Chapitre 102: Chapter 102: World Champion
##
"Hello, Mikkel! Welcome to Miami for the match," Link greeted his opponent in the ring.
"Hello!" Mikkel replied expressionlessly with a nod.
The referee stepped forward to announce the rules of the match. After ensuring both fighters had no objections, he swung his arm down forcefully.
"Boxing!"
With the referee's signal, the cheers from the audience abruptly fell silent, like a guitar string being cut. However, the two stationary figures in the ring sprang into action.
Upon hearing the referee's command, Link stepped forward, launching an attack on Mikkel with his fists. Simultaneously, Mikkel advanced towards Link, aiming punches at his head, with the force behind his punches matching Link's.
Link had anticipated Mikkel's aggressive strategy rather than a defensive approach. Before the match, Link had discussed this with coaches Brooks and West. Although Mikkel had an impressive professional record of 41 wins, 1 loss, and 32 KOs, the boxing experts pointed out his flaws. Despite his powerful punches, Mikkel's technique was somewhat crude, overly reliant on his heavy punches, and his fighting style lacked flexibility. His most effective strategy, similar to Link's, was to use a barrage of heavy punches to wear down his opponent and deliver a knockout blow when they were weakened.
Link's advantage lay not in the weight of his punches but in his superior technique and stamina.
As Mikkel unleashed his heavy punches, Link quickly transitioned to defense, raising his arms to block. This was the first time in the WBA champion series that Link switched from an offensive to a defensive strategy.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mikkel took advantage, launching a flurry of heavy punches at Link's arms. In just six seconds, Mikkel landed over 20 punches. Link blocked and parried, maneuvering to absorb the blows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mikkel continued his relentless assault, each punch carrying at least 1200 pounds of force, equal to Link's power. The blows left Link's arms numb, and he took a few punches to the shoulder and left side of his abdomen, which were quite painful.
"Why is Link on the defensive? Can he defeat Mikkel in 100 seconds like this?" Dino asked nervously, rubbing his chin.
"Watch carefully, this is Link's strategy," Simon replied.
"Strategy?" Dino raised an eyebrow, thinking that with Link fighting like this, he definitely couldn't win in 100 seconds, and Dino would profit from his bet again.
"I told you, he's regressed. He used to be aggressive and never took hits like this. Now he's getting beaten without fighting back. This is his own doing for not taking me to New York," Mario sneered, his large nose flaring.
"The match just started. What's your rush?" Morales said with a sideways glance.
"Am I wrong? A good sparring partner is crucial for a boxer. If I were there, Link's skills would be much better now. You can't compare to me," Mario said, shoving Morales aside with his shoulder.
Morales smirked and stood next to Reggie.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mikkel had excellent stamina, throwing over eighty punches in less than 40 seconds. In the first 40 seconds, Link only threw 8 punches, spending the rest of the time in full defense, blocking every hit.
"Link, counterattack! The 100 seconds are almost up," someone shouted from the audience.
But Link remained calm, focused on his defensive strategy, showing no urgency.
"Could Link have changed his strategy? Is he no longer aiming to KO Mikkel within 100 seconds?" Raphael Varane, the editor, pondered aloud.
"Could this be Link's planned strategy? Setting a 100-second goal to put pressure on his opponent, forcing them to either defend or attack? If the opponent defends, he would attack aggressively. His punches are powerful, and few can withstand his barrage for 100 seconds. Mikkel might have chosen to attack, using offense as defense to endure the 100 seconds," Doug Fischer speculated.
"If Link doesn't win within 100 seconds, what happens?" Anderson Gyllenhaal, director of the Miami Herald, asked.
"Haha, the match continues. Have you noticed Link only said he would KO everyone within 100 seconds but never mentioned conceding if he didn't?" Raphael Varane laughed.
"Is that so? Link is quite cunning," people around exclaimed.
"Haha, I've always said Link is a smart guy. He always uses his brain in matches, never relying solely on his fists," Raphael laughed.
In the ring, Link was entirely focused on the match, following his instincts. Winning the match in the shortest time was his priority, but he needed an opportunity to counterattack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the eighty-second mark, Mikkel had thrown over 110 punches, landing a dozen on Link. However, the continuous heavy punches took a toll on Mikkel, and as the first round neared its end, his attack speed slowed. He was sweating and panting heavily.
Seeing Mikkel's decreased attack frequency, Link knew his chance had come. He launched a counterattack, throwing a jab at Mikkel's head.
Mikkel reacted quickly, raising his arms to defend and countering with a straight punch at Link's face.
"Watch out!" someone shouted from the audience.
Ignoring Mikkel's punch, Link's right hand swung forward in an overhand punch, faster than his opponent's, aiming at Mikkel's head.
"Wow, an overhand punch!" someone exclaimed.
Yes, it was an overhand punch. Link took advantage of Mikkel's unprepared defense, his punch crashing through Mikkel's raised left arm and slamming into his left cheek with tremendous force.
Bang!
Mikkel's head jerked to the side, his left cheek distorting, and his jaw dislocating. His hair and saliva flew to the right, and he suddenly sped up.
Mikkel fell sideways onto the ring with a thud.
"Wow!!"
The audience gasped in surprise and delight. They were stunned by the sudden knockout. Just moments ago, Link seemed to be on the defensive, and now he had turned the tables with a single overhand punch, striking his opponent's head.
