*Chapter 219: How Can You Falter at a Critical Moment?*

On September 23rd, the unification match for the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles concluded. The two Richards fought for 12 rounds, with both scoring knockdowns.

Richard knocked down his opponent in the 1st and 4th rounds, but was knocked down himself in the 9th round and was on the ropes in the 10th.

By the end of the match, both fighters were exhausted, and neither could secure a definitive KO victory.

The final result was determined by the judges’ scores, with the three judges scoring the bout 115-112, 114-113, and 114-113, respectively.

The scores were very close, and Richard was nearly defeated.

After the match, Richard Hall appealed to the WBO, claiming that there were issues with the judges’ scoring and hoping for a more just result.

However, the WBO officials stated that there was nothing wrong with the scoring.

Third-party statistics after the match supported the judges' decision as well.

During the match, Richard threw a total of 335 punches, landing 195 with a hit rate of 58%. Richard Hall, on the other hand, threw 463 punches, landing 219 with a hit rate of 47%, trailing Richard by 10 percentage points.

In terms of power punches, Richard threw 148 punches, landing 88 with a 60% hit rate. Richard Hall threw 224 punches, landing only 63 with a 28% hit rate, as many of his punches were either dodged or blocked by Richard, resulting in ineffective output.

Even though both official and third-party sources confirmed Richard’s victory, the match statistics sparked many speculations and conjectures.

Since last year, Richard had never been knocked down in the ring, nor had he ever performed so poorly in terms of score. Previously, his matches averaged a score difference of over 30 points.

Since last year, he had almost always won by KO, without any controversy.

But this time was different. He fought hard in the first half but struggled significantly in the second half, barely holding on until the end of the match.

Many experts believe that if Richard Hall had pushed harder in the final rounds, started his offense earlier, or been more aggressive from the beginning, the outcome could have been reversed in the final rounds.

Unfortunately, in the early rounds, Richard Hall was too cautious, focusing solely on defense and playing passively, as if he lacked confidence. If he had adjusted his mindset from the start and stayed confident, he might have won. He might have claimed the light heavyweight Grand Slam.

Many people felt sorry for Richard Hall. With him defeated, the last boxer in the light heavyweight division who could threaten Richard’s dominance was gone. Who else in this weight class can challenge Richard’s supremacy?

After the match, Richard Hall expressed his regret in an interview. He told CNN reporters, "I wasn’t ready for this match. Everyone knows that I didn’t want to fight at this time because a close friend of mine passed away. But Richard was eager to get that WBO title, so I had to fight reluctantly. Yes, after stepping into the ring, I couldn’t find my rhythm, which allowed Richard to seize the opportunity. If I had been able to take advantage of the early opportunities, the outcome of this match would have been different. Unfortunately, I realized it too late."

"Mr. Hall, will you challenge Mr. Richard Brad again in the future?" asked a reporter from The New York Post.

"Of course, I will definitely challenge him again. Before this match, I didn’t adjust my mindset properly, nor did I perform at my best. If I get another chance, I’m sure I can beat him!" Richard Hall said firmly.

After interviewing Richard Hall, more reporters gathered around Mr. Richard Brad, who was wearing four championship belts.

"Mr. Brad, are you satisfied with this match?" a CNN reporter asked.

"Yes, I’m quite satisfied. After all, I got the championship belt, didn’t I?" Richard said with a smile as he touched the belt. In the footage, he had one belt wrapped around his waist, one on each shoulder, and he was holding the newly won WBO belt in his hand.

"Mr. Brad, according to third-party statistics, you averaged 398 punches per match in your previous fights, with an average of 267 hits and a hit rate of 67%. In this match, however, you only threw 335 punches with a hit rate of 58%. Previously, you won each match by KO, but this time, you won by UD, and you were physically exhausted by the end of the match, not in your usual form. Is there something wrong with your physical condition?" asked an HBO reporter.

"No, I’m in good health. It’s just that my opponent fought harder than expected. I didn’t think he’d have so much stamina left at the end. Besides, I wasn’t in top form today, so I’ll do my best to avoid these issues in the future and bring the best possible performance to the audience," Richard replied.

"Mr. Brad, it’s understood that you’ve been filming since March. For the two months leading up to the match, you were also filming in New Zealand, leaving you no time to prepare for the match. Some boxing fans say that after becoming a super champion, you’ve gradually become complacent and even neglect your boxing training. What do you have to say about that?" asked a reporter from The New York Times.

"Thank you to the fans for their concern. I want to say that I’ve never left boxing and never reduced my boxing training. Training is a daily task for a boxer, and if you slack off, your skills will decline. So, even when I was on set filming, I continued training. No matter where I am, I always have boxing equipment in my room, and no matter how busy or tired I am, I always make sure to train for at least two hours in the morning and afternoon. So, the idea that I’m not taking boxing training seriously is simply not true," Richard explained.*"Mr. Brad, I'm a reporter from the American Express. This afternoon, we received some news material, including photos taken two days ago of you shopping with Gisele Bündchen, Angela Lindvall, and Alessandra Ambrosio. Can you confirm if this is true?"* a reporter asked, holding up the photos.

Richard glanced at them. "Yes, we were out shopping. Is there a problem?"

"It's understood that after shopping, the four of you returned to an apartment together. You didn't leave until this afternoon. Are you all living together?" the reporter pressed.

"Wow~"

"What a juicy piece of gossip!"

Hearing this question, the kids watching on TV couldn't help but exclaim.

"Four people living together? That scene is too beautiful to imagine!" Billy Boyd grinned.

"No wonder Richard was sweating all over and his legs were shaking after a short time in the match. Haha, two days and nights—now it makes sense," Sean Astin nodded with a laugh.

"I heard that Richard and Ms. Bündchen are dating, and that she's friends with the other two. So it doesn't seem to be an issue, right?" Elijah Wood hesitated.

"Kid, you're too naive. The world isn't as simple as you think," Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, chuckled.

"I also think it's no big deal. Richard doesn't seem like that kind of person," Liv Tyler said with her arms crossed.

"Hey, Liv, didn't you just say that Richard looks like a beast when he takes off his clothes?"

"Haha, yes, and it seems like beasts can do anything."

"Hey hey, true enough!"

The group burst into laughter.

"You guys are so boring," Liv Tyler said, her face slightly flushed.

"Hey hey, Liv, are you upset? Does this matter to you?" Billy Boyd teased.

"As long as you know, just don't say it out loud, or be careful Liv will hit you," Sean Astin patted his shoulder.

Liv Tyler huffed and ignored their jokes, just as they heard Richard on TV seriously refuting the reporter's claim.

Richard clarified that he and Angela and Alessandra were just friends, and there was no cohabitation as imagined by the reporter. He also mentioned that Angela and Alessandra had gone home that night, but the reporter hadn't noticed.

Finally, he warned the reporter that such irresponsible questions and speculations infringed on his privacy rights, and if they continued, he had the right to sue both the reporter and American Express.

"See? It was all just your imagination," Liv Tyler laughed.

"Tsk, an explanation is just a cover-up. A cover-up means there's something to hide," Billy Boyd chuckled.

"Yeah, if nothing happened, why were his legs weak, and why was he sweating so much? He was never like that before," Andy Serkis laughed slyly.

"Many great boxers have fallen because of women. I hope Richard doesn't end up like them," Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, sighed as he put down his newspaper.

"I think as a member of the crew, we should trust Richard. When he gets here, we can ask him," Elijah Wood suggested.

"Ask me what?"

Richard pushed open the door and walked into the office.

"Hey, Richard, you're back."

"Richard, how did you get back so quickly?"

"Richard, congratulations on winning the Grand Slam of the four major organizations at just 22 years old. You've made history again. Can you sign an autograph for me?"

Everyone in the room stood up and gathered around to greet the boxing champion.

"Sure, thanks. What were you saying you wanted to ask me?"

Richard asked while signing.

"Ahem, nothing much. Just sign this for me, too," Billy Boyd said with a smile, holding out a script.

"Richard, they were saying that you messed around before the match and that's why you were weak and exhausted. Aren't you going to explain?" Liv Tyler asked with a smile.

Richard smirked. "It's all nonsense. Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm not that kind of person."

"Yeah, Liv said you look like a beast when you take off your clothes—"

"Shut up!"

Liv Tyler kicked Billy Boyd.

"Richard, was that your strategy?" Andy Serkis asked curiously.

"No, the truth is, I got food poisoning from seafood. I really needed to go to the bathroom during the second half of the match."

Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. The thought of him boxing while holding it in made them laugh even harder, except for Orlando Bloom, who looked like he was going to throw up from his cat poop coffee.

"Hey, stop laughing. We need to rehearse."

Richard finished signing and pushed everyone away.

"Haha, now I finally understand what it's like to be in that situation. Richard almost had that happen to him."

"Ugh, don't talk about it, it's gross."

"Yeah, after the match, it's time to rehearse. We have to shoot tomorrow."

The group cracked a few more jokes before getting back to rehearsing.

"Legolas, get them on their feet!" Richard said, keeping a straight face.

"Get them quiet, for the love of God," Boromir shouted.

"When night falls, this place will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach Lothlórien quickly," Richard turned and looked off into the distance.

"Let's go, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them on their feet."

"Okay, let's run it again like that."

—

(End of Chapter)