belamy20

Chapter 32: KO Him in Five Rounds

"Hey, dear viewers, good afternoon, I'm your old friend Steve Mandanda, and I'm currently at..."

"Link! Champion!"

"Link! Champion!"

"Sorry, wait a moment, it's too noisy here, I might need to change positions."

At the competition venue, Steve Mandanda, the host of HBO's sports channel, waved to the cameraman Sean, covered his earpiece, and came to the corner on the left side of the ring.

After Link stepped onto the ring, the audience shouted his name loud...

Chapter 31: I Will Challenge All Boxing Champions

He turned his gaze to the second row, where a reporter held a microphone with the HBO logo. She was a tall female reporter in a beige suit, and the most attractive of the group.

"Miss reporter, what's your question?"

"Mr. Link Baker, boxing champions Bernard Hopkins, Chris Byrd, Hasim Rahman, James Toney, and giant Valuev have publicly questioned your punching power. They believe it's impossible for a normal person to KO opponents 16 times in a row in amateur competitions. ...

Chapter 30: The Bite from the Boxing Champions

"I seem to have forgotten something, something important."

After a busy first day of the finals, the more intense final day arrived. At noon, as Link walked into the venue of the finals, looking at the American Airlines Arena, he felt that he had forgotten something. He had been too busy recently, with too many things on his mind, and he couldn't remember it for a while.

He walked and thought for a while, but he couldn't remember it. He simply put the matter behind him and ...

Chapter 29: Friendship First, Competition Second

Bang! In the ninth round, Andrzej landed a punch on Link's forehead. Suddenly, a gasp arose from the audience. A backhand punch! Andrzej saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye – Link's fist. Before he could react, another bang! His face was struck with a fierce impact, as if a car had run over it.

Andrzej's neck twisted sharply to the left, saliva, snot, and sweat splattered out. His head was dizzy, the world spinning, and his body stumbled a few steps. Under the pull of g...

Chapter 28: He's Throwing the Fight

Whoosh! Link's fist grazed Andrzej's chin.

"Wow!" A sigh rose from the audience.

"Link's arms are a bit short. Andrzej is taller and dodges faster," West said regretfully.

Andrzej's manager wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.

Only several reporters at the scene remained suspicious. Before the match, they received a call from a concerned audience member, claiming that Link and Andrzej had a secret deal to fix the match. Could Lin...

Chapter 27: I Report

"Hello, is this the Miami Herald news department? I have a news tip, a very important one."

Outside the American Airlines Arena, in a phone booth, someone with a rough and strange voice called the Miami Herald, claiming to have a significant news tip related to Link Baker, the Southeast region champion.

"I have reliable information that he and the manager of his next opponent, Andrzej, are making a private deal. They're going to fix the match."

"Sir, are you sure abou...

Chapter 26: The Secret Deal

“Mr. Link Baker, may I have a word with you?” A voice called out from behind as Link and James returned from a meal outside the east entrance of American Airlines Arena.

The speaker was a middle-aged man with thinning hair, wearing a polo shirt. His opening line was the same as Greg Cohen's, leading Link to mistakenly believe he was another representative from a promotional company. However, this was not the case.

The man introduced himself as Joseph, the manager of And...

*Chapter 25: Top Rank*

"Hey, Link, how about we chat again?" After the match, Link ran into Greg Cohen in the hallway of the locker room.

Greg Cohen, a famous promoter under Top Rank, had participated in promoting matches for boxing champions such as De La Hoya and Mayweather, and was very famous in the industry, known as the gold medal promoter.

Link had met him once in Charleston, where he offered a $10 million contract to sign him.

This included a $2 million signing bonus in cash, with t...

*Chapter 24: Knocking Out a Strong Man*

"We are the champions my friends

And we'll keep on fighting till the end

We are the champions

We are the champions

No time for losers"

Before the competition started, the organizer invited five local bands from Miami to perform on stage to warm up for the upcoming boxing match.

More than 10,000 spectators sang along enthusiastically, and the atmosphere was very lively.

After the last band finished singing "We are the champions", the game starte...

*Chapter 23: KO to the End*

"Link, you've been tricked. You shouldn't have told those reporters that you would continue to win the championship by KO. It's too difficult."

In the lounge, West frowned with his gray eyebrows, the age spots on his cheekbones were slightly deformed due to the frowning brow and corners of his eyes, like dead leaves floating on coffee, and his dry bags under his eyes were also due to his eyes filled with worry. There are a few more wrinkles.

"West, don't worry, I have a pla...

*Chapter 22: The Finals Arrive*

Palm Beach Coast.

Blue sky, sea, white sandy beach, large palm groves, and bikini girls playing volleyball on the beach, beautiful scenery everywhere.

It feels good to be back.

Link strolled on the beach, then drove a speedboat to patrol the waters in front of his house. After finding nothing unusual, he turned around and devoted himself to the competition again.

Since the Golden Gloves Finals were held in Miami, the locals did not have to rush on the road and h...

*Chapter 21: I Will Save Boxing

"How much?!" Mario's eyes widened in shock as he stared at him. "One hundred million dollars? Are you crazy? Mr. Duva came to negotiate with you in good faith, and you respond to his kindness with such an insincere number?

Link, stop joking. Let's be serious and sincere. I heard that Mr. Duva has contracts with more than a dozen boxing champions. He's very busy."

"One hundred million dollars?" Even West and Reggie, who were drowsy from the sun, opened their eyes and listene...

Chapter 20: A Hundred Million Dollar Negotiation

"A brilliant match, the Anesthetist Link once again ended the match with a KO, bringing his amateur record to 14 wins and 14 KOs. This is a remarkable achievement, a record-breaking achievement. Tyson didn't have it, Holyfield didn't have it, and neither did Mayweather. On June 13th, please turn your attention to the boxing ring in Miami, a new star in the boxing world is rising in the southeast of the United States, his name is Link Baker."

- Boxing Magazine report

"It is ...

Chapter 19: Southeast Regional Champion

Bam!

Jones leaped forward, a swift straight punch aimed at Link's face. Link reacted even faster, dodging with a head tilt while throwing a backhand punch towards Jones' head.

"Whoa, that move again!"

"The Anesthetist is finally online, oh my God!"

"Can he hit him?"

The audience exclaimed. Having seen it many times, everyone knew Link's signature move - the swift backhand punch, often arriving before the opponent's attack, knocking them out with one blow, ...

Chapter 18: Southeast Regional Finals

After winning the Golden Gloves Florida state championship in Orlando, Link received a gold medal, five sets of sportswear sponsored by the Amateur Boxing Association, and a $5,000 cash prize.

Just a day later, he and West took the Silver Star train to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Southeast regional competition.

The Southeast region included fourteen states, such as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The top three in each weight class from ...

Chapter 17: Emma Watson

"Hey, Robert, Daniel, I'm talking to you. What are you looking at?"

In the Gyro Greek Grill restaurant in downtown Orlando, 18-year-old Emma Watson frowned and waved her hand at the two companions opposite her.

"Emma, what did you say?"

Daniel Radcliffe withdrew his gaze and adjusted his round glasses, asking. Meanwhile, the blond Robert Grint continued to stare at the TV on the counter behind them, completely ignoring Emma Watson.

Emma Watson glared at the two ...

Chapter 16: The State Championship Champion

"Link! Go!"

"Link! You're the champion!"

As Link stepped onto the boxing ring, his fans cheered loudly for him.

Link waved his fists and looked at his opponent in the finals, John Stevens, who was walking towards him. John was a bit taller than him, with dark, shiny muscles and seemingly hard bones. Link couldn't help but sigh, it was going to be another tough fight.

"Hey, I know you. You're Link Baker, right?"

On the boxing ring, the black boxer John casu...

Chapter 15: The State Championship Part Three

"What are you doing today? Did you practice guitar?"

At night, in the Aloft hotel in downtown Orlando, Link came out of the bathroom after showering and saw two messages from Taylor on his phone. She asked him what he did today, told him she was recording music at a studio in Manhattan's East Village, and said she wrote a song for him.

Seeing Taylor's message, Link didn't feel like replying. After the music festival ended last time, Taylor only met him briefly, left him a g...

Chapter 14: The State Championship Part Two

After the heavyweight matches concluded, the cruiserweight (90+ kg) and light heavyweight (79.45+ kg) first rounds continued. It wasn't until after 2 PM that the super middleweight (76.27+ kg) matches began.

Link weighed in at 77.4 kg before the match, falling within the super middleweight category.

In the first round, his opponent was a black boxer from the western Everglades, much darker than Mario, with shiny skin and a lean body, a typical agile fighter.

As soon a...

Chapter 13: The State Championship

"Link, isn't this too high-profile? If your opponents notice, they'll study your fighting style, and your future matches will become more difficult."

In the third-floor office of the boxing gym, West flipped through the match records, a hint of worry in his voice.

Link had won all three of his matches by KO, his performance was outstanding. After the regional competition, many people in the Miami boxing circle noticed him. This attention could be well-intentioned, but there...

Chapter 12: The Tournament Begins

After deciding to participate in the Golden Gloves tournament, Link dedicated more time to training. The Golden Gloves tournament is a great platform for promotion, where major boxing promotion companies focus their attention, selecting and cultivating potential newcomers, similar to talent shows and beauty pageants.

Link not only wants to achieve good results in the competition but also to show his strong potential, attracting major promotion companies to offer him contracts. Th...

Chapter 11: Golden Gloves Championship

Bang! Bang!

On the boxing ring, Link and Mario continued their training.

With Mario's cooperation, Link constantly varied his attack methods: jabs, straight punches, left hooks, uppercuts, and overhand punches.

In the past, due to his smaller stature, he was most skilled at jabs. Jab attacks emphasized speed and surprise, not as powerful as straight punches or hooks, but by quickly hitting effective areas on the opponent's body, he could win by points.

Now, with...

Chapter 10: The First Date

The seafood restaurant Taylor mentioned was over three kilometers away from the stadium, located across from the Hilton Hotel in West Palm Beach. It was called Joyce Brothers Lobster House, a luxurious and upscale establishment.

The restaurant's signature dishes were lobster and stone crab, sourced from the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

While lobsters at the Palm Beach Seafood Market cost just over ten dollars per pound, a bowl of stone crab bisque with lobster ...

Chapter 9: Driving for Taylor Swift

After finishing his training, Link checked his phone in the gym's locker room and found two messages from Taylor Swift sent an hour ago, asking what he was doing and mentioning some rehearsals.

Link thought for a moment and decided to call Taylor directly.

"Hello, this is Taylor's mom. She's in rehearsal right now and isn't available to take your call."

Andrea Swift's voice came from the receiver.

"Hello, Mrs. Andrea. This is Link. May I ask when Taylor's rehear...

Chapter 8: Career Planning

In the office, Coach West Corian was surprised to learn that Link was only twenty years old after reviewing his newly filled information card.

"Doesn't it seem like it?" Link asked with a smile, sucking on an orange-flavored lollipop.

"Haha, not in terms of personality. Young boxers tend to be more flamboyant and expressive in the ring, but you were calm and composed throughout. I thought you were older." Coach West praised.

Link chuckled inwardly. He wasn't being com...

Chapter 7: Joining the Boxing Gym

"Mario, did you skip breakfast? Put some force into it, be decisive! If you fight like this, you won't be able to take a single punch from Link even after ten more years of training."

"West, don't mention that bastard Link. I underestimated him yesterday and wasn't prepared. Give me another chance, and I definitely won't lose."

"Stop talking and focus on your training."

On the boxing ring in the training area on the second floor of West Boxing Club, Mario was sparring...

Chapter 6: Come, the Boxing World Needs You

After leaving the boxing bar, James burst out laughing on the street. He had just bet two dollars on Link and earned twenty dollars.

In the second round, the odds on Link dropped to 1:2, but James continued to bet on him, turning his twenty dollars into forty. Daniel did the same.

However, Link was the one who made the most money. The base prize for tonight's competition was $1,000, and with eight people competing, the prize pool reached $1,800.

It took him less than ...

Chapter 5: The Return of the Champion

During the break between matches, the bar's gambling den would allow ten minutes for the patrons to place their bets and for the boxers to rest.

But for Link's match, ten minutes seemed too much. After he stepped onto the stage, the gambling den only received $13 in bets on him winning. Clearly, everyone knew Link couldn't win, and no one wanted to give money away to the house.

On the stage, Mario, having finished his rest, walked up to Link. The two stood face to face, abo...

Chapter 4: Back in the Boxing Ring

In the afternoon, Mike from the neighboring surfboard shop came over to invite everyone to his bar to celebrate the second anniversary of his shop's opening. Link and James readily agreed.

Bar Street is one of the liveliest areas in Miami's Palm Bay district. It's surrounded by Miami's largest Latino community, with a permanent population of over 200,000, and two nearby resort villa areas with a population of around 50,000.

Bar Street is home to many dance halls, casinos, n...

Chapter 3: She's Terrifying

As the sun rose, people began to appear on the beach for their morning walks.

Chubby James rode his scooter down the beach road and almost fell off when he saw the two of them having breakfast together.

Link didn't explain much. He cleared the dishes and hung the cleaned diving equipment back in the cabinet. The torn wetsuit needed to be sent back to the manufacturer for repair, another expense.

After breakfast, Taylor sat under the beach umbrella, staring out at the ...