What boxing can learn from the Mafia!

I am a huge fan of Mafia movies, I recently bought the complete series of the addicting TV series called the Sopranos . You’ve probably heard about it or seen it but in case you haven’t, it is a show about the mafia.

I am sure you’re asking yourself what the hell does this have to do with boxing, bare with me. Even though many of these mafia stories may seem a bit old or repetitive, there is a lot you can learn from them.

Here is what I learned from the mafia in the past few weeks:

Don’t let anything stand in your way – if you want to be successful, then you have to do whatever it takes to obtain your goal. Take Chris Arreola for example, he got slaughtered by Vitali Klitschko but that hasn’t stopped him and on April 24 he will be facing another hard opponent, Tomasz Adamek. I am confident that he will achieve his goal of being the first Mexican American heavyweight champion of the world, you just can’t let anything stand in your way, you have to keep trying.

Show some respect – in every industry, there are always a few individuals that are looked up to. There usually is a reason for this and instead of being jealous or talking trash, you need to start showing some respect and because of this, you need to watch what you say. I find it disrespectful what Oscar De La Hoya did “sticking his nose” In several recent interviews; De La Hoya raised his opinion that Antonio Margarito should not receive a license to box. De La Hoya, show some respect and mind your own business, if you’re so concerned about some one cheating, then you need to look within your own circle, Shane Mosley.

Patience is a virtue – you may want to be the big boss but you need to work your way up to it. You can’t have everything you want right away and there is not much you can do about it (unless you want to whack everyone ahead of you) so Antonio Margarito, please be patient and you will get your license.

The smartest route isn’t always the easiest one – in most cases there will be multiple paths to obtaining your goals. Instead of going with the easy route, you need to go with the smart route. Bob Arum do you really think Pacquiao vs. Clottey was the smartest route? Seriously!

Think things over – if you are angry or desperate, you probably start acting based off your instincts in hopes of satisfying your feelings. Instead of acting on things right away, start thinking things over because then you will be able to act based on logic instead of on feelings. Manny Pacquiao do you really think your boxing fans or your People as you call them are supporting your decision on not accepting the Olympic drug testing?

Friends and family first – money and fame are great things to have but at the end of the day you are nothing without your friends or family. Do not let things get to your head in life and make sure you respect and embrace your friends and family, you may learn a thing or two from Andre Berto.

Don’t show off – Floyd Mayweather Jr., there is nothing wrong with buying nice things every once in a while but don’t buy something just to show off. Although attention is good, if you are someone worth knowing, sooner or later people will get to know you. People who just show off draw too much attention and in many cases are hated by others due to jealousy.

Gain a backbone – Victor Ortiz you said some stupid remarks after losing to Marcos Maidana last June, which I am sure you regret now but I am impressed how you have dealt with it. If you don’t stand up for yourself, people will just walk all over you. If you let people walk all over you, it will not stop and it will not get you where you want to be in life.

If you want it, then earn it – don’t expect things to be handed to you in life. Your family’s name or money can only get you so far in life. These days, the up and coming aren’t having it all handed to them but instead are working hard for it. take Antonio DeMarco, a 24 year old kid from Tijuana, Mexico, being the main event for Showtime Sports. Though he lost to Edwin Valero, DeMarco earned it and his hard work will continue to pay off.

Money doesn’t always buy happiness – you need to do what you like in life or else you may not be happy. Granted, money does make life easier, but it does not mean you are going to be happy forever because of money. Welcome back champ, Erik Morales.

Follow the unwritten rules in life – some of the most important rules in life are the ones that are not written. If you want to succeed, in many cases you have to follow these rules or else you will be disowned from your own boxing community.

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