WBA Super World Bantamweight champion, Ryan Burnett, joined Thursday’s OTB AM to discuss his rise to the top of his sport.
The unbeaten 25-year-old will defend his title on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua-Joseph Parker world heavyweight title fight on March 31.
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“It’s all about working on your subconscious mind,” Burnett told Andy Lee.
“Throughout my training camp, I work on my subconscious mind – constantly repeating stuff – so that when the time comes I can switch off my body and my body knows exactly what to do without me consciously trying to control it.
“During my training camps I keep telling myself what to do in certain situations and gradually that sinks into my subconscious mind.”
Burnett has delivered nine knockout blows in his 18 career bouts to-date and places a big value on the power of his mental strength.
“I’ve been looking at it for years and years and I started talking to Adam [Booth] about it,” Burnett added.
“And Adam agrees about the subconscious mind and how the mind works. We both sit down and talk about different things; shot selections and what to do in different times.
“And if you keep repeating these things they happen naturally on the night.”
Burnett claimed his current WBA Super World Bantamweight belt by beating Zhanat Zhakiyanov in his hometown of Belfast in October last year.
And Burnett described how his mental training helped him see off Lee Haskins – in a previous encounter - when doubts could have surfaced in his thoughts.
“I think I’m very good at preparing my mind correctly - I know how to switch my mind on and off,” Burnett said.
“When I fought Haskins I got a massive cut on my head and I could immediately refocus and instantly forget about it and crack on with exactly what I needed to do.”
James Hopper
