The WBC President Jose Sulaiman hit the nail right on the head when he flew to Korea, stood in front of a banquet room full of boxers and asked us "What happened to boxing in Korea?"
So what did happen to boxing in Korea?! I don't know... does anyone really know?
Korea makes it next to impossible for its' boxers to financially survive doing solely boxing and it's so incredibly discouraging to experience this first hand. I've always been okay with Snickers doing his boxing and it's been me who has always told him not to do any job besides it. It is a job. His job is professional boxer and yet here in Korea he's one of the very rare professional boxers who doesn't have a full time job in addition to his boxing career. And the only reason why Snickers has a part time job now is because we're building up a "nest egg" for our anticipated move to Canada.
What boxing career can Korean boxers really have if the company they work for, KBC, doesn't work for them in return?! Exactly. So you've got a country filled with boxers but only a slim percentage of them who can afford to really focus on their boxing.
It's insulting and it's discouraging. Korean boxers basically are paying out of their own pockets to fight, maybe not literally but one way or another they are. Sometimes it is literally though, too often actually.
The Cheonan Bulldog got $200 a fight in the last tournament he was in, so $200 x 3 fights is $600, and that's before coach took his fair share and the hotel bill was paid. Brutal. $600 to go through a month of a half of insane training and dieting before the tournament, three games of getting his head and body bashed in, then another couple of weeks of maintaining his weight during the tournament, and of course the healing time.
All I know is that besides Snickers' game last summer in the Philippines, which I don't even think KBC (the Korean Boxing Commission) was responsible for setting up, it's been over a year since KBC scheduled Snickers a fight.
He's itching to have a fight, hell, he's itching so much I'm convinced he's going to get a damn rash from all this itching.
I feel bad for him; I feel terrible actually.
Since I first met Snickers, his dream has always been to become a world champion boxer. I've never met someone so consumed by boxing, he loves it, and I've always been very supportive of his dream. I know oh too well what it feels like to have a dream and be the only one cheering it on. Having said this though, both him and I have come to the conclusion that him training and fighting in Korea is not going to do anything but kill his passion and make his dream of becoming a world champion all that more unattainable.
Either KBC has to start giving him fights or he's got to go elsewhere to get the fights. I think going elsewhere is the better of two options, elsewhere meaning we're considering him moving out of country for a bit while he persues his boxing career... his dream.
It tore me to pieces and played on my emotions like a rollercoaster to have him living in Japan back in October/September but we both don't really know what to do at this point. I was the one that suggested he live elsewhere. I want him to be happy, so if sucking it up and dealing with the emotions is what I'll have to do than so be it.
I no longer live in Korea for myself, I live for him and I live here because of him. I've already had many chances to do so many things and personal goals that I've set for myself but what about him? He deserves to get his shot at his dream and Korea sure as hell isn't going to give it to him.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Where did boxing in Korea go?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
One must desire something to be alive.
-- Margaret Deland
3 comments:
Go with him Amy. I don't see the point of lettin'him goin' alone..
You're a english mothertongue and u will easily find something if u'll leave korean country.
I wish both if you can be happy forever :)
With Love
Fabi
Boxing is definitely a young man's sport and Snickers has drive and talent and ambition and he should use it while he's young and still has the chance. You're a strong and supportive woman but even you can't butt heads against the Korean boxing culture.
If you have to leave the country so Snickers has a chance at his dream then I say you should go for it.
Life is too short to spend it being unhappy. Maybe it sounds like a cliche, but it's true. Before you know it years have flown past and all you can do is look back and regret what you could have done.
You are both still young and this is a golden opportunity for you to do what you dream of doing. You don't have anything holding you down and you have friends and family who love you and support you. And I personally admire you both very much. You are a great team, and you are both a great source of inspiration to me and many other people.
Good luck to you both with whatever you decide to do. Just keep believing in each other and you'll be successful.
Hey Fabi!
Thanks for the advice and total support. Right now I'm considering sending him to the Philippines. Though I'd love to join him, it would greatly set us back in terms of the financial goals we have for this year. We're really trying to push it this year with saving-- hard time now so easy time later.
Hi Daantaat,
Thanks for the encouraging word of support!
I hear ya about boxing being a young man's sport and am trying my hardest to support Snickers cause lately he's been rather discouraged about it. He hasn't come out and said it but I can sense it in the fact that he's done other training lately insead of boxing. I know him not getting a fight scheduled is really eating him up inside. I'm not trying to play the hero role but I am well aware of the fact that I am the only one who is trying to persue the thought of him living else where for boxing. Korea wants to keep him here and they're trying everything to do so. I think they're just be selfish. Whether its his family or other teammates telling him to stick around in Korea, I just don't see how Korea will ever be able to be the place where he'll get the opportunity to grab his dream.
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