In 29 days I will step into the ring in Laos, fight 10 rounds for the WBC Light Flyweight championship title and yet I have no corner coach. Being the visiting fighter in this particular fight, I've got paid flight tickets and paid accommodations for whomever I pick. Just one problem though, who do I pick? Today I sat down and picked my own brain. Here are the choices I came up with.
CHOICE #1: My Coach, Snickers
It was a no-brainer picking him. Not only is he my best friend and husband but he is also my coach. He knows my strengths and weaknesses so he'd be the prefect one to stand ringside and call out the shots to me. Moreover, it'd be amazing to have him there with me for when the fight verdict is being read. When I lost in Japan and had to wait till I returned to Korea to be comforted, that was super rough, not to mention I was distracted with him not being there by my side. And when I won in Thailand, again with him not there, it felt just as rough to have to wait till I returned to Korea. The win really wasn't so sweet but instead it felt rather sour because I had no one close with me there to savour the moment with.
However, Snickers can't come with me because January is one of our busiest times at the club. We always get hit with a wave of new members and returning members because of it being the new year and students being on holidays. We really need this time to make up for the harshness of this past month. Another reason he can't go is because of our pups. Who would look after our 3 four-legged friends? They're not like cats where you can simply leave a litter box, food and water and they'll be fine. They need to be walked twice a day, fed, and they need lots of late night play time to burn off their energy. And while Balbao would be super easy for someone else to look after, Pyen Chi and Pac are different stories. Pyen Chi is often a bit moody and needs someone who isn't afraid to show her who is boss. Plus, a bored Pyen Chi is a very, very bad Pyen Chi. Pac and Balboa provide her with enough mental stimula, as does her being at the club, but taken away from Pac and Bal and taken out of the club, well, you better hid anything you don't want chewed on. She chews on fridge doors too! And as for Pac, well if he likes you than he's super easy to look after but he basically hates 95% of the people he meets. He is hard to warm up to people and has been known to try to nip people in the bum before deciding that they're not mean monsters like he first thought.
CHOICE #2: My Head Sponsor, Wow
Despite Wow having the lack of experience with the fundamentals of corner coaching -- wrapping my hands, in between round work, etc -- he is very much about boxing and I know he'd be assertive with calling out shots during my fight. He's a quick learner, very attentive and I know his strong physical build and the fact that he is older almost commands him respect so people would assume he's my coach. However, he doesn't speak much English and this could be a problem.
However, with Wow having just sold his imported car dealership, opening up another restaurant on the second floor of his current one, and now looking to start up another business, his schedule is all over the place and unpredictable which is totally understandable but it means he can't commit to something a month away.
CHOICE #3: Head Sponsor's Son/ our Top Amateur Boxer, Kato
This was actually Snickers' choice, not mine. And while I like Kato a lot and think he's a great amateur boxer, I think he is too inexperienced to deal with this situation. And I get the impression he was suggested because of this, his lack of experience. It would be a great learning experience for him but honestly I'm not interested in the benefits of whomever I pick. This fight isn't about them and this is not a vacation or school trip, this is a job. I'm interested in who can help me out the most with the task at hand. It's a big fight I am going in for so the last thing I want to do is worry about whomever I bring and show them how to do the job I've brought them to do. Moreover, he's so super young and I don't think it looks appropriate or gives off the image I want to portray when I show up for the fight. I don't want to have to feel responsible for him and worry about him. The main point Kato has above Wow is that he does speak English.
CHOICE #4: My manager
Ideally he would be second best to Snickers. He's corner coached on so many numerous occasions, he's very attentive at the fights and thus can pick out key pointers and call appropriate shots to follow through with. I've known him for several years so I trust him, he's quite a familiar face within the boxing community and he's very comfortable with travelling out of country with us boxers. He went with me to my fight in Japan. Unfortunately, he is currently out of country and not available to come with me so that automatically rules him out.
CHOICE #5: My fellow Canadian pro boxer
I've known him for quite some time now and actually attended the Seoul Start-Up course with him. He no longer boxer but he manages several boxers and is looking to start up his own boxing club one day. I've never seen him corner coach but I know and trust that he is capable. The thing that I like about him is that he is able to pick out details from a fight and analyse them. I think his keen eye would serve me well during my fight because I know he'd be able to call out some useful pointers and shots.
Of course Snickers was my first choice, with Wow and Loren being an argued second. It was hard to pick because I wanted someone I trusted, someone experienced, and preferably someone from our club. However, it basically all came down to who I thought would do the job best, who would I benefit the most from having in my corner and who was the most experienced. And if neither Snickers or my manager couldn't go then the next possible person was clearly my fellow Canadian pro boxer friend. He would have won over Wow even if Wow could commit, because of three main points:
And the verdict is...1. He's been a corner coach before, so he's experienced.2. He speaks English, so there's no me having to act as a translator there for him.3. He's professionally boxed before, so he has a better insight and understanding of what I am going through.
So, the winner is Joe, correction, I win Joe!!! I think he will do a great job and I am totally optimistic about him joining me. After all that went down in Thailand, the last thing I want to experience again is things lost in translation and me not being able to solely focus on what it is I am there for, my fight.
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