Sometimes, a trainer needs to step in, shake up his fighter, and make him realize that failure is not an option. The preliminary fight between Kevin Newman II and Elijah Garcia on the Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman card reinforced that idea. A rallying cry from Roy Jones Jr. proved pivotal as Newman secured a close decision victory over his opponent.

The scenes from the corner, when it appeared the fight was getting away from Newman, as Jones Jr. urged him to stay in it or leave the sport altogether, have been gaining considerable attention. That moment proved decisive, as Newman ultimately secured a majority decision win, highlighting how his corner, particularly his trainer Roy Jones Jr., pushed him to respond.

“You’re fucking scared. He’s bit*hing you out. “Alright? He’s bit*hing you out,” Jones Jr. told Newman in the corner. “Okay? He’s bit*hing you out. Okay? Go either fight the motherf**ker or don’t fight. You’re gonna fight or f**king quit. Alright? He’s bit*hing you out right now. Okay? Fight or f**king quit boxing. Alright? And I ain’t gonna say no f**king more.”

Heading into the fight, 22-year-old Garcia was the clear favorite to win. A former super-middleweight contender, he has a win over current champion Jose Armando Resendiz. Many expected him to collect a payday against a 34-year veteran who has mostly fought sporadically.

The bout, fought at a 172-pound catchweight, initially saw Garcia applying pressure. Midway through the fight, he even managed to break Newman’s rhythm. But the Los Angeles native wasn’t intimidated by the youngster’s tactics and fired back. Ultimately, that likely impressed two of the judges, who scored 98-92 and 96-94 in Newman’s favor. The third official scored it a 95-95 draw.

Later, celebrating his prospect’s victory, Roy Jones Jr. outlined the approach that went alongside his fire-up message.

Roy Jones Jr.’s fiery corner moment resonates beyond the Atlantic

“It was a good win when he gutted it out. I was surprised he didn’t put it up. That was good,” he told a reporter. “He fought the last round like he was supposed to. I told him he’s got to win it. He’s got to try to knock him out to win the fight. He tried to knock him out. He landed some beautiful punches. Great win for him. Love it.”

Similar scenes played out in England, where fighters responded to urgent instructions from their corners. Fighting on the main card of Moses Itauma vs. Jermaine Franklin, Brad Pauls received an earful from his trainer as the bout against Shakiel Thompson headed towards the final round.

“It’s up to you, mate!” his trainer told him directly if he wanted the win. And the 32-year-old Cornwall native stepped up in the ninth round, leading to a knockout victory.

Whether this approach is effective can be seen by looking at similar situations in the past. A notable example from the past came when legendary trainer Teddy Atlas amped his fighter, heavyweight Michael Moorer, during the title fight against Evander Holyfield. Like Jones Jr., Atlas sharply berated his fighter to either fight or quit.

Exasperated by Moorer’s performance, Atlas famously said, “Do you want me to fight him?” Do you? Do you want me to change places with you? Look, Michael, I’m not getting up until you tell me you want to win the title. Do you want to win the title?”

His words ultimately proved effective, as Moorer handed Holyfield a second career loss by a majority decision.