Punching like Rocky Balboa; Taking on opponents in boxing matches

     The sound of the bell rings in your ear with stage lights shining brightly in your eyes. You zero in on your opponent as the shouts of the audience fall into the background. Getting into the fight stance, you’re ready to take the first swing.

     Rocky Balboa once said, “It ain’t how hard you hit…It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

      Liam Brenner is a freshman who competitively boxes at Knock Out Boxing in Bel Air. He claimed that “Rocky Balboa was who got [him] into boxing.” For Brenner, boxing was appealing because, “It looks really fun beating people up and it’s a way of getting out your stress or anger.”

      Brenner claimed that the meaning of being a fighter is being “built and strong.”   He said it was important for him to learn how to box so he could protect his, “mom and sister.” He also believes he should know how to protect himself.

     Brenner has learned through boxing how to “hit really hard and make fast hits.” He said it took him “a long time to get good at this sport, about four years.”

     The experienced boxer said his favorite striking position is, “a right hook.” Brenner claims what sets him apart from other boxers is that he has a “pretty nasty right hook.”

     Brenner also revealed that he utilizes his, “speed in the ring.” His speed comes from being on his toes because he said it helps him, “move pretty fast.”  

     To protect themselves against a hard-hit Brenner said they “wear padded helmets, so they don’t get destroyed. There is also a lot of medical stuff used after the fight.”

     A part of finding an opponent’s weakness is looking at “the way they are standing. You also want to look at what they cover the most and what they don’t cover. If they are covering their body up, you have a free ‘go’ to the face. If they cover their face, you have a free body shot.”

     He recommended “focusing on where they are weak because you’re going to see that first.”

      To improve as a fighter Brenner explained that the fights are recorded. So, after fights he watches the tapes with his dad and his trainer. They look for what he needs to work on, that’s what they “work on really hard the next practice.” Brenner will keep doing what he needs improvement with until he feels comfortable.