Why are ringwalks so important to boxers? Ask Conner Kelsall
The idea of trading punches in a ring with a boxer, while being watched by thousands of baying fight fans, would terrify most of us.
Conner Kelsall, though, says the significance of the theatrical walk into the ring is also something that should never be underestimated.
It can be a nerve-wracking few moments as fighters make their way through the crowd to the tune of their liking.
Thankfully, Conner came through his latest test - both in and out of the squared circle - after more than year out of the sport.
He was on the Ryan Rhodes/Jamie Sheldon show at Magna, Rotherham, last weekend.
It was his first outing since outpointing Conor Quinn to win the Commonwealth title in Belfast on June 28 last year.
Conner had to re-acclimatise himself to his surroundings after such a long time out, through no fault of his own.
He beat Manchester southpaw Steven Maguire over six rounds, but seems to have put almost as much thought into the prior ringwalk.
Asked if he needed a battle in the ring to get back into the swing of things, the 26-year-old flyweight replied: "The thing with me is not the fight...it is doing that ring walk.
"Seeing those people again, getting under the lights, getting the nerves, doing the warm-up..."
He pointed out in an interview with JF Boxing TV that he hadn't experienced that for a full year .
"This is the big part of boxing that people forget about.
"The ring walk is a main thing, if you lose it on that ringwalk you have lost the fight. You have to be fully focused, tunnel vision."
Kelsall, by day a bar manager at The White Lady pub in Conisbrough, had walked into the ring with a red bandana around his head and a six-man entourage behind him.
They held aloft an English flag and the Commonwealth belt, although ironically, he'd been stripped of that by the sanctioning body because of a lack of fights.
He'd been unable to compete in the previous 12 months, he said, because potential opponents either pulled out or retired.
Now he is hoping for a "very big title fight" around September.
So what's the big deal about ringwalks?
Entrances can unnerve opponents or boost a boxer's confidence.
Sheffield's Naseem Hamed had a sensational array of different rituals, hoping to steal an edge.
Another former Ingle boxer, Billy Joe Saunders, entered against Canelo Alvarez in 2021 alone to 'Spartan Soldier' giving off a solitary, defiant vibe.
Michael Conlan walks out to the Irish ballad 'Grace' tapping into heritage and stirring pride.
Often the spectacle pays homage to the fighter's specific background, a form of identity projection.
Barnsley's Cory Sagar's walk at Magna last Saturday was supported by The Reyton's 2021 hit song: "Kids Off The Estate."
Ricky Hatton's ringwalk to 'Blue Moon' was hailed as "a declaration of cultural solidarity."
Floyd Mayweather Jr, one of the greatest boxers of all time, explained: "The ringwalk sets the stage for what is about to come; it’s a moment when all eyes are on you.”
Sugar Ray Leonard concluded: "I believe the ringwalk can win half the fight, mentally.”