The fifteenth round

From Meri Lika 

Several times it happened to me to stand in front of the mirror and say: "I can't do it anymore, I will give up", but I always remembered a story told to me by a former boxer who had the principle of never giving up.

It's one of my favorite stories and it shows that no matter what happens, you should never give up.

In 1975, the two boxing legends Mohamed Ali and Joe Frazier met for the third time in the ring, which was known as "The thrill in manila". The statistics showed that each of them had one win, and this was the matchup that would give victory to only one.

The fight was like a train wreck, and after 12 rounds, both fighters had hit each other with more than 400 punches. Ali was devastated inside, barely breathing from Frazier's lefts. While Frazier was nearly blind as a result of the constant punishment of blows that Ali had given him in the face.

When the bell rang, the exhausted Ali went to his corner and told the coach: to throw in the towel, because he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to give up. But Angelo Dundee, who was a great motivator, restrains him and inspires him to fight one more round. According to the trainer, victory and defeat were at the same distance and required only a little more effort.

Ali goes to the ring and gives everything, Frazier, on the other hand, also does not give up and for every blow he receives in the face, he responds with powerful blows to the opponent's body. At the end of the 13th round, already with obvious physical problems, Mohamed Ali says once again to his coach: Stop the fight, enough, I can't take it anymore! Dundee again motivates him to fight and one last round.
The boxer stands up and faces his rival once more.

At the end of the 14th round, after fighting another very hard round, Mohamed Ali comes down very badly in his corner, he insists on finishing the fight because he couldn't throw any more punches, he had the bones broken inside and was afraid of dying.

"If you're going to die, die after you finish the 15th round" tells Dundee, Ali at the limit of his powers threatens to take off the gloves. Dundee addresses him: "When the gong rings you just stay where you are and I I will ask for the end of the battle, but just stay."

Ali simply nodded his head in agreement. At that moment the unexpected happens: Joe Frazier retires, he surrendered.
Eddie Futch, his trainer, did not let his student fight again. He had the experience of losing a boxer because he didn't stop the fight in time, and he knew that if Joe Frazier fought one more round, he would die.

I, probably and many others, have been of the idea that Foltorja should create a new political party and continue the struggle under another sigil, and not be exhausted in the struggle for the seal and the logo.

Today I say that I was completely wrong, the fifteenth round has not yet come.