266-270

Chapter 266: Merry Christmas

Gisele's home is in the university district of the port city. Her father, Conrad, teaches at a nearby Catholic university. Their house is a detached villa with a botanical garden, a pleasant environment.

Richard and Gisele arrived here in Patria's beloved new Ferrari 360 Modena. Gisele parents greeted them at the door.

Gisele father, Mr. Conrad, and mother, Ms. Caroline, are both second-generation German immigrants. Conrad teaches at the university and is a part-time writer, while Caroline works at a bank. They belong to the middle class.

More than twenty relatives and friends came to the house to hold a welcome party for the two. A group of people drank beer together, had Brazilian barbecue, danced samba in a circle, it was very lively.

"You don't mind that there are so many people at home, do you?"

Gisele asked.

"Of course not, it's very nice and lively, I like this kind of party." Richard took two skewers of freshly grilled barbecue from the shelf, "Do you want some?"

"No, I just ate two skewers, I'll get fat if I eat more."

Gisele laughed.

"It's good to be a little fatter, you'll be even hotter with a little more weight."

Richard said while eating the barbecue.

Brazilian barbecue is Brazil's national feast, passed down for thousands of years. Brazil has many grasslands, and there are many cattle on the grasslands. If you want to eat meat, you can just kill a cow, put it on a sword and roast it.

And Alegrete is the hometown of Brazilian barbecue.

There are many kinds of barbecue here, grilled beef, chicken legs, pork, sausages, and many grilled fruits. Marinated meat is slowly grilled over charcoal fire, with special seasonings. After grilling, both sides of the meat are golden brown and fragrant.

Richard ate barbecue, drank cold beer, and watched a group of people dancing samba on the lawn. It felt pretty good.

"You've eaten six skewers, aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"

Gisele helped him brush the sauce and smiled.

"It's okay, I have a heavyweight match in two weeks, and I need to gain weight too, so it's okay to eat barbecue here every day."

"Haha, then you can eat barbecue every day from now on. We don't have much else here, but we definitely have enough barbecue."

Gisele picked up a skewer of fragrant barbecue and put it to his mouth.

Richard took a bite. "It's so delicious!"

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, eat later, let's go dancing!"

Patria ran over in a floral dress. She had been dancing in the crowd, and it was hot today, her face was flushed and her forehead was sweaty.

"No more dancing, I can't dance."

When the party started, he followed everyone to dance for a while according to custom, but he had never danced samba before and looked clumsy.

"Brother-in-law, I'll teach you how to dance."

Patria pulled his arm and said.

"Patria, can't you see Richard is eating? Look at you now, like a wild girl, go wipe yourself."

Gisele dabbed her forehead with a handkerchief and then threw it into her hand.

"Okay!"

Patria wiped her sweat. "Brother-in-law, when you're with my sister, does she also control you?"

"Of course, sometimes she even hits me."

Richard laughed.

"Impossible, brother-in-law, you're a boxing champion, she still dares to hit you? Sister, you're too barbaric."

Patria said in surprise.

"Barbaric?"

Gisele pinched her face and questioned, "Who's barbaric?"

"Ah~ Sister, I was wrong, I was wrong. It's 'powerful', not 'barbaric'. Haha, Gisele, you're so amazing, you even dare to hit a boxing champion. It must be just for fun, right? If it were real, brother-in-law could knock you out with one punch... Okay, I'll stop talking."

Patria picked up a glass of beer and gulped it down.

Gisele shook her head. "Patria, you're in your third year of high school next year, right? Can you get into university?"

"Gulp~ cough cough~"

Patria, who was drinking beer, choked. She coughed a few times and said discontentedly, "Gisele, can you not bring up such a depressing topic at this time?"

"Is it depressing to ask about your studies?"

Gisele frowned. "Or is it that you can't even get into an ordinary university?"

"Ha, how is that possible? I'm a good student. Brother-in-law, you continue eating, I'm going to dance over there. Come over later, many friends want to meet you, come quickly."

Patria waved her hand and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"Haha, Patria is very cute."

Richard laughed.

"She's too playful. She wasn't serious about school before, and ever since she got the sports car you gave her, she drives around every day showing it off, completely forgetting about her studies. Humph, I'll let her have fun during the New Year, but after that, I'll take the car away. She can only have it back after she gets into university."

Gisele stared at her sister in the crowd.

"Seventeen or eighteen is the age to have fun. You should let her play. Is going to university that important? Neither of us went to university."

Richard laughed.

"We're different. We chose our future careers when we were seventeen or eighteen. What about her? A professional gamer? How can she find a good job without going to university? And how can she find a suitable partner without a good job?"

"You're right, but you're thinking too much. Patria is very smart, she definitely has her own ideas. It's lively at home today, she's very happy, so don't scare her. Come on, let's have a toast."

Richard raised his beer glass and said.

"Okay, cheers!"

