Singapore boxer, Rafi ‘The Ruffian’ Majid, became Singapore’s first professional male boxing champion when he knocked veteran Thai boxer Plaisakda Boonmalert out and claimed the title of UBO Super Middleweight Asia Pacific Champion in The Roar of Singapore, which was held on 17 February 2017.
The Roar of Singapore is the first UBO (Universal Boxing Organisation) event in the history that offers four UBO champion titles, making it the biggest UBO title event.
The other three UBO champion titles are UBO World Light Heavyweight Champion, UBO Light Heavyweight Intercontinental Champion, and UBO Cruiserweight Asia Pacific Champion, each won by Canada’s Ryan ‘The Real Deal’ Ford, Malaysia’s Mirage Khan and New Zealand’s Ben Kelleher respectively.
In addition to Rafi’s massive accomplishment, three other Singapore boxers brought pride to the nation by winning against their tough competitors.
Muhammad ‘The Chosen Wan’ Ridhwan won over Indonesia’s Jason Butar by a KO. Singapore’s first female professional boxer Nurshahidah ‘The Sniper’ Roslie defeated Thailand’s Ratsadaporn Khiaosopa, also by a KO. Lastly, Singapore’s Alexandrew ‘AJ’ David, emerged victorious against Indonesia’s Philipus Rangga with a unanimous decision.
It takes tremendous physical effort as well as determination to be a champion. These boxers have gone through countless hours of training in their lives.
As runners, here are a few boxing principles we can apply to our running regime.
It’s All About Endurance
A professional boxing match typically comprises of 12 rounds, each round is 2 to 3 minutes long with a 1-minute break in between.
It is wise to pace yourself carefully, not exerting all your energy in the first round or you might find yourself immobile and defeated the next round. It also doesn’t mean not putting up any fights in the first round, which might put you in the danger of being knocked out.
Similarly, runners need to maintain a constant pace and not push too hard in the beginning of a race to avoid hitting the wall – glycogen depletion – later in the race.
You Win When You Beat Your Opponent
A boxer wins either by knocking out his opponent or obtaining a higher score from judges compared to his opponent.
As casual runners, our opponents are usually ourselves. In running, we always strive to beat our own previous records, be it distance or timing. So, if you find yourself running a longer distance or clocking a faster pace, consider yourself a champion!
New runners, when you find yourself making that step away from the couch and out of the door, you are also a champion! We all know how hard it is to fight inertia.
Don’t Underestimate Injuries
Numerous boxers have been reported to suffer from serious injury, and some died in the ring during a match or shortly after a match. Similarly, running has caused injuries and death for some runners.
While certain things are out of our control, we should do our utmost taking care of our health and nursing our injuries.
Boxing as Cross Training
Boxing is an excellent cross training option for runners as it allows you to train upper body muscles while boosting stamina and flexibility.
You can train for boxing on its own, or perform shadow boxing – throwing punches in the air – while you run.
Do you think boxing is a good complement to running?
