As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).

After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.

Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Should I Go or Should I Stay... Sunday, April 24

I missed church today on account of an important decision I had to make.

Should I accept a last minute fight for next 
Saturday (April 30th) in North Carolina?

Last night shortly before midnight I got a call from a promoter in the States.  He had a fighter scheduled to fight and her opponent wasn't able to fight so he was scrambling last minute to find a replacement opponent.  He had called several people and one of the people he had called was a boxing manager in New York who had reached out to me when I first arrived in Canada here.  

It's a six round fight in North Caroline scheduled for next Saturday which would mean I'd fly out this Friday for weigh-in and then step into the ring the next day with less than a week to prepare.  

It was tempting. 

I got a variety of responses from those I questioned about it.  My roommate was all for it as was my personal training client and Double J.  Clancy's K helped me reach out to some contacts and inquire more about the details of my opponent and the fight scene down there.  Coach Perez wasn't for it but said I was the boxer so it'd be ultimately my decision.  Truthfully, I really wanted to take it and was super hesitant with giving my yes or no but my gut told me to go with whatever Coach Perez said. I figured if I overrode his opinion than he'd get the vibe that I don't trust his judgement call or that I was being rude.  So far Coach Perez has been very open and honest to me about the politics of boxing here so who am I to think I know more, test things out as such by taking this fight, and override his judgement call.  I have to trust that he knows best for me and that he has my best interest in mind.  

I decided to not take the fight but that didn't come without many phone calls and involving a handful of people I trust.  I had people in the States, here in Canada and even someone in Korea bouncing ideas off with me.  

At 8pm I got the phone call for my decision.  

Instead of coming flat out and saying I wasn't going to take the fight I posed an offer I really didn't think they would agree to.  I gave them a figure for the fight purse that was well beyond what they had offered.  I figured if I did this then they'd pull their offer for me to be a replacement fighter or if they did say yes to it then it'd at least make it worth for me to take it.  I'm still a starving athlete remember.  This fight could pay for all that gear I need plus make life more comfortable for the next few months.

They didn't accept my offer.  

I'm not fighting next Saturday and I'm okay with that.  It was a most random opportunity but  I've got my fight in Mexico to stay focused on.  I really can't let some last minute fight distract me from that or God help injury me before that.  

My mind is still very much focused on Mexico.

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