Gisele smiled and clinked glasses.

"Hey, Richard!"

Conrad walked over with two men in suits.

Richard smiled and walked over. These two were Conrad's boss and colleague. They came to visit him after knowing that he, a big celebrity, was here.

Richard didn't mind chatting with them.

After a while, many more people came to see him under the guise of visiting. There were politicians, local rich people, and even more media reporters. The street in front of the villa was crowded with people.

Richard accepted visits from a few people who had a good relationship with Gisele's family, and refused the rest. He came here for vacation, not for work, and didn't want these things to ruin his vacation mood.

The next day was Christmas. Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and it's currently summer. Christmas here is called Green Christmas.

Because 20% of the population in Alegrete are European immigrants from Germany and Italy, the Christmas atmosphere is very strong. On this day, there are many gatherings and activities on the streets, such as dancing, ball games, street concerts, cowboy shows, church concerts, and so on.

Richard and Gisele followed Patria around several lively streets, joining in the fun everywhere, and played for a whole day before returning home in the evening.

Back home, thinking of friends far away, he picked up his phone and called them one by one, saying, "Merry Christmas!"

After Christmas, Richard and Giselen participated in a talk show on Globo TV, the highest-rated TV station in Brazil. They talked about their relationship, their current relationship status, and his views on Brazil, and of course, he said some nice things.

A few days later, the show aired and the ratings exploded, taking the top spot in the monthly ratings. This talk show has been on the air for five years, and his and Gisele's episode ranked in the top ten.

On January 1st, "The Lord of the Rings" premiered in Brazil. Richard and Gisele took Patria to the premiere ceremony held in Alegrete. The film earned 2.3 million dollars at the box office on its first day, which is quite good in a country that only watches football.

"Brother-in-law, the Aragorn you played is so cool, especially when he first appeared, wearing a black hood, revealing half of his face, cold and cool, full of charm."

On the way back in the car, Patria said excitedly.

"Thank you, I think it's good too."

Richard laughed.

"It felt so amazing watching the movie today, I was actually sitting next to the leading actor, hahaha~"

Patria leaned against the car window and laughed.

"You were already silly, and laughing makes you even sillier."

Gisele teased while driving.

"Silly is silly!"

Patria wrinkled her nose. "Brother-in-law, is it fun being an actor?"

"It's fun if you like it, but it's quite boring if you don't."

Richard laughed.

"Really? I like movies a lot. Brother-in-law, do you think I can be an actor?"

Patria blinked and asked.

"Of course, you have a good image and you're very lively. As long as you learn some acting, you can also act in movies."

"Really? Haha, brother-in-law, do you think I can go to Hollywood to act?"

Patria asked expectantly.

"Of course you can. I forgot to tell you, I also have a talent agency and a film production company. If you want to try acting in movies, I can arrange a role for you anytime."

"Really? Haha, brother-in-law, you're the best."

Patria hugged his shoulder and swayed. "Brother-in-law, can I go to America with you?"

"No!"

Gisele rolled her eyes at her. "If you want to go to America, there's only one way to get my welcome and support, and that's to study in America. As long as you can get into an American university, it must be a prestigious one, I can subsidize part of your tuition. I won't care about you if you go to America any other way."

"呜呜, brother-in-law~"

Patria looked at him pitifully.

Richard smiled gently. "I'll listen to your sister."

"."

Patria's face fell, and she slumped in her seat. "Brother-in-law, you're a super boxing champion, a superstar, how can you be like this?"

"Studying is the simplest thing. You can't even do the simplest thing well, what can you do in America? You first prove that you can do one thing well, and then I'll support your next idea."

Gisele said.

"Humph!"

Patria didn't want to talk to her.

"Patria, as long as you get into university, you can come to America during the summer vacation, and I'll arrange a movie role for you to experience the life of an actor."

Richard laughed.

"As long as I get into university, that's all?"

Patria perked up.

"It has to be a good university, ranked in the top 100 globally."

Gisele added.

"Top 100? Ah, you might as well kill me."

Patria leaned back in her seat, motionless.

"Top 300 is also okay, anyway, you need to work hard."

Richard laughed.

"Okay!"

The car returned to the villa, and the family talked about the agreement the three of them made in the car. Conrad and Caroline were very supportive, saying they would supervise Patria's studies, limit her pocket money, and not let her be playful anymore.

Patria cried, covering her face with her hands.

After staying in Brazil for half a month, on January 12th, Richard and Gisele returned to New York.

——

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 267 Never Throwing a Fake Punch

Back in New York on the 13th, less than a week away from the match on the 19th.

Before the match, he went for a pre-match physical examination. After staying in Brazil for more than half a month, his weight increased to 198 pounds, and his muscles became bigger.

Taking advantage of a few days of free time, he stayed in the boxing gym to intensify his training. The increase in muscle mass had a considerable impact on all aspects of his body, and he had to adjust his body and adapt to the changes in weight during these few days.

Bang bang bang~

Richard, wearing a long T-shirt and bandages on his fists, kept hitting the moving punching target in front of him, trying to hit the most suitable position with every punch to ensure the effectiveness of the attack.

Precise strikes and efficient offense are the hallmarks of a top boxer.

Above the top level, that is, the god level, no matter what opponent you face, you always keep the game under your control. No matter how the opponent changes his moves, you can predict it in advance, or lead the opponent by the nose.

God-level boxers can often throw predictive punches and control punches.

In the past, only a few top boxers such as John Sullivan, Joe Louis, and Ali, when they were in their best condition, often threw predictive punches and also presented extremely exciting matches.

This kind of predictive punch relies on experience and talent. When practicing on the punching target, the movement trajectory of the punching target is traceable, but if the opponent is replaced by a living person, the result will be very different.

A person's emotions and state can change at any time in the boxing ring, and a little emotional change will affect the opponent's reaction. People with strong minds can endure pain better, while fragile and irritable people will react more strongly when attacked. In addition, people's reaction nerves are different, and their micro-expressions and the speed at which they produce micro-expressions are also different.

A little difference will affect the accuracy of prediction.

Richard started exploring predictive punches a few years ago, and so far he has only explored a little bit. In a 12-round boxing match, he can only deliver four or five predictive punches when the opponent reveals flaws.

If every shot can predict the opponent's movements and strike accurately, then he will become an invincible god-level boxer.

Richard is still a long way from that stage.

Bang bang bang~

After training for an hour, Richard was covered in sweat, but his physical strength was still very strong. He used to train with a weight of 100 pounds and could last for several hours. The current training volume was still very easy for him.

He stopped training and took a cup to replenish some water. Paul, who was training next to him, also stopped.

"What's wrong?" Richard turned his head and asked.

"Richard, after you finish fighting John Ruiz, are you going to fight Lennox Lewis?" Paul asked, leaning against the punching bag rack.

"Yes, if you want to fight, fight the best. Both of them are orthodox boxing champions, so of course you have to fight them first." Richard said.

"But if you defeat both of them, the WBA-WBC-IBF-IBO gold belts will all fall into your hands. Will the rest of us still have a chance?" Paul said unhappily.

"Of course there is a chance, you can come and challenge me, beat me and take all the gold belts from me, isn't that good?"

"That's too difficult, Richard. Don't be too dictatorial. Look at you, since you entered the light heavyweight class, has anyone else emerged in that class? No, several boxing magazines have made it very clear that your appearance has caused boxers in the light heavyweight field to leave one after another. Some reduced their weight to fight in the super middleweight class, and some increased their weight to jump to the cruiserweight class. Even Roy Jones, who was the best at the time, went to fight in the heavyweight class. This is all because of you, the scourge. When you come to the heavyweight class, you can imagine what our class will become, it will definitely be very bad." Paul shook his head, "Some professionals believe that one person dominating the boxing world is not conducive to the healthy development of the boxing world, just like a towering tree growing in a garden, other plants will wither, just like the current light heavyweight class, this is very bad. So I advise you not to be too unique, a boxing world with a hundred flowers blooming is the best state, only in this way can boxing matches have more markets."

Richard looked at him in surprise, "It's rare that you can say so many truths, you must have read a lot of magazines these days, right?"

"Hey, not much, just a dozen or so." Paul grinned.

"Humph, read less magazines and read more books. Back then, Ali and Tyson dominated the boxing world, which brought boxing matches to the world and made boxing accepted by many people. Since Tyson stepped down from the altar, the influence of boxing in the world The power is gradually shrinking, what is the reason? Of course, it is the lack of a superstar who dominates the boxing world. Lewis and Holyfield are not bad, but both of them lack the ability to dominate the boxing ring, and I have this ability, why don't I unify the boxing world and let boxing go to the world again?" Richard laughed.

"It sounds nice, you have become the overlord of the boxing world, and the rest of us will become your foil. Ali and Tyson used to be like this. When the two of them dominated the boxing world, there were no other famous boxers. The last issue of "Ring" magazine, when promoting the match between you and John Ruiz, used the title 'The King is Coming'. When you come to the heavyweight class, this field will become your kingdom. There is also the title of "Boxing World" is "Night is Coming", and "Boxing and Fighting" says "The Wolf is Coming". Obviously, everyone doesn't welcome you very much." Paul spread his hands.

"You are all too pessimistic. I haven't started playing yet, and you are all in danger. There is absolutely no need for this. There are so many heavyweight masters, Valuev, Klitschko brothers, David Tua, I have no confidence in winning them all."

"Humph, I don't believe it. Even Hasim Rahman, who lost to me, can become the WBA champion. I don't think there is anyone in the current heavyweight class who can be your opponent." Paul shook his head.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. It's only good for you and not bad for you if I gain a foothold in the heavyweight class. I don't understand what you are worried about at all."

"Good for me? What good?" Paul asked suspiciously.

"Your ranking in the heavyweight class is outside the top 40."

In December last year, Paul participated in a match, but ended up in a draw with his opponent, and his ranking dropped to 42nd.

"You want to challenge several boxing champions, but they don't give you a chance. When I become the boxing champion..."

"That's right, when you become the boxing champion, I can challenge you whenever I want. I can earn several million dollars by fighting you once. Haha, Richard, how about I fight once a year in the future?" Paul said, patting him on the shoulder.

"It can be considered. Every time I compete with you, I can play 12 rounds so that you don't lose too badly, how about it?"

"Haha, that's great, then can you give me a little more, and deliberately lose to me once, so that I can experience what it's like to be a world boxing champion?" Paul chuckled.

"No, I never throw fake punches, this is my principle." Richard walked to the punching target and continued training.

"Richard, don't be like this. The most exciting match in boxing is not the gold belt defense match, but the revenge match. If you can lose a few more times, you will definitely become a superstar."

Seeing that he didn't answer, Paul shook his head and went back to the punching target to continue training.

Bang bang bang~

After five days of training, Richard's weight dropped to 195 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than his previous competition state. For this reason, he specially strengthened his speed training to prevent his weight from affecting his punching speed.

Saturday the 19th is the day he challenges WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz, and it is also his first heavyweight match.

--(End of this chapter)

Chapter 268: I'm Not Here to Dominate

The match between Richard and John Ruiz received great attention and was called the first major boxing event of the new year.

In seven championship challenge matches last year, Richard swept all the top players in the light heavyweight class and became the undisputed overlord of the light heavyweight class. He ruled this field and, at the same time, went to the world through seven matches and became the most famous boxer in the current world boxing world.

If the 1950s and 1960s were the era of Ali, and he represented the sport of boxing, the 1980s and 1990s were the era of Tyson, and he could also represent this sport, then after Tyson, the boxer who can best represent this sport is undoubtedly Richard.

- This passage is also the evaluation of him by the most famous professional boxing magazine "Boxing World", and named him the "Best Boxer" in 2001.

Although the media agrees that Richard is the most famous boxer at the turn of the new century and the old century, and can also represent this sport, he is currently only the overlord of the light heavyweight class.

The most intense, dangerous, and popular boxing matches should be in the heavyweight boxing ring.

In the heavyweight field, Richard still needs to prove his strength again.

- This passage is the evaluation of him by the professional boxing magazine "Ring", and his photo was published on the cover of the first issue in 2002.

As Richard's opponent, John Ruiz is undoubtedly a very powerful boxer. He entered professional boxing in 1992 and was previously a sparring partner for boxing champion Lennox Lewis.

He was originally a light heavyweight boxer, and then entered the cruiserweight class. In his 15th professional match, he lost to the unknown Russian Sergey Kobzev, and then entered the heavyweight class.

His heavyweight matches were also difficult. In 1994, when he was competing for the IBO International Boxing Organization championship title, he lost to Daniel Nicholson. In 1996, he lost to "Little Tyson" David Tua. In 2000, he competed for the vacant WBA heavyweight gold belt. Lost to Holyfield again.

It wasn't until March last year, in the second fight with Holyfield, that he defeated his opponent and won the WBA world gold belt. This was also the first time he won the world boxing champion gold belt.

At the beginning of November last year, he had a third fight with Holyfield, and finally tied, retaining the WBA gold belt.

Because Richard's tour attracted the attention of boxing fans all over the world at that time, the "three battles" between the two failed to attract more attention.

However, with the help of these three games, John Ruiz also gained a lot of fame and became one of the more famous boxing champions, but compared with Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield and others, his fame and prestige are not even as good as Paul's.

Paul has played against famous boxers such as Hasim Rahman, James Toney, Chris Byrd, and Andrew Golota.

And most of John Ruiz's opponents are not well-known, the most famous ones are David Tua and Holyfield, and he lost both games against them.

Not having played against famous boxers also led to his lack of fame. Even if he became a boxing champion, his appearance fee was not high. Currently, his appearance fee is only 1 million US dollars, and he is jokingly called the "blue-collar boxing champion".

The reason why John Ruiz is called the blue-collar boxing champion is also because his game style is not very ornamental and his style is mediocre.

There is no beautiful dodge, no heavy punches, no wonderful combination punches, I just like close combat, punch and bow my head immediately, or use hug tactics, like a piece of brown sugar.

Boxing fans think that he lacks the aura of a boxing champion, and their recognition of him as a boxing champion is not high.

The reason why he agreed to accept Richard's challenge this time was firstly because of the high appearance fee, secondly because Richard was famous and playing against him could gain a lot of fame, and thirdly because he was confident in this match, light heavyweight and heavyweight are two different field.

Many people in the industry agree with this point, thinking that more dangerous heavyweight competitions can represent the sport of boxing.

Compared with the heavyweight class, the light heavyweight class is like a small pond with relatively few big fish, while the heavyweight class is more like the ocean, where many sharks live.

Now a big fish swimming from a small pond wants to challenge the deep sea shark, which is quite difficult.

So before the game, John Ruiz said in an interview with the media that he was looking forward to playing against Richard Brad and was confident of winning this game.

Regarding this statement, the media believes that he is really confident, because John Ruiz has a nickname called "Silent Man", and he rarely speaks harshly when facing media interviews, and chooses to remain silent.

In addition to John Ruiz's statement, there are also many voices from heavyweight boxers in the media. They are cheering for John Ruiz, asking him to guard the heavyweight gate, resolutely beat Richard back, let him be in the small pond Dominate, don't come to heavyweight to make trouble.

If Richard can be given a head-on blow in the first battle, Richard's arrogance can be suppressed.

Heavyweight boxers have high hopes for John Ruiz.

"Come on Ruiz!" Even Paul couldn't help shouting when he saw John Ruiz.

Richard shook his head and walked up to the reporter.

"Mr. Brad, this is your first fight since you were promoted to heavyweight. Are you confident that you can win this match?" asked a reporter from The American Express in Atlantic City.

"Of course, I never lack confidence in the game."

He said this sentence very confidently, of course, if he loses, this scene will be replayed repeatedly by the TV station and become a slap in the face.

"Mr. Brad, you are a master of boxing tactics. From previous games, it can be seen that you have always mastered the rhythm of the game in the game. Even in the last round, you have the confidence to control the game. From light heavyweight to After reaching the heavyweight level, can you still maintain this style of play?" a New York Times reporter asked.

"Yes, you said it well, controlling the game is my style, but the basis for wanting to control the game is strength. I have confidence in my strength, so I will continue to maintain my style until I achieve the final victory." Richard said.

"Mr. Brad, you left the light heavyweight class and entered the heavyweight class because you have no opponents in the light heavyweight class. Who do you think are your opponents in the heavyweight class?" asked a reporter from Boxing Magazine.

"Many, Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, Ruiz, and Paul, etc., they are all good boxers." Richard said.

"Hey Richard, thanks!" Paul laughed loudly not far away.

"You're welcome!" Richard laughed.

"Mr. Brad, many people say that your purpose of entering the heavyweight class is to dominate this field. Do you want to clarify this misunderstanding?" asked a reporter from Ring Magazine.

"Domination, this is a very cool word. When a person has no opponents, even if he does not dominate, others will regard him as the overlord. My road to 'seeking defeat' in the light heavyweight class has been declared a failure, so I will Continue to seek defeat in heavyweight competitions. I hope that someone can beat me in the future, instead of hoping to become the overlord of the boxing ring. The overlord is lonely. I have tasted enough of this loneliness in the light heavyweight class, so the heavyweight boxers, gentlemen, please work harder and give me more surprises." Richard said seriously.

"Tsk, this guy is really shameless." Paul grinned outside the court.

"This is not shameless, but the truth. As the overlord of the lightweight field, I feel the same way about Richard's loneliness." Mayweather sighed softly.

"嘁~" Paul turned his face away in disdain, but did not refute. Mayweather currently has 28 wins and 28 wins, and has successfully defended the WBC gold belt nine times. He is also a bit abnormal.

Every time Paul thought of two perverts in the Bronx Three Musketeers, Paul felt sad.

"Let's go, enter!" Mayweather reminded.

The interview lasted for more than ten minutes, and Richard, escorted by his assistant, walked into the lounge of the competition venue and began to prepare for the competition.

--(End of this chapter)

Chapter 269 Missed Hundreds of Millions

"Go Richard!"

"Richard will win!"

In the brightly lit corridor, many staff members stood at the door shouting cheers.

Richard, wearing a large hooded jacket, walked towards the competition venue accompanied by his assistant coach. A camera in front of him captured his face.

Richard gestured a few moves towards the camera, playing playfully. These shots would be included as behind-the-scenes footage when the CD was released.

"Richard, come on, go on stage and compete with peace of mind, don't be nervous!"

Andy shouted loudly at the exit door of the venue.

Richard glanced at him, "I'm not a newbie, do you need to shout like that?"

"Haha, isn't this being filmed? I'm nervous and don't know what to say, so is it okay for me to say that?"

Andy laughed.

"Yes, you can say whatever you want."

Richard waved his fist and ran from the passage into the aisle of the competition venue. The lights immediately shone on him, and tens of thousands of spectators also looked over, bursting into cheers.

Richard raised his fist and ran towards the boxing ring in the middle. His opponent, John Ruiz, was already there, with red gloves and black shorts, a simple style.

John Ruiz, Latino, 30 years old this year, 190cm tall, weighing 210 pounds, with a 198cm arm span, currently has a record of 42 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.

Ruiz had been Lennox Lewis' sparring partner and started his career in the light heavyweight division in 1992. He was good at jabs, had fast punches and upper body movement, was very flexible, liked to clinch, had a sticky fighting style, and good defensive skills. He was technically well-rounded.

It was rumored that he had knocked down Lewis in training, which led to Lewis winning the WBA title in 2000 but choosing to relinquish it rather than fight him.

In short, Ruiz was a skilled and difficult boxer to deal with.

Richard greeted him, and they each stepped onto the boxing ring. The referee called both of them and their teams together, announced the rules of the match, and the fight began.

Richard was the challenger. As usual in challenger matches, the challenger would take the initiative to attack. He didn't hesitate and launched a series of swift combination punches, with a straight punch aimed at his opponent's face.

After dodging, there were two more uppercuts and a forehead jab. He was four centimeters shorter than Ruiz and weighed more than ten pounds less.

However, he often sparred with Paul, who was 197cm tall and weighed over 240 pounds, so he was even more comfortable dealing with someone taller.

Bang!

After Ruiz dodged his straight punch and two hooks, he was hit in the forehead by Richard's quickly followed-up jab. Ruiz took a step back and bumped into the ropes.

"Wow~"

Amidst the cheers of the audience, Richard pounced again, ready to land two more punches, but Ruiz made his move, directly hugging him and quickly hitting his liver with his fists. Richard clamped Ruiz's head with his arms, secretly exerting force.

"Hey, guys, separate quickly, stop hugging!"

The referee shouted, pushing their shoulders.

Richard and Ruiz each took three steps back, raised their fists, and stared at each other. Then Ruiz took the initiative to attack, throwing two fast and powerful jabs straight at Richard's face, with incredible speed.

Richard was not surprised by this attack. Ruiz was a boxer who had moved up from the light heavyweight division, and light heavyweight was all about speed and technique.

If Ruiz were placed among light heavyweight boxers, his punching speed wouldn't even rank in the top five. His only advantage was his heavier punches, which had greater destructive power than those of light heavyweight boxers.

At the same time, he was very agile and good at dodging, which was why he was able to defeat Holyfield.

Seeing his opponent's jabs coming, Richard remained motionless. Just as the punches were about to hit his face, he slightly tilted his head and lowered it, using two consecutive dodges to avoid Ruiz's two quick attacks.

Daring to fight like this in a championship match, the audience erupted in cheers once again.

From the reactions of the crowd, it was clear that most of the spectators were there for him, and the TV audience was also tuning in for him. Even if he lost the match, he would still take 75% of the PPV share.

Of course, he wouldn't lose.

After a few rounds of exchanges, he gradually gauged Ruiz's strength. He was stronger than Paul, who wasn't as fast or agile as him, but he couldn't compare to Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr. was faster than him and had more comprehensive techniques. Although his punches weren't as heavy as Ruiz's, Roy Jones Jr. handled both offense and defense better.

If these two were to fight, Roy Jones Jr.'s chances of winning would be over 80%.

Ding ding ding~

The first round ended, and the two stopped fighting.

"So, who do you think will win?"

Don King asked, looking at the boxing ring from the audience.

"It's obvious, Richard is better, and by more than just a little."

Holyfield wore a hat, covering his bald head.

"Really? Ruiz has no chance of winning at all?"

Don King asked.

"No, from the first attack, Richard's combination punches hit Ruiz's forehead and scored. The second time Ruiz attacked, his two signature jabs were easily dodged by Richard. The third exchange, Richard defended and counterattacked, effortlessly neutralizing Ruiz's offense.

He can't match Richard in punching power, speed, or technique. This guy Richard lives up to his reputation."

Holyfield exclaimed.

"Sigh, this kid Richard is only twenty-four years old this year. I didn't expect him to grow so fast."

Don King sighed.

He used to be very optimistic about Richard and wanted to sign him, but Andy and Richard politely declined. They only agreed to a single-fight collaboration, with a share of the profits for each fight, and no annual contract.

This kind of cooperation was disadvantageous for the promoter, as the initiative was in Richard's hands. He could cooperate if he wanted to, or switch to another collaborator if he didn't, which couldn't guarantee the promoter's interests.

Don King wasn't satisfied. He wanted to be a boxing godfather, not a nanny, so he refused further cooperation.

No one's development in the boxing world was smooth sailing. He originally planned to wait a few years until Richard encountered setbacks before making his move, enticing him with benefits.

Unexpectedly, Richard's rise exceeded everyone's expectations.

In boxing, he was the youngest person to win the most titles in the shortest time. In the five years since he entered the boxing world, he had created many amazing records.

Just one world tour allowed him to successfully break through the limitations of his home country and step onto the world stage, becoming one of the most representative figures in the current world of boxing, also representing the future of boxing.

In film, Richard had also achieved remarkable success, starring in many blockbuster movies, soaring from a fourth-tier actor to a first-tier one, becoming one of the most bankable male actors in the film industry.

Boxing and movies weren't his most impressive achievements. The most surprising thing was the speed at which he accumulated wealth.

It took him a year to go from one million to ten million, and another year to go from ten million to one hundred million. In 2000, he became a billionaire. In January, Forbes released the 2001 Global Celebrity Income List, and Richard topped the list with 1.6 billion.

It was rumored that with his match bonuses, film salaries, and stock income, his current net worth was at least four billion.

Every time he thought of this, Don King felt helpless. He originally wanted to lure Richard with match bonuses, but he never imagined that Richard would be worth more than himself, making it impossible to entice him with money.

Seeing Richard's prowess in the ring, Don King felt like he had missed out on hundreds of millions.

Bang!

On the boxing ring, Richard suddenly landed a swift swing, hitting Ruiz's side face, and Ruiz fell backward onto the canvas.

Richard knocked down the current WBA champion in the second round, which undoubtedly served as a stimulant, and the entire audience cheered excitedly.

"Richard, heavyweight champion!"

"Richard, go for it!"

The fans at the scene shouted.

"This guy Richard is quite something,"

Tyson said, scratching the tiger tattoo on his cheek in the audience.

"Can you beat him?"

His companion asked.

"Hehe, I'm still a bit behind him. His punches aren't that powerful. If I had his speed and accuracy, I could definitely win with one punch."

Tyson said confidently.

"There's news in the paper that if Richard beats Ruiz, you'll be his next opponent, is that true?" The partner asked.

"Yes, his company has mentioned it, but he hasn't even beaten Ruiz yet and he's already planning to fight me. He's getting ahead of himself."

Bang!

As they were talking, Ruiz was knocked down again in the ring. Richard had noticed Ruiz's habit of lowering his head and clinching. He dodged Ruiz's attack, followed a feint with a powerful punch, and the second punch landed directly on Ruiz's side ear, sending him to the ground once more.

"Is Richard's punching power still weak?"

"This..."

Tyson frowned. This guy seemed very difficult to deal with. How would he fight him if they met?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ruiz stood up for the second time in the ring and launched a fierce counterattack. Richard countered a few times defensively and gradually figured out his punching and dodging habits.

Just as Ruiz was about to retreat, Richard quickly attacked, his feet stationary, his upper body moving with his fist, launching a long-range assault. As Ruiz retreated, Richard landed another punch on his chin, his attack speed like lightning.

Ruiz's chin suffered a heavy blow, his neck snapping back with his head, and he fell to the ground for the third time.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The second round ended.

At the beginning of the third round, Richard attacked, and Ruiz reached out to clinch. Richard quickly retreated, and Ruiz lost his balance and fell to the ground.

At 86 seconds into the third round, Richard knocked Ruiz down again. Ruiz lay on the ground, unable to get up for ten seconds.

Richard won the match.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 270: The Wholesale Champion

Richard defeated John Ruiz, winning the WBA gold belt and becoming the heavyweight world champion.

This was the first time in boxing history that someone skipped the cruiserweight division, moved up to heavyweight, and in their first fight defeated the heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight gold belt.

The media called it a myth.

At the same time, he was also the first person to hold both the WBA light heavyweight and heavyweight gold belts.

The boxing world was shaken, the media was abuzz, praising him profusely, and boxing fans adored him, demanding that he fight soon, against Tyson, Lewis, and the Klitschko brothers. Everyone wanted to see him unify the heavyweight division once again.

Before the excitement of him becoming the WBA heavyweight champion subsided, his agency, Starlight Sports, publicly announced that Richard was once again relinquishing the WBA-WBC-WBO-IBF light heavyweight gold belts, retaining only the WBA Super Champion title.

In the boxing world, the World Boxing Association (WBA) is the oldest and most prestigious of the four major world boxing organizations, and only the WBA has the authority to award the Super Champion title.

This title is unique, and the other three organizations do not have the authority to recognize a Super Champion.

The existence of a Super Champion is extraordinary. Only WBA world champions are eligible to challenge him. As long as he remains the WBA light heavyweight Super Champion, all champions in the light heavyweight division are a step below him.

The reason Richard gave up the four gold belts was, firstly, to avoid trouble. The WBA and WBC have annual mandatory title defenses, and the process of cutting and gaining weight is quite troublesome.

Moreover, the opponents he faced were not well-known. Fighting them wouldn't increase his fame or bring in much income, so there was no point in keeping them.

Secondly, he didn't want to be too dominant. While it might seem cool to span across weight classes and hold all the gold belts in both light heavyweight and heavyweight, it could also attract criticism.

Additionally, each gold belt requires an annual fee of over one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand dollars to the respective boxing organization, which is also quite cumbersome.

When the media heard that he had once again relinquished the four major organizations' light heavyweight gold belts, they were in an uproar.

Last year, in the tournament, Richard made history by winning all nine light heavyweight gold belts, an unprecedented feat.

Immediately after winning all nine, he announced that he was giving up five second-tier gold belts. It had only been a little over a month, and he was giving up all the gold belts again.

Five at a time, then four at a time, this led to jokes from the media.

Other boxers might never even have the chance to touch a gold belt in their entire lives, while Richard had once dominated nine of the most prestigious gold belts and was now giving them up in bulk. It was as if he was running a wholesale gold belt business, truly astonishing.

However, the light heavyweight boxers were all delighted. With Richard gone, the gold belts were up for grabs again, and the light heavyweight division became lively once more.

"Richard, so many gold belts, giving them up just like that, it's such a pity," Paul sighed.

"There's nothing to pity. I've given up the light heavyweight gold belts, and from now on, I'll focus on winning all the heavyweight gold belts. The WBA gold belt is the first, and there will be a second, a third, until I win them all."

"All of them? You're too ruthless, leaving us no chance at all," Paul said indignantly.

"Opportunities are earned through hard work. If you're not convinced, you can train harder. As long as you're diligent enough, maybe one day you can defeat me and take all my gold belts. Do you want to try?" Richard laughed.

"No need. You're only 24, and I'm already 29. How can I compare to you?" Paul snorted.

"You're too unambitious. Look at John Ruiz and Lennox Lewis. Ruiz was Lewis's sparring partner, and he made Lewis voluntarily step aside and give up the WBA gold belt. Lewis was once Tyson's sparring partner. In 1996, when Lewis was supposed to fight Tyson, Tyson would rather pay 4 million dollars to have him step aside than fight him. And there's also Ali's sparring partner, Holmes, who defeated Ali in a match. As my sparring partner, don't you have any courage to fight back?" Richard laughed.

"No, I might have some thoughts if it were someone else, but as for you, no way. You're not human. You must have taken some gene-altering drugs, changing your physique and motor nerves. Otherwise, how could you be so powerful? We train together, and I'm even more diligent than you. Why are you so much better than me? It's not fair," Paul said with a sullen face.

"There's nothing unfair about it. Boxing relies on years of accumulated training. You've been getting less and less focused in your training lately. Don't you want to box anymore?"

"It's not that. Venus is pregnant, and I need to take care of her, accompany her on walks and exercise. I'll just be delayed for a few months and catch up later."

"Suit yourself."

Richard packed up some things at the gym and drove back to his Tribeca apartment.

In the apartment, Gisele was leaning on the sofa, holding a few real estate brochures.

"Honey, how's the selection going?" Richard hung up his coat and leaned down to kiss her.

"They all look good. I don't know which one is the best. Maybe you can choose?" Gisele held up the brochures.

"No need to look. When we have time in the next few days, we'll go around Central Park and buy whichever one we like," Richard said after washing his hands.

He didn't used to think his apartment in Tribeca was small, but after Elle's reminder, he remembered his old dream of buying a big mansion near Central Park.

He discussed it with Gisele, and through Elle, they released some information. Many real estate companies contacted them, offering a variety of high-end properties, including estates, detached villas, and top-floor apartments, all with great styles and locations.

"Honey, the cheapest of these properties is forty million dollars. That's scary," Gisele laughed.

"Forty million isn't much. If I hadn't invested all my money in the stock market, I'd consider buying the 120 million dollar property on the top floor of Central Park Tower."

"That's too expensive, and it's so high up. If a plane crashed into it, even a billion-dollar house would turn into ruins. By the way, we can rule out these high-rise apartments. They're not safe," Gisele said, discarding a few brochures.

"Okay, I'll listen to you," Richard smiled nonchalantly. His fight with John Ruiz a few days ago had garnered 2.6 million pay-per-view buys worldwide, resulting in a 28 million dollar split.

Even against a relatively unknown opponent like John Ruiz, he had earned 2.6 million PPV buys. If he fought Tyson or Lewis, he could definitely break the current PPV revenue record.

Richard couldn't help but sigh. Heavyweight was indeed much more lucrative than light heavyweight.

In the following days, he and Gisele went house-hunting around Central Park. After two days of searching, they chose a newly built manor villa on West 57th Street, also known as Billionaires' Row, not far from Murdoch's estate.

It had an outer estate with a four-story central villa, a large green area suitable for horseback riding, a total residential area of 1.6 hectares, and was adjacent to Central Park, essentially turning Central Park into their backyard. The closing price was 55 million dollars.

Richard and Gisele looked around and decided to buy it. However, the interior design hadn't been finalized yet, and they weren't in a rush to move in, planning to wait until the renovations were complete.

"Black Hawk Down" was set to be released in late January, so Richard put the house matter aside and started promotional work with the film crew.

---

(End of Chapter)