Bab 52: **Chapter 52: This Is Boxing!**
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"Hey, pretty boy, you seem to know your stuff. Have you trained before?"
As they prepared, the short black man watched Richard's warm-up movements, noting their professional quality.
"Blackface, I haven't just trained; I'm a professional. Forget it, I won't bully you. I'm a light heavyweight professional boxer. You can still surrender," Richard said, moving his shoulders.
"You're a professional boxer?"
The short black man was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Perfect, I'm a professional boxer too, lightweight. I turned pro last November. What about you?"
"I had my first professional fight at the beginning of this month and am participating in the WBC Challenger Tournament," Richard replied.
"You're in the Challenger Tournament too? Why haven't I heard of you? Haha, I get it. You must not be very good. Those who perform well become famous quickly, right?"
The short black man mocked.
"You'll find out soon," Richard smirked. Trash talk before a match can affect an opponent's emotions, which is also a part of the technique. The short black man was doing it well.
"Alright then, let's start. I'll show you that the power of boxing doesn't lie in weight but in speed," the short black man said, twisting his neck.
"I agree with your point," Richard said.
Ding ding ding~
"Begin!" someone shouted.
The two men bumped gloves in the ring and each took two steps back.
At first, they didn't engage, instead observing each other's movements. From their footwork, the height of their fists, and their attacking mindset, they could gauge each other's style.
Fast boxers have agile footwork, high bounce frequency, great rhythm, and a strong desire to attack. The short black man was such a boxer.
After watching for a while, Richard formulated a rough plan.
"Hey, come and hit me. You said you'd take me down in one round," the short black man taunted, bouncing on the edge of the ring. But when Richard approached, he would immediately jump away like a nimble black flea.
"Haha, you're too slow. And you call yourself a professional boxer," the short black man sneered.
Richard ignored him, still closing in with slow footwork. When they almost touched, the short black man would quickly change direction, running behind Richard as if trying to dizzy him with circles.
"Blackie, stop running and fight!"
"Blackie, if you can't beat him, surrender. Don't waste time,"
The crowd grew impatient, yelling at the short black man.
But he didn't care and dragged it out for another thirty seconds. With less than ninety seconds left in the round, he suddenly charged with an uppercut aimed at Richard's chin.
Bang! Richard barely dodged, the punch grazing his neck and ear.
Missing the hit, the short black man quickly changed to a hook punch, sweeping horizontally.
Richard leaned back, the punch brushing past his nose.
"Hmph! You're not too slow either!"
The short black man, not letting up, launched a rapid offensive. Within twenty seconds, he threw two straight punches, three uppercuts, and two sweeping hooks, making quite a show.
"Go, Blackie!"
"Black-haired guy, fight back!"
"Handsome guy, time's almost up. Your girl will be taken away!"
The crowd roared, especially those betting on Richard. Their shouts were particularly loud.
"Haha, did you hear that? Your girl will soon be mine," the short black man taunted.
"You wish!" Richard scoffed.
"Really? Today I'll make sure you're lying on this mat!" the short black man snarled, baring his teeth.
"Attack!"
The short black man roared and charged with a quick, fierce jab aimed at Richard's nose.
Bam! Richard blocked the punch with a hook.
"You dodged that?" the short black man exclaimed.
"Does your coach know you talk this much crap?" Richard retorted.
"Fuck!"
The short black man, enraged, charged like a gust of wind, throwing jabs at Richard's head, uppercuts at his chin, and hooks at his liver, all fast and fierce. Richard took a hit to the left ribs and a glancing blow to the right cheek.
Richard was startled by the man's speed and explosive power, which nearly matched his own. Who was this guy?
Whoosh! Another hook punch swept towards Richard's face.
Richard blocked it, but the man's left fist silently rose from below, targeting Richard's chin.
Damn, a feint!
Too late to defend, Richard lowered his head. The uppercut grazed his left jaw, hitting his cheek.
"Heh," the short black man smirked. As he pulled back his right fist, he felt something wrong. Hearing an angry shout, his opponent's right fist came crashing down.
He quickly moved his left fist to block, but the impact felt like a battering ram.
His left defense was forcefully broken, and the right fist rushed towards him, growing larger.
The short black man's eyes widened, wanting to block or duck, but it was too late. The punch was incredibly fast.
Realizing he'd been tricked, he saw his opponent had hidden his true speed and power.
Bam! Before he could react, his face was hit squarely by a straight punch, solid and heavy.
The short black man felt an immense impact, his facial muscles vibrating intensely, and his head and body snapped back like being hit by a car. His heels slid on the mat before he collapsed.
Thud~
The crowd fell silent.
"See that? That's the difference in levels," Richard glanced at the short black man, dropped his gloves, and left the ring.
"Yeah!"
"The black-haired guy won!"
"The black-haired guy is awesome!"
The crowd of hundreds shouted, especially those who bet on Richard.
The fight was thrilling. At first, the short black man's flurry of punches seemed unbeatable. With time running out, just as everyone thought he'd win, the black-haired guy struck silently, delivering a direct punch to the face.
The punch was relentless, breaking through the short black man's defense, forcing him to take the blow head-on, resulting in his defeat.
The audience, including those who understood boxing, admired Richard's punch for its strength and timing.
Most impressive was that Richard defeated the arrogant short black man with a single punch, showcasing his prowess.
"Black-haired guy, what's your name?"
Someone shouted.
"Richard, Richard Brad!" he replied, waving and walking out of the crowd with Bundchen.
"Richard, I, Mayweather, will remember you."
Lying on the mat, Floyd Mayweather clenched his fists, watching Richard walk away. His father and uncle were both boxing champions. He'd trained for over a decade, competing against top fighters, but had never lost as badly as today.
This time… ouch, my face~
—
"Darling, that punch was so cool! How did you do it, knocking him out like that?"
On the bustling street, Bundchen excitedly mimicked a few punches.
"It's nothing. Blackie was good but unlucky to face me. I'm faster and hit harder, plus my reach is longer. He's tough for others but not for me," Richard said modestly, though he was impressed by Blackie's skills. The boxing world was indeed full of hidden talents, and he needed to work harder.
"Darling, you're amazing!"
Bundchen kissed his cheek, her arm around his shoulder, her long legs bouncing like a playful girl.
Suddenly, a spotlight hit them.
"What's going on?"
Richard and Bundchen froze.
"Gotcha!"
"Now kiss!"
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
People pointed at the screen on the building and chanted.
Richard and Bundchen looked up at the screen on Times Tower, showing their image. It was part of Fox TV's New Year's Eve kissing game, where couples caught on camera had to kiss.
Richard smiled, pulling out a red rose from behind. "Darling, may I kiss you?"
"Of course!"
Bundchen took the flower, jumping into his arms, her left leg lifting.
They kissed passionately on the street, on the big screen, in front of thousands.
"Wow!"
The crowd cheered.
After thirty seconds, the spotlight moved to another couple, and the crowd cheered again.
Richard and Bundchen watched for a while.
"Let's go home!" Richard said, taking her hand.
"Okay!"
"Darling, I need to ask you something," Richard hesitated.
"What?"
Bundchen blinked.
"Are you ready?"
Richard's eyes burned with desire.
Bundchen paused, smiling slightly. "Ready for what?"
"For that!"
"What is that?"
Bundchen teased, running to the car.
"You can't say no!"
Richard laughed, chasing after her.
—
Thud!
That night, the apartment door slammed shut, followed by rapid breathing inside.
"Darling, are you ready?"
"Mm."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireworks exploded outside the bedroom window.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone