The opponent for the upcoming match was finally confirmed: Megan George from Argentina. He was no ordinary boxer—an Olympic silver medalist with comprehensive skills. Though his knockout rate wasn't high, he was a tough, technical fighter.
Not long ago, even "Zombie" Sidwa—one of the more notable names in this weight class—lost to him by decision. As a result, Megan George was drawing increasing attention from the media, and Jason Luo's fight against him had become a small but highly publicized event.
This would be Jason Luo's first truly meaningful, high-level bout since turning professional!
Professional boxing is different from amateur boxing. Fans don't just care about a boxer's record—they care about the quality of those wins. They want to know who you've beaten, whether those opponents were skilled, and if they were recognized names in the sport.
Without a defining victory on your record, no matter how perfect your stats look, the fans won't acknowledge you.
Take former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, for example. Beyond the criticism of his Boxing Technique, his overall ability has long been questioned—mainly because he lacked classic, defining fights to prove his worth.
Although both sides had agreed to the bout, the exact date hadn't been finalized. Megan George's camp wanted sufficient time for promotion while avoiding clashes with other major events. Organizing a major professional fight was never easy.
Just look at the legendary Mayweather vs. Pacquiao "Fight of the Century." From the first proposal to the actual match, it took six long years to make it happen.
Still, once the opponent was confirmed, Jason Luo's training became much more targeted. After spending an entire day reviewing footage with Coach Brown, they concluded that Megan George was indeed a tricky opponent.
He could switch smoothly between orthodox and southpaw stances, making it nearly impossible to tell which hand was dominant. Both sides of his attack were equally sharp. His Footwork was exceptional—fast on both advances and retreats. His style was opportunistic: attack in quick bursts, land clean shots, then disengage immediately without wasting motion.
After watching the footage, Coach Brown rubbed his temples. "Jason, this guy's going to be tough. Fighters who rely on their brains are the ones you really have to watch out for. From what I see, it'll be hard for you to pin him down or engage in a close-range brawl. The best strategy is to fight defensively and counter. Wait for him to lunge in, then catch him clean and break his rhythm."
Jason nodded. "So, Coach, which areas should I focus on most during training?"
"First, counterpunching. Second, strengthen your defense but keep your vision open so you can counter instantly. Third, timing—make sure that when both of you throw, he's the one who gets hit first."
Jason frowned. "That sounds really tough. His punch speed looks faster than mine."
Coach Brown shook his head. "Punch Speed matters, but it's not absolute. You can compensate through other factors. For instance, if he throws a heavy hook and you respond with a straight punch, your attack path is shorter—so you can land first. What's crucial is your timing and split-second judgment."
"For now, you and your sparring partner need to focus entirely on live drills. No initiating attacks—just practice defense and counterpunching. You need to develop timing and decision-making instinctively."
From that day on, Jason and his sparring partner McGrady trained tirelessly on defense-counter routines while Coach Brown supervised from ringside.
"McGrady, faster! Harder! Make this kid work for it!"
"Jason, defense doesn't mean hiding behind your guard. Move your body—find your opponent's openings…"
"No! The timing's still off. Since your Punch Speed is slower, you have to anticipate and strike early—or throw at the same time to gain an edge. Waiting until you see the punch is too late. Again!"
"Better, but still not enough. If your punches are slower, use your body rotation to accelerate. Yes, like that! Keep going!"
Boxing demanded not just physical attributes but also experience and precision. Jason was beginning to understand just how important that balance was. Without the careful instruction of his coach, the raw Attributes he gained from the system would never have been enough.
To help him better grasp counterpunching in real fights, Coach Brown showed him footage of another Filipino boxing legend—Nonito "Lightning Hands" Donaire, who once rivaled Pacquiao in fame.
Donaire, a five-division world champion, was known for his devastating left hook and masterful counterpunching. He could anticipate attacks before they happened, disrupting opponents' rhythm with surgical precision.
Coach Brown's teaching style differed from Coach Pedro's. He emphasized learning through both practice and enjoyment—balancing hard work with rest. This approach helped Jason find the right feel more quickly, shortening the learning curve.
After finishing the footage, Coach Brown smiled faintly. "Speaking of Donaire, let me go off-topic for a second. Sometimes, becoming a great boxer means sacrificing too much. After this talented fighter married his beautiful wife, Rachel, his performance started to decline. A real shame, honestly."
Jason stared at him silently for a moment.
What was that supposed to mean?
Did being a boxer mean you couldn't get married? And what, you weren't allowed to marry someone beautiful? Were they supposed to pick someone unattractive instead?
Jason shook his head—he couldn't accept that logic at all.
...
After several days of intense training, the fight date was finally announced: May 10th, in the world-famous gambling city of Las Vegas. Jason Luo and Megan George would meet in the undercard bout of a major event.
Don't underestimate an undercard fight. For a rising pro boxer, earning such a slot early in his career was already a huge accomplishment.
With eleven days left before fight night, Jason doubled down on training while also monitoring his weight. Recently, he'd started gaining again—likely from having fewer worries in life—and his weight had climbed to 79.9 kilograms. Coach Brown immediately ordered stricter dieting and even prepared for dehydration-based weight cutting.
Weight cutting through dehydration is brutal, both physically and mentally. Many fighters have even collapsed during weigh-ins from excessive dehydration.
In this sport, no one reaches the top without suffering for it. To gain even the slightest weight advantage in the ring, boxers endure hardships unimaginable to ordinary people.
On the first day, Jason was forced to drink so much water that he felt nauseous at the sight of it. The next day, even with half the intake, he could hear the water sloshing in his stomach when he walked.
Urinate. Urinate. Again and again.
By the third day, water intake was minimal, yet the process continued relentlessly.
This was the unseen reality behind the fierce warriors who fought so ferociously in the boxing ring.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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