章 101: Chapter 101: On and Off the Stage
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After resting for just one day, the finals began. On the day of the match, Link appeared at the Hard Rock Stadium wearing a golden cloak and boxing shorts with his name and the WBA logo on the waistband. However, today’s main attraction was not just Link, but also the numerous celebrities in the audience.
The most notable was billionaire and political rising star Mr. Tompson. Today, he wore a proper suit and a red tie, seated in the front row near the ring, accompanied by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Miami Sports Commission Chairman Avery Brundage, and several other political and business elites.
Also present were WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, Vice President of the Americas Association Lynn Volk, and high-ranking officials from the Florida media and publishing world, such as Anderson Gyllenhaal and Raphael Varane.
But even more attention was drawn by three boxing legends: former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, former light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr., and former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Before the match started, the media interviewed these three about their views on the fight.
“I support Link. His punches are powerful, and I believe he can defeat Mikkel and become the super middleweight champion,†Tyson said to HBO.
“Do you think Link can beat Mikkel in 100 seconds?†the HBO reporter asked.
“I don’t know, but I think it’s possible. Link’s punches are very heavy, and he’s almost invincible in the super middleweight division. If he lands one punch, he has a good chance to KO his opponent. But Mikkel is also a very tricky opponent. If Link wants to beat him in 100 seconds, he’ll need to use his brain,†Tyson said, pointing to his head and flashing his two big gold teeth.
HBO also interviewed Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins. Jones shrugged and said, “I don’t think Link can do it. I’ve seen his fights. His barrage of punches is fierce, but I believe Mikkel can withstand it.â€
Hopkins told the reporter, “Link is an amazing guy. It’s unbelievable that he beat Jermain Taylor in 100 seconds. As for Mikkel Kessler? I’m not sure he can last 100 seconds. I used to think Link couldn’t beat Pascal and Jermain in 100 seconds, but he did. He’s a very surprising guy, and I don’t know what else he’ll do to shock us.â€
When asked if he would still question Link’s strength, Hopkins said, “I didn’t know who Link was back then. A friend asked me to comment on him. Yes, I hadn’t seen his fights, and I didn’t have any grudges against him. I thought he was just a loudmouth looking for fame. I wasn’t disrespecting him.â€
“If you had the chance to fight Link, could you last 100 seconds against him?†the reporter asked.
“Of course! I’m a light heavyweight. His punches are strong in the super middleweight division, but they’re not the strongest in light heavyweight. On my good days, I can also throw punches weighing 1,500 pounds,†Hopkins said, clenching his fists.
After the interviews, both Link and Mikkel stepped into the ring.
Before their appearance, two WBA heavyweight ranking matches served as warm-up bouts to hype up the crowd. When they stepped into the ring, the atmosphere became even more electrifying.
“Go Link!â€
“Champion Link!â€
As Link entered the ring, the audience erupted with cheers.
The Hard Rock Stadium, the largest sports venue in Florida, can hold 40,623 people for boxing events. According to the Miami Herald, there were 34,000 spectators today, most of whom were Link fans.
When these fans chanted “Go Link!†in unison, the sound was overwhelming.
“Wow, Link is so popular,†Mr. Tompson said, startled by the loud cheers.
“Haha, Link is our pride in Miami. He not only won us an Olympic gold medal but now has the chance to win the world championship belt. I believe more Miami residents will become fans of Link,†Mayor Francis Suarez said with a smile.
“Link is indeed an excellent young man. I have high hopes for him,†Mr. Tompson replied.
“Go Link! Go Link!†shouted the red-flag-waving fans led by Fat James from the second-tier seats.
“Simon, do you think Link can beat Mikkel in 100 seconds?†Dino Duvall asked nervously, rubbing his hands.
“Did you bet on Link winning by KO in 100 seconds again? This time it might be difficult. Link said he would try to finish the fight in one round, not 100 seconds. Dino, your bet might be a waste,†Simon said.
“Really?†Dino touched his chin, grinning. This time, he didn’t bet on Link winning in 100 seconds but rather beyond that. If Link didn’t win in 100 seconds, he would make a big profit again.
“Dino, are you gambling again?†Franco asked his younger brother disapprovingly.
“Just for fun. I only bet a little pocket money, really just a little,†Dino said, rubbing his index finger and smiling sheepishly.
Franco shook his head and turned to look at coaches Brooks and West chatting in the coaching area. The two had known each other before but didn’t have much interaction. Now, because of Link, they had become close friends.
“Reggie, do you think Link can become the world champion?†Mario nudged Reggie and asked.
“Of course, Link has never lost,†Reggie said, eyes full of admiration for Link in the ring.
“I don’t think so. Link became the Golden Gloves champion and Olympic champion because I was his sparring partner. Now that he’s been away from me for too long and is using someone like Morales as his sparring partner, I bet he hasn’t improved much lately,†Mario said, glancing at Morales nearby.
Morales grinned and crossed his strong arms, ignoring Mario. The two shared the same name and had often clashed when they were Link’s sparring partners at West’s gym.
A model with a hot figure carried the WBA world championship belt around the ring and then placed it on the referee’s table.
After Joe Calzaghe announced his retirement and relinquished all his super middleweight belts, the WBA world champion title became vacant. The winner of today’s match would take home the belt and become the WBA world champion.
But Link’s attention wasn’t on the belt; it was on his opponent.
Mikkel Kessler, 29 years old, a Danish professional boxer, 185 cm tall, 188 cm reach, 76 kg, white, with a fierce tattoo on his right upper body. He had a professional record of 41 wins, 1 loss, and 32 KOs. He was a former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, holding both belts for 3 years and 7 months.
Last November, he fought IBF-WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in a unification bout, losing after a 12-round battle and losing his two belts.
His opponent was formidable, and defeating him to win the belt would be challenging.
But Link wasn’t worried about his opponent’s strength. Becoming the world champion had been his dream for two lifetimes. After half a year of rigorous training and numerous tough matches, he was finally here, just one step away from his dream. No matter what, he wouldn’t back down.
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