[Diego Lara]

It's always interesting to see how fighters deal with mutual advantages and disadvantages in size difference. Curiously, I didn't see David in the gym yesterday....

[Diego Lara]

Wed 2/7: Watched Arguello/ Escallera II. Never seen Escalera fight, and he put up a tough one against Arguello, who is a monster at 130 lbs. I like to call Arguello the boxer version of Corrales, or rather I guess Corrales was the brawler version of Arguello. But Escallera can crack too, unfortunately he was ultimately no match for Arguello's destructive hooks.

2.25 m run.


Gym time:
1 round stretching.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
Today I wanted to show Mike how much I've improved my right hand since my left shoulder's been hurt. We did 4 rounds on the mitts, and my right was devastating hard. We tried a few combos with me feinting the left uppercut or hook and throwing right uppercuts and crosses. It was great, and Mike seemed impressed by that, and my improved stamina and overall condition. I'm really getting into great shape.
Tried a round of speed bag, but the shoulder wasn't having it.
2 rounds skip rope to finish.


Conditioning:
3x10 ab machine.
3 sets of frog leaps, Mike's version with arms tucked up and doing small hops back and forth across a space of 10 feet.
10 frog leaps, my version with arms behind head and high, explosive jumps in place, with legs fully tucked.

Today I'm gonna see if I can do certain types of pushups without hurting my shoulder. My abs and legs are strong, but I can't let upper body get too little attention. Let's see if I'm crippled by day's end. Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Thu 2/7: Arguello vs a young banging bastard of a boy Boza-Edwards! The future Professor was not intimidated in the least by the rampaging beanstock of an Arguello that kept hooking him to death for 8 horrific rounds!! But B-E showed more than just heart, he was pounding away at Arguello with power jabs and vicious right hands till the last two rounds, when Arguello's power punching became simply too much for young B-E to bear. One of the better fights I've seen in during my training. It was pretty much downhill from there.
2.6m run.

Gym time:
1 round stretching.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
3 rounds heavy bag. Still no better on the left side, so I'm only throwing my right. I think touching the bag with my left hand might be a mistake.
3 rounds bodysnatcher. Perfecting that jab/jab/ right uppercut/ right combo I've been practicing.
Half round speedbag. Lifting my shoulders isn't working.
3 rounds skip rope. Doing the squat, almost fully there. Getting a smaller rope might help.

Conditioning:
Did 3x10 pushups. Both shoulders were bothering me, the right just cuz I've been only using that one.
4x10 twistups.
15 rollouts.

As the day wore on, I could feel my right shoulder getting stiff and sore, not from a muscle, but in the joint. This is probably from all the extra wear it's been getting as a result of my injury.
This morning both shoulders were no better, so I opted to just do the morning run. Watched another good episode of "The Way It Was", this time with Joe Louis and a fighter that was new to me, Jersey Joe Walcott. It was a hell of a fight, with Walcott's ahead of it's time style and his guts. He danced boldly around Louis, hands down and bobbing and weaving as he popped rights and lefts at Louis' chin. He almost took the championship, but in the 11th round Louis pinned Walcott down and bore down on him, ending the fight with another spectacular knockout. These guys represent the classic stylisic image of the boxer, gentlemanly and refined, but with a sense of grit that always shows through.

[Diego Lara]

Tue 2/12: First day back after a few off are always killer days.
Watched Paul Williams/ Quintana which I missed over the weekend. The smaller Quintana was not intimdated by Paul's size and speed, and it got him a belt in the magma-hot welterweight division. Wonder who he gets to go after next....
2m run.


Gym time: Jesse's stable was there bright and early, and it's good to see so many people getting ready for their respective fights. Also reminded me of my lingering injury, and the sense of time lost, but I have time to improve, and that's all I should focus on at this point.
1 round stretching.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
4 rounds heavybag. My right is great, I can throw right hooks or uppercuts and follow with the cross. Focusing more on hiding my right and lashing out when unexpected.
2 rounds double end bag. Doing good, but I was hitting a little with my left, and that bugged my shoulder.
2 rounds speed bag.
2 rounds skip rope, alternating standing up and crouching.

