Liu believes this statement from Million Dollar Baby:
"All Fighters are pig-headed in some way, always think they know better than you about something. And even if they're wrong, even if it'll be the ruin of them...if you can beat that last bit out of them, then they ain't Fighters at all."
Defines him to a "T", and is probably one of his best assets, and biggest weaknesses.
7am - Watched Fernando Montiel and Martin Castillo from the Pavlik/Taylor II undercard. Diego hadn't seen this fight and it's another example of little 115lb dynamos. Montiel is a little Sherman Tank, who also can crack with either hand. Castillo was an Olympian, more of a guy who relies on hand-speed and timing. But it failed him this time. You can catch this ordeal here:
Montiel/Castillo Pt. 1
Montiel/Castillo Pt. 2
8am - 2mile run.
10:30am - Gym Time:
1/2 round warming up.
3 rounds hard sparring with David.
I got in there cold, and tired from yesterday. But I knew David needed the work, and I apologized ahead of time that I wouldn't be my normal speed. Now, this whole session and what followed was kind of cathartic for me, but I'll go into more detail in the Gym Moments.
What I did well:
- Stayed relaxed.
- Defense.
- Took damage without blinking when I took it.
- Landed telling shots when I took offense.
What I sucked at:
- Workrate.
- Jabbing, just wasn't there today.
- Uppercuts.
- Stepping forward.
I thought I looked like shit, because I felt like shit. But according to Duncan, Diego, Mike, David, Jesse, and well...pretty much everyone, I looked fine. Aside from a couple of low-blows (one that stopped me for a second), David only landed two clean left hooks and one good overhand right. He knew I was gassing, but tried to put it on me anyway. And it was another of those I was going lighter he was swinging for the fences situations. He tried to jump all over me in the last 30 seconds of the session, and got nothing but a dose of whoop-ass for it. I hit him so much his face was red and he was getting pissed.
Now, I WANTED to go 3 with Diego after, playing mostly defense, but Mike objected and it pissed me off. I knew going into the Gym today that I was going to get my ass kicked, but sometimes you NEED your ass kicked.
2 rounds Heavybag.
2 rounds double-end bag.
2 rounds speed bag.
8 minutes rope skip.
15 minutes on the stairmaster. Forgot the stats, I think I may have blacked out with my legs moving at some point.
Gym Moments:
Today was an odd day. Jesse asked me if I'd spar David, I told him to ask Mike. Jesse asked Mike if David could spar BOTH Diego and I, 3 and 3. Mike told him he wanted Diego and I to work. I said jokingly "calling me a punk Mike?" He called Jesse back and told him to get David ready. I told Mike I'd work with Diego, too and I thought that's what was agreed-upon. So I get in there and David tries to go to town on me and I think I hold him off just fine, but I'm obviously tired and not myself. Mike tells me to come down after the 3rd and I shout through my mouthpiece "LET ME WORK"...to no avail. Diego goes in and works with David.
I do the rest of my workout with a snarl.
After I get off the stairmaster Mike, Diego, and myself have a heart-to-heart-to-heart in which Mike lays it all out in-terms of how he thinks of us. I can't recall everything he said because I'm barely awake right now. But he says things to the degree of that he doesn't want me even jokingly objecting to him in situations like today. His job is to look out for us and that's what he's doing. He doesn't want us doing ANYTHING at Jesse's beckoning, or on his behalf because Jesse is out for himself and his Fighters. Mike is out for US. He even said "I not in dis fah me, I got mines a'ready, dis about you gettin youahs." I think sometimes my vehemence worries him, well, I KNOW it does. I didn't mean to seem to be questioning or contradicting him, but that's how he took it, my outward objections. And I learned a few things about what he thinks of me as a Fighter. He said himself that he knows without a doubt that I could whip David's ass when I'm fresh, but that he doesn't like when I want to go even when I'm not because as he says it "you get beat up is like I'm gettin' beat up." In other words, it hurts him to see it.
He pointed out how far Diego and I have come, to where now he feels like he has to protect us moreso because he blieves Jesse wants to either procure us from him (which has happened before), or try and pick money fights with us with who of his Fighters he thinks is better. Whether I believe that or not is irrelevant, and I'll say why in a second. But he says that we started out behind everyone, and now we look decent and are catching up, which means we have to be more careful because people will be out for our blood. He wants me to be a little less, vigorous I guess. And I say what I think of it is irrelevant because my own safety is not my job, it's his. It's my job to be prepared to beat a mufucka down, plain and simple. It's his job to make sure I do so without getting killed. Like he said "I know you feel you old an' shit, but dun worry 'bout dat. I'll worry about dat."
He said he thinks we can go very far, and his plan for us doesn't involve nickel and dime shit. It involves REAL money, cars, houses, etc. I wasn't aware he thought that deeply about it. But he does.
MY problem is this: I'm nearly in fighting condition. I'm chomping at the bit. I'm rattling the cage bars, stalking around like a Lion who sees a steak. I'm not the only one who sees it about me, I get asked almost daily when I'm fighting out of genuine interest. I looked Mike as deep in the eyes as I can today and said "I wanna fight." And I asked him what he REALLY thought, does he think I have what it takes right now to win 4 rounders. He said "You shittin' me? Easy."
Now, I think in all this talk the biggest compliment Mike dropped was telling me why he wanted to put Sharif in with David. Not to redeem me, but because he feels David is on Sharif's level. Sharif is a beast. And if he feels I can kick David's ass when I'm fresh, that means I must be pretty decent, too.
Oh and I'm going to be taking the Level 1 Coach's certification exam soon. So I can be the Assistant Trainer for Mike during Eubank Jr.'s run in the Golden Gloves. Mike was real excited about that idea.
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