Alton Merkerson
Alton Merkerson
beaten either fighter figured gotten gym might motivated pleasing roy second self strange time tired train trouble weak weight work
As strange as it sounds, Roy wasn't motivated for those two fights. Roy is either self-motivated or he's not motivated at all. For those fights, he was bored. He was tired of pleasing other people. The second Tarver fight; he figured he'd beaten Tarver the first time when he was weak and had trouble making weight so now it would be easy. I didn't get what I should have gotten out of him in camp. And with Glen Johnson, it was the same thing. You can't make a fighter train if he doesn't want to. He might come to the gym but he won't work right while he's there.
asked believed cleaned few gym johnson next retire roy uncle weeks
I really thought Roy was going to retire after the Johnson fight. That's what he told me, and I believed it. Then, in June, I went out to his farm. Roy wasn't there. I asked where he was, and his uncle said that he was out doing roadwork. A few weeks after that, Roy got the gym cleaned up. Then he started training; and the next thing I knew, there was a fight.
bored boxing fight good gotten motivated roy second seemed tired
Roy had gotten bored with boxing. He wasn't motivated for the first fight with Tarver, the second fight with Tarver or the fight with Johnson. He was tired of the whole boxing scene, because nothing he accomplished seemed to be good enough.
action constantly explain frame last louder mind people positive shoot speaks supposed telling time trying
There comes a time when action speaks louder than words. Constantly telling people what you're going to do like Tarver's doing and trying to explain why you didn't do what you were supposed to do the last time, that's not a positive thing. If I'm going to shoot you, I'm not going to tell you. I'm just going to shoot you. That's the frame of mind Roy's in right now.
best considered fact fighter matter reached roy status title ultimate won
The fact of the matter is, that when you get to the status that Roy is in, and you are considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and you've won the heavyweight title -- you've reached the ultimate goal, so what else do you do?