POWER OF PRAYER
NOV. 9, 1996, HOLYFIELD VS TYSON I:
Evander Holyfield shocked the world by knocking out Mike Tyson for the WBA heavyweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The bout was Tyson's first defense of the WBA title that he had won from Bruce Seldon on September 7 of that year.
BACKGROUND:
Mike Tyson (the Baddest Man on the planet) had the bully persona, explosive power, and rattlesnake quickness, notching 26 stoppage wins in his first 28 bouts. This made the Vegas bookies judge Evander Holyfield as a 25-to-1 underdog. But in the 10th Round Holyfield placed a counter right to the temple of Tyson causing the champions LEGS TO BUCKLE. Tyson kept trading shots, but a Holyfield huge right sent him stumbling across the ring. Holyfield delivered eight more clean punches before the bell. When the 11th Round came, Holyfield quickly finished off a defenseless Tyson, with the referee stopping the contest…The monster was SLAYED!…The bully proved to be all too human!.. The UNDERDOG overcame the odds!
INTERVIEW POST FIGHT:
Someone asked Evander Hollyfield what he was saying to Mike Tyson during their fight. Hollyfield stated he didn’t say anything to Tyson directly- explaining that he was praying! "I prayed during training. I prayed when I got in the ring with Mike, and I still prayed when I was fighting because I knew what a great fighter I was facing."
FAST FORWARD TO 2019:
It’s Oct 9, 2019, and MMA fighter Rose Namajunas is outwardly praying during her UFC 217 face off with the undefeated champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, (the self-proclaimed BOOGEYMAN). Noticing that Rose would constantly mumble to herself throughout the pre-fight interactions with the BULLY Jedrzejczyk, an interviewer ask Rose what she was saying. Rose explained (ala Holyfield) that she was reciting The Lord’s Prayer to keep her mind clear and REPEL any and all of the psychological (intimidation) attacks by Jedrzejczyk. Unable to infiltrate Roses head led to the demise of Jedrzejczyk, as it rendered her Mind-Game tactics USELESS. Prayer literally fortified her vulnerability! Intimidation before the fight (like Tyson) was so successful with her prior opponents. But just like Holyfield, Namajunas upset the odds and became champion with a stoppage. I think the angels rejoiced with that victory! She too, SHOCKED many around the world, who thought Jedrzejczyk was unbeatable.
RETROSPECTION:
Praying before a fight…Praying during the fighting! Who ever heard of that? WOW! Come on man, that is MIND-BLOWING…So, socially UNCONVENTIONAL. So, totally UNEXPECTED. So, ICONOCLASTIC! So, POETIC! So, absolutely- BEAUTIFYUL! So, incredibly ENDEARING! How can the onlooker not root & love these two WARRIORS?! Praying before a fight…Praying during the fighting! REALLY? …But, WHY NOT?! Yes! WHY NOT! In retrospect- Pure genius! ALCHEMY! Thank You BOTH, for your courageous examples of FAITH. You just made ALL WHO WITNESSED & understood your TRANSPOSITION OF FEAR- sooooo much stronger! That’s what I love about sports- those key indelible moments where the sport itself is transcended & a LIFE-LESSON is revealed! BRAVO-BRAVO!
ANALYSIS OF PRAYER:
How else can you face The Beast that everyone expects to DEVOUR you?
How else can you combat The Fear when facing a MONSTOSITY?
How else can you petition The Lord to PROTECT you?
How else can you summon The Survival Instinct to ATTACK when being attacked?
How else can you unleash The Superpowers WITHIN you?
How else can you infuse The Spiritual Factor onto a PHYSICAL contest?
P.S. Both the above skirmishes prove the following point: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS- because Prayer changes THE PERSON who prays! Undoubtedly, there is POWER IN PRAYER! In fact, PRAYER- is our GREATEST WEAPON! How powerful is prayer? I contend that there is NO FOE and NO FORCE that PRAYER cannot combat. Why, even the Grim Reaper cannot lessen THE EFFECTS OF PRAYER! What is prayer? PRAYER- is our GREATEST WEAPON!
B.P.S.
See the following applicable lyrics from Pull the Lever:
“IT’S TIME!
To bring the Biggest-Bad-Ass YOU to the FRAY.
Face your demons & while you’re fight’n pray!
That’s THE WARRIOR’S WAY.
IT’S TIME!
Remember-
The biggest statement you can ever make,
is with your STATE OF MIND.
So, CALL UPON THE DEVINE!”
…from the Lookout Post