Conditioning:
Can't let my upper body get too weak, so I started doing a little upper body today.
1 set pushup circuit, just to get the old juices flowing.
3x10 ab machine. That was all.
Today my left arm definitely feels the worse for wear, but it seems to be the biceps, not the muscles under my arm (of which one is the injured). Just soreness from not working that body part so long. Gonna keep doing light pushups, get my arms back to normal. Next week I go back to the doc to find out just how much progress I've made. I know that it's not healed yet, but I don't know how well it's been healing, or at all. Oh well, when I have enough money I'll just get new shoulders. Firefox out.

[codysweet02]

Dont worry about the time lost, this might end up helping you more than hurting you. Once your left arm is healed it will be back to form in just a week or two. Your right hand however, will now be faster and stronger than it ever would have been without this injury.

You lose a little bit off your left for a bit, but gain a devestating right for the rest of your career.

[Diego Lara]

My right arm looks like a Popeye arm.

[Diego Lara]

Wed 2/13: Sandy Saddler vs Willie Pep. Reportedly first known MMA fight in history. Great pioneering throws.

1.75 m run.

Gym time:
Stretch for 5 min.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing. Nice to see Mayweather Sr. in the gym, talking away on his phone and watching the fighters warm up.
4 rounds bodysnatcher, right hand only. Practiced making those punches pop, and hard, maybe make ol Floyd Sr. look this way and wonder what the hell was going on.
2 rounds double end bag.
No speed bag on account of the shoulder.
3 rounds skip rope.

Conditioning:
So it was a mistake to try the pushups. I definitely feel the worse for it, so I'm just gonna work abs and legs.
3x10 ab machine pyramid.
3x10 med ball incline twistups.
3x5 frog leaps.
2 set back and forth mini frog leaps.
And then I went to work for 7 hours. Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Thu 2/14: Watched some old reels of vintage greats: Carmen Basillio vs Kid Gavilan, and an even more violent fight, between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret III. Paret died from his injuries soon after the fight, and there was a discussion on ESPN over whether or not Emile was right to do what he did in the ring, fighting on and relentlessly pressuring until the ref stopped the fight, just as he always did.
1.25m run.


Gym time:
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
4 rounds shadowboxing with Gabe, one of Jesse's fighters. I haven't sparred in over a month, and I'm trying to slowly back into the swing of things. I surprised myself at how good I was at getting low, and using my size and leg strength to create angles openings. My right hand will be crazy when I finally spar.
3 rounds heavybag. Making that right hurt.
3 rounds skip rope to cool down.

Conditioning:
5x10 twistups.
3x5 frog leaps.
That was about all I could do for the day. Mike was absent, apparently had some radio interview down at Sunset Station.

[Diego Lara]

Fri 2/15: No running today, I need some more sleep. Do some stertching and warm up before gym.

Gym time:
1 round stretching.
1 round ringjacks.
1 round shadowboxing.
4 rounds heavybag. Hurt my right hand a little by hitting too hard.
2 rounds double end.
3 rounds skiprope.

Conditioning:
5x10 twistups. No med ball today to stave off the soreness in my left side.
3 sets of back and forth frog leaps.
That was all for the day. Hopefully next week I'll be ok to do light work. I'm confident that as long as I don't really use my left, and that my shoulder doesn't flare up again, I'll be able to work effectively again soon. Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Sat 2/16: No video today. Ran 2 laps around park and did 1 round of skip rope to warm up.

7 rounds touch and run. Of course, this, in theory, works only if you actually touch before you run. But it was good work, and I've gotten alot better at slipping, ducking, and footwork. My legs are strong, and any mofo's gonna have a hell of a time trying to knock me down. Still need to unlearn that habit I have of turning my head. And my habit of darting in and out to avoid counterpunching. Other than that I'm coming along just fine, and I'll be a different fighter next time I get in the ring....