“Building Blocks”

By @medafOracle
Follow @medafOracle

From toddlers with shape sorters to young children with Lego’s to construction workers with bricks to an architect finishing the Trump Towers. These are building blocks. Progression is the key. Opportunity is the door. Of course one would ask, “Why do I need a key when I can kick the door down if they don’t let me in?” and my response would be to oppose the question with a question……“would it not be easier just to walk in the front door of your own empire that you built?” Let’s step in the phone booth….

In the gladiator sport we call boxing, every fighter wants that spotlight, that household name and that Golden Boy Promotions Empire when it’s all said and done. Before all of these things can happen they are but a mere toddler playing with shapes or what we in the boxing community like to call a “Club Fighter”. The music industry is no different. Every artist is a local artist before bursting onto the global scenery. “How can you compare the music industry with boxing?” one might ask…..simple. Let’s dissect the two. In what the boxing community would call a “club fighter”, the music industry would call a local artist. Both craftsmen put on a show locally, typically for small change. Both more than likely still have regular 9-5 jobs as well. Eventually, that buzz begins to build locally and the out of state fights come, or from a local artist’s perspective; the out of state shows.

As time passes, there then becomes a stage where an artist is then put on a greater spotlight in opening up for major acts that have also gone through these same building stages. A fighter is no different. This is where the term “undercard” comes in….or the, “Yuriorkis Gamboa stage”, if you will. The level of one’s talent simply would state that they are deserving of this stage at this point of their career, nonetheless; in order to get there you would have to detach from those trust issues in actually letting in a few select people in order to build a strong team and support system. In both music and boxing, management also comes into play and has a place in this circle of trusted souls.

In having a strong and trusted team of individuals and management, your “local” club fighter can easily graduate to the Garry Russell Jr. of the rap game or “prospect of the year”. However you see fit to put it. At this point, this is where boxing and music may slightly differ. While being a prospect of the year or “local legend” as an artist’s home town would put it; these individuals may have a slightly different outlook on their prosperity. As both worlds are considered “cut throat”, a boxer may question his abilities more so than an artist. Being that boxing is a combat sport, the boxer may question the level of his/her skill compared to their opposition’s skill as this is a one-on-one battle. Whereas with an artist, you can afford to make a mistake or two without getting knocked out (so to speak) and having to start from the bottom again. Boxing fans are a little less forgiving in this sense. Now, I frankly don’t believe Drake “started from the bottom”, nonetheless he is “here” and can afford to slip up at this stage. Ask Amir Khan if a boxer can afford the same slip ups in the rings….I’m sure he would say “No”.

As in music, boxing is no different when attempting to become today’s Floyd “Money” Mayweather or Jay Z. Each individual has building blocks to stack, a team they need to trust but most importantly faith in themselves to get to the main stage. From the average local artist or “club fighter” to the Austin “No Doubt” Trout’s to the Drake’s to the Floyd Mayweather’s; I salute you all in what you have built. After all, we were all toddlers once playing with shape sorters.

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• In the Phone Booth with Leezy Soprano
• In the Phone Booth: The Business of Boxing Gimmicks
• Body of Work vs Working the Body
• In the Phone Booth with Shaun B.
• In the Phone Booth with Rel
• In the Phone Booth: Out the Box
• In the Phone Booth with KB
• In the Phone Booth with Random aka @megaran
• In the Phone Booth with Austin Trout
• In the Phone Booth with Dylan Jenet
• In the Phone Booth with Reecie Reece
• In the Phone Booth with Phoenix
• In the Phone Booth with Stereo Mike
• In the Phone Booth with Feli Fame
• Technician vs Technician : Erislandy Lara vs Austin Trout
• Epic Battles: Peter Quillin vs Gabriel Rosado
• "Building Blocks"
• In the Phone Booth with Tru-Ace

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