An exchange between UFC fighter Max Rohskopf and his trainer Robert Drysdale on Saturday underlined the fine lines that exist
They say that picking a trainer is like choosing a spouse. It can click instantly, or be a case of trial and error. But what is inescapably true is that the bond between trainer and fighter is deep, special and intimate. Trust is key. It can be as close as family. Trainers have been seen down the years as mentors, motivators, psychologist, friend, father, fight technician or indeed, all of those things wrapped into one, and that is why the role of trainer in the corner during fights, between rounds, is a vital one.
There is an etiquette to the corner. Before fighters make their lonely walk to the ring or the cage in combat sports, fighter and trainer will have spoken of the trust that exists between them. It has to be implicit. Fighting is inherently dangerous, physically, mentally and emotionally, as the man or woman in the ring is entering a fight in which they know they can be hurt.
That is why there was so much consternation from fans and observers on Saturday night at a UFC event in Las Vegas, which stretched the bounds of credulity between fighter and trainer. Max Rohskopf, a 25 year old undefeated fighter took to the UFC Octagon for the first time, in his sixth professional MMA fight, two years into his paid career. But after two five-minute rounds, told his coach Robert Drysdale, a former fighter himself, that he was done. “Call it,” said the fighter.
Drysdale would not have it. Nine times Rohskopf repeated his desire to end the fight. Drysdale would not have it. But when referee Mark Smith heard the fighter’s wishes, he stopped the contest before the third round could begin. It was a good decision. The right decision. Rohskopf took the fight on at short notice, and Drysdale said later that he knew Rohskopf was not injured, just tired. They know each other better than anyone commenting on this, but not just the the physical health but the mental well-being of the fighter was key here.
It’s such a fine line – not in this case – with trainers exhorting their fighters. That is why they so often use the ‘we” not the ‘you’. They are together in there, psychologically at least, as they have been through arduous training camps. But the trainer has to maintain the separation of knowing when his fighter is at the limit, and when to pull his fighter out.
Some of the greatest trainers have been father figures – some have been fathers like Enzo Calzaghe with Joe Calzaghe, who knew every tick and twist of his son – such as Cus D’Amato with Mike Tyson or Ray Arcel with Roberto Duran. Outside the technical know-how, game plans and strategy, the trainer must know the fighter’s mind.
Eddie Futch, Joe Frazier’s first trainer, was a master of psychology and motivation, as well as a technical guru. But he knew to pull Frazier out after the 14th round against Muhammad Ali at the Thrilla in Manila at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines, in 1975. Victory would have meant everything in their trilogy battle for the supremacy of each other. But Frazier’s health was more important.
Angelo Dundee arguably went on too long with Muhammad Ali, and said many times that he had told Ali to quit the sport. Thereafter, he trained Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman. With Ali, he was more motivator than technician. Ali was a one-off and could adjust in a second, or from round to round. But the relationship between fighter and trainer will always remain a unique dynamic, and complex, which is why it is a fine line between urging your fighter on, and realising that he is broken in that moment.
The reverse to the Rohskopf scenario is when your fighter is getting hurt, and yet he or she is still showing an overabundance of courage. There was criticism, initially, from Deontay Wilder in February when Mark Breland threw in the towel as the American was taking a pummelling in the seventh round. But where is Wilder now? Healthy and ready for the trilogy fight when the big crowds return. Every fighter sometimes needs saving from themselves, so that they can fight another day. Or indeed, have their health for many more. The best trainers understand their fighters, and the best combinations have an unshakeable trust.