With a formidable opponent ahead, Jason Luo's training plan was immediately adjusted. After carefully studying hours of his opponent's fight footage, Coach Brown concluded that the man was a well-rounded fighter with powerful punches, outstanding resilience, and incredible recovery ability—very much like the boxing legend Marquez.
And who was Marquez?
He was the fierce warrior who fought Pacquiao four times and ultimately knocked him out cold with a single punch—Mexico's leading figure in modern boxing!
In short, Coach Brown's assessment was clear: give up any illusions. This fight would come down to raw strength. Once a boxer climbs to a certain ranking, their overall skill level becomes refined—they've all been through countless wars in the ring, leaving no obvious weaknesses to exploit.
Stamina, counterpunching, combinations, timing, footwork, reaction—Coach Brown listed every key point for special training and began intensive drills for each one.
Stamina! That was the top priority.
A fight like this would be won on endurance.
It would come down to who had the deeper reserves and dared to fight harder. Brown demanded Jason prepare for a full ten rounds—yes, this was going to be a ten-round challenge match.
Recently, heavyweight boxer Zhang Zhilei had learned a harsh lesson in stamina.
As the only heavyweight competing under all four major world boxing organizations, Zhang faced Forrest in the undercard of Alvarez's title defense. He performed brilliantly in the first three rounds, knocking Forrest down three times in a row. But as his stamina faltered, the tide turned. Forrest came back strong, and Zhang barely managed a draw, even facing danger near the end. That was proof enough of how critical stamina was.
Yet stamina training was what every athlete dreaded most—it was pure torture. Every session pushed the body beyond its limits, forcing it to grow stronger through sheer pain and exhaustion.
On the sandy beach, Coach Brown sat heavily on a massive tire while Jason Luo, rope in hand, strained to drag him forward at full sprint.
The sand's resistance made the tire almost immovable, but Brown didn't care.
"Don't stop, kid! Once you stop, it'll be even harder to move again! Come on! Twenty laps—no exceptions!"
With a resistance band strapped to his arms, Jason pummeled a sandbag. Brown demanded the bag echo with every blow—it was a way to build striking power. But Jason couldn't even make it through twenty punches before the veins in his forearms bulged violently.
"Hit it! Harder! Jason, channel your anger—dig deep and unleash everything you've got!"
No pain, no gain. After each brutal day, Jason looked like a drained puppet, too exhausted to speak. He sweated so much that he had to drink saltwater just to restore balance.
But the hellish training worked. By the day before the commercial match, Jason had managed to raise his Stamina by two points, Jab Power by one, and Strength by another—definite progress.
That day, although no training was scheduled, he had to fly to Los Angeles. Completely worn out, Jason slept most of the flight.
When they arrived, Rod suggested taking him out to meet some local boxing fans, but Jason was far too tired. He sank into the hotel sofa and fell asleep almost instantly...
When he woke, it was already dinner time. Brown ate with him, then led him through a light conditioning session to prevent stiffness.
"Heh, Jason, this has been one tough stretch," Brown said with a grin. "But this is the road every boxer has to walk. So, any regrets about choosing this path?"
Jason gave a tired smile. "Coach, there's nothing to regret. Boxing gave me a whole new life. Everything I love is tied to it. It's harsh and painful, sure—but it's also brought me joy and growth. I'll never give up."
Brown chuckled and lightly punched his shoulder. "Good kid! I like your spirit! Tomorrow, once you're in the ring, fight aggressively. Feel the rhythm of the match, watch how your opponent reacts. There's always something to learn from fighters who can hold out despite being outmatched."
Jason nodded. "Got it, Coach. I'll pay attention."
...
The next day, the commercial bout organized by BX Promotions began. These matches were arranged quickly and didn't attract huge attention. In the Chicago area, Jason had built a small following, drawing local boxing fans mostly because of his background.
When the young Jason Luo stepped into the ring, the crowd murmured in surprise.
"This guy's so young! I wonder if he's got any real skill."
"Hey, who cares? Anyone brave enough to step into the ring deserves our respect. I heard he's ranked around 500th in the WBA—that's not bad at all."
"Yeah, not bad. Maybe we've got someone new to root for."
These commercial fights existed to build fan support and visibility. The crowd wasn't huge—about four or five thousand people—and the host took time to introduce Jason Luo's background in detail.
Once the formalities ended, the bell rang, and the fight began.
Don't underestimate these exhibition bouts—they were still officially sanctioned under the WBA system. Upsets happened here too, and if something went wrong, it could cause serious problems.
Jason stayed cautious, but his opponent Laurent was even more wary. He'd done his research—Jason might only have four professional fights, but his KO rate was 100%. You couldn't take a fighter like that lightly.
Jason, however, didn't plan to sit back. This time, his goal was to test his opponent's defense and endurance. From the opening bell, he launched a storm of combination punches.
To his surprise, Laurent turned out to be a dedicated journeyman. Instead of just covering up, he mixed defense with counterattacks, trying to keep the fight competitive.
That surprised Jason.
From what he saw, Laurent probably came from a brawling background—his defense was loose, not tight or technical. That made him an easy target for Jason's combinations.
But something unexpected happened. Every time Jason's heavy punches landed, Laurent would roll with the impact, stepping back just enough to absorb the force. It was the classic "rolling with the punches" technique—he'd take the hit, move with it, then recover fast, closing the distance again with his guard up.
Jason found it fascinating. It reminded him of Silvaliev's unique power-redirecting technique—the similarity was uncanny. What an interesting fighter!
Intrigued, Jason kept attacking with different combinations, forcing Laurent to adjust and absorb each blow.
After a few exchanges, Jason had already figured him out. Laurent's defense was barely passable, but his offense was weak. His straight punches had speed but no bite. His hooks had poor form, lacking proper body rotation—they looked fierce but were mostly arm shots, carrying little real power.
As for hooks, Laurent stayed at mid-range too often to use them effectively. That gave Jason an idea.
Alright, you can roll with straight punches—but let's see how you handle hooks.
Jason suddenly lunged forward and unleashed a rapid flurry of hooks.
The result?
He had overestimated Laurent. The man was already struggling to stay upright. There was no way he could "ride out" an uppercut—it's an upward strike, not something you can roll away from unless you can fly!
Caught off guard by the barrage, Laurent couldn't dodge in time. Jason's lead uppercut landed flush on his chin, sending him crashing to the canvas.
The fight hadn't even lasted a minute...