BOXING: RONDALE “GIVE ‘EM HELL” HUBBERT TAKES HIS NICKNAME FOR A TEST DRIVE

BY RAY KILGORE, 6/22/18: A successful boxer is often best served by inhabiting qualities that most would deem repulsive, or that others wish they could demonstrate without negative consequences for their image, career, or family name. In other words, a boxer might owe his success to his intensity, irrational thinking, narcissism, overconfidence, and ability to manipulate others in the ring. And a fighter’s nickname can reflect his approach to fighting and can start the mental games long before the bout begins. Just as a fighter prepares his body during weeks of hard training, he might put the same degree of mental effort into the selection of his moniker—“Sugar,” for example, has a certain smoothness laced with a clear summary of the fighter’s ultimate intention, for the current fight and for the rest of his career.

When it was time to pick a nickname, Minnesota born fighter Rondale Hubbert chose “Give ‘Em Hell.” Ironically, the 29-year-old said the nickname developed after his amateur coach said that it was appropriate for what he saw in a young Hubbert, who says he ended his amateur boxing career with a 56-6 record, winning his first fight by TKO in 2008.

The father of three now prepares to challenge undefeated Manuel Damairias Lopez  next Friday (June 30, 2018) at the Pepsi Center in Denver. And thinking about the upcoming fight, the end result matters, but more important is what it means to Hubbert to “Give ‘Em Hell” throughout his boxing career and the rest of his life.

Reflecting on his life in the ring, Hubbert (11-5-1, 7 KOs) realizes it would have been just as appropriate to call himself “What the Hell.” Hubbert has determined that in order to achieve his goals in life, in order to avoid falling victim to apathy and denial, one must always respond to a challenge with “What the hell?” This has given him the necessary safeguards to take risks, knowing that his self-worth wasn’t going to be compromised in the process. “I knew where I was at [in my boxing career], and so there was no reason for me to step down and start to fight weaker guys,” he says. “I know what type of fights I like and just don’t duck anyone. If I get the call and feel like it’s a winnable opportunity, I am going to take it.” The idea is provocative, a recognizable concept that most people can relate to in their daily activities.

Hubbert was born in Minnesota and now makes his home in Moorhead. And like many boxers, he had to overcome great adversity when he was young, an experience that afforded him the opportunity to develop a keen self-awareness, especially as a boxer.

“Every loss I took was short notice fights: two weeks to prepare and stepping up in competition and was going through a lot [in my life],” he says. “I was taking fights that I shouldn’t have. But one thing I learned through my losses–that is, you have to get your life strengthened up outside of the ring, and it makes it easier to do your job inside of the ring.”

In August of 2014, Hubbert’s life was finally in order and he challenged then USA Minnesota State Super Lightweight champion RJ Laase, who held a record of 12-1-9, KOs, while Hubbert was at 6-0-1. Outside of Hubbert’s family and friends, few thought Hubbert had a chance in the fight. And while he estimates that 20 to 30 friends and family will come to see him fight, that left a large audience of people convinced the winner of the fight was a foregone conclusion. Laase, the theory went, was just too seasoned for Hubbert. But Hubbert fought in a focused and discipline style and took Lasse’s title by unanimous decision. Perhaps he had proved his theory correct: His life outside the ring was in order, and it paid off inside the ring.

Hubbert hopes to experience the same thing when he fights Lopez if he remains focused on his game plan. He says early in his amateur career, his most effective boxing style was that of the aggressor. But over time, as he gained more experience and exposure as a professional, the necessary adjustments didn’t come easy.

Friday night, when he faces Lopez, Hubbert feels that by smoothing out his arsenal and setting the tempo, the odds will be in his favor. “[I am] working on being more aggressive and disrupting [Lopez’s] game plan by being a boxer counter-puncher,” says Hubbert. “I had a more aggressive style of fighting as an amateur and didn’t care how it looked. But for this fight, counter-puncher fits the best in order to get the win.”

And Hubbert is not finished after this next fight; he is already thinking about the future. Throughout the interview, Hubbert shared hopes for either a fight with Minnesota native Delorian Caraway (who beat him as an amateur twice) or Minnesota native Markus Morris (11-3, 7 KOs), the USA Minnesota State Super Lightweight title holder, a belt Hubbert feels Morris has on loan.

When Hubbert isn’t preparing for a fight, he works as a cook full-time—his goal is to attend culinary school and open up a restaurant. Minnesota native Bob Dylan has a song entitled “Everybody’s Gotta Serve Somebody,” and since turning professional in 2012, Hubbert has dished out some serious blows against his opponents and received some in return.

Hubbert’s found his way out of some serious spots in life, in and out of the ring. So what the hell, why worry about what’s coming at him across the ring when he’s already managed so much? After all, if he’s left with no other options, he can always just plant his feet, fight back, and remind all of us that he’s called “Give ’Em Hell” for a reason.