In America or at least within the parameters of my
imagination, a well-balanced childhood requires two things, Walt Disney and Dr.
Seuss. Disney unleashes a universe of fantasy, allowing a child to lose himself
inside a world of classic characters and scenarios that, every so often manage
to expose a child to life’s more serious lessons in a framework that is
respectful of their innocence. At least that was the case when I was a kid. Dr.
Seuss, through his spectacular spin on words, rhyme, and conjured
personalities, stokes and informs the intellectual curiosities of children oft
ignored by the adult world.
As a father, Dr. Seuss is my go to for a bedtime tale when
the day has left me far too exhausted to trek through my children’s mountain of
books. Recently, I discovered The Bippolo
Seed & Other Lost Stories. Like many prolific writers, artists, and
composers, Dr. Seuss left us a treasure trove of previously unreleased works. The
Rabbit, The Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga the second installment in this
collection of stories tells the tale of a menacing and gargantuan like bear with
“…very big teeth in his very big jaws and very big claws in his very big paws”
who sets his sights on a rabbit he very much would like to make his meal.
“Oh-oh!” gulped the rabbit.
“I’m in a bad place! I cannot
escape…
For I am a rabbit with very small jaws and very small claws in my very
small paws…
I’ve got to be smart! Got to think of some trick!”
With his life in peril and that salivating bear merely
inches away from devouring him, the rabbit though diminutive in size, with
nowhere to run and no serious chance of putting up a fight, would counter his
would be predator with an intellectual barrage so potent, it would leave the
towering bear dazed and confused perched atop the Zinniga Zanniga tree, allowing the rabbit to make his escape.
“It’s always the same when you fight with Big Guys…
A bit of Quick-Thinking
counts much more than size!”
Thus spake Floyd “Money” Mayweather, “he can have heart, he
can hit harder and he can be stronger, but there’s no fighter smarter than me.”
For all intents and purposes boxing is merely a brutal game of Chess, exacting
as much from the mind as it does the body. Muhammed Ali in his utter destruction of both
that “Big ugly bear” Sonny Liston and the “Monster” George Foreman figuratively
wrote the book on this particular brand of warfare. A fight begins with the
truth. Much like Dr. Seuss’ Rabbit, a
fighter must respect his foe and most importantly know himself. Thus, if one who is not a “Monster” or “Bear”
is to topple a “Monster” or “Bear” ones most lethal weapons of war best be of
the cerebral nature; and as The Greatest so masterfully displayed, he conquered
Liston and Foreman long before he through a punch.
Twenty-seven years ago Sugar Ray Leonard entered the ring
against Marvelous Marvin Hagler for an
encounter every single boxing insider,
expert, and fan knew to be, nothing more than a public execution. Leonard
hadn’t step inside a ring professionally for a number of years and Hagler was
at the height of his indomitable powers. Seven years prior to Leonard’s
engagement with Hagler he suffered his first defeat at the mighty hands of Roberto
Duran. The devastation of that loss left Sugar Ray battered physically, but
more so mentally and emotionally. Yet, in the days to follow as the humiliation
of that loss subsided Leonard would soon concede he’d been a foil in Duran’s
masterful Art of War, which began long before their feverish dance in Montreal.
By his own admission Leonard entered that ring with hate in his heart seeking
to destroy Duran, which is exactly what the fiery Panamanian wanted. Forfeiting
ones identity or character for the sake of personal vindication is humiliation’s
sharpest sting. It always fails. It was a lesson well learned, as evidenced in
the rematch in New Orleans that would devastate the once exalted Duran for
years to come.
Few fighters in the history of the sport have been more
complete and dominant as Marvelous Marvin Hagler. From his technique to his
epic conditioning one could hardly find a flaw in him, but Leonard had been
paying attention. Though Hagler was virtually indestructible in the squared circle,
Leonard understood Hagler’s ravenous obsession was to be recognized, to the
point of making Marvelous his legal name.
Fighters are a psychological mix of fear, pride, and crazy, with a side of
genius in some cases. Following his epic victory over Thomas Hearns, Hagler
entered that realm of superstardom he’d so coveted. The national sponsors
poured in and appearances on late night talk shows became commonplace, just
like Ray. The tables were turned, which
may have been what the semi retired Leonard needed. For a hungry Hagler was an
invincible Hagler, but celebrity Hagler, the non-chip on his shoulder edition
was tame enough for Leonard’s needs. Ray understood egos and he worked Hagler’s
like a devious Svengali. For years Leonard teased him repeatedly with hopes of
a matchup. Even a semi retired Sugar Ray Leonard still managed to crowd
Hagler’s spotlight, yet he did it in a manner in which Hagler still would
believe himself to be in the driver’s seat. Leonard dictated the terms of the
fight, rounds, ring size, etc., yet the term that mattered most, the size of
the purse he gave to Hagler. However, it would take Hagler at least 3 rounds
before he realized his fairytale had gone awry. From mainstream royalty back to
being that Menacing Bear in pursuit
of the Golden Rabbit who, by then,
had every spectator, including the judges mystified in his favor, rendering him
a much disputed victory, but a victory nonetheless and leaving Hagler still
bitterly pondering atop the Zinniga
Zanniga Tree.
