Quotes Meaning

"I didn’t really watch any fighters because we didn’t have a TV. Of course, I knew about Carlos Monzon because he is such a huge icon in my province and in my state, but I can honestly say I don’t get any instincts from other fighters."

- Marcos Maidana

In this quote, Argentine professional boxer Marcos Maidana talked about his experiences in the sport. Maidana, who was born in Rio Tercero, Cordoba, Argentina, was unable to watch many fights as a child because he did not have access to a television. For those who lived in rural areas with limited access to information and entertainment, this was not unusual.

Maidana was aware of Carlos Monzon, a well-known Argentine boxer who dominated the middleweight class in the 1970s, even though he had not been exposed on television. Monzon became a cultural icon in Cordoba province and across Argentina, his fame extending well beyond televised matches. Whether or not they had watched his bouts on television, the respect for Monzon was like a lighthouse that shone brightly through the lives of many young boxers in the area.

Maidana continued by saying that although he looked up to people like Monzon, his own instincts and fighting style were not influenced by them. Growing up without seeing other fighters was like learning to ride a bike with only one wheel; it was difficult but doable because it made him create his own style based on experience rather than copying others.

The quotation emphasizes how people can overcome obstacles to create their own paths, taking ideas from the larger cultural background while forging a distinctively personal identity. Instead of copying the methods or styles of others, Maidana needed to find strength in his knowledge and emotions about boxing.

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