This unconventional fight ended in such an unexpected way that the crowd erupted into prolonged applause. Even the referee joined in—this was true sportsmanship!
Jason Luo and Joseph embraced. Jason deeply respected this veteran, both in skill and in character. Had Joseph targeted Jason's injuries, Jason wouldn't have lasted even one round. But from beginning to end, Joseph had never once attacked his wounds. Jason had noticed it all along...
To be honest, Jason admitted to himself that without the System's help, he wouldn't have made it. He had never expected the jab—a punch he once overlooked—to unleash such power when properly trained. In actual combat, it almost left him powerless to resist.
This fight made Jason clearly recognize his shortcomings, leaving a lasting impact on his boxing career.
Once the applause settled, the referee announced the result: Jason Luo had won by TKO.
"Ding! Congratulations on defeating another formidable opponent in official competition. The Greedy Wolf talent has extracted 2 points of Boxing Technique, 1 point of Jab Power, and 1 point of Reaction. Please continue your efforts and check promptly."
Even with the victory, what mattered most in the ranking tournament was the scoring from the three boxing legends seated on the podium.
Pedro, Raul, and Brown all held their breath. Every point was critical—with more than three thousand fighters competing, a single point could shift rankings by hundreds.
The evaluation dragged on longer than usual. Surprisingly, Joseph's score was announced first: three points!
The crowd erupted. That was the highest possible score for a loss. Clearly, his near-perfect jab had impressed the judges.
Next was Jason Luo. Raul was on edge. "Don't give him three points too... It'd make sense, but after all his effort, at least one more... God, I'm sweating."
Pedro muttered, "Be content—three points is already a miracle. But maybe... just maybe..."
Before he could finish, the final result was announced: Jason Luo—four points!
The crowd's reaction split instantly. Some nodded, some grumbled that it was too generous.
But the judges' explanation followed: "Young boxer Jason Luo displayed solid physical fitness, youthful persistence, and won through sheer determination. That alone earned him 3 points. Considering he is only 18 yet demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship, we award him an additional bonus point. Boxing is a brutal sport, but precisely for that reason, we must stress the importance of cultivating sportsmanship."
That was it! Pedro grinned, and Raul nearly leapt out of his seat.
Four points was already outstanding. Five points were nearly impossible—across thousands of matches in the Golden Gloves Tournament, a perfect score was a rarity, something you could only stumble upon by chance.
After the scoring, Jason hugged Joseph again before hopping down from the ring. "Coach, Mr. Raul—I won! Four points!"
Before Pedro could say anything, Jason was already at the edge of the ring, shouting to Brown in the stands, "Sir, I won—four points!"
The sight warmed Brown's heart. That rascal hadn't wasted his efforts. Worth it.
Pedro, however, exchanged a look with Raul and grumbled. Raul laughed, "Come on, you know what he's like. If not for that, you might not have picked him in the first place. Coach Brown's put a lot of effort into him—he deserves this."
Pedro huffed, "That's not the point! Don't you see? Ever since that old guy showed up, the kid's been drifting. Where's the technical boxer now? If this keeps up, I'll be sidelined completely!"
Raul quickly calmed him, "Don't worry. Jason may be close with Brown, but you're still the one he respects most. As for his style, his technical base is weak—it'll balance out over time. Besides, you've seen how fast he's improving..."
Pedro nodded reluctantly. "You're right... I've just been too impatient lately."
After the fight, they returned to the gym. Raul stayed in Podiat to gather information on Jason's next opponent and the provisional rankings.
In the training room, Brown was cheerful. "First fight, first win—and four points! We've got momentum. But today was close. Good thing you held on."
"From an offensive perspective, great! You've built up that fearless momentum, which is vital. But your details aren't there yet. Aggressive boxing needs courage, but also technique. Your evasion and footwork need work—otherwise you're just a brawler."
Pedro jumped in right after. "Today's fight should've shown you the gap. Most fighters in the main event are skilled. I know you're young and competitive, but against real elites, you're still behind."
"Joseph today was no pushover. He's already near second-tier level. But stronger opponents are coming—you need to be ready."
Jason's heart pounded. Damn! If Joseph, that strong, was only close to second-tier, then what kind of monsters were the top-tier fighters?
When he voiced his thought, the two old men burst out laughing.
"You silly kid! Even second-tier fighters have levels—it's enough to keep you busy improving! As for first-tier fighters, that's more of an ideal. Talent, awareness, power, speed, technique, physique—all perfect, no weaknesses. Across the entire boxing world,
only a handful deserve that title. That's why even many world champions are just called top-tier fighters. What, you thought you'd run into some legendary master in this tournament?"
Jason scratched his head, embarrassed. So "first-tier" meant perfection? Who set that definition—what a trap!
Still, knowing this, he suddenly felt proud of being recognized as a third-tier fighter by his coach...
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser