Bab 52: Chapter 53: The Freak
While the super middleweight matches were underway, other weight classes were also competing simultaneously. However, the US team's performance in this qualifier was worrisome. Apart from Link, heavyweight Deontay Wilder, light heavyweight Joe Smith Jr., and two female boxers advancing, all other boxers were eliminated in the third round.
In the heavyweight division, an interesting scene unfolded in the second round when Deontay Wilder faced Andy Ruiz Jr. from the Mexican team. Both were actually Americans, with Andy Ruiz Jr. representing Mexico. During the draw, they happened to be paired together, allowing the Cubans to witness a battle between two Americans.
Link watched from the sidelines. Every time either Wilder or Ruiz Jr. landed a punch, the Cubans would erupt in cheers, creating a lively atmosphere. Ultimately, Wilder defeated the newly promoted heavyweight Ruiz Jr. with a score of 27:18, successfully advancing to the third round.
"Link, the Cuban side might be manipulating the draw. Be careful," Coach Ed said with a frown.
Link nodded, not surprised by this. Although the Olympics were the largest sporting event, they were intertwined with political factors, making political maneuvering inevitable.
Especially in boxing, where the results were determined by the scores of five judges arranged by the host, they could easily manipulate the outcome by selectively awarding or withholding points.
For instance, in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Roy Jones Jr. dominated South Korean boxer Park Si-Hun, yet Jones Jr. only received a silver medal, becoming one of the most infamous scandals in Olympic history.
Similar incidents occurred frequently in subsequent Olympics, making Olympic boxing the most prestigious yet unfair among all amateur boxing competitions.
However, Link wasn't worried. His goal was to knock out all opponents, rendering the judges jobless.
---
In the third round, the top 9 advanced to the top 5. Link faced Cuban boxer Rosniel Iglesias, a 27-year-old black man, 188 cm tall with a 193 cm reach. Iglesias had an amateur record of 102 fights, 88 wins, 12 losses, and 2 draws. He had participated in three World Championships and one Olympics, with his best results being reaching the quarterfinals in the Olympics and winning a silver medal in the World Championships.
He was also the only second-place finisher in the Americas qualifier to defeat his opponent in the first round and advance.
A formidable opponent indeed.
Compared to Andre Berto, Iglesias had more comprehensive skills, with almost no weaknesses in offense or defense. He was also more agile, often throwing a punch and quickly retreating, never giving his opponent a chance to attack.
He was even more challenging than the previous opponent, Dennis.
"Link, this opponent is tough. Are you sure you still want to go for a knockout?" Ed asked, his forehead creased with wrinkles.
Link glanced at him, somewhat speechless. When they first met, Ed appeared to be in his early forties. After just two matches, Ed seemed to have aged ten years, his wrinkles deepening and gray stubble emerging on his cheeks.
This reminded Link of Coach West from across the strait. During the last Golden Gloves tournament, West had also aged significantly. Was coaching him that mentally taxing?
Link felt it wasn't his fault; they were overthinking.
"Link, I advise you to give up," Andre Berto shook his head. "In the last match against Dennis from Canada, you almost failed to get a knockout. Now facing someone even more skilled and agile than Dennis, how can you knock him out?"
"Link, I also think it's difficult, not realistic," Jones Falls added.
Link watched the video of Rosniel, observing his agile movements and swift dodges on the ring. It seemed difficult to even land a punch, let alone a knockout.
How to knock out such a strong opponent?
Link pondered for a moment, then clenched his fists and said, "Let's continue with the knockout strategy. If I really can't do it, we'll talk then."
"Link, I support you!!" Andrzejewski and Morales, not afraid of causing a stir, cheered excitedly.
Coach Ed and Andre Berto shook their heads.
---
The third round began.
As Link stepped onto the ring, he saw a black man resembling Kevin Garnett, with a strong and sturdy build, looking very difficult to deal with.
Did he really want to knock out such a hulk?
The answer was, YES!
Human nature was lazy. If faced with difficulties, one would find an excuse to back down, followed by countless more excuses, ultimately sinking to the bottom.
This wasn't what Link wanted.
He was a reborn individual with a special physique. As long as he worked hard and trained continuously, his abilities would grow stronger, perhaps even becoming superhuman.
If he gave up and settled for the status quo, he would gradually weaken, becoming an ordinary person, even falling short of an average person after losing his rebirth advantage.
This wasn't what he hoped for.
Therefore, Link wouldn't allow himself to slack off, nor would he make excuses. He had to defeat these opponents, using them as stepping stones and sharpening his skills to gradually become stronger.
"Fight!!"
Link roared, his muscles bulging with explosive power.
"Link, go for it!"
The US boxing team members cheered for Link from below.
Link waved his fists at them.
After the match started, he chose to take the initiative.
His fists moved like hammers, constantly striking his opponent. Time was limited, and he wouldn't let himself rest or give his opponent a chance to stall.
In the first round, Link threw over 120 punches. However, due to his opponent's speed and agility, only over forty punches landed, mostly jabs with limited power.
Rosniel's muscles were solid, and these forty-odd punches didn't cause much damage.
"Link, be more flexible. Don't just rely on brute force. Conserve your energy," Coach Ed advised during the one-minute break.
"I understand!"
Back in the ring, Link continued his aggressive approach, using his speed and power to break through his opponent's defense, landing nine punches on his body in the second round.
Halfway through the offensive, he noticed a detail not seen in the video.
Rosniel would intentionally or unintentionally lower his arms to protect his ribs.
He remembered Rosniel making similar movements in the previous two matches, but since his opponents were weaker, the threat wasn't significant, and the gesture wasn't obvious.
In this match, under Link's relentless attacks, Rosniel had lowered his arms to protect his ribs at least five times, especially his left rib. It was almost a subconscious reaction.
Initially, Link didn't notice, but with his opponent repeatedly making this move more than three times in a round, as a veteran boxer who had fought in underground matches for years, it was hard for him not to notice.
(End of this chapter)
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone