With only four seconds left in the second round, Morduk went down under Jason Luo's relentless assault. The knockdown didn't take the Mexican completely out of the fight, but it shook his confidence badly. Since arriving in the United States from Mexico, this was the first time he had ever been knocked down in the ring.
What stung even more was the deafening roar that erupted across the arena the moment he hit the canvas! He couldn't understand what he had done to offend this crowd—why did it feel like he had suddenly become the villain here?
"He's down! The Mexican is down! He did it! The young Jason just pulled off an epic comeback here on Podiat stage! Oh my God, I can't believe my eyes! The young fighter shows no fear against the veteran! Against a Mexican renowned for his ferocious punching power, Jason went toe-to-toe and floored him. Could there be anything braver than that?"
"This undercard bout has no doubt become tonight's biggest highlight! Even the elite fighters backstage can't sit still—they're sneaking peeks at the fight. Ha! I'll have to remind the staff to charge them for tickets later... But we can see Morduk, though knocked down, still looks like he can continue. This heart-pounding battle isn't over yet…"
In the stands, the crowd exploded with wild excitement. Cheers, whistles, and applause merged into a single overwhelming wave of noise. On stage, Jason Luo savored the true glory of boxing for the first time. Meanwhile, the fallen Morduk slammed the canvas in frustration, almost as if blaming the ring for betraying him.
The referee stepped in. Morduk slowly stood back up. After a quick check of his condition, the referee deemed him fit to continue. To give him a buffer, he issued a standing count, then, after confirming Morduk's willingness to fight, signaled for the bout to resume.
But with only four seconds left, Jason Luo managed to throw a quick combination before the bell rang, giving Morduk a precious chance to breathe.
Back in his corner, Jason Luo was immediately surrounded by his team. Mr. Miao anxiously ran tests—blood pressure normal, pupils responsive, no major issues beyond the severe swelling. Breathing a sigh of relief, he told Raul, "He's fine for now. Nothing serious."
Raul and Pedro relaxed, then quickly got to work reducing the swelling with ointment. The coach leaned in urgently. "Forget the rest until after the fight. This is your moment! Your heavy punches are landing—finish him while he's still shaken! Don't let your guard down. If he recovers, it'll get ugly."
Jason Luo knew it was true. Without his opponent losing balance, breaking through Morduk's defense would have been nearly impossible. And time was short—the boost from his power wouldn't last. He had to end it in the next round.
Pedro quickly added, "I know his high guard is solid, but he's not invincible. Don't force it head-on. Stay mobile—attack from the sides, go for his ribs. Once you land there, he won't be able to raise his arms. That's when you switch back to the front…"
Jason Luo's eyes lit up. The plan was brilliant—he almost wanted to hug his coach! But before he could act, the bell rang to start round three.
The fighters met in the center. Jason Luo charged forward. Morduk, still not fully recovered after a minute's rest, forced himself to meet the rush—his instinctively aggressive style refusing to back down. But suddenly, Jason Luo feinted, cutting diagonally to his left. His right hook slammed into Morduk's ribs.
The unexpected attack left Morduk stunned. Mid-charge, he couldn't stop his momentum and staggered from the blow. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth, endured it, and lashed out with a fierce counter.
Landing clean gave Jason Luo confidence. He kept targeting Morduk's flank. Forced to follow his lateral movement, Morduk grew passive, struggling to adjust.
"The critical third round is underway! This could decide everything. Right now momentum is with Jason—beautiful! We saw it the moment they clashed: Jason slipped to the side and scored clean to the body. That's a sharp shot early in the round! And it looks like his corner gave him a new game plan—smart strategy. Morduk looks uncomfortable—he's not used to dealing with this style…"
Jason Luo moved like a cheetah, circling and probing for openings. Morduk shadowed him step for step, tense and cautious.
After two circles, Jason feinted right, then slipped left. Morduk fell for it, his left side exposed again. Jason hammered the same spot with two heavy blows.
This time, Morduk couldn't take it. Fresh pain piled on top of old injuries, sweat burst from his forehead, and his face twitched uncontrollably. His lead hand dropped, and he clamped his arms over his ribs.
Seeing the opening, Jason Luo switched back to the front and unleashed a furious barrage. With one arm disabled, Morduk's defense collapsed, though his toughness showed—he still tried to throw punches back.
But how could one arm hold off Jason Luo's storm? With his boost nearing its end, Jason poured in everything he had, fists clenched, swinging with savage intent.
The sustained assault drove Morduk backward, unable to fight back. Yet his iron will kept him upright.
Jason pinned him against the ropes, ready to keep pounding. But the referee had seen enough. He rushed in, separated them, and shielded Morduk with his body, raising both arms and waving—ending the fight.
"Victory! The referee stops the fight at just the right moment. A smart call—ever since that body shot, Morduk was no longer able to fight on fair terms. Continuing would only have brought more damage. Tonight we saw two warriors with unyielding willpower. Both are true fighters! Ladies and gentlemen, give them a thunderous round of applause—and congratulations to today's winner, Jason!"
"Though this was only an exhibition, you've already won over today's crowd. I hope to see you both again soon in official matches—I'm sure of it! Especially Jason. If you're willing, I'll call you 'The Miraculous Kid,' haha…"
The moment the referee ended the fight, Jason Luo felt like he was dreaming. "Ding…" The system chime rang, but he didn't care. The battle had been grueling, and he knew he would never forget it.
The cheers threatened to tear the roof off. Raul rushed into the ring, grabbed Jason, and spun him around. Tony Huo appeared at last, shouting something inaudible in the roar…
But Jason's eyes were fixed on his coach at ringside, smiling at him. Breaking free from Raul, he ran straight to him, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"Coach, I didn't let you down. I… I did it…"
Pedro, showing rare warmth, wiped the tears from his face. "You brat! What's there to cry about? I'm still waiting for you to bring me that gold belt…"