Bab 57: Chapter 57: Richard Gets Hurt
"Roger, I'm back!"
In the Wachovia Center, the match was ongoing when Mayweather squeezed his way to the front row, sitting beside his uncle and coach, Roger Mayweather.
"How much did you bet?"
Roger Mayweather asked.
"1500 dollars!"
Mayweather pulled out a wad of betting slips and smiled.
"What are the odds for Antonio?"
"I don't know. I bet on Richard to win."
"Richard? Why did you bet on him? Antonio won an Olympic bronze medal, has a professional record of seven wins and no losses. Richard's amateur record isn't impressive, and he's only won four professional matches, with average performance. You know boxing well. Why did you bet on him?"
Roger Mayweather was puzzled.
Mayweather shrugged, "Roger, don't be fooled by Richard's white face and his pretty boy looks. This guy is very strong. Richard will definitely win this match."
"Is that so? They've been fighting for six rounds, and it's still a stalemate. Richard is mainly defending and isn't performing exceptionally. I haven't seen anything impressive from him."
"It's true."
Mayweather hesitated for a moment, "I fought him once, and I lost."
"You fought him? And lost? How many rounds?"
"One round!"
Mayweather held up one finger.
"Are you joking?"
Roger frowned.
Mayweather had been learning boxing from him since childhood, and he knew Mayweather's strength very well.
Despite being small and not as bulky as heavyweight boxers, Mayweather had great flexibility, speed, agility, stamina, and comprehensive skills.
His overall strength was not inferior to those of light heavyweight champions.
In a real fight, with his speed and dodging skills, Mayweather could remain undefeated. How could he lose in just one round?
"Roger, you weren't there. That guy is too cunning. His speed, agility, and technique are on par with mine, but he pretended to be slow at first, luring me into attacking. In the end, I lost."
Facing his uncle, he was too embarrassed to say he was knocked out by one punch. It was too humiliating.
"Is his speed faster than yours?"
Roger was surprised.
"Yes, that guy is a freak. He has the speed of a lightweight and the power of a heavyweight. Such a guy can only be described as a monster."
Mayweather gritted his teeth.
Roger stared at Richard in the ring. Richard was currently fighting a war of attrition with Antonio. They exchanged punches; sometimes Richard attacked, sometimes Antonio did. They were evenly matched, and Richard didn't show any exceptional skills.
"If he's really as strong as you say, why hasn't he finished off Antonio quickly? Dragging the match on like this, what advantage does he gain?"
Roger didn't understand.
"I don't know. Richard is very cunning. Just wait and see, Antonio will definitely fall into his trap."
"Alright! I'm looking forward to his magical performance."
---
Ding, ding, ding~
The seventh round ended. The total score for the first four rounds was 114:109, with Richard leading slightly. The second bout was underway, and the outcome was still undecided.
"Richard, how do you feel?"
In the left corner of the ring, Alvin sprayed some water on Richard's body and face while Earl checked his face and head, and Paul fanned him with a towel.
"Antonio is very strong, his strength is on par with Montell's."
Richard leaned against the post.
"Don't tell me you can't beat him."
Paul said.
"Did I say that? After seven rounds, I have figured out his abilities. He has great stamina, is good at defense and clinching tactics, and his jab is excellent.
However, his technique isn't comprehensive, and his attacks lack continuity. After each attack, there's a momentary relaxation, which slows his reaction. At this time, with enough speed, one punch can decide the victory."
Richard said confidently.
"You talk big. Why didn't you knock him out earlier?"
Paul pouted, feeling that this guy was too cunning. Fighting him once would expose all his secrets, making it hard to fight him again.
Now he understood why he always lost to Richard before.
"Richard, do you have any other plans?"
Alvin asked.
"Yes, Antonio is a good opponent, and he has the strength to challenge for the championship. I want to fight a few more rounds with him to refine my techniques."
Additionally, he had another purpose, to understand the abilities of the mini-boss Roy Jones Jr. through Antonio.
According to the data, Antonio could beat Roy Jones Jr. in the future, so he must have his strengths.
But after seven rounds, Antonio hadn't used any particularly powerful moves. It was strange. Were they throwing the match?
Regardless, Antonio lost the first bout, and only one round remained in the second bout. If he didn't use his trump card now, it meant he had none.
So, the key to this match was the eighth round.
Ding, ding, ding~
The eighth round began.
"Box!"
As the referee signaled the start, Richard bounced a few steps, slowly approaching Antonio, who immediately raised his arms, guarding his head and preparing for defense.
Every time he saw Antonio's defensive stance, Richard felt a bit of a headache. Antonio had a small head, a sharp forehead, and strong arms. When he defended well with his fists, it was extremely hard to break through.
This advantage wasn't unique to Antonio; many black boxers had it, but it was more pronounced in Antonio.
Bang, bang!
Richard opened the eighth round with two straight punches to the head.
Antonio continued to defend, tightly guarding his head.
Richard wanted to force his opponent to use his killer move, so he put all his strength into his punches. Bang, bang~ Antonio wobbled, nearly getting knocked down.
Richard wanted to follow up with more punches, but Antonio used clinching tactics again, hugging him.
"Break!"
After they grappled for a few moments, the referee intervened, separating them.
"Richard, go for it!"
The audience didn't like this kind of clinging match, and the cheers became less frequent, with only occasional shouts.
Bang, bang~
Richard felt that the probing was enough and didn't intend to delay any further. He unleashed a series of heavy punches, aiming directly at Antonio's head.
Bang, bang, bang!
During his third attack, Antonio couldn't withstand his heavy punches, his left-hand defense faltered, and Richard took the opportunity to land an uppercut, quickly hitting Antonio's left forehead.
Bang!!!!
Antonio staggered back two steps, hitting the corner post, and then collapsed in the corner.
Boom~
Seeing the boxer fall, the audience came alive again, cheering loudly, with many girls screaming Richard's name.
The scene was jubilant.
"Roger, did you see that? That guy's punches are very powerful. With just a few heavy punches, he broke through Antonio's defense. Facing such an opponent, Antonio is unlucky.
If it weren't for Richard, with his ability, he might have had a chance to challenge for the championship. But in the same division, there's Roy Jones Jr., and now Richard, other boxers have a hard time rising."
Mayweather shook his head and sighed.
"This Richard is really good. His technique is comprehensive, he fights smartly, and his punches are sharp, like Tommy Morrison's. Maybe he will become the next white champion."
Roger Mayweather praised.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6"
At this moment, the referee was crouching beside Antonio, counting. When he reached '3', Antonio struggled to stand up.
Clap, clap, clap~
The audience gave a warm round of applause.
Richard stood in the corner, watching his opponent. Although the punch had hit Antonio's forehead, Antonio's sharp forehead deflected some of the force. Otherwise, anyone else would have been unable to get up.
"Box!"
The referee shouted, and the match resumed.
Taking advantage of his opponent's incomplete recovery, Richard used the same tactic, directly attacking Antonio's defense with heavy punches. He believed that another hit would win the match.
Bang, bang~
He launched a series of straight and hook punches, and Antonio couldn't defend himself, rushing forward to hug him.
Richard was also unceremonious, hitting his opponent's abdomen and liver with his fists.
Suddenly, Antonio stepped back and launched a quick uppercut, silently breaking through Richard's defense and hitting his chin.
Oh no~
The uppercut came too fast and too cunningly, combined with clinching tactics, making it impossible to defend against.
Richard didn't have time to block, so he slightly tilted his head.
Bang~
The right side of his chin took a heavy hit.
Richard felt dizzy, tasted blood in his mouth, and his chin seemed injured, causing intense pain.
A normal reaction would be to retreat and defend, waiting for the discomfort to lessen before attempting a counterattack.
But Richard wasn't normal. He didn't care about the injury to his chin. When he saw his opponent's opening during the retreat, he seized the opportunity.
Whoosh~
Ignoring the pain, Richard launched a silent jab.
The punch followed the path of Antonio's left arm, breaking through his right-hand defense and hitting Antonio's face with speed and force.
Bang!
With the intense impact, Antonio's face showed visible distortion, sweat flew off his head, and his skin rippled. His head tilted to the left, then his body followed, leaning and falling to the ground.
Thud~
Antonio fell heavily onto the mat, motionless.
"."
The arena fell into a brief silence.
The confrontation had happened too quickly and violently.
The audience didn't have time to cheer for Antonio's stunning punch before Richard delivered an even more astonishing jab.
Bang~ bang~
With those two punches, Richard got hurt, and Antonio fell. The fierce exchange was a life-and-death
struggle, leaving the audience in awe.
"Richard, come on!"
After a brief silence, the audience erupted in deafening cheers. The girls screamed Richard's name, and even some male fans joined in.
"What a quick jab!"
"To avoid falling after taking an uppercut and then counterattack with a jab, that guy's reaction and willpower are amazing!"
"I don't understand how a white guy can be so powerful."
"Didn't they say he was a pretty boy?"
"Pretty boys can punch like this?"
"No, that's a real tough guy!"
Amid the cheers, the fans praised Richard in their own ways.
The boxers and fans in the boxing world had deep prejudices against Richard. Many black boxers, especially those in the same division, were particularly dismissive of him.
In their eyes, white boxers lacked speed and stamina, making them unsuitable for boxing. They believed only black boxers, with their natural physical advantages, could dominate the ring.
But the two punches Richard just threw shattered all the prejudices and opened their eyes.
This match, no matter the outcome, Richard was already a winner in the hearts of the fans.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone