed]

Hi all, thanks for the advice! Unfortunately didn't manage to win the fight, but that was more down to some very chaotic elements in the chess (that neither of us really foresaw) than the boxing - the ref trains both of us, and he had me winning every round. I'd been ahead in the chess for most of the game, but my opponent's a strong player, we play a lot. Slightly more annoyed with not having the stamina to follow through when I hurt him - which was a few times, although difficult to tell with the 16oz padded gloves. Having said that I've only been at this for 6 months, I'm probably 15lbs off my true fighting weight and my although my opponent's flabby, he's built like Chagaev underneath it, so he's probably 1 or 2 weight classes above in real terms.

I cringe to link footage when I'm such a rudimentary amateur, but I'm pretty heartened by the fight - as much as you can be by a loss - because at the end of the day I think I'd beat him 70/30. Thanks for all the help, any further feedback would be invaluable!

[Fight is the first link listed & first fight of the card - I'm the ginger guy]

https://www.twitch.tv/londonchessboxing/videos/all

When is the next one lined up?

[i_am_a_champ]

Biggest mistake i made my first fight:

This is a fight and not sparring/hard sparring.

ITS A FIGHT. FIGHT THAT MOTHERFCKA. YOUR NOT IN YOUR GYM NOW SO NO TRAINER LOOKING OUT IF YOU GET HURT.


Also the glove size maybe smaller than you used to.

Getting hit may feel different
Get used to it

Best of luck champ

[i_am_a_champ]

Be FIRST with your punches and use straight punches to set up your hooks and body shots!
Above all be first with your jab!

Good luck, chin down.

Ray

My trainer said the same thing.

Be first. Especially jab.

He who is first wants it most