Boxing vs. the “Poor Life”

Abstract

The warm-up has just ended. Chuck and I are side by side, below the ring. As our heartbeats slow down from the sudden peaks reached during the workout, the bandages in which we wrap our hands in the room’s relative silence completely absorb us. Repeatedly folding and unfolding his fingers, Chuck carefully tends to each joint’s strength. From experience, he knows that a professional boxer must manage his investment in his hands with care. Often, in a fight, they are either the first thing you use or the first thing you hurt. To learn from him, I observe this protective exercise, as his gesture delicately encompasses bones that are laden with fragility. At that moment, interrupting my inner reflections, Chuck addresses me, inviting me to share his thoughts.