As Raul had said, no matter how much noise the media made, the tournament would go on as scheduled.
On February 3rd, just over a week before the 2021 New Year, the Golden Gloves Tournament entered the Super Middleweight second-round finals. Today's matches would determine the four semifinalists, who would compete for the championship five days later.
It was one of the few holiday seasons of the year for the community, and thanks to Jason Luo's growing reputation, the venue was packed with nearly ten thousand spectators from the community. If the tickets hadn't already sold out, the number could easily have doubled.
It was a rare sight. While there were plenty of boxing fans in the community, few attended live events due to the lack of local fighters to cheer for. Seeing so many gathered today was truly unusual...
In the locker room, Jason Luo and Brown were going over the match plan.
"Jay, based on the data and footage we've collected, Tutkason's mainly a technical fighter. But he's got some short-range explosive power too, and his rear-hand punch is something to watch out for. Since you've just been discharged, we need to decide—do we fight him technically or take it close?"
Jason answered without hesitation. "My body's fine! Let's go close-range. That's where I have the bigger edge."
Brown nodded. "Alright, but be careful. Work on your evasions, don't take unnecessary hits. That'll cut your career short."
"And stick to the plan: start steady, don't rush. If you can build a points lead early, you'll control the pace. If not, you can press later—it'll even catch him off guard."
Jason nodded. "Got it, sir. I'll follow your lead."
Brown chuckled. "Good. Win this one, and those rumors will disappear on their own. The Old Devil's still waiting for your good news—so don't take it lightly."
Raul grinned. "Your New Year's right around the corner. Win this match and make the finals—double celebration!"
Jason laughed. "Yeah, I'll invite everyone over for dumplings when we celebrate the New Year!"
They joked as Jason changed into his gear and began his warm-up. Suddenly, he paused. "Mr. Raul, why did we only have a ring girl in the first round last time?"
"Uh... well…" Raul hesitated.
Brown smirked. "Easy. Before the last match, even the sponsors didn't believe in you. They figured you'd last one round at most. If they'd known what kind of buzz you'd create, they'd have slapped ads all over the place. Ha! Bet they're regretting it now."
Jason felt slightly awkward. So that's how it was. Hmph, serves them right for missing out!
After a short wait, it was time to step into the ring. Jason came out wearing his red boxing shorts and black cape, greeted by thunderous applause and cheers.
"Go, Jason Luo!"
"Jason Luo, keep climbing higher!"
The shouts from the fans felt especially heartwarming.
"Wonder Kid, you got this!"
"Hey, Shaolin Kid! Go for it—we're with you!"
Jason bowed his fist toward the crowd, thanking them as he walked. The atmosphere was far better than last time.
The announcer began introducing him. "Local boxer Jason Luo, 19 years old, height 184 cm, reach 187 cm, weight 77.1 kg. Currently undefeated with 18 wins, 17 by knockout—the dark horse of this tournament!"
The arena erupted again. On paper, his record was impressive, though amateur stats didn't always tell the full story.
Then came his opponent's introduction. "From the United Arab Emirates—Tutkason! Age 22, height 176 cm, reach 180 cm, weight 78.4 kg. With a record of 29 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, including 19 KOs..."
Tutkason's entrance was pure spectacle.
A line of beautiful women led the way, followed by a group of bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses. Tutkason himself wore a custom golden crown, held a solid gold scepter, and had a gold chain around his neck thicker than a dog leash.
He radiated the aura of a billionaire's son—and indeed he was. Rumor had it his father's assets were close to 30 billion dollars.
Jason couldn't figure it out. Why would someone like that even take up boxing? And worse, the guy actually had skill. The world never ceased to surprise him.
Compared to him, Jason thought, Tutkason's life looked straight out of a cheat code.
After both fighters removed their robes, the referee checked them over, then signaled the ring to clear—time for the match to begin.
The ring girl walked out again, but this time, the curvaceous model circled Tutkason twice, sending flirtatious glances his way.
Damn it!
Jason, ignored on the other side, couldn't help feeling irritated as light laughter spread from the audience.
Well, in America, money made things... very straightforward. After the referee coughed twice, the ring girl reluctantly left the stage.
The referee called both fighters to the center, gave the usual rundown of rules, and then signaled for the glove touch. The match began.
Following the plan, Jason didn't rush in. He tried to establish a points lead using his front-hand punches, but Tutkason played it safe and cautious, leaving no openings.
Jason's victory over Carl Frazier had already put pressure on him. Knowing Jason was a tough opponent, Tutkason came in ready to counter, waiting for an opening when Jason attacked.
For the first half of the round, the fight stayed slow. Jason circled, jabbing and probing, but his technical exchanges lacked sharpness—he couldn't build a clear lead.
Tutkason, using his timing and experience, gained a slight edge with counterpunches, though not by much. He knew Jason would eventually rush in close, so even with a minor advantage, he didn't overextend, guarding carefully.
After several exchanges, Jason realized this stalemate was useless—he needed to go on the offensive.
He led with a jab to draw out Tutkason's counter, then sidestepped, pivoted, and lunged in, closing the gap as Tutkason's backhand came out.
But Tutkason was alert, retreating quickly while throwing a sharp burst of punches to block Jason's advance.
Jason had studied his opponent's matches—he knew about those explosive counters. Using the momentum of his swing, he pivoted sharply and circled to the right, closing in from the side...
The real fight had begun!