*Chapter 209: Did Paul Win?*

On Saturday, May 27, the match between Paul and James Toney took place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

That day, Richard was busy filming and didn't watch the match live. Later in the evening, after filming was done, Mike excitedly told him that Paul had won.

Richard was a bit surprised because, based on his assessment of both fighters, he thought Paul wasn’t yet at James Toney’s level.

Paul has powerful punches and a strong ability to take hits, but he doesn’t have the advantage in technique or speed. Richard didn’t expect him to win.

He called Paul to ask about the match. On the phone, Paul was particularly excited, chattering non-stop. Norman was also shouting in the background, having won another bet on the match.

Richard listened for a while but didn’t catch much since they were having a victory party. He didn’t ask any more and hung up.

When he got back to the hillside villa, it was already 10 PM. Giselle had gone to bed early, and Richard didn’t disturb her. After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, he sat down with a cup of tea in front of the TV.

The WBC title challenge matches have always been broadcast in collaboration with HBO.

Besides HBO, ESPN, and SHOWTIME are also partners for boxing matches. The more platforms that broadcast the match, the higher the ratings, and the more PPV (Pay-Per-View) revenue the boxers receive.

Richard tuned in to the replay of the 7 PM match.

Before the match started, Paul, wearing a glittering gold robe, walked briskly toward the ring. The atmosphere was lively, with many people loudly shouting "Wolf King Paul."

Many of the fans were from the Bronx, just as they had once cheered for Richard. They were now loudly shouting Paul's name.

Paul was very excited, waving his fists, bouncing around, and even howling like a wild wolf a few times.

The atmosphere grew even more intense. Paul kept shouting excitedly until Coach Alvin urged him to stop performing and step into the ring.

Seeing this, Richard smiled. The atmosphere in New York seemed even more intense than in Las Vegas. Maybe he should organize more matches in New York in the future.

When Paul got into the ring, his opponent, James Toney, was already there. James Toney, at 32 years old, stood 177 cm tall, much shorter than Paul's 196 cm. The weight difference between them was also significant.

James Toney weighed 198 pounds, while Paul weighed 246 pounds—a big difference.

The height and weight gap wasn’t the issue since the heavyweight division is also known as the "no-limit" class.

As long as a boxer weighs over 190 pounds, they can compete in the heavyweight division, regardless of height, weight, or the disparity in strength. Anyone with enough skill can enter the ring.

This has led to situations where there are boxers like Nikolai Valuev, who is 213 cm tall, and others like Tyson, who is 178 cm tall. This unique aspect gives heavyweight matches their particular appeal.

Besides the height and weight, the difference in physique between Paul and James Toney was also significant.

Paul was tall and muscular, with his body glistening with a dark sheen after being oiled up.

On the other hand, James Toney was shorter. He used to fight in the middleweight division, where he weighed only 160 pounds. To move up to heavyweight, he had to keep gaining weight, resulting in a chubby figure. With his slightly pouty baby face, he looked amusing.

The match began.

As soon as it started, Paul went into attack mode, landing heavy punches one after another on James Toney, forcing his opponent to retreat continuously.

The crowd's cheers came in waves, reaching a crescendo, with many Bronx fans jumping and shouting in the stands.

Hearing the crowd’s cheers, Paul fought even harder, just like in their training sessions. His punches relentlessly targeted his opponent's head. Standing 20 cm taller, Paul’s attacks came from above, like a hammer driving nails.

James Toney, being much shorter, could only defend himself by covering his head. His arms were also much shorter than Paul’s, making it nearly impossible for him to counterattack under Paul's heavy blows.

Every time James Toney tried to land an uppercut on Paul's chin, Paul would step back early. Although Paul’s reaction speed wasn’t particularly fast, the distance between them gave him enough time to react.

"Go, Paul! Knock him out with a heavy punch!"

The crowd's cheers never stopped, growing even more intense.

Fueled by the cheers, Paul fought like he was on a high, completely ignoring his opponent's defensive counterattacks.

He gave up on defense entirely, with both fists hammering away like a sledgehammer.

Bang! Boom! Thud! He relentlessly pounded James Toney’s head as if he were crushing an easy opponent.

James Toney was a nimble little fighter, constantly dodging, but the ring was only so big. Every time he took two steps back, Paul was right there in one stride.

Bang!

Just as the first round was about to end, Paul landed a hook to the side of James Toney's head, causing him to stagger and fall to the canvas.

"Owww~"

Paul raised his fists and howled in excitement.

"Champion Paul!!"

The crowd shouted loudly.

Richard shook his head. At first, he was worried that Paul wouldn’t win, thinking that James Toney’s superior technique and solid defense would counter Paul’s heavy punches.

But after seeing the height difference between the two, he realized his worries were unfounded. He had considered many factors but overlooked their height difference.

The 20-centimeter height difference between the two fighters became strikingly evident when they stood next to each other. This difference allowed Paul to disregard his opponent's attacks and go all out.

As he watched the match, Richard stroked his chin and pondered how he would handle it if he ever faced Nikolai Valuev, who stands at 213 cm. To dominate the heavyweight division in the future, he would inevitably face opponents over 200 cm tall. Perhaps it was time to spar with some taller boxers.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

On TV, Paul was still on the offensive, while James struggled to hold on. In the third round, James was knocked down again, his left ear and eye socket bleeding, his body swaying unsteadily. The referee stopped the match.

Richard smiled slightly, thinking that Paul was probably about to become famous. He realized he might have underestimated Paul in the past.

“Did Paul win?”

Giselle stretched and, dressed in her nightgown, walked down the stairs.

“He won. Why are you up?”

Richard got up, took her hand, and snuggled with her on the couch.

“I heard you come back, and I couldn’t sleep.”

Giselle nestled into his arms, finding a comfortable position to lean on.

“Isn’t it boring here? Maybe you should go back to New York. Traveling back and forth is exhausting.”

Richard stroked her hair as he spoke.

“Are you asking me to leave?”

Giselle looked at him with a smile. “Do you want to go on a date with someone and find it inconvenient with me around?”

Richard shook his head. “I have so much to do every day and not much time to spend with you. Your work and friends are in New York. It’s not fair to keep you here just to accompany me.”

“There’s no fairness or unfairness. You’re my boyfriend, so of course, I want to be here with you. I used to stay in New York all the time, leaving you here alone.”

Giselle leaned on his shoulder and gently asked, “Am I being too selfish?”

“I’m the same. I’ve been busy filming these past two years and haven’t had time to go back to New York. That’s not good either. I’ve decided that starting next year, I’ll only take on two films a year at most. The rest of the time, I’ll spend with you. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good. I’ll also take on fewer jobs, and we can spend more time at home.”

Giselle smiled.

“Then it’s settled!”

Richard squeezed her hand and gave a thumbs up.

“Come on, let’s go to bed!”

—

(End of this chapter)