Did you watch the fight? Did the fighter you wanted to win the fight win? Comment below. 
Watch video clip for my final thoughts on the first major fight of 2019. I even briefly hit on the big question of the night--- Will Floyd Mayweather come out of retirement? 
You can catch my highlights recorded during the fight on the Mental Conditioning Sports Instagram page. 

Written By: Elliot Allen

​Both fighters have officially made weight and both appear in great shape and ready to go!!  The last hurdle for non-heavyweight fighters to clear is to make the contracted weight limit.  In this case it is 147 pounds.  

Written By: Elliot Allen

​As we turn the calendar page to a new year its always exciting to anticipate the upcoming fights.  We have so many story lines which include unfinished business fights, new rivalries, rematches, and exciting new talent!  We touch on as much of it as possible here at Mental Conditioning Sports.  Here we go! ...............

Written By: Elliot Allen

​Devin Haney is a young athlete who is in the middle of a journey that thousands of other athletes have ventured on in the past.  Of those thousands, the number who have successfully traveled the journey all the way to the end is significantly reduced.  Devin Haney is a professional boxer with all the skills and promise that anyone can hope for at the tender age of 20 years old.  He is already a top contender in his weight class of 135 pounds!  At MentalConditioningSports.com, we believe in recognizing talent, progress, and growth in individuals while staying on the course to reach their goals.  Devin Haney has potential as a future star, not only in the sport of boxing, but also in his Mental Conditioning!  We look forward to following his growth very closely over the next 10 years as we believe in his future success.  So let’s take a look at our future front-runner who combines great physical talent and strong mental ambition by what he has displayed thus far.

​Devin Haney, nicknamed “The Dream”, was born November 17th, 1998.  He started boxing at 7 years old and was trained by his dad William Haney.  He embarked on an outstanding amateur boxing career.  While amassing an outstanding record of 130 wins with only 8 losses, he captured 7 national junior championships as an amateur.  Haney turned professional in December of 2015.  He has since gone on an impressive winning streak and rising through the ranks with a 21-0 record.  All the while earning a reputation as being a gym rat who is always ready and willing to learn.  He has been working in the gym alongside his father William and with notable legends like Floyd Mayweather Sr. (legendary trainer), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (all-time great boxer), and Roy Jones Jr (all-time great boxer) to name a few.  

Stay with MentalConditioningSports.com as we chart Devin Haney’s rise in the future editions of what we’ve termed---“The Devin Haney Project”.

Written By: Elliot Allen

     My Love for the sport of boxing has spanned over 3 decades!  From an early age, the more I learned about the sport the more addictive it became to me. The older I get the more I respect, understand, and appreciate where my fascination for boxing comes from. There are multiple angles to look at it.
     I can very vividly remember watching the first fight that would trigger the passion I have for the sport of boxing.  The year was 1985 and the fight was Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas “Hitman” Hearns!!  While Muhammed Ali was (and still is) my favorite fighter of all time and I had watched many of his fights (as well as others), Hagler vs Hearns was the first time I really began to understand the magnitude of a BOXING EVENT as a whole!  At that time cable television was not common place in homes so fights were not as easily accessible to watch as they are today.  My family did not have cable in the home so I did not watch the fight live.  However this was the first time understanding the promotion, the training, the pressure of what was being put on the line, and of course the ability to be able to perform on fight night for these warriors!  Later in life I realized my fascination comes the understanding that the entire BOXING EVENT is really a metaphor for Life!!!!

​THE BOXING EVENT:  Hagler Vs. Hearns
          While I was only 11 years old at the time, I can recall the anticipation of getting the fight made and I can remember the tremendous excitement once the fight was made.  April 15th was the date on the tip of every boxing fans tongue in 1985.  I was an all-sports junkie (even at that early of an age), with basketball probably being my number one favorite sport.  However, this was my first realization that this BOXING EVENT wasn’t like anything else in sports. During the build-up of the fight, I recall the shows hyping the fight.  The interviews of the two fighters would show up on shows like ABC’s Wide World of Sports (which was really popular at that time).  The intensity of both fighters as they talked about their intentions in the fight was enormous.  That Tommy Hearns stare and Marvin Hagler reckless determination toward winning by any means necessary was evident during the interviews.  The training footage showed both boxing superstars putting in tremendous hard work and dedication was very impactful on me.  I do recall seeing the fight several weeks after the live event in my school auditorium.  I already knew the outcome of the fight and so did all the other kids.  As we watched the fight, most of the kids watched loosely, but my eyes were intensely glued to every moment from the opening round.  Of course that wasn’t too tough of a task being that the first round was one of the greatest in the history of the sport.  Just two rounds later Hagler was the winner by a devastating KO in the 3rd Round!

THE METAPHOR!
          Our everyday lives mirror a prize fight in so many ways.  The obvious main difference is the speed in which a prize fight happens.  Hagler and Hearns had to train extremely hard to go to war in that ring.  In life we must do the same thing to our minds in order to handle the opponent called LIFE.  Those that don’t take the time to train their minds are ill prepared for the opponent called life.  The possibility of getting knocked out quickly is very possible.  The knockout in life is failed goals, failed aspirations, failed relationships and no desire to get better.  While Hagler/Hearns ended early in the 3rd round, please understand they would not have made it out of the 1st round if BOTH guys were not in superior shape.  In those eight and half minutes of fighting many mental decisions had to be made.  According to the late great Emmanuel Steward, Hearns broke his hand in the first round.  He had to make a decision to not only keep fighting, but to actually really go for it in the torrid pace both that fighters set. Hearns probably could have moved and slowed the pace of the fight and get through it with a broken hand and make the excuse that the broken effected his performance. He was mentally determined to win!! So he kept the pace which ultimately lead to his brutal KO.  Hagler was badly cut on the forehead and was bleeding profusely.  The referee was taking a close look at the terrible cut and even called the ringside physician to look at the cut!  Hagler also knew he had to go for it or risk them stopping the fight because of the cut.  I also believe he could have backed off and maybe allowed the heavy flow of blood to subside.  Both guys made that decision to go for it.  All of this is predicated on the hard dedicated training allowing them to be confident they were ready to endure whatever storm was coming.  Even in defeat the fight Hearns put up made him a winner and furthered his legend.  This BOXING EVENT was my introduction to seeing sports as a metaphor to the challenges, triumphs, storms, adversity, and falling back on the hard work put in to prepare for life’s success!!!