At half past seven in the evening, the Paragon Plaza underground boxing circle was livelier than ever.
Whether it was bored tycoons or ordinary people with economic means, they were all waiting for tonight’s big fight – the showdown between the rising star boxer from Atraria and the boxing overlord of Taplesh Boxing, Derek!
This night would drive them crazy, make them passionate, and let them revel in the frenzy of primal instincts.
The bell rang at eight o’clock, signaling the imminent start of the battle, and the entire underground boxing circle was nearly filled with people.
The crowd split into two paths, and several bodyguards escorted two men to the ring from both sides.
One was the renowned boxing overlord, Derek!
The other was the unknown rookie boxer, Leo!
As both men stepped onto the ring, the spectators roared in unison.
“Derek! Derek!”
“Leo! Leo!”
Having watched Leo’s match recordings, Derek naturally discerned that Leo hadn’t exerted full effort in his previous fights.
He reached a conclusion – this guy was not simple, and he couldn’t afford to underestimate him.
Unbeknownst to him, Leo was instructed to throw fake punches. In this title fight, Derek was undoubtedly going to win. If he knew, perhaps his mood would be different.
Leo, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, knowing he was going to lose anyway. But his expression conveyed a different meaning to Derek, adding invisible pressure.
A master, definitely a master. Only a master could maintain such calmness.
The more Derek thought, the more uncomfortable he felt because Leo’s expression clearly suggested that Derek wasn’t his match.
Stay calm!
Derek reminded himself inwardly. In a duel between masters, mindset matters. Once the mindset is disturbed, it’s a prelude to defeat.
Derek stabilized his emotions and slowly approached Leo with the Three Palace Steps.
Leo greeted him with clenched fists, displaying a victorious demeanor, standing firm like a mountain.
This pressure was intangible, causing tiny beads of sweat to form on Derek’s forehead.
Among the audience below, there were two different reactions to this situation.
Those who bet on Leo winning were secretly delighted, praising their wise choice. Meanwhile, those who bet on Derek were extremely worried, praying silently that their bets wouldn’t go to waste.
On the loft, the expressions of the two individuals were somewhat similar. The plump man with the surname Kim wore a smile, while Ninja had a smile that was difficult to describe.
The boxing referee walked to the center of the ring, raised the microphone, and shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce today’s boxers.”
Pointing to a dark-skinned, muscular man on his left, he said, “This person should be familiar to everyone… He is… the one who brings us excitement and thrills, Derek! The invincible boxing overlord Derek!”
The referee’s voice suddenly soared, and Leo even suspected that this guy’s high pitch was higher than those of world-class tenors.
The crowd erupted into cheers, simultaneously waving their betting slips…
“His opponent is this rookie… Leo, who surprises us! As a newcomer who has just entered the underground boxing circle, although he lacks experience, he easily defeated Jack and Lisi!”
“I believe everyone has seen his strength. Can he create miracles for us again today? Let’s wait and see!”
The referee’s voice seemed unable to go any higher, indicating his lack of confidence in Leo. After all, his opponent was the battle-hardened boxing overlord, Derek.
Leo glanced at where the bets were placed, and the odds were three to one in his favor!
With a crisp sound of the bell, the match began immediately. After the referee gave the command, he stepped down from the ring.
Derek initiated the attack, still using the Hermit Sinks into Lake move, but it was ineffective as Leo easily dodged it.
Leo could have counterattacked, but he didn’t bother because it wasn’t necessary.
Leo’s ability to dodge this attack was within Derek’s expectations.
Derek circled around Leo, but Leo remained motionless, exhibiting patience compared to Derek.
Leaping forward, Derek threw a straight punch, but Leo countered with a punch, brushing past Derek’s arm and nullifying his attack.
Derek’s eyes lit up as he spun around to launch another attack with his other arm aimed at Leo’s face. This move was closely observed by Leo.
Leo could have easily turned defense into offense, but since he was supposed to fake it today, he pretended to be flustered and blocked with his hand.
However, it seemed ineffective as Derek’s fist landed on his face.
With Spiritual Power protecting him, Leo didn’t feel any pain.
The audience supporting Derek cheered at the sight, but Derek, instead of feeling excited, became heavier.
He was well aware of the power behind his blow, but it was strange that his opponent not only didn’t fall but also showed no reaction after being hit.
Even scratching an itch should elicit some response, right!?
The blow that hit Leo was a move from the ancient Taplesh Boxing, a turning whip punch. This move was used when a punch missed its target, leveraging the momentum to spin and strike the enemy’s head or face with the other arm, a self-sacrificing technique with a high chance of knocking down the opponent due to its immense power.
Seeing Derek’s strange expression, Leo realized he had overacted and needed to adjust.
“Since you dared to hit my face, let me make you suffer!” Leo thought.
Leo launched a counterattack!
Taking a step forward, he swept his leg low toward Derek’s lower body.
Derek, cautious as ever, stepped back to avoid Leo’s attack. Then, he spun and kicked forcefully toward Leo’s midsection.
A cold smile flashed across Leo’s face as he continued his leg sweep, leveraging the rotation to crouch down, narrowly avoiding Derek’s counter back kick.
Then, with another low leg sweep, he struck Derek’s left leg. Due to Derek’s backward kick with his right leg, his lower body was unstable, and Leo’s sweep hit him, causing Derek to feel as if his leg was struck by an iron rod.
“Thud!”
Derek fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Those who bet on Leo’s victory saw him gaining the upper hand and began cheering wildly, creating an atmosphere as intense as when they supported Derek.
The loud cheers continued as the tycoons loosened their ties and unbuttoned their shirts, shouting hoarsely while waving the betting slips in their hands.
These people were no longer the noble upper class; they were just a bunch of beasts who wanted to see bloodshed to satisfy their desires!
Derek jumped up again, a cold smile flickering on his face, whether it was affirmation or mockery towards Leo.
Enduring the pain in his leg, he slowly approached Leo.