Chapter 018: Southeast Regional Finals

The Orlando competition concluded, and Link secured the Florida division gold medal in the Golden Gloves championship, five sets of athletic gear sponsored by the Amateur Boxing Association, and a cash prize of 5,000 US dollars.

Just one day later, he and West took the Silver Star train, heading north to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Southeast division competition.

The Southeast division includes fourteen states such as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

The top three from each division in every state qualify for the competition, with a total of 42 boxers participating in the super middleweight bout.

After four rounds of fighting, Link once again made it to the finals, entering with a record of all KOs against his opponents, causing a huge sensation within the arena and the amateur boxing circles.

Almost every amateur boxer knew about a fighter from Miami who specialized in knocking out opponents, never resting until he stunned them into unconsciousness on the floor, earning himself a second nickname, the "Physical Anesthetist."

His first moniker was "Miami Boxing Prince," given by boxing fans.

Due to his previously high-profile performance, his opponents studied his killer move and match tactics closely, staying up late to devise ways to break them down before the match.

This made his subsequent matches exceptionally difficult.

In the semifinal, his opponent was an extremely skilled Italian-descended boxer with good technique and speed, who right at the start dodged Link's "rear hook punch" killer move, causing a stir among the audience, as everyone knew the lethality of Link's rear hook punches.

Until then, no one had ever avoided it, but this time, the opponent did, leaving everyone sensing Link might experience his first defeat since his debut.

Unfortunately for them, they were to be disappointed.

Even though his signature move was evaded, Link wasn't disheartened; he still had his heavy punches. In the six rounds that followed, he threw a total of 286 punches, over forty punches each round, marking the highest output and frequency in all his previous fights.

286 punches, hitting his opponent's head 48 times, knocking him down 7 times, and finally, with a fierce straight punch, he floored the opponent for good, unable to get up for ten seconds.

He narrowly won the match.

"Link, how are you feeling?"

Seeing him drenched in sweat, with his arms and leg muscles trembling non-stop, West knew these were symptoms of exerting too much force, and hastily had Reggie and Mario help him lie down to rest, while also getting the accompanying masseur to massage his muscles.

"I'm fine, just a bit overexerted."

Link took a sip of water and wrapped himself in a towel to prevent the loss of body fluids.

West frowned at him and sighed, "Link, maybe change the plan. The goal of winning by KO every match is too unrealistic."

"Yeah, Link, there are a lot of promoters from various companies here scouting for talent. I think winning the match is what's important," Reggie said as he fanned him with a towel.

Link waved his hand and smiled, "No need to convince me. I set this goal for myself. Once it's set, I won't change it easily without failing first."

"Your next opponent is tough, how do you plan to KO him with the way you look right now?" Mario asked, pursing his lips.

"Fight with all I've got!"

Link clenched his fists, determination in his eyes, his soaring brows as sharp as his fists.

The Southeast division finals were scheduled for four in the afternoon at the North Charleston Garden Stadium, attracting twelve thousand spectators. Media from all southeastern states, FOX News Network, HBO Sports Channel, and other outlets sent reporters for live coverage.

"Link, you're about to face last year's runner-up in the United States Amateur Championship, Jones Fullos. He's very powerful. Are you still planning to end the match by knocking out your opponent?"

A reporter from the Miami Herald asked.

"Yes, that's my goal. No matter how hard or how strong the opponent, I will strive to achieve it," Link responded in a calm yet forceful voice.

"Link, what if you fail? Will you give up?"

A reporter from the Tennessee News inquired.

"Fail? Sorry, I've never considered the possibility of failure. Not here, not in Miami, so, Mr. Reporter, please don't mention the word 'failure' during my interview," Link said, swinging his fist with a smile.

"Link, congratulations on advancing to the Southeast division finals and smoothly securing a spot in the national championship. What is your next target?" an HBO Sports reporter asked, passing the microphone.

"The championship, of course! There is no other choice but to be the champion," Link said, raising his fist.

The interview concluded.

The reporters left, and only two SpongeBobs remained on the ring—Link in the red sponge suit and Jones Fullos in the blue sponge suit.

Jones Fullos, an African American, 22 years old, from Tennessee, standing at 192 cm tall with a 195 cm arm reach, and weighing 78.2 kg, was the runner-up in last year's United States national amateur light heavyweight championship.

In order to claim the championship, Jones Fullos had dropped two kilograms before the match to compete in the super middleweight category.

His characteristics were a small head, a muscular body, fast speed, proficient in quick attacks, and his defense was also very good; he was a boxer with a comprehensive technique in both offense and defense.

He had previously injured the noses of three opponents in the light heavyweight amateur competitions.

His current amateur record was 32 fights, 28 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, showing he had a wealth of fighting experience.

After the match started, Jones Fullos adopted a conservative fighting style, not taking the initiative to attack and staying over a meter away;

Link tried to chase Jones but was swiftly avoided, displaying great speed.

After some thought, Link decided to change tactics, abandoning the plan for aggressive offense and opting to conserve his stamina first.

In the first and second rounds, the two fighters threw a total of only 12 punches, which were made reluctantly and only after the referee's prompting.

"What are they doing, why aren't they fighting?"

Mario asked, perplexed.

The audience on site was also confused. Before watching the match, the news had reported an amateur boxer from Miami who was fierce in the ring, fighting wildly, taking down anyone he faced by knockout, earning the nickname 'Anesthetist'.

Now at the finals, why had the 'Anesthetist' lost his touch?

"Link, what's your plan?"

During the break in the second round, West posed this question to Link.

Link shook his head, looking at his opponent who was also resting across from him, and said, "Don't worry, just wait a bit longer."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

Mario glanced at Jones across the ring and asked in a low voice, "Did you put an anesthetic in his water or something?"

Link was startled for a moment, could that even be done?

Once back in the ring, he was sweating profusely, panting heavily, and his steps seemed unsteady.

"Is Link exhausted from his last bout? Does he not have any strength left?" Reggie asked.

"He gets tired?"

Mario scoffed and shook his nose, skeptical of this idea.

Link had been competing daily, but whenever he had the chance, he would go for a run outside or work out in the hotel gym; his stamina was even more abundant than the cattle on his ranch, and Mario couldn't believe that Link would be so worn out that he walked unsteadily unless he had three women in his bed last night.

"Hey, fight already!"

"Stop wasting time."

"Refund! Refund!"

The audience shouted loudly to express their dissatisfaction with the match.

The on-site referee also urged them to fight quickly, as passive fighting could lead to a deduction of points.

Link paid no attention to this, just raising his fists, watching his opponent closely, and occasionally throwing a few token punches.

While the reaction of the live audience was important, one couldn't let emotions of the spectators control them and hastily change tactics.

His opponent, Jones Fullos, also seemed quite calm, frowning in puzzlement at Link.

According to the analysis of the coaches, Link was an impatient boxer, liking to launch fierce attacks in the first three rounds and often knocking out his opponents within those rounds, ending the matches early.

So before the match, his coach repeatedly reminded him to stay on the defensive, protect his head well, and not give Link the chance to knock him out.

Jones had watched recordings of Link's fights and the memory of his heavy punches was still fresh, so he was well-prepared to handle them.

But since the match had started, Link had merely probed a little and then given up on the attack, fighting so passively it seemed like he was intentionally delaying the match.

Jones was somewhat puzzled, what was he trying to do? Suddenly he noticed that Link was sweating profusely, and his footing was unstable. Could it be because he had expended too much in the previous match, and his body had not fully recovered yet?

He decided to take the initiative and test Link's condition.