FanPost

Who Has Turned a Stumbling Block into a Stepping Stone?

Andre Dirrell is talented enough, but is he tough enough? Andre Dirrell can be cute, but can he crush? Andre Dirrell has the slickness, but does he have the stamina? Those questions will be answered if he and his buddy ever decide on a location for their facin'. Though it seems clear, they would both like the whole thing to just go away...Anyway, the most important question for Dirrell to answer will be...Andre Dirrell is mannerly, but is he mailable?

The Dirrell vs Arthur Abraham fight is 11 rounds of evidence that he is. With just one fight to look at since his giant "teachable moment" loss against Froch, it seems he is capable of the one thing most men, most times just can't do...CHANGE...LEARN. Usually as men, we are what we are. Don't try to change me. I was a (insert yours now) drinker or gambler or smoker, when you met me

But to his credit Dirrell really seemed to learn a lesson from the Froch F-up. He danced and when he got tired of dancing, he ran and when he got tired running, he flicked out some shots. He certainly frustrated Foch, but inadvertently frustrated those that begun the fight rooting for him, and all those who came to watch A fight. He left with the L for those reasons (and maybe a few more), but he turned the fight into fLight, so justifiably he got to take the extra L home with him.

Yes, he did seem to be gassing as Abraham was chasing in the 11th, so maybe he overshot it a bit. But he certainly earned some fans back. He gave out a one-sided beating and dominated an unbeaten fighter and the pre-tournament favorite.

That Froch F-up could be "that moment" the one that changes Dirrell from not enough to Sho'Nuff, The Last Dragon of the Super Six, if he really learned the lesson to, fight more, run less, be more aggressive, sit down on some punches.

Now Chad Dawson is fast, but is he ferocious? Chad Dawson is talented, but is he teachable? Yes, it may have seemed like Pascal might go down in the eleventh and, or maybe the 12th. The fight was closer than the announcers were making it out to be. But even if Chad KO's him in the 12th, people are still talking about how he kept letting Jean Pascal off the hook.

Chad tried to fight him safe and by doing so put himself in harms way of that gash from the clash. It wasn't shown on TV, but is Wladimir his new trainer? Baby bro fights like that for a reason. He's limited to two effective punches. But neither Klitschko would let an opponent off the hook that many times. It was all, catch and release, catch and release, when all the fans not sitting in the arena would have rather seen Chad, catch and bite the head off like Bear Grylls on Man vs Wild.

Saturday night was Chad's big "teachable moment." Will he grow like many believe Dirrell has? Or will he shrink like some previous unbeatens after being beaten, or stagnate like those who never become great?

As Michael Jordan showed the world, even he knew he had to grow. When his lack of a jump shot was exposed, he was willing to fix it. He became Jordan. Or conversely how Shaq has showed the world he was not willing to change. When his lack of free throw shooting was exposed, he felt what got him there was good enough.--- What boxers can be added to the list that have had that "teachable moment" in the ring. The one you watched or read about that propelled him into greater success, changed his career for the best? What fight did they learn that they had to change and what specifically did they change? Who turned a stumbling block into a stepping stone?

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