Thanks for your question, Alexis.  I appreciate every bit of interest and feedback.  Nerves play a large role during the week leading up to a fight, and mental preparation, meditaion, and visualization are just as important as physical training for me.

The visualization process has kind of evolved for me over time.  It used to be simply sitting around and picturing the fight.  The more that I read about the mind and psychology--especially sports psychology--the more it helped evolve the process.  The process involves clearing the mind, breathing well, concentrating on the breathing, and constantly visualizing at real time speed what’s going to happen on fight night. 

I visualize the car ride to event center, getting my hands wrapped, the warm up exercises, the anxiety waiting for the fight, the walk to the ring, the ring announcer announcing my opponent and me, the referee's instructions, and the fight itself.  I also picture what I’m going to feel like after the fight.  I'm mentally prepared for all of the variables before anything happens.  It’s a multi-step process of clearing my mind and priming myself for the defense.  

Just as important as visualization is having the right attitude.  From the moment I wake up, I think about all of things I'm grateful for and all of the things I'm blessed to have.  I learned that from a motivational speaker Darren Hardy.  I've been listening to him a lot lately.  That notion of being positive, not being overwhelmed by the day, and to be grateful for all of the things you pursue that day has affected my overall mental state.

Thank you for your question.  The practice of law and the sport of boxing each present such unique challenges that it is impossible for me to compare the tough experiences I've had from each profession.

In the boxing ring, my toughest fight to date was against German Jurado of Panama on September 20, 2012 for the WBU World Lightweight Title.  Jurado was a very well conditioned, determined, passionate, and rough fighter who brought his absolute best to the ring on fight night.  The majority of the mental and physical challenges were very apparent to those in attendance.  The bout went twelve rounds and was non-stop action from start to finish.

Still, there were several subtle challenges in my fight against Jurado.  One such challenge gave me the feeling of being in a chess match while simultaneously being in an all-out brawl.  Throughout the fight, my opponent and I both had to make constant adjustments in order to counter what the other was doing.  Consistently staying two or three steps ahead of my opponent proved to me a major factor in why I was able to be victorious.  While this was my toughest fight, I also found it to be my most enjoyable.  I was completely absorbed in each moment and I loved every new challenge that presented itself with which often seemed to occur with the transition from one breath to the next.  It was an honor to share the ring with such a great warrior and it was a night that I will always remember.

While there isn’t one particular court appearance that sticks out in my mind above all of the others in terms of difficulty, the practice of law is filled with a variety of challenges.  It is not only necessary to have a complete understanding of your client's case and to be able to constantly think on your feet, you must be prepared for the added pressures of angry and unhappy judges, off-the-wall statements made by clients, and confusing issues that have certainly made me feel at times as if I were in a title fight!