Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Knockout Punch
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“Link is coming out!â€
“Go, Link!â€
After the pre-fight checks, Link led his team out of the tunnel. As he stepped to the exit, a spotlight illuminated his path brightly.
Cheers erupted from the audience as boxing fans shouted their support.
Link waved his fist toward the stands. After signing at the referee’s table, he strode confidently to the ring.
His opponent, Jean Pascal, also climbed through the ropes and stood on the opposite side of the ring.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. Can I have a word with you before the match?â€
Steve Mandanda, familiar to many, approached the ring in a suit with an HBO microphone and a camera crew following him.
The match was also being broadcast live on HBO.
“Good afternoon, Steve. Aren’t you usually in the studio? Why are you out here?†Link greeted him.
Steve chuckled, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face as he replied, “I like being on-site; it’s a great way to meet more people. Haha, Link, let’s talk about the match. Your opponent today, Jean Pascal, has an undefeated record of 21-0. He’s a formidable fighter, and you’re still aiming to knock him out within 100 seconds?â€
“Of course. As I’ve told you before, I’m never short on confidence,†Link shrugged.
Steve laughed again and turned the microphone toward Pascal. “Mr. Pascal, Link has already knocked out seven opponents in his matches, all in less than 21 seconds. Facing such a fierce opponent, are you confident you can defeat him?â€
“Absolutely. My punches are stronger than his. I’ll show him that boxing is about fists, not just talk.â€
Pascal gestured towards Link with a clenched fist.
“Wow, Mr. Pascal seems quite confident. This match will be exciting. Do you agree with the recent comments that Link is all talk and no substance?â€
Steve pressed on.
Pascal glanced at Link and shrugged. “I admit he has some skill, but he’s nowhere near as impressive as the media makes him out to be. You’ll see for yourselves today. I’ll shatter his false aura and show who the real super middleweight champion is.â€
Link smiled faintly.
Steve handed the microphone back to Link. “Link, Mr. Pascal claims you’re all talk. Do you agree?â€
Link looked at him with a hint of frustration. He had already declared his intention to knock out his opponent within 100 seconds before the match; he didn’t need Steve to add fuel to the fire.
“No, Steve, I don’t agree. So, just watch my performance and see how quickly I can end this fight.â€
Link spoke into the microphone.
“Great, both fighters seem confident about this match. But there can only be one winner. Let’s wait and see who will become the regional contender.â€
Steve read a few lines for the broadcast and then left the ring with his crew.
The referee checked the gloves and announced the rules before starting the match.
“Boxing!â€
Link lifted his fists and stared at his opponent, Pascal.
According to the information, Pascal was known for his aggressive style, powerful hooks, and straight punches with an 80% knockout rate.
The best strategy against such a fighter would be to play defensively at first, using skill to wear down the opponent’s stamina, and then finding an opportunity to counterattack in the latter part of the fight.
However, Link had set a time limit of 100 seconds for himself, so he couldn’t afford to waste any time.
As he raised his fists towards Pascal, Pascal stepped back, raising his arms in a clear defensive stance, trying to delay the match beyond 100 seconds.
Link wasn’t going to let him do that. He moved forward, throwing punches at Pascal’s guard.
Boom boom!
His arms were 10 cm longer than Pascal’s, and his punches were fast.
Two straight punches landed on Pascal’s arms, pushing him back a step. But Pascal quickly adjusted his stance, keeping his arms in front, his feet moving nimbly, eyes fixed on Link.
This was a significant improvement from Link’s previous seven opponents, who had been either knocked out immediately or panicked and neglected their defense.
Pascal’s defensive response was much more seasoned.
Link continued to attack Pascal’s defense. On his second strike, it was clear Pascal’s arm muscles tensed up as he focused all his defense on his head, revealing an opportunity.
Great chance!
Link stepped forward with a skip, landing a left hook to Pascal’s head, and almost simultaneously delivered a powerful liver punch to Pascal’s left rib.
Ugh!
Pascal grunted, his feet retreating a half-step, his guard dropping instinctively.
Link seized the opportunity, landing a jab that broke through Pascal’s defense, followed by a straight punch to Pascal’s forehead. With over 1,200 pounds of force, the punch drove Pascal back two steps, hitting the ropes, but he didn’t fall.
Link silently praised Pascal’s resilience. No wonder he was the top super middleweight in Canada; his ability to take hits was impressive.
Before Link could follow up with another punch, Pascal suddenly abandoned his defense, throwing a tricky uppercut aimed at Link’s chin. If it connected, Link might be in trouble.
He quickly sidestepped, the punch grazing his side. Before Pascal could recover and retaliate, Link moved in, leaning forward and delivering a right hook to Pascal’s head.
His fist hit Pascal’s left wrist, but the force was too great. Pascal couldn’t block it, and the hook landed solidly on Pascal’s temple.
Boom! Pascal’s head jolted, his face rippling from the impact. He stumbled sideways and fell to the mat.
“Wow!â€
A gasp of astonishment spread through the crowd.
As the referee counted down from ten, the audience watched in silence, anticipating whether Link could indeed defeat Pascal within 100 seconds.
The crowd had expected a close match, but now it seemed like Link was about to secure a quick victory.
Pascal struggled to get up but wobbled and fell back down, clearly affected by the punch.
“Yeah! Link wins!â€
Morales shouted in excitement, jumping up from his seat.
“Wow, that was amazing!â€
Dino Duvall clapped and laughed. “Simon, how many seconds?â€
“42 seconds!â€
“42 seconds? Pascal is the top super middleweight in Canada, and Link defeated him in just 42 seconds. That’s incredible.â€
Dino waved his fists, thrilled.
“Link, the champion!â€
Many fans in the audience cheered loudly.
Link waved his fist and left the ring.
Although the match was won easily, it was the result of his rigorous training. His relentless effort to enhance his strength and speed had culminated in that decisive punch.
(The end of this chapter)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone