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 about this? Do you have any witnesses or evidence?"

"The match itself will be the evidence!"

Click! The phone hung up. The person walked out of the phone booth, looking at the Miami sky. Their blue eyes flickered, and they sneered, "Link, get ready to be famous!"

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Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! Achoo!

"What are you smelling?" Link looked at Mario, who was sniffing around the locker room with his big nose twitching.

"Link, Mario said you're doing drugs in the locker room," Reggie shrugged and laughed.

"Are you crazy? Why would I do that?"

Link shook his head and went to the medical room for a check-up. Under the supervision of the Amateur Boxing Association staff, he put on hand wraps and gloves.

The staff supervised the process of putting on the gloves and wraps. After confirming everything was correct, they placed a seal on the gloves.

Before the match started, the referee would carefully check the seal for any signs of damage. If there was any damage, the referee would ask the boxer to replace the gloves or stop the match.

The reason for this was simple: to prevent anyone from putting anything inside the gloves.

For example, placing three nuts on the back of the hand, wearing an iron finger guard, and then wrapping it with bandages could double the punching power during the match.

This kind of trick had appeared in official matches a few times, resulting in bloody incidents. It was later strictly prohibited by all boxing organizations, leading to the creation of glove seals.

However, in underground fighting arenas, this trick was still common, and referees didn't care. Link had been secretly attacked this way many times, and it was a painful experience.

The urine test procedure was quick, only checking for stimulants, drugs, and painkillers.

Link had never used drugs, so the urine test was naturally no problem. Under Mario's suspicious gaze, he walked out of the quiet corridor, his strong back, developed chest muscles, and firm chocolate abs exposed, carrying his fists wrapped in red gloves.

Boom!

The sound at the scene was suddenly released, and huge sound waves hit the eardrums, one after another.

"Link!"

"Link!"

"Link!"

Tens of thousands of Miami spectators and Link's fans shouted his name.

Link waved his fists three times in the air and ran onto the boxing ring. His opponent, Andrzej Methara, was already standing on the ring, wearing white gloves, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

Andrzej Methara, 25 years old, Polish-American, fair-skinned, and slim.

He was 189 cm tall with a 198 cm reach, 6 cm longer than Link. He had been practicing boxing since childhood and had excellent skills and speed.

In amateur boxing, his current record was 54 fights, 52 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.

Before Link's appearance, he was ranked second among super middleweight amateur boxers, only behind Andre Berto.

He was both a formidable and not-so-formidable opponent.

His strength lay in his technique and reach advantage, making it easy for him to score points in matches.

His weakness was his physical condition. However, this weakness wasn't that he was physically weak, but rather that his physical condition was a shortcoming compared to his technique.

He had once fought against Dirty Braid Morales and won by points, using his superb skills to withstand Morales's strong attacks.

This type of boxer often performed well in amateur competitions. If they took off their sponge protectors and fought professionally, they probably wouldn't have outstanding performances.

This was one of the reasons why many boxers who won gold medals in the Olympics became obscure after turning professional.

For this type of boxer, their biggest fear was opponents like Link and Andre Berto, who not only had skills but also strength, speed, stamina, and resistance to blows.

One Andre Berto was already a headache, and now there was an even more terrifying Link Baker.

To maintain his position in the amateur boxing world, Andrzej Methara's manager had to brainstorm other solutions, such as extending the match for a few more rounds.

Fighting for a few more rounds not only looked better in news reports but also had a more important reason: it dealt a smaller blow to the boxer's confidence.

Many people in the boxing world, when they first entered the sport, often maintained a winning streak of more than ten, twenty, thirty, or even forty fights. However, once they were defeated or knocked out, their confidence would suffer a significant blow, leading to a decline in performance.

This happened frequently. Tyson was a typical example.

Before being defeated by James Douglas in 1990, he had a 37-win streak. After the defeat, his career went downhill. When he retired in 2005, his record was 50 fights, 44 wins, and 6 losses.

There was also his opponent, the legendary boxer Mitchell Spinks, who dominated the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight championships for over five years before encountering Tyson.

However, after being defeated by Tyson in one round in Las Vegas in June 1988, he immediately announced his retirement from boxing, with a professional record of 32 fights, 31 wins, and 1 loss.

Then there was Larry Holmes, Mitchell Spinks' old rival and Ali's sparring partner. Before meeting Mitchell Spinks, he had defeated many powerful champions, including Muhammad Ali.

His winning streak reached 48 fights, but after being defeated by Mitchell Spinks, he suffered consecutive losses. In 1988, he faced Tyson and was knocked out in just four rounds.

Therefore, in the boxing world, boxers like Ali, George Foreman, and Holyfield, who could bounce back after defeat and reclaim their championship belts, were the truly remarkable ones.

Their strength lay not only in their skills but also in their strong mental fortitude and unyielding will.

The phrase "repeated defeats, repeated battles" also applied to them.

At this moment, the white boxer in front of Link, Andrzej Methara, didn't seem like a person with a strong will from his appearance. His manager spending money to help him smooth things over was quite thoughtful.

Link clenched his gloves, pounded his chest, and greeted his opponent.

Andrzej also pounded his chest in response.

The referee checked the seals, announced the rules of the match, and forcefully cut his hand down.

"Boxing!"

The match began. Bang! As soon as it started, Andrzej Methara's right fist, like a mantis arm, shot towards Link's face with a whooshing sound.

Link was startled. The speed was indeed astonishing, far exceeding any opponent he had faced before. The power was also quite good, not much weaker than Mario's. Ordinary boxers wouldn't be able to block it.

But Link was not an ordinary person. His reaction speed was even faster. Seeing Andrzej's fist coming, he quickly turned his head and threw a punch at Andrzej's head, exchanging punches.

"Whoa! It's a backhand punch!"

"Can Andrzej dodge it?"

The audience exclaimed. Andrzej's manager was even more worried. If this punch landed, Andrzej could be instantly knocked out.

â€"(End of Chapter)â€"