"He's down! Carl's down—!"
A wave of gasps swept through the arena. Jason Luo's fans erupted in wild cheers, while many Western spectators who had bet on Carl's victory groaned in despair.
Inside the United Federation Workers' Stadium, the atmosphere finally hit a boiling point. After several rounds of tense exchanges, both fighters had finally abandoned restraint and gone to war.
Each man had been knocked down once in the same round—exactly the kind of action old-school boxing fans lived for. It was also undeniable proof that the two were evenly matched. Both sides of the crowd were electrified, shouting themselves hoarse.
"Beautiful! That Antelope Hop was perfect! I don't even have a drink, but I'm drunk off that move! Jason Luo's got this one!"
"No way! Carl's getting back up—get up! Frazier for the win!"
...
Carl had been completely caught off guard by Jason Luo's modified Antelope Hop. That kind of sudden, midair strike was nearly impossible to defend against—and with Jason Luo's height advantage, it became a devastating blow.
Dazed on the canvas, Carl heard the referee's count echoing in his ears. Pushing himself up on his hands, he sat upright, gazing across the ring at Jason Luo with a trace of regret. He had underestimated his opponent.
So this is what it means to meet your destined rival...
But it wasn't over—not by a long shot. A real fighter doesn't quit easily. Just you wait.
Carl's expression hardened as he rose to his feet. He had waited a full year for this battle—his life had revolved around training and fighting for this very moment. There was no way he'd go down that easily.
The instant the referee signaled for the bout to continue, Jason Luo charged forward, intending to press his advantage and end it right there.
But Carl let out a low growl and surged forward instead of retreating. His left fist shot out like a meteor, splitting the air as it rocketed straight toward Jason Luo's face!
Fast!
Jason couldn't even raise his guard in time.
He slammed on the brakes, jumping sideways to evade. But Carl, missing the first punch, spun around fluidly and unleashed a massive Lun Pai swing, his motion smooth and seamless—as if he'd already predicted Jason's evasive step.
A full 360-degree spinning Lun Pai—no matter how tough Jason Luo was, he couldn't afford to take it head-on. He stepped back quickly to avoid it, but Carl was truly raging now. Each swing was full power, every motion aiming for the kill, forcing Jason to retreat again and again!
The crowd erupted in disbelief. Carl, who had just been floored moments ago, was now storming back with ferocious counters. A real warrior—relentless, vicious, fearless.
Carl's tactical shift was the right call. Jason's resilience made technical, point-based fighting ineffective.
So Carl switched to a heavyweight-style assault—using body swings to generate monstrous punching power. For a super middleweight fighter, this was a rare and dangerous approach...
Facing Carl's onslaught, Jason Luo's temper flared.
Oh, so that's how you want to play it? Fine by me.
He wasn't about to let Carl seize the momentum. Everyone knew—the best defense in boxing was offense. Stay on the back foot too long, and you'd eventually get caught.
Jason abruptly halted his retreat, braced himself, and blocked one of Carl's heavy swings head-on. Then he dipped low, feinted, and unleashed a vicious right hook toward Carl's head.
Seeing Jason trying to disrupt his rhythm, Carl raised his shoulder, absorbing the blow with a Shoulder-Roll Defense, then immediately countered with a rapid flurry of combinations.
As the fifth round neared its end, both fighters went all in—exchanging blows at blinding speed. Ducking, feinting, sidestepping, springing off the canvas—their bodies twisted and swayed as they unleashed a storm of punches.
Thud! Thud-thud!
The sound of gloves cracking against flesh filled the air. Jason Luo, empowered by his enhanced stats, used his solid torso to absorb Carl's blows, while Carl's defensive mastery allowed him to block and deflect with his shoulders. Both searched desperately for that one perfect opening.
The tension in the stadium was unbearable.
Pacquiao stood up from his seat.
Mayweather and De La Hoya both stepped closer to the ring.
No one dared to speak or move—everyone's fists were clenched tight as they watched the two warriors trade life for life.
Thud!
Carl's punch slammed into Jason Luo's midsection, the impact echoing like a thunderclap. Sweat sprayed into the air like mist, and ripples spread across Jason's abs like waves in a pond—a terrifying display of pure punching power.
But Jason didn't falter. He absorbed it, then instantly countered with a savage swing of his own. Carl twisted aside, shoulders hunched, bracing for the blow.
Thud!
He managed to block it, but the sheer force still sent tremors through his body. The muscles along his torso visibly rippled from the shock.
The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
"Jesus... even a draft horse wouldn't survive those shots!" someone gasped.
"These guys—they're not human!"
After several heavy hits to Jason Luo's ribs achieved nothing, Carl frowned. He sensed something off. Without hesitation, he adjusted again—launching a barrage of hooks aimed at Jason's head, forcing him to duck and weave.
Jason instinctively dipped low to avoid them—but something in his gut screamed danger. He snapped his head up just in time to see Carl's next punch barreling toward him like a cannonball.
Already crouched, Jason had no time to dodge. In that split second, he abandoned all defense and used the upward motion of his rise to drive his rear hand upward, forming a tight hook. Like ripping a steel beam from the earth, he hurled it straight into Carl's midsection!
BAM!
Carl's long-prepared punch smashed into Jason Luo's brow ridge. Blood burst into the air as the skin split wide open. Jason's vision turned red and black, a deafening explosion ringing through his head.
But at the same instant, Jason's hook connected cleanly with Carl's upper abdomen.
THUD!
Carl's back arched violently, his feet nearly lifting off the ground. A wave of agony and nausea surged through him, his throat tightening as if to vomit.
Both men staggered back several steps, as if struck by lightning, eyes blazing, jaws clenched tight in mutual fury.
And then—
DING!
The bell rang. Round five was over.
"Damn!"
The crowd exhaled all at once. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Both fighters were battered, bloodied, yet unbowed. The cheers that had been ready to erupt were swallowed back, replaced by a rush of voices.
"Damn that bell! Why'd it have to ring now? Jay had him—he was about to finish Carl!"
"Not so fast! Carl's tough as nails! Both of them are undefeated—this might be the night one record finally breaks!"
"Shit! Carl missed another golden chance. That Rookie's lucky—the bell saved him. But just wait, Carl's gonna finish him with a heavy punch next round!"
Hearing that, a nearby Jason Luo fan scoffed and leaned toward his friend.
"Big talk," he muttered. "Funny, the last guy who said he'd KO Jason Luo... the weeds on his grave are already two meters tall."