Sweet D Files: When he retired, there were more Brooks Hatlens than Floyd Mayweathers in boxing

IN the epic movie The Shawshank Redemption, do you remember when Brooks, the elderly prisoner, was pardoned for his release? Upon his release from prison, Brooks served 45 years of hard labor and he was so unwilling to leave the prison, which he now considers his home, that he put a knife to a fellow inmate’s neck. intending to kill him so he can be charged with a new crime that puts him in custody forever.

On the surface, the mundane job he was assigned as a grocer stood in stark contrast to the one he was confined to in prison; there, Brooks was respected as an educated and knowledgeable librarian. In a nutshell, Brooks had trouble adjusting to the outside world after a long separation and eventually hanged himself.

Question: ‘So what happens now?’ is a question Brooks can’t or doesn’t want to answer. It represents the unknown and he cannot face it. It’s a question many boxers have to answer, and it’s a question that can cause confusion and inner anxiety. My guess is that many boxers don’t know what the next chapter of their lives will be like.

Transitioning after a career, job, or lifestyle is over is something that affects almost all of us at some point. It is the cycle of life and the cycle that athletes encounter earliest. They accept that their careers are not endless and that they will eventually have to create a new niche or simply find something else to fill the void but that doesn’t stop them from crossing the finish line. becomes easier.

For a boxer transitioning to a purely civilian life after a career in the ring can be particularly difficult and potentially devastating. When you decide to stop, there won’t be any leaving parties and cards filled with well wishes for your future endeavors, with no pensions to draw or benefits . Whatever state you’re in, after a career based on physical violence, you must endure as you navigate the vast world of evil. But what will you do next? Boxing does not give you the most obvious transferable skills.

The lack of structure and the ultimate goal can leave you exposed and without a rudder. As long as you can remember the extreme physical and mental ups and downs of boxing that have sustained you, your purpose and commitment to your profession, and all that comes with it, revolves around Your identity governs the way you think, the way you function, and not to mention people’s perception of you. The gazes from watching the audience are exchanged to mingle and become one of the collective.

These things are considered, the fear of slipping into importance becomes a real thing. It’s not just that it’s no longer of interest to boxing fans, it could be a lot closer to home than that; your personal network – family, friends and associates. You question if they see you the same way. When this happens, it’s mostly because you don’t feel the same way or see yourself the way you used to.

Mike Tyson once held back tears on his Hotboxin’ podcast while reminiscing about the ferocious boxer he used to be. “I miss him,” he regrets. Three words say a lot. Sugar Ray Leonard, sitting across from Tyson, looked worried for his friend, but understood what he was saying. Before Leonard fought Marvin Hagler in 1987, an interviewer asked him why he was retiring again to face the best boxer in the world. He replied, “Because the man inside me spoke up.”

Right after I retired, feeling the need to get in shape, I went for an early morning jog. I was about a mile away when suddenly I was overwhelmed by a sadness so deep that it stopped me. My mind is foggy, and my feet are like concrete. I realize I’m doing my boxing protocol, but for no reason. I don’t have a match schedule, no set date to start competing, no date for anything combat related. I turned around and went home, where I could only sit on the stairs with sadness and fear. It really ended. I am 35 years old and considered an old man in the sport, but a young man in the real world.

Like Brooks, a fear of the outside world is why many of us stick with the sport longer than usual. I may have hung up my gloves two or three years ago, but I have a house to pay for, a family to support. I can’t afford to quit smoking. Plus, that’s what I’m comfortable doing.

There are less obvious reasons why we boxers struggle to leave. During my academic journey in psychology, I have learned that general intelligence includes both flexible intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Flexible intelligence is your ability to process new information, learn, and solve problems, while crystallized intelligence is essentially your stored knowledge accumulated over the years. . Flexible intelligence naturally declines as we age, brain damage from thousands of blows only accelerates that decline.

I believe it helps explain why boxers who have stopped making progress stay in the sport longer than necessary. They struggle to handle that boxing doesn’t work anymore and they should try something new. I was at this point.

On the other hand, you have Floyd Mayweather, the highest-grossing boxer of all time and one of the few great boxers to ‘retire’ completely intact and without the forced humiliating defeat, still earning numbers. huge money for light fights with Japanese boxers and society. media personalities. It really is Earn money easily.

Aside from his wealth and huge ego, I’m sure there’s a psychological theory somewhere that breaks down why Mayweather, who has made over $1 billion, can’t just walk away. forever. I’ll just go out and suggest that, at 45 years old and having had his last real fight seven years ago, Mayweather still feels most comfortable in boxing protocol. Where his faded heritage, expertise and genius keep him relevant. Running, scrims, paddling and heavy bags are iconic to him, as they are the pillars of his greatness. They are part of his infrastructure.

There are plenty of boxers who make a fraction of Mayweather’s wealth but have crossed the bridge to retire and find their way, building even better careers for themselves. For some it was a seamless process, perhaps they understood their limitations early on and knew that boxing could never be the end game. For others, it can be more of a struggle. Some, and I will include myself here, may become hostage to the idea of ​​what they once were and find it difficult to let go.

I believe retirement should be included in conversations with young professionals. We should have ‘chat’ with them. Retirement is not a dirty word, nor is it an impressive young boxer if they think about it from time to time and all that they have to achieve before leaving the sport. Just as they are ultimately responsible for winning a war, they are solely responsible for when and how they retire.

*** COOPERATION WITH WAYNE CYRUS ***