“Link, is it still raining in New York?â€
In the car, Link glanced out the window. It was overcast, like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away, with tears hanging in their eyes, ready to fall at any moment. He found it strange that Franco would call just to ask about the weather.
Link replied that it wasn't raining.
Franco said, "Link, are you having trouble adjusting to life in New York? How about after the match, you move back to Miami? We’ll try to schedule your future fights there. I’ve been considering that rebuilding a training facility isn't as effective as acquiring one. Coach West’s boxing gym is pretty good. I’m planning to invest in it and use it as your training base. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good, but I'm fine living in New York."
"Really? Because you seemed quite agitated during your interview."
"It’s not the weather; I just want to make the matches more exciting."
"Well, it’s certainly exciting, and it’s saving the company millions in promotion costs. But you’ve declared war on a whole group of people. That’s too much. Ali, Tyson, and Mayweather used to provoke their opponents, but they only targeted one at a time.
Now, they’ll definitely retaliate hard. Your matches will become extremely tough, and you can't afford to lose even once. If you do, you'll become a laughingstock in the boxing world. It’s harsh."
Franco Duva asked.
"Don't worry, Franco. I wouldn’t say such things if I wasn’t prepared to face the challenges. Besides, with Coach Brooks by my side, I’m confident we can defeat any opponent."
Link said confidently.
Coach Brooks, sitting nearby, couldn't help but touch his forehead, suddenly feeling a great deal of pressure.
Shortly after hanging up, Link received another call from Coach West, who advised him to be cautious during the match.
His words were like pouring oil on the fire, making the super middleweight matches even more prominent than the heavyweight ones, drawing unprecedented attention in the boxing and sports world.
This was both good and bad because Link himself was in the fire. If he could endure it, he would become the most famous champion in boxing. If not, he would end up in disgrace.
Coach West urged him to hold on and win the matches. He told him not to worry too much about the 99-second promise. As long as he won, even if it took twelve rounds, he would still be the victor. Victors are never mocked; they are praised for their strategy.
Link understood Coach West's concerns and assured him that he would win the matches.
Not long after he hung up, he received another call from James, the fat guy.
James wasn’t calling about his 'trash talk'. He usually liked reading fashion magazines like 'Playboy' and only started following sports news after Link entered the boxing scene.
James told him the store’s business was booming, with customers booking him as a diving instructor up to three years in advance. If he didn't come back soon, the bookings might extend to ten years.
Link found this amusing. After the Olympics, the public beach at Midtown had become a popular spot. On the night he won the championship, over a thousand people gathered on the beach, with singing and dancing performances.
His Baker Diving Gear Store had also become one of the most famous shops on Miami Beach, with daily customer traffic ranging from dozens to hundreds, and even more during holidays.
James was so overwhelmed that he had to hire two assistants.
James also mentioned that for some unknown reason, the past few days had seen even more visitors than right after the Olympics.
Link asked him if he wanted to come to New York after October, as it would be the off-season for the diving store.
James refused, saying New York was too dangerous. Movies always depicted New York as being full of gangs, with more murders happening daily than in Miami. He didn’t want to take the risk and advised Link to be careful and return as soon as the matches were over.
Link chuckled, not arguing with James about which city had a higher crime rate. After all, one was Gotham and the other was Sin City, so it didn’t make much difference.
---
Link's second round of trash talk once again exploded in the boxing world, landing on the front pages of major media outlets. Journalists speculated whether Link truly had the ability to defeat Mikkel, Andre, and others within 99 seconds, or if he was just all talk, making bold statements to attract media attention.
Boxing magazine launched an online poll asking whether Link could defeat Mikkel and others within 99 seconds to become the super middleweight world champion. Out of 2,147 participants, 667 supported him, while 1,480 believed it was impossible.
The media were also divided into two camps. One camp labeled Link a 'trash talker,' calling him the biggest trash talker in the history of professional boxing. Unlike others who targeted single opponents, he aimed at an entire group, engaging in indiscriminate verbal slaughter.
The Chicago Tribune called him a brave yet reckless trash talker.
This view was more popular, slightly dominating public opinion.
The other camp, led by newspapers like the USA Express and Miami Herald, believed Link’s power was undeniable, having defeated his opponents in seconds in consecutive matches. Calling him a trash talker was shortsighted.
The Miami Herald cited an interview Link gave to the Baltimore Sun after the Golden Gloves Championships, where many media outlets labeled him a trash talker.
Link had countered, saying, 'So far, no match has taken place, yet you believe I’m talking big. Do you want to keep mocking me? Reporters, you’ve been proven wrong three times. Why not wait until I’m defeated to laugh at me?'
The Herald suggested waiting until he lost a match to call him a trash talker. Mocking him while he continued to break records would only lead to getting their faces slapped.
After Link’s consecutive verbal assaults on super middleweight boxers, many fighters in the division retaliated, collectively challenging Link in the media. Some claimed they would finish him in three rounds, while others vowed to make him taste defeat.
Whatever they said, Link’s immense popularity ensured these news stories were widely covered.
For a while, the super middleweight division became the most exciting event in boxing, overshadowing even news like Holyfield challenging Nikolai Valuev; Hasim Rahman challenging Wladimir Klitschko; and Samuel Peter challenging Vitali Klitschko.
Boxing magazine had to marvel that after twenty years of dormancy since the Four Kings of the eighties, the super middleweight division was once again receiving unprecedented attention, all because of one man: Link Baker. ‘In terms of influence, Link is already the uncrowned king.’
(End of chapter)