THE SHOOTIST (1976)
Gillom Rogers: "But how could you get into so many fights and then always come out on top? I nearly tied you shooting!"
J.B. Books: "Friend, there isn't anybody up there shooting back at you. It isn't always being fast or being accurate that counts. It's being willing, and I found out early that most men regardless of cause or need aren't willing. They blink an eye or draw a breath before pulling a trigger, I won't."
I think this scene, though unrelated to boxing, does seem to click in my mind as the one real difference between someone who is great and good. I have known of several men, even in the amateur ranks, who were better skilled or faster than some top pros were, but they fell short. Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey in alot of ways personifies this logic (imho) because despite Marciano's physical inferiorities, he kept 'firing' non-stop, coming straight up the middle forcing someone to either fight harder or to freeze up and get knocked out. Real fighters, true all time greats, are willing; though there have been alot of great talents, they simply did not throw caution to the wind and just come forward and accept that they were going to get hit hard, just to get one in.
In your opinion, just how much does being willing mean in boxing, is it a small contribution or is it tremendous? Is being willing being smart, or being reckless? Is being willing, what makes a man great, or is it something you take with a grain of salt. I want to hear everyone's opinions, and if you want to give examples of a man/woman you think was the definition of "willing" and someone who was the exact opposite.