Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Rabbit's Guide to War

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.







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