Retire from work, but not from life. ~ M.K. Soni
Sometimes we find it difficult to walk away from the fight, from work, from ourselves, from life. The hardest thing to do is to admit to yourself that you can no longer go on, no matter what the incentive.
Just over two weeks ago, Joe Calzaghe defeated Roy Jones Jr. Calzaghe had previously hinted that he would retire after that feet and now appears to be at a crossroad. After 46 wins, 32 of them knockouts, there is the temptation for Calzaghe to fight once again with another “last fight” rumoured to happen in his home town of Cardiff in front of 70,000 people.
It made me wonder why is it so hard to walk away. I’m sure there is the amazing high of performing in front of thousands attending the fights and millions watching, but would the constant punches and physical toll that is taken on the body and the brain as well as the mental toll taken on his family, not be enough for Calzaghe to step back and live off memories and the money from a fantastic career?
The fame, the fortune, the glamour it can all be too difficult to walk away from. Muhammad Ali has suffered for going on too long. Many sportsmen are living in pain because they just didn’t know when to call it quits.
I think they miss the excitement, maybe they feel that there is nothing outside of the sporting world they have starred in for so long. Lennox Lewis has recently said that he would climb back into the ring for $100 million.
There is something that drives us, something that makes us want to prove that we can do the impossible, that no matter what is thrown at us; we will come through it. In the mind some people can, in the body it can be different.
It is very rare to find people that can do things in exactly the same way they did in younger years. In theory we learn, we adapt. In theory we show that we have matured and take slightly more time to think before we act.
In Joe Calazaghe’s case, I hope he does retire. He is a great fighter that should be remembered as just that. Those that go on too long run the risk of being remembered as shadows of their former selves.
Monday, November 24th, 2008 and is filed under Uncategorized.
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