Chapter 246: Richard is Too Amazing

After returning to New York, Richard began his pre-fight training, spending most of his time in the gym. This was not just for training but also to adjust his mental state. After finishing the movie, he experienced some issues with his mindset, like subconsciously avoiding police cars and glancing over his shoulder while walking to make sure he wasn't being followed—a bit of paranoia, perhaps.

He needed time to recover, and fully immersing himself in boxing training was an effective way to reset.

Thud, thud, thud  

In front of the punching dummy, Richard, shirtless, relentlessly pounded the target with his fists, drenched in sweat.

Surrounding the punching dummy, eight apprentices watched his movements closely, each one focused intently, as if trying to uncover the secret to his success as a champion.

Richard didn’t mind their scrutiny. Indeed, the secrets to his success as a champion could be gleaned from his training, but these youngsters, with their current level, wouldn't see it yet.

“Ahem,”

Alvin walked into the training area with his hands behind his back and waved them off.

“Stop watching and get back to your training. With your current skill level, you wouldn’t understand even if you watched.”

“Mr. Alvin, Richard’s training is the same as ours—why wouldn’t we understand?”

Jim Moretz asked.

“Yeah, I don’t see anything particularly special about Richard’s training either,”

another apprentice, Daniel, added curiously.

“Heh, you only see him hitting the dummy over and over, but do you know why he hits it like that? What’s the technique behind his punches? Have you noticed that it looks like the dummy is intentionally moving into his fists?”

Alvin explained, walking around with his hands behind his back.

Jim and the others stared at the dummy for a while.

“Hmm, it does seem that way.”

“Coach, why is that? How does Richard manage to do that?”

Jim tried a few hits on the nearby punching dummy, but it didn’t rebound toward him.

The other apprentices tried as well, but none of them could replicate what Richard was doing.

“Of course, it’s all down to practice,”

Alvin said as he sat down on the couch in the rest area. “To achieve that, first, you need enough strength. Second, you need to have precise control over that strength.

Third is speed—your punches must be fast enough to keep up with the dummy’s reactions. Fourth, you need quick reflexes to ensure accuracy in your attacks. Take a look at Richard.

His attacks have a purpose. When he punches, he gauges the strength, speed, and position to estimate the dummy’s trajectory before throwing the next punch.

When the dummy rebounds, his fist meets it at exactly the right spot, and the impact from both sides creates a force far greater than a single, straightforward punch.”

Alvin demonstrated by pressing his fists together in front of his chest.

The apprentices were confused,

“Mr. Alvin, you said Richard considers the strength, position, and other factors when he punches. How can he manage all that in time?”

“Of course. This technique sounds complicated, but after extensive training, it becomes a part of his fighting instinct. In the split second that he throws a punch, his mind already anticipates the opponent’s reaction—it's a subconscious reflex that doesn’t delay his punch.

And don’t forget, Richard’s speed ensures his fists can keep up with his thoughts.”

Alvin watched Richard’s relentless training, silently marveling. Although he understood Richard’s technique, he couldn’t replicate it himself.

Even in his prime, he couldn’t do it. And not just him—there are very few boxers in history who’ve reached this level: John L. Sullivan, Joe Louis, Ali, and Tyson in his prime. But Tyson has declined significantly now.

Reaching this level requires maintaining peak performance in strength, speed, reflexes, state of mind, and awareness—all to an extremely fine degree.

It’s incredibly difficult for most people.

Yet Richard effortlessly enters this state.

His talent is so extraordinary it’s enviable. It’s just a shame he’s so unfocused. If he dedicated himself entirely to boxing, his future achievements would be astonishing.

“Mr. Alvin, the dummy moves in a predictable pattern. Richard can do this in practice, but can he do it in a real fight?”

Daniel asked curiously.

“Of course he can. Jim, turn on the TV and play Richard’s match footage.”

“Sure!”

Jim turned on the TV in the rest area, and they watched Richard’s last three matches: against the Polish Tiger Dariusz, former WBO champion Richard Hall, and WBA title challenger Gonzalez.

“What do you think after watching?”

Alvin asked, holding a cup of water.

“Richard’s form is very stable.”

“Richard’s attack efficiency is high—his punches rarely miss.”

“Richard throws fewer punches now, but his attack efficiency is even higher.”

The apprentices chimed in with their observations.

Alvin quieted them down and rewound to a specific point in the first match, fast-forwarding a bit before pausing,

“Look at this punch—Richard’s fist connects precisely with his opponent’s face. Watch it a few times.”

He played the scene back in slow motion twice.

“Ah!”

Jim suddenly exclaimed, “It looks like Dariusz deliberately moved into his fist.”

“Exactly. Now, look at this part.”

Alvin fast-forwarded to another of Richard's punches.

Once again, the apprentices reached the same conclusion: Richard had successfully anticipated his opponent’s reaction and movement trajectory, causing the opponent to collide with his fist.

"Alvin, how does Richard manage to do that?"

Jim and the others were astonished. Without slow-motion replays and Alvin's guidance, they wouldn’t have noticed it.

