"It was a massive learning curve" – John Wayne Parr reveals why he no longer fights with anger

John Wayne Parr admits fighting with anger as a younger fighter and that he's since changed his mindset. [Photo: ONE Championship]
John Wayne Parr admits fighting with anger as a younger fighter and that he's since changed his mindset. [Photo: ONE Championship]

John Wayne Parr is as versed as anyone in the business of fighting, but that doesn’t make him immune to getting his emotions all tangled up.

The striking legend, who will make his final competitive appearance at ONE X next weekend, revealed that he would sometimes go into a rage in the ring, which would throw him off his game.

The man known as 'The Gunslinger' added that keeping his mental composure was one of the hardest things he had to learn in his illustrious career. It was a lesson John Wayne Parr learned dearly in a fight early on in his journey.

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When asked whether he wanted to take his opponent’s head off, Parr told ONE Championship:

“Yes. As a matter of fact, it was a massive learning curve. I fought this gentleman contender, and he really showed [that kind of attitude] but then he was just so annoying. All the film crew, all the fighters, all the trainers, everyone's calling me and telling me, 'You have to beat this guy.'"

The 45-year-old admitted that anger clouded his judgment in that bout and put him in a difficult position, wherein he was fighting not just his opponent but also himself.

John Wayne Parr's intention was not just to win but also to hurt his opponent in the most vicious way possible. This led to him becoming more frustrated and fatigued as the fight went on:

“The game's in your mind because I want to get this guy here but he's still fighting back. And then it makes you more mentally tired. I won the fight but I learned not to get that emotional ever again... Just focus and stay lucid instead of getting emotions into the fight otherwise, yeah, everything goes in the mud.”

A 100th win will be a special one for John Wayne Parr

Hitting a century of victories in any sport is a massive accomplishment, especially so in a discipline where you’re fighting another skilled person capable of physically hurting you. While there are fighters who’ve won more than 100 fights in Muay Thai and kickboxing, hitting that mark is always special.

A few exceptional fighters who have achieved this feat are Giorgio Petrosyan, ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, ONE featherweight kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn, ONE featherweight Muay Thai titleholder Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy, and Dutch pioneer Ramon Dekkers.

The Australian star feels that foreigners who fight in Thailand can break the 100-win barrier but the milestone is still a rarity for Westerners.

The person looking to prevent John Wayne Parr from notching up a century of wins is two-time ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang. The two will fight under Muay Thai rules at the three-part ONE X on March 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak
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