Link's speech at Madison Square Garden had exploded like a bomb, shaking the entire world of boxing.
After the Olympics, Link's fame had already broken through regional barriers and spread throughout the boxing world, familiarizing many with his name.
Upon hearing of his transition to professional boxing, everyone kept a close watch on his matches, looking forward to observing the performance of the Olympic champion.
People expected to wake up, open the newspaper, and read about Link's debut, only to find such news instead.
The New York Post's front-page headline read, "Olympic Champion Link Baker Makes Bold Claim, Aims to Sweep All Opponents Within 100 Seconds."
The subheadline stated, "He doesn't think former world champions Mikkel Kessler, Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, or even Joe Calzaghe could last 100 seconds against him."