The question was put to Kenny Lally and Bob Pegues in completely separate interviews. Lally was at his home in Prince George and Pegues had just gotten off a plane in Regina.
Both were asked to describe their relationship with the other. And they gave identical, one-word answers.
"Unique," they said.
For more than a decade, Lally and Pegues have been boxer and head coach at Prince George's Inner City Boxing Club. Together, they have won six Canadian championships, the most recent one last Saturday in Mississauga, Ont., when Lally scored a unanimous decision against Hamilton's Bradley Wilcox in the 56-kilogram national final.
To say Lally and Pegues have been on the same page when it comes to Lally's boxing career would not do justice to their bond, which has been forged in the heat of countless training sessions and a hundred-plus bouts. More accurately, these men - one of them 25 and the other 60 - are inside each other's head. Their "unique" answer proved that, if any additional proof was required.
The connection between Lally and Pegues is indeed something special. Along with the unfathomable amount of hard work and commitment they have given in the name of boxing, the Lally-Pegues link is a vital reason for Lally's success. From Lally's point of view, knowing there's someone standing in his corner - someone he knows and trusts on a deep level - can be the difference between winning and losing when his opponent has the tools to push him to his limits.
Lally used the word "huge" to describe the emotional impact of having Pegues ringside for Saturday's final against Wilcox. Fighter and coach had been in similar situations so many times before, and knowing they were in it together once again was all the fuel Lally needed as he prepared for battle. When the final bell sounded and Lally was sure he had won, he experienced a moment he'll never forget.
"Bob came out on the apron and we were looking at each other and I was just overwhelmed with joy," Lally said. "I couldn't control myself. I just started smashing my gloves together, ran up to him, and we gave each other a huge hug. It's just not me winning, it's just as big for Bob too."
This Canadian championship had extra meaning for Lally and Pegues because it marked a return to the top. Last year, Lally took a hiatus from elite-level boxing so he could rest his body and mind (a decision fully supported by Pegues). In Lally's absence, Francois Pratte won the 2013 national title in the 56kg weight class.
From purely a boxing point of view, Pegues had no doubts Lally would reclaim his Canadian crown. Leading up to nationals, he could tell by the way his fighter was carrying himself that nothing would stop him from achieving his objective.
Just how connected are these two guys? Well, according to Pegues, they can communicate without either of them speaking a single word.
"He knows by how I'm looking and by my body language what I want from him in the ring or in training," Pegues said. "So that's really cool. We've been together a long time now. I always say he's like a son. As coach and junior athlete, coach and youth athlete and then coach and senior athlete, the relationship has just grown with the years into an excellent relationship. Like I said, it's almost telepathic in the boxing part of it."
With nationals now successfully behind him, Lally is looking to the future, which could include a berth in the 2015 Americas Confederation Boxing Championships next June (location to be determined) or a spot on Team Canada for the 2015 Pan Am Games next July in Toronto. The Americas Confederation tournament will serve as a qualifier for the 2015 world championships in Qatar, which in turn will be used to send boxers to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Back in May of 2012, Lally was in Rio for the Olympic trials and ended up two wins short of qualifying for the London Games. And while he's trying not to look too far ahead right now, he admits he'd like to get to the next Olympics - and not just for his own sake.
He'd like to get there for Pegues, who, in a bit of cosmic congruence, was two wins away from making it to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
"Bob deserves that [Olympic appearance] just as much as I do," Lally said.
Most people consider boxing an individual pursuit, and rightly so. Inside the ropes, it's a one-on-one sport in a pure and often painful form. But Lally and Pegues show there is a team element as well.
Whether in training or in a fight, Lally relies on Pegues for direction and support. Lally may be the one throwing - and taking - the punches, but Pegues is there for every blow given and received. And, like Lally, he feels the hurt and the glory.
The final words go to Lally, who best sums up the importance of the connection between himself and his coach.
When asked where he would be without Pegues, he thought for a moment and replied:
"Not where I am now - definitely not where I am."
