The day didn't go as expected but we also had way more fun despite the unexpected turn of events.
Kato's first opponent didn't show up and neither did Junior Mint (my former coach). We had expected Kato to set the stage with a first game win; show Junior Mint that despite what he predicted we are a successful boxing club and we are great coaches. But there was nothing to show. Junior Mint sent the Cheonan Bulldog to do his job today and Kato's fight was ruled a win by default.
Dang, I even dyed my hair, got the lettering on my coach's vest fixed, and showed up loud and proud with club members and my sponsor, hoping to run into Junior Mint. Of course I didn't do it all just to kind of punk him off but I must admit I definitely did my hair and got my vest fixed because of him. Words are powerful and the harsh words he spoke to me two years ago have most definitely stuck with me.
With Kato's first opponent being a no-show we then had to wait around for his second fight of the tournament. I felt super frustrated for him in that he needed this first fight to get him warmed up and his head into the game. Kato is an amazing boxer but he lacks the confidence regarding the level of his skills. I think the first fight was a necessary fight for him to gain some confidence in as supposed to being thrown right into the finals of his weight class.
He never did win his second fight, consequently he stepped out of the ring frustrated and annoyed, understandably so. A fight is never just a fight though and Snickers and I both are all too familiar with the struggles and challenges that occur way before the fight and outside of the ring. He may have not won the fight on paper but we're super proud of him. It takes a lot of guts and courage to step into the ring to fight. And while it's easy for people outside of the ring to point fingers and say what they want, the fact of the matter is until you've stepped into the ring to fight your words really have no weight or power to them, instead they are just words with no experience backing them up.
We had travelled to the fight location with a crew from Hulk's Boxing and had rented a large van for the occasion. There were six of us travelling together. At the fight location we ran into some members from UP Boxing Club and it was nice to introduce the Cheonan Bulldog (my former sparring partner) to our members. We chatted a bit about our clubs and it came up that many of the "original UP team" boxers are now training with us at Hulk's. The Cheonan Bulldog is still a good friend our ours but he's very much on a tight leash with Junior Mint, not being able to come spar with me anymore or even so much as pose pictures with us because Heaven help Junior Mint catch sight of us together. I snuck a picture of him when he was helping his fighter step out of the ring and posted above. Technically he's not posing with us so it should be ok.
Junior Mint was an awesome coach, probably the best coach I've ever had... until he wasn't. Two years later and I'm still waiting for an apology that Snickers and all my boxing buds continually tell me to not hold my breath for. It's hard training with Snickers as my coach, it often acts as a strain on our relationship not only as boxer and coach but also as husband and wife and business partners. I wish I could train with Junior Mint again and I probably would if I could... I would if he'd just suck up his pride and say sorry for the wrong he did. Today it was Kato's day but it started off being the day I intended to confront Junior Mint and ask for an overdue apology. Perhaps the fact that he was a no show today was for the best because with him out of the picture today I was able to actually be the person I was supposed to be, Kato's coach.
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