Fortunately, before stepping into the ring, the coach had already warned Jason Luo to be wary of his opponent using this kind of attack.
As one of the most influential heavyweight champions of the century, Mike Tyson left a profound mark on the boxing world. After him, many fighters who weren't particularly tall began adopting this offensive style, breaking through their opponents' defenses by targeting the abdomen and ribs.
So when this happened, Jason Luo wasn't too surprised. Defending against such punches wasn't easy, so he shifted outward, avoiding the double attack while countering with a rear-hand punch.
In the ring, Silvaliev kept pressing forward while Jason Luo feinted left and right, circling around him like circling a post as he threw punches. He scored points this way, but the results weren't very effective.
The Russian's head defense wasn't especially tight, but every time Jason Luo landed a heavy punch, Silvaliev used a subtle movement to absorb the impact. Jason Luo's power never fully came through, and he suspected that even a clean hit might not pose much of a threat…
Silvaliev wasn't enjoying himself either. He hadn't expected Jason Luo to circle him unpredictably, constantly switching sides. With his slower footwork, he started to feel dizzy.
He didn't care about losing a few points, but this style annoyed him. After several failed attempts to cut Jason Luo off, Silvaliev calmed himself down.
Anyone bold enough to come fight in the U.S. wasn't just some pushover!
Soon, he found a counter. Instead of watching Jason Luo's torso, he locked his eyes on his legs. Your upper body can feint, but I'll track your legs—let's see how you deal with that!
This put Jason Luo in a tough spot. His footwork was only slightly better than Silvaliev's, and with his legs targeted, his circling style began to break down.
A left feint met with a left hook, a right step was cut off by a right body shot—the situation was turning dangerous!
One more feint, but Silvaliev anticipated it. This time, the Russian went all in. His rear hand swung a heavy hook, and Jason Luo, caught mid-step, couldn't dodge in time. He raised both arms to guard his head, and the vicious punch smashed straight into his defense.
"Bang!"
What a punch!
He blocked it, but the sheer force surged through him. The sand beneath his feet—unlike a boxing ring—couldn't absorb that kind of force. Jason Luo was driven back nearly half a foot, carving a deep mark in the beach.
"Hiss!"
"Oh my God!"
The crowd was stunned. How much strength did it take to knock someone back like that? If that punch had landed clean on his head, he might have been knocked senseless on the spot…
Jason Luo's heart raced. Damn, this beast is vicious! Thankfully, his leg strength had improved, or even with his guard up, he would've lost balance. What a ferocious opponent!
No, I need to change tactics. Circling isn't working anymore…
Silvaliev, frustrated that his big punch hadn't finished Jason Luo, immediately charged again, eyes locked on his legs.
This time, Jason Luo didn't sidestep. He retreated straight back, giving up his jab and relying on rear-hand straights to control distance. His lead hand was useless against this Siberian war bear.
But even with his rear hand, the problem was the same. Silvaliev's way of shaking off punches was uncanny. Even after being hit, he could neutralize most of the force. Jason Luo had no idea how he trained such a skill—it was almost unbelievable.
The first round was nearly over when Silvaliev noticed Jason Luo had switched tactics, retreating instead of circling. A faint smile crossed his face. Retreating won't save you!
He ducked low, shifting his weight down, then exploded forward like a cannonball. His lead hand whipped a wide swing straight at Jason Luo's head, while his rear hand stayed coiled, ready to unleash a hook if Jason dared block the swing. One way or another, he would end this kid right here!
"Watch out!"
Both the coach and Brown shouted in alarm. The Russian was trying to finish the fight in the very first round. Jason Luo couldn't afford to take the hit.
Jason Luo saw the danger too. He was already at the edge of the ropes with nowhere left to retreat. What now?
Block the swing, and the hook would follow. Don't block it, and the swing alone—combined with his charge—was enough to kill.
Cold sweat ran down Jason Luo's brow. This was definitely the Russian's signature move. What do I do? What do I do?
Even with his Unyielding Body, he couldn't withstand this move twice. He had to break it!
With no time left to think, Jason Luo gritted his teeth and charged forward. Using all his strength, he blocked the wide swing with both arms, then threw himself into Silvaliev's chest…
Silvaliev froze.
The rear-hand punch he had ready never came out. With Jason Luo clinging onto him, he had no range to strike, no way to generate power.
In three years of boxing in Russia, Silvaliev had never seen this. His move had always been unstoppable, except against opponents far stronger than him. But this time, Jason Luo had broken it with a shameless tactic. Silvaliev didn't know whether to laugh or curse.
Jason Luo clung to his shoulder with all his might. If Silvaliev broke free, his hook at this range could be fatal.
But then a foul stench hit his nose. Jason Luo sniffed. Holy shit! What the hell is that smell? Damn, compared to this, even my own smelly feet are ten times better!
Jason Luo nearly lost it and puked all over Silvaliev…
This guy's smell was unbearable. Worse than shit. Absolutely intolerable. What rotten luck…
Fortunately, the referee stepped in and separated them. Jason Luo finally gulped down fresh air.
But the damage was done. A shadow lingered in his mind. He silently prayed his opponent wouldn't use that move again. Otherwise, he'd rather take a punch than suffer that stench again—it was enough to make him sick to death.
As for Silvaliev, having his trump card neutralized left him even more frustrated. His footwork was steady but too slow to catch Jason Luo. His entire strategy relied on sudden bursts to decide the match. Now that his opponent had found a way to counter it, how was he supposed to keep fighting?
...