WEIGHT cutting is, quite simply, one of the most brutal and mentally testing processes that any man or woman can put themselves through.
Often, it comes down to the finest of margins – as little as a few ounces, in some cases – that make the biggest difference to a fighter’s performance.
But still, with each fighter possessing a fiercely dogged mindset, far removed from that of a civilian, they will always go the extra mile to overcome any adversity.
Ahead of his first world title defence against Nick Ball, Raymond Ford openly admitted that, had it not been for a lucrative opportunity to fight in Saudi Arabia, he would have more than likely moved up to 130lbs.
But instead, the then WBA featherweight titlist took on the formidable challenge last June, just under three months removed from his stunning 12th-round stoppage victory over Otabek Kholmatov.
“It was real difficult [to make 126lbs],” Ford told Boxing News. “I didn’t really have a long [training] camp, and then, throughout a lot of that camp, I was traveling to different places.
“I think I went to the UK first, then Bulgaria and then Vegas [before arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia], so it was hard to stay focused on being in camp while I had all these different things going on.
“Fight week is where you’re supposed to be resting your body, but I was training extremely hard just to lose those last four pounds.
“At that time, I wasn’t losing pounds – I was losing ounces. I had to workout two or three times a day during fight week.”
Even at the best of times, media commitments will only ever add further complications to an already draining training camp.
For Ford, 16-1-1 (8 KOs), a UK press conference, followed by a filming day in Bulgaria and commentary duties in Sin City, would have made his preparation far from straightforward.
But despite finding himself on the wrong end of a split decision, the American nonetheless produced a glittering performance against Ball, proving that, even when contending with a severe calorie deficit, he remains an elite level operator.
His decision to face Ball in the first place, rather than moving to super-featherweight sooner, was largely motivated by the money that had been offered.
And so, with the 26-year-old caring for his young family, it is no wonder why he took the opportunity with both hands.
“[Becoming a dad] definitely changed me,” Ford said. “With everything that you do, other people are going to be affected.
“So when I’m making deals, and signing contracts, I’m thinking about my kids. Everything revolves around them.”
Alongside his boxing career, Ford owns a trucking company in New Jersey where, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, he will return to action against Thomas Mattice this Saturday.
Regarding his trucking company, though, ‘Savage’ knows that, with what is so often a short career in the ring, it represents a means towards financial security by the time he eventually steps away from the sport.
“It’s a great way to invest my money, so I don’t have to spend my boxing money,” Ford said. “My main thing right now is to just invest as much [money] as I can.”
