章 92: Chapter 92: The Siege of Link
"Link, you did it."
The van arrived at Madison Square Garden for the match. Compared to the first fight, which had hundreds of spectators, today there were more than three thousand.
On the ground around the ring, over a hundred reporters gathered. There were not just American reporters but also those from Canada, Europe, and Asia. Even cable TV stations like HBO and FOX had sent journalists and cameramen to cover Link’s match.
Clearly, Link's previous bold statements had successfully captured the attention of the global media.
Simon Curtis had to admire Link’s ability to generate news. With just his words, he had attracted more than three thousand spectators and over a hundred media reporters, showing a level of influence comparable to international superstars.
"Link, they're all here to watch you fail. But of course, you're so brave that this little crowd shouldn't faze you, right?" Dino Duva said with a mischievous grin.
Link shook his head. Having experienced the qualifiers and the Olympics, today's crowd was indeed small for him, giving him almost no pressure.
What he was most concerned about now was his opponent for the second match, Romarick Signard, a Puerto Rican boxer with an amateur record of 51 fights and 42 wins, quite impressive. His signature move was the uppercut, with which he had knocked out three opponents in amateur matches, more than Link had with his own uppercuts.
"Link, this match, you..." Coach Tommy Brooks didn’t know how to instruct Link. In the past, he would tell his boxers their opponents’ characteristics and weaknesses, then how to fight to win.
But with a boxer like Link, he didn’t know how to coach because Link had already set a finish time for himself before the match even started. A few seconds or a few dozen seconds were too short for any tactical play.
"Link, just hit hard. Your punches are powerful and fast; Romarick can't withstand many of them," Brooks said helplessly.
Link nodded, raising his fists as he walked to the ring.
His opponent also looked at him with determination. Although Link was formidable, he was just a stepping stone. If Romarick could defeat him, he would earn the ‘honor fragments’ Link left behind, and maybe even gain [reputation], [gold coins], [titles], [experience], just like in a game.
The spectators and journalists in the audience stared unblinkingly at the ring, afraid to miss the moment the match ended.
"Boxing!"
The referee announced the start of the match. Before Link could throw a punch, his opponent attacked first, aiming a tricky right uppercut at his chin.
Link praised his opponent inwardly for the unexpected punch. The angle, speed, and timing were excellent, and an average person might be knocked out by such a cold punch. But Link was no average person. His speed and reaction time were faster.
As his opponent threw the punch, Link quickly sidestepped, and before his opponent could defend, he delivered a swift right hook to the opponent’s head.
Bang!
The opponent's head jerked to the left, his body staggering two steps before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
Without protective gear, only the cushioning of gloves, Link’s heavy punch was more lethal than in amateur matches. In amateur bouts, he needed ten or a hundred punches to knock out an opponent, but in professional matches, sometimes one punch was enough. This was why heavy punchers performed better in professional matches.
".3, 2, 1!"
The referee counted to ten, and the opponent failed to get up.
"It's over already?"
The audience exclaimed in shock. This match seemed even quicker than the last one. Was Link too fierce?
"How many seconds?" Dino asked Simon, who had a stopwatch.
"Less than 5 seconds!" Simon exclaimed.
The journalists in the audience also timed the match. From the start to Romarick’s fall, Link took only 4.82 seconds, almost just one breath's time, making it fast enough to be written into the Guinness World Records.
"Link Baker, congratulations on winning your second match, bringing you one step closer to being the world champion."
As Link stepped down from the ring, the reporters swarmed him again, pushing dozens of microphones and recording devices in front of him, with cameras pointed at him from several TV stations.
"Thank you!" Link responded politely.
"Link Baker, yesterday 'The Guardian' interviewed Joe Calzaghe, who stated that his decision to relinquish his belt was to focus on light heavyweight and not because of you. What’s your take on this?" asked a reporter from 'The Guardian.'
"No matter the reason, it’s Joe Calzaghe’s choice, and we should understand and respect it," Link said loudly.
"Link Baker, Mikkel Kessler, Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, and others have all stated that you are just a loudmouth and that they will defeat you in the ring and teach you humility. What’s your response?" asked a 'USA Today' reporter.
Link smiled and addressed the microphones and TV cameras, "Teach me humility? I don’t understand why they hate me for being high-profile. But as professional boxers, it’s our duty to promote the sport. If we all fought like Ali and Tyson, boxing would be more popular. If everyone fought silently and begrudged others’ high profiles, the sport wouldn’t grow. For opponents without ambition, I have nothing to say. I’ll try to beat them within 99 seconds because boxing doesn’t need them!"
"99 seconds again?"
The reporters gaped at him. This guy had already offended everyone last time, and instead of making amends, he was adding fuel to the fire. One man taking on the world â€" was he really not afraid of getting beaten?
"99 seconds?" Dino’s eye twitched as he looked at Simon, "I used to not believe Link had been stabbed, thinking he was always so proper. But now I get it. With the way he talks, even I, an outsider, want to stab him. He’s too arrogant."
Simon wiped the sweat off his forehead and shakily pulled out his phone to call Franco, telling him to prepare for intensified PR because Link had spouted off again.
---
"Boss, Link has made more harsh statements to the reporters."
In the audience, a man in a trench coat listened for a while before calling his boss, Greg Cohen.
"What did he say?" Greg Cohen asked on the phone.
The man in the trench coat repeated Link’s new declarations.
Greg Cohen was silent for a moment, then said, "This guy is too good at stirring things up. A boxer like him, if signed by our company, wouldn't need much promotion budget. Just his mouth is worth a million in advertising."
"How many rounds did this match last?"
"4.82 seconds," said the man.
"4.82 seconds? Was his opponent a dummy, couldn’t last even ten seconds?" Greg Cohen exclaimed.
The man in the trench coat sighed in disbelief and recounted the match, which was only one sentence long: the opponent attacked, and Link knocked him out with one punch.
Greg Cohen cursed, "Do you think he can beat Mikkel, Andre Ward, and others within 100 seconds?"
The man thought for a moment, "I don’t know if he can, but he seems very strong. His abilities surpass those of his peers. Andre Ward probably isn’t his match."
"Damn, this guy is growing too fast," Greg Cohen swore. In the Golden Gloves Championships, Link's strength was around the level of a super middleweight A-level boxer.
In the Americas, he unexpectedly defeated A-level fighters like Peters and Aragon.
At the Olympics, his strength seemed to have taken another leap, surpassing the S-level.
This guy’s potential was too great.
"This guy is dangerous. If he continues to develop, it will hurt our company’s interests. We should either sign him or suppress him. Investigate Link’s relationship with Dynasty Promotions, see if there’s any discord. For example, Franco promised to move the company to Miami but didn’t do it. Link might be unhappy about that. Amplify his dissatisfaction with Franco, and we’ll find a way to bring him over," Greg Cohen instructed.
"I understand."
The man in the trench coat nodded and hung up.
In Las Vegas, in the office of Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Greg Cohen hung up and sighed deeply.
Looking at Bob Arum, the Top Rank Promotions CEO across from him, he apologized, "Bob, I didn’t handle the Link matter well, but I’ll try to fix it and eliminate the threat."
Bob Arum, who resembled Churchill with his slicked-back hair and cigar, chuckled, "Greg, no need to apologize. Link has potential but is still a rookie. Don't worry too much."
Greg Cohen shook his head, "Bob, I have a bad feeling about Link. He’s not just strong but also very good at stirring things up. When I first met him, he was an unknown boxer. Just over two months later, he’s an Olympic champion, a boxing star worth millions. If this continues, his fame and influence won’t be less than Mayweather or De La Hoya. His earning potential will rival theirs, impacting our business."
Bob Arum frowned, looking at his burning cigar, and coughed, "So, what’s your plan?"
Greg Cohen drummed his fingers, thinking, "I’ve studied Link for a long time. He’s arrogant and proud, also a perfectionist. Such people are hard to deal with but have weaknesses. He can’t accept failure. He’s like a sharp sword that can’t be bent once. We should quickly arrange for him to fight top boxers and experience defeat. In the super middleweight division, Joe Calzaghe
, Mikkel Kessler, and Andre Ward can besiege him. These fighters are strong, and someone will defeat him. If that doesn’t work, there are Chris Byrd, Hasim Rahman, and James Toney. Link has openly challenged them before. Arrange matches with them, and they will surely defeat Link. Once Link is beaten, he’ll be like Tyson, hard to recover. Then we can choose to sign him or suppress him. The choice will be ours," Greg Cohen spread his fingers, making a grasping gesture.
Bob Arum squinted, "Go ahead. I’ll also chat with old Duva. Congratulate him on finding a successor. Haha, this time young Duva’s judgment was indeed spot on."
Greg Cohen's eyes flashed with displeasure as he left the office.
(The end of the chapter)
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