**Chapter 69: The Second Champion

**

“Aragon, go for it!”

“Aragon, beat that American!”

In the stands, the Cuban spectators shouted loudly. Their voices, once light and casual before the match, were now filled with anger and resentment, as they could see that Aragon was likely losing to that damned American.

Their voices also conveyed their disappointment in Aragon.

On the ring, Link looked at Aragon, who was coming towards him. Aragon had his fists clenched, his body tensed, his dark skin glistening with sweat. His mouth had traces of blood, and his left cheekbone was swollen; things were looking grim.

Link knew his situation wasn’t much better. Especially with a strained right arm, continuing to attack with both fists would be difficult.

But no matter how hard it was, he needed to knock out Aragon in this round.

Knocking out the reigning Olympic champion and elite Aragon would not only make him the super middleweight champion of the Americas but also give him tremendous experience and mental growth. Link didn’t want to miss out on these benefits.

What he needed to figure out now was how to completely knock out the remaining half-blooded Aragon.

Link thought for a moment, then looked at Aragon and said, “Aragon, by now you should know you’ve lost. Even if you defend with all your might, it won’t change the outcome. But you can choose how you want to finish this last round. Will you continue to defend and hide like a coward, or will you, like a warrior, use your last ounce of anger, strength, courage, and will to launch a final assault on me? There might still be a glimmer of a chance to turn the tables. Even if you don’t win in the end, you’ll fall like a hero, not like a coward who got beaten up. Aragon, I’m giving you a chance to choose.”

Link spoke earnestly.

“I haven’t lost yet!”

Aragon gritted his teeth.

“With your current state, I could beat you with one hand.”

Link said, swinging his left fist casually.

Aragon stared at him furiously, his fists trembling.

“Kill him!!”

Aragon suddenly roared, his dark face turning a shade of deep red as he swung his fists at Link.

Link raised his eyebrows and roared back, meeting Aragon’s attack with his left fist.

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“Wow!”

The crowd erupted in amazement as the two fighters clashed again, unable to hide their surprise.

Both were injured and sweating profusely, their steps unsteady. At this point, most people would choose to defend, but these two not only continued to attack but did so fiercely, which was both admirable and inspiring.

“Go Aragon!”

The Cuban spectators stood up, waving their fists and shouting loudly. Despite knowing Aragon might lose, they cheered him on as he fought valiantly, attacking the damned American with everything he had.

“Hang in there, Link!”

“Link, you’re the champion!”

James waved a flag and shouted with a hoarse voice. Every time Link threw a punch, the crowd cheered him on, almost as if providing accompaniment to his fight.

“Dad, can Link win like this?”

Taylor clenched her fists, nervously watching the ring. Seeing Link defending with his right arm and attacking with his left, Taylor and everyone else could see that Link’s right arm was likely injured.

“It’s alright. Aragon’s condition is worse than his. Besides, Link knocked Aragon down three times in the first three rounds, causing three knockdowns. As long as he holds on and withstands Aragon’s attacks, he has a great chance of winning.”

Mr. Swift was also watching the ring with his face flushed. He didn’t dare to blink, fearing missing any change in the match.

“What if Link doesn’t hold on? Will he lose?”

Selena Gomez, sitting nearby, asked with wide eyes, clutching her chest. The tension was palpable as she listened to the commentator’s updates.

“Link should be able to hold on. Wow!”

Mr. Swift suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. On the ring, Aragon roared, landing a punch on Link’s forehead. Link staggered back, his back hitting the ropes, almost falling.

“Go Aragon!”

“Aragon, fight back!”

The Cuban fans cheered loudly, and some drummed on large drums, creating a fierce atmosphere.

The mood turned intense and passionate.

Aragon didn’t let the Cubans down. Summoning his last ounce of strength, he launched a relentless assault on Link, who was leaning against the ropes. The battle became more desperate and fierce.

“Only 50 seconds left in the match. Can Aragon make a comeback?”

“It seems Aragon deliberately pretended to be weak in the earlier rounds to let Link get complacent. Now he’s making a final burst. Brilliant strategy!”

“The legendary trainer Saon must have devised this strategy. Saon, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is truly exceptional.”

The promoters like Dmitry Salita, who were watching from outside the ring, were also caught up in the excitement, their hearts racing along with the intensity of the match.

“Link is still too young. With more experience over the next two years, he might have a chance to beat Aragon.”

Greg Cohen shook his head. The promoters agreed, noting that despite the five-year age difference, Link’s performance was remarkable.

“Wow!!!”

Suddenly, a unified shout of amazement erupted from the crowd. Even the promoters couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, as the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Ten seconds earlier, on the ring.

Link was breathing heavily, looking at Aragon. After more than a minute of intense fighting, both were exhausted.

Aragon stood with half-closed eyes, swaying slightly, his punch frequency and force diminishing below 500 pounds, barely delivering any power.

Link knew the time had come. He took a deep breath, his right arm blocking his front, and swung his left fist towards Aragon. Aragon used his right arm to block Link’s punch and swung his left fist towards Link’s face.

“Link, be careful!”

Coach Ed shouted from below.

“Be careful!!”

A loud shout came from Aragon’s corner.

Aragon was puzzled by Saon’s warning. Link’s left fist was already blocked by his arm, and his injured right arm was in front of him. What did he need to be careful about?

As Aragon saw his fist about to hit Link’s face, he was exhilarated. If it landed, he could knock Link out, win the match, and become the champion of the Americas, the Cuban boxing star.

Suddenly, Aragon saw Link’s right hand, which had been blocking his chest, disappear. He was horrified to hear a whooshing sound as a red fist came at him.

The right hook!!!

Aragon’s eyes widened, his eye sockets seeming to crack. He swung his fist at Link, hoping to land a hit first.

Boom!

Before he could think further, Link’s right hook, fast and powerful, smashed into the side of Aragon’s face like a battering ram.

Aragon’s face twisted in pain, sweat, tears, and saliva flying off. His head and upper body were thrown, and he fell heavily to the right side of the ring.

Thud!

Link was also staggered by Aragon’s punch, sitting down on the ring.

Wow!

The crowd erupted in cheers.

“Wow! What a punch, incredible! Link’s right hand could still move. He must have planned this. This was his strategy all along. Link is amazing!”

On the second floor, Mr. Swift waved his fist excitedly and shouted loudly.

Taylor also screamed with excitement, then turned to look at her father in surprise, seeing him standing. She asked, “Dad, you’re standing up? Has your paralysis healed?”

Mr. Swift looked down at his wheelchair and realized he had made a mistake. In his excitement, he had forgotten to pretend and stood up. He cleared his throat and said in feigned surprise, “Oh, I’m standing? My legs are moving? Is my paralysis gone? Wow, it’s unbelievable.”

To prove his recovery, Mr. Swift stomped his feet, moving his legs with greater agility than a healthy person.

Taylor smiled, quickly calling her assistant Emily to inform Mrs. Andrea of the good news.

Meanwhile, Selena Gomez stared in shock at Mr. Swift. She was stunned, thinking if watching the boxing match could really cure paralysis.

She grabbed her aunt Katherine’s arm and said, “Katherine, look, Mr. Swift is standing! He stood up when he saw Link knock out Aragon with one punch. Isn’t it amazing?”

Katherine nodded, commenting on the miracle, before turning back to watch the ring.

On the ring, Link clutched his aching right arm and slowly stood up.

Aragon lay on the ring, his side facing down. The referee started counting beside him, and many Cuban spectators were still shouting ‘Aragon, get up’ and ‘Aragon, go for it.’

But Aragon remained motionless.

Link wasn’t sure if Aragon had fainted, but it didn’t matter. With 50 seconds remaining, Aragon’s stamina, strength, and fighting spirit had been depleted. Even if he could stand up, Link was confident he could knock him down again.

Given the current situation, his chances of winning were unbeatable.

“3, 2, 1!”

The referee counted to ten, and Aragon didn’t rise. The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in enthusiastic applause. Even many Cubans applauded.

Though Aragon lost, he fought fiercely to the end. He didn’t cower in defense but attacked brav

ely, making the loss honorable.

In the hearts of the passionate Cubans, it was a fierce battle, with Aragon falling on the ring after putting up a valiant fight.

Link’s final words to Aragon were not entirely tactical. He wanted to give his opponent a dignified end.

“Link, you’ve won! You’ve defeated Aragon and become the champion!”

Morales, Andzej, and the boxing team and coaches cheered loudly.

“Link!”

James waved the red flag from the second-floor railing, shouting.

“Champion!!”

A hundred people stood and shouted together.

“Link! Champion!”

Taylor, Mr. Swift, Selena, Katherine, Franco Duval, Reggie, and others stood up and cheered loudly.

“Link, Champion!”

The thousands of American and European tourists and boxing athletes in the audience clapped and cheered for Link.

“Link, Champion! Link, Champion!”

The crowd’s cheers grew louder and more unified.

Link stood on the ring, removing his sweat-soaked headgear and raising his left arm towards the audience.

His tall, strong physique, solid arm, and resilient back stood proudly on the ring.

Click!

Simmons, a photographer from the Miami Herald, snapped a photo of his back, capturing this triumphant moment on film and paper.

Soon, all of America would see this photo and hear the name of the Americas Olympic Qualifier Championâ€"Link Beck!

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(End of Chapter)

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Let me know if you need any more translations or help with something else!