“This is the result of Richard’s relentless, year-after-year training. After enough time, your physical abilities can keep up with your boxing instincts, making it feel effortless in a match. So, you all need to train more diligently and avoid slacking off,” Alvin advised.

"Mr. Alvin, how long would it take us to become as skilled as Richard?"

One of the apprentices asked.

Alvin smirked slightly, his expression stern, "Training must be consistent to yield results. Look at Richard—he’s been training since he was a child. Even after becoming a champion, he still practices daily. Don’t be fooled by his frequent acting gigs—he trains even when he's on set.

Aside from his regular training, he also trains during matches. You noticed in those matches just now, Richard’s punches hit their target but didn’t knock out the opponent. Why do you think that is?”

“Was he too weak?”

someone speculated.

“Nonsense! Richard’s punches are brutal—he once knocked out Roy Jones Jr. with a single punch. There’s no way his punches lack power,”

Jim rebutted.

“Exactly, so why is that?”

“Mr. Alvin, was it intentional? You said Richard trains during matches. Could it be that he didn't knock out his opponents because he wanted them to help him train?”

Daniel asked.

“Ah, that makes sense! Richard easily defeated Roy Jones Jr. with just a few punches, but now, he often goes the full 12 rounds with these other fighters. He must be using them as training partners,”

one apprentice exclaimed.

“Yes, that’s exactly it. In his first match with Roy Jones Jr., he hadn’t yet reached that level. But through continued training, he gradually attained it. To refine his technique further, he used matches to practice, often going the full twelve rounds.”

“Richard is amazing!”

The apprentices looked at Richard in the distance, their eyes full of admiration.

“If you’re interested, study Richard’s matches from the past two years. You’ll notice he throws fewer punches, but his accuracy is higher. His predictive punches are also becoming more accurate. Now think about it—consider Richard’s predictive punches combined with his power. How many fighters could withstand even two punches from him?”

Alvin sighed deeply. Initially, he intended to use Richard as an example to motivate the others to train harder and learn from him. But the more he talked, the more he realized just how extraordinary Richard was.

Predictive punches + immense power + Mayweather-level speed—how formidable is that combination? It’s almost unimaginable.

He had been worried Richard might lose in the upcoming circuit, but now he wasn’t concerned at all. Unless Richard has a total meltdown, he could win those matches even if he were fighting with one hand tied behind his back.

“Richard is incredible—I want to be just like him.”

“I want to master predictive punches too!”

The apprentices were fired up, their faces flushed with excitement.

Suddenly, a discordant voice chimed in. Paul was leaning against a rack, grinning as he said,

“Alvin, can you not exaggerate so much? Richard’s just strong, fast, and quick to react. He’s better than his opponents by a mile, which is why he can fight like that. But if he faced a tougher opponent, like Lewis, would he still dare to fight like that?”

Paul shook his head.

Hearing Alvin praise Richard and urge everyone to follow his example made Paul disgruntled. Richard, that guy, was unfocused and always distracted by other pursuits—how could he be anyone’s role model? Richard’s strength comes from his natural talent, not his training.

The real hard worker here is me. I’ve been boxing for over twenty years, training diligently every day—nobody knows how hard it’s been.

“Paul, can you execute predictive punches?”

Jim asked, smirking.

“Predictive punches? Nonsense. It’s just a matter of luck—a one-in-a-million chance. Like when you throw a hundred punches in the ring, and one or two might happen to connect when your opponent moves into them. Nothing worth bragging about,”

Paul scoffed.

“Is that so?”

The apprentices looked at Alvin, puzzled.

Alvin glared at Paul, “You’re right; it’s a probability issue. So tell me, in your hundreds of punches each match, how many times have you successfully predicted your opponent’s movement?

Even top-tier fighters might only manage one or two predictive punches in a fight. But Richard? He can do it four, five times, maybe even more in a single match. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

“Well...”

Paul scratched his face, realizing that predictive punches might actually be a real skill. But that guy, Richard, never trained seriously—so how did he learn it if not through training?

“Richard is naturally talented. Talent is something you’re born with—you can’t be jealous of that.”

“Hmph, all you talk about is talent. Yes, black fighters generally have better athletic abilities. But beyond talent, what’s more important is consistent training—day after day, year after year.

Look at yourself—lately, you only come to train in the afternoons. Are you planning to retire? If so, you should leave early instead of disrupting the others’ training.”

Alvin said, shaking his head in disappointment.

“Hehe, Alvin, you know Venus is pregnant, so I’ve been taking her for walks and playing tennis with her. But don’t worry, I’m not slacking off in my training,”

Paul said, flexing his arms. Before Alvin could say more, he quickly dashed to the training area, grabbed some barbells, and started lifting with loud grunts.

Seeing Paul get scolded, the other apprentices hurried off to their own training.

Alvin shook his head. Talent and hard work are both crucial, but even with those, it’s incredibly difficult to become a boxer like Richard. He’s just exceptional.

With that thought, Alvin took a lap around the gym with his hands behind his back, then grabbed his water bottle and headed out for a walk, leaving behind the sounds of intense training echoing in the gym.

(End of Chapter)