THE DEEP END
IT is a rainy Sunday in the hills above Manchester and Josh Warrington finds himself neck deep in a lake. Open to anything that may expand or strengthen the mind, the afternoon has been spent practising breathing and focus techniques.
The shock of cold water can suck the life from the lungs of the most experienced swimmer so a quick dip is the ideal opportunity to put some of the methods into practice. Relax. Concentrate. Focus. The keys to survival sound simple but the urge to panic and thrash around for something to hold on to is involuntary and comes much more naturally. It is also the fastest route to the bottom.
The techniques are nothing new to the former IBF featherweight belt-holder but today is about getting back to basics. A reminder of just how important a one-track mind was in creating his impregnable self-belief.
In February, a trojan horse called Mauricio Lara marched almost unnoticed through those previously impenetrable defences and knocked Warrington out, dousing his dreams of Las Vegas and worldwide recognition.
The shock was sudden and unexpected and took a long time to wear off but Warrington hasn’t panicked and grasped for excuses. He knows exactly what he needs to do to beat Lara in this weekend’s crucial
