Bab 218: Chapter 216: Emma's Plan
After a light meal at the hotel consisting of toast, milk, and grilled meat brought from the US, Link returned to his room. He was cautious about his diet before the match to avoid any digestive issues, sticking to familiar foods and avoiding anything spicy or distinctly British.
Back in his room, he received a call from Emma, asking when he would visit her. Link felt a bit uneasy. He had intentionally reduced contact with her since she left Miami the previous year, hoping they could return to being normal friends and casually hang out.
However, Emma wanted more than that. After the announcement of his August boxing match in London, Emma bombarded him with messages asking when he would arrive and expressing her desire to see him. Link, not good at saying no, reluctantly agreed.
But after careful consideration, he realized it wasn't realistic. Both were high-profile celebrities, and a risk-free date under the media spotlight was as challenging as winning a difficult championship fight. Especially with the paparazzi who had hounded Princess Diana, the risks were even greater.
For their safety and careers, he thought it best to cancel or postpone. However, Emma was insistent, which was troublesome.
Link explained, "Emma, many media outlets know about our past dating rumors. A reporter asked about it at the press conference today. They'll be watching us, and it'll be troublesome if we're photographed. How about next year? I'll be in the UK for a concert then, and I'll have more time."
"Next year? That's too long. Link, I just watched your interview. You said you wanted to meet up with me, Daniel, and Rupert, right? We can meet at Daniel or Rupert's place. They're both in London these days. I'll contact them now," Emma said excitedly over the phone.
"Meet at their place? Is that appropriate?" Link hesitated. He had met Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Rupert Grint a few times but considered them only casual acquaintances. It would be awkward to meet at their place unless it was a proper date.
"It's fine. I'm very close with them. They wouldn't dare refuse. Wait for my good news," Emma said before quickly hanging up.
Link shrugged, turned off the shower, and returned to the bedroom to rest for a bit.
Around 5 pm, he took the shuttle provided by the organizers to the London Tower Hotel on the banks of the Thames in central London. Although not the most luxurious, the hotel had a great location with views of the river and London Bridge, surrounded by museums, theaters, bars, and close to the O2 Arena in Greenwich.
After settling in, Eddie Hearn, the general manager of Matchroom Sport, and the presidents of the WBA and WBC boxing associations arrived to discuss the upcoming schedule with Link and Franco.
Besides the match, there were multiple press conferences, a BBC interview, a boxing fan gathering, and a charity gala.
These activities were designed to increase his exposure in London and attract more viewers to the boxing match. The more people watched, the higher the pay-per-view revenue. Link wasn't one to slack off when it came to making money.
Eddie Hearn also informed him that at least one member of the royal family would be attending the match, adding to its prestige.
"The royal family? If I defeat Carl Froch in just a few dozen seconds, wouldn't that be embarrassing for the royal family member?" Link joked, looking at Eddie Hearn.
Eddie Hearn, the 30-year-old son of Barry Hearn, the president of Matchroom Sport, was a successful boxing promoter himself. Barry Hearn had promoted many top boxers, including Frank Bruno, Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, and Prince Naseem Hamed. Eddie had been with Matchroom since 2003, handling boxing promotions and managing top fighters like Carl Froch and Mikey Garcia. He would later become one of the most famous boxing promoters, signing future champions like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He was the most successful of the "boxing second generation."
Link was impressed with Hearn's work and planned to collaborate with him long-term.
"Haha, Link, you're such a joker. The royal family member is just coming to watch the match. They won't care about that. You just need to win. Don't worry about anything else," Eddie Hearn said, waving his hand dismissively.
"That's good," Link nodded.
Eddie Hearn looked at him and asked, "Link, are you really confident you can defeat Carl in a few dozen seconds?"
"Not sure, but I'll try to end the match as early as possible."
"You're a ruthless guy!"
Eddie Hearn didn't say anything more and turned to discuss a long-term partnership with Franco, expressing his envy for Franco's good fortune.
Indeed, not just him, but all promoters envied Franco's luck. Link was not only a skilled boxer but also a top singer and athlete. With this triple threat status, Link's future appearance fees would soar, potentially surpassing Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao to become boxing's top earner.
In June, after Link successfully defended his WBA world title, Ring Magazine revisited last year's Golden Gloves tournament. They mentioned how Link quickly rose to fame and demanded a $100 million signing bonus and a 70% split, which was ridiculed by many in the industry.
Now, it seemed that even with a $300 million signing bonus and a 90% split, promoting Link would still be highly profitable. Franco and Dynasty Promotions had indeed struck gold.
After seeing off Eddie Hearn and the others, Link went to the hotel's gym for some light boxing training. On his way out, he noticed dozens of suspicious-looking people on the street. They followed him at a distance as he walked to the gym, some taking pictures.
His bodyguard, Wallace, told him that based on his years of experience protecting celebrities, many of these people were elite paparazzi, well-equipped and often working in groups, making them a headache to deal with.
Link nodded in understanding.
During his training, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Rupert Grint called, asking if he was free tomorrow and enthusiastically inviting him to their place for a chat. Link thought for a moment and agreed, as he had time tomorrow afternoon.
(End of Chapter)
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