The Real Road Warriors

By Damien McKinley.

We all like to focus at times on bright lights and showbiz. A good even fight between two elite sportsmen who get paid more money than we can ever imagine.

The likes of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, the two Klitschko brothers or anyone in fact who is remotely near the mythical Pound for Pound list earn millions upon millions per fight and live a lifestyle one can only dream about when they hold a lottery ticket.

These men at this present point in time have their financial life wrapped up and grace our screens maybe two or three times a year.

But what about the guys who set these fighters on the trail path for glory. The men who fight every other week in order to survive and provide for their families. Ladies and gentlemen, I dedicate this moment to The Journeyman. The forgotten sportsman who is paid money to turn up to decorate an investments statistics within his win column. These men are the real backbone of the sport of boxing.

A journeyman boxer is defined as a fighter who has adequate boxing skill, but does not have the calibre of a contender or a gatekeeper. These guys very often are regular people like you or me, who hold regular jobs and lead regular lives.

But we often take them for granted and forget about them and the job in which they are willing to do. Not many of us would contemplate looking at a Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao the wrong way let alone claiming threw the ropes to trade punches with them.

But almost every week we see fighters on this level get knocked out or badly beaten on points and I commend their bravery.

We have seen numerous times in the past when the boxing fraternity gets hit with a lightning bolt and a guy who is paid to make up the numbers on a bill actually pulls a win out of the bag. Such notable occurrences include:

Ross Puritty Vs Wladimir Klitschko – (Puritty TKO11)
Kevin McBride Vs Mike Tyson – (McBride TKO6)
Darryl Pinckney Vs Junior Jones – (Pinckney KO3)

So when we are quick to call these men who admittedly do not possess great talent “bums” or “tin cans”, remember; your boxing idol would be nowhere near the star that shines so brightly without these guys who are always on call 24/7.

We hear top level fighters often claiming to be Road Warriors. But the true warriors are the people we forget as soon as (99.9% of the time) they are defeated and sent on to the next prospect or star to repeat the process.

Do they complain when they are robbed? Do they look for a way out? Do they complain about money? No.

They entertain and fulfil the most important purpose in a top level fighter’s career. These true warriors should be applauded for their bravery and given the credit that never comes and not insulted by people who if asked would never in a million years trade places with them.

http://v2journal.com/16/post/2013/12/the-real-road-warriors.html

I applaud those that get in the ring with a genuine desire to win with the odds against them.......and have the tools to present problems for up and comers........

But not those that just get paid to act as meat...Saying basically "you can beat me up for 400 bucks"......For me they are the equivalent of Boxing prostitutes........They give the sport a bad name and are a potential liability to themselves and their families..

Not that there is anything wrong with prostitution........Girls need to earn a living or Men in Lumbering's case...

Funnily enough some journeymen have gone on to become top fighters.......

Jersey Joe.............Freddie Pendleton 19-19............Even Marlon starling was thought of as one by silly billies such as Simon brown........

I'll raise a glass to the dedicated genuine journeymen of the sport..........

Goods heads up and article........

Cheers Truss. I meant the guys who travel around and genuinely give it their all. Most get brutally knocked out but you can sense they don't really have much to give apart from fighting.

Some people are afraid to leave the house after getting sparked on a night out on the tiles. Some of the guys who get it with prospects take serious damage and carry on. That in it self needs applauded. Cheers for the feedback