"Can Mikkel still stand up?"
"Come on, Mikkel, get up!" Dino couldn't help but shout.
Franco and Simon turned to look at him suspiciously. "Whose side are you on?" they asked.
Dino quickly closed his mouth, clenching his fists silently to cheer for Mikkel.
Mikkel propped himself up, slowly standing, but his steps were unsteady. Link's overhand punch was one of the most damaging moves. In amateur matches with headgear, many were knocked out by it. In professional matches without headgear, the punch's damage doubled. Most couldn't withstand the 300-400 pounds of impact.
But Mikkel was not ordinary. His endurance was exceptional. Struggling for a few seconds, he propped himself up with his arms and slowly stood.
The referee asked Mikkel if he could continue.
Mikkel stared at Link, nodding to indicate he could.
Link silently admired Mikkel's resilience. He was indeed a tough opponent.
"Boxing!"
The match resumed. Mikkel pounded his chest, glaring at Link with fierce determination. Link, seeing his opponent's exhaustion from the initial 80-second assault, took the opportunity to attack.
He launched a series of punches at Mikkel's arms. After taking a few hits, Mikkel realized he couldn't defend and launched a counterattack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Both fighters abandoned defense, throwing heavy punches at each other. The crowd's cheers were deafening, almost lifting the roof off the Hard Rock Stadium.
Due to Mikkel's initial assault, he was more fatigued than Link, slower, and less effective in defense. Within three rounds of exchanging punches, Link gradually gained the upper hand.
Seeing an opening, Link delivered a precise jab through Mikkel's left defense, landing a solid hit on his chin, causing Mikkel to stagger and spit out saliva.
Great opportunity!
As Mikkel recoiled, Link stepped forward and landed a right straight punch on Mikkel's left cheek. Despite the heavy blow, Mikkel, with his formidable resilience, didn't fall. He grabbed the ropes, steadying himself, and bent over, protecting his head with his arms.
Mikkel's coach shouted instructions from ringside: "Defend!", "Full defense!", "Hang in there, the first round is almost over!"
Link, not wanting to give his opponent a chance to recover or be called a "loudmouth," bit his mouthguard, flexed all his muscles, and unleashed a barrage of punches. In three seconds, he threw eight heavy punches.
Bang!
An uppercut hit Mikkel's cheek, followed by a straight punch to his forehead. Mikkel's eyes rolled back, and his body swayed before collapsing onto the ring.
Link retracted his fists, looking at his fallen opponent, unsure if he could stand up again. If Mikkel rose, the round would end soon, and even if Link won, it wouldn't be a complete victory within the 100-second promise.
"10, 9, 8, 7..."
The referee counted. Mikkel struggled but couldn't get up within ten seconds.
"Yes! Link wins!"
The audience erupted in cheers, standing up and shouting in unison, like a tidal wave. Link sighed in relief and raised his fists high.
"I declare the winner of this match: Link Baker!" The referee raised Link's arm high.
"Link is the champion!"
"Mikkel lost? Just with one punch?"
Dino was stunned, grabbing Simon's arm to check the time, which showed 100 seconds.
100 seconds? How could it be so exact? Did he win his bet or
lose?
"The time shows 100 seconds. If Mikkel stood up, Link would have lost. Too bad for you, your bet was just one second off," Morales, who had checked the time on his phone, said loudly.
"What?" Dino shouted, letting go of Simon's arm and sitting on the bench, hitting his head with his fist.
"I said, better luck next time. This time I won," Morales laughed, then clapped, "Link, you're awesome. I knew you would win."
"Damn it, I was just one second off! One second!" Dino slapped his thigh in frustration.
"Haha, better luck next time," Reggie said, patting Dino's shoulder.
"We bet on luck. Better luck next time," Simon said calmly, adjusting his glasses.
"Did you win?" a nearby audience member asked.
"Of course. I was only one second off," Dino said, rolling his eyes.
"Great, let's celebrate," the guy shouted.
"Sure," Dino replied, looking annoyed.
"Congratulations, Mr. Link," the referee said, raising his thumb.
"Thanks," Link replied, extending his hand for a handshake.
The stadium was in chaos. With their local hero's victory, the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause.
Amidst the applause and cheers, many jumped into the ring to lift Link onto their shoulders. Though exhausted, Link cooperated with the audience's celebrations, raising his fists.
The commentator said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed another exciting match. Our local hero, Link Baker, has defeated the current world champion, Mikkel Watson. Let's give him a round of applause and cheer."
The audience's cheers grew louder. Finally, with the audience's support, Link descended from the ring. The stadium quieted down as everyone waited for the announcement of the next match.
Link bowed to the audience, took the microphone from the commentator, and said, "Thank you, everyone, for your support. I will continue to work hard and not let you down."
The audience cheered in response.
After a brief speech, Link stepped down from the stage and joined the team for a meeting. He shared his victory with his team and friends.
"Link, you're amazing. You're a hero," Dino said, giving Link a big hug.
"Thank you. But remember, there's no such thing as a hero, just continuous hard work," Link replied with a smile.
Dino nodded, knowing Link had a point.
"Okay, let's take a break and celebrate our victory. Next week, we'll return to Los Angeles for the next match," Link said, and everyone cheered again.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone