On-the-Job, In-the-Ring Training

By Fernando Vargas - TITLE Board of Advisors

Amateur Boxing Tips

Boxing is competitive. It's dog-eat-dog. It is mano y mano, so it's hard not to think about losing or winning, but as an amateur, it's NOT about winning or losing. It's about the experience.

I tell my fighters all the time to focus on getting the experience and learning the lessons that you only get from getting in the ring.

It's easy to get caught up in your "record," but lots of successful amateurs don't do well in the pros. It's not the same. So having a good record is something to try for, but it doesn't really mean you're going to be successful unless you get good experience along the way.

As a coach, you have to be smart with your fighters and not baby them, but don't put them in over their heads either. You have to be real about where they're at and give them time to grow, but know when to "push them out of the nest" too.

There's no perfect situation, but if you care about your fighters you'll know the right time and the right moves to make.

At the end of the day you have to be a smart coach, but have fighters who fight. Getting wins feels good, but getting experience and the right kind of it is what makes champions.

Bio:

Three-time World Champion, “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas fought with an elite class of fighters throughout the 90s and into the 2000s. He holds wins over Yori Boy Campos (which also made him the youngest Jr. Middleweight to ever hold that title), Winky Wright, Ike Quartey and others. Vargas faced the best fighters of his era in Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad, in what many consider modern-day classics. To this day he remains a fan-favorite because of his accessibility and take-no-prisoners style in the ring. Vargas currently owns and operates the Feroz Fight Factory in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he trains a stable of rising amateur and professional prospects.

TITLE Board of Advisors:

A running series of blog posts collected by TITLE Boxing through our relationships with individuals inside the sport. Fighters, trainers, managers, dieticians, referees and more have offered their words, and we bring them to you here.

Amateur Boxing Tips & Training Advice