[Chapter 26: The Ring-Shaking Punch]
While John was quietly imagining how he'd perform sparring on the ring, the friendly match between Adam and Bob was reaching its climax.
Sure enough, while Bob was blocking one of Adam's side kicks, he instinctively stepped backward. Seizing the moment, Adam closed in quickly and launched a knee strike -- a classic Muay Thai move -- right into Bob's midsection.
Bob could only lower his hands while retreating to absorb the knee strike, managing to block the attack again, but the makeshift defense left his arms numb and his reflexes slightly slowed down.
Adam didn't let up. He launched a barrage of punches -- left and right hooks -- in quick succession. Finally, landing an underhook punch squarely on Bob, it was a hit that knocked Bob down hard.
But Bob sprang back up immediately, looking furious -- probably frustrated beyond words.
John couldn't help but quietly admire Bob's physical resilience and ability to take a hit. Getting knocked down by that underhook punch and getting right back up seemed like no big deal for him.
Of course, John's appreciation didn't mean anything disrespectful. From an ordinary perspective, Adam and Bob's fighting skills were pretty impressive -- strong, fast, and skillful in their techniques.
Still, John felt his own strength and reaction speed would easily outclass both of them by a good margin. As for fighting skills or practical combat experience, though he lacked the street-fighting time that Adam and Bob had, he carried the memories of the magic god Einstein from a fantasy world -- a treasure trove of battle knowledge.
The only missing element was real contact, real practice fighting. If he trained for a few days, the fighting skills of those guys would look pretty fragile in his eyes.
After all, physical ability was key in fighting. With his speed, strength, and Einstein's combat memories, a few days of training to sync his body would put him leagues ahead.
As their sparring ended, the crowd around the ring cheered loudly.
"Adam..."
"Awesome..."
Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Adam and Bob gave each other a hug on the ring before stepping down.
---
"Not bad, Adam," John commented casually as the two walked over chatting.
"What? Just 'not bad,' huh, boy?" Bob wasn't waiting for Adam's reply and voiced his dissatisfaction. If Adam was only "not bad," then what about himself? Bob was still steamed from his earlier loss and blurted out a shout involuntarily.
Watching Bob's frustrated and defiant expression, John felt speechless. "I just said 'not bad.' Why are you so worked up?"
But seeing Bob so riled up sparked an idea in John's mind...
"What, you're still not satisfied? You guys really are just 'not bad.' Do you want me to lie?" John challenged with a carefree tone.
Hearing that John didn't even consider their fighting skills remarkable, Adam showed some irritation but held back. Bob, however, couldn't stand it.
"Well, why don't you show us then, boy? Don't scare yourself into wetting your pants."
Bob sneered, ignoring the fact John looked like a kid, and took a jab.
"Bob, John's still a kid. Why are you so fired up?"
"No, Adam, this kid right here is talking down our skills. Doesn't matter if he's a kid or adult -- we won't let that slide."
With Bob loudly arguing, more people around the ring started gathering again.
...
Truth was, John wanted to test his own strength properly. That's why he baited Bob on. Sure enough, Bob looked like he meant business, which played right into John's hands.
"Hey! Someone, bring me a pair of boxing gloves! Since Bob's so cocky, I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."
The crowd around erupted in reaction.
Looking at the boy only about 5'9", standing up to Bob's 6'3", muscular build, and arms thicker than John's thighs, it was breathtaking to see the kid openly challenging the giant.
---
John quickly changed into his fighting gear, strapped on the gloves. Despite the sleek shape his body had, compared to an average kid, he actually looked quite decent. But the thought of him going against a pure muscle guy like Bob made the crowd burst out laughing.
They clearly saw John's behavior as typical rebellious kid antics.
"Hey Bob, watch out! If that kid knocks you out, you're finished."
"Careful, kid, don't get torn apart by Bob."
"Wow, kid's got muscle. Got chest hair popping already, huh?"
Well, you can't expect a bunch of street punks to say anything nice. Their teasing just made John chuckle and roll his eyes.
...
"Bam!"
John jabbed the corner post of the ring with a gloved punch. The solid thud shook the whole platform, the ring itself seemed to vibrate. The crowd fell silent.
Everyone clearly sensed how much power was behind that punch. Many mouths dropped open, eyes wide -- surprised beyond belief, which made John smile. Against these street thugs, a strong fist is the best weapon.
"Oh my God, that can't be real! How does that little kid pack so much punch with those skinny arms and legs?"
"Whoa!"
"Incredible!"
...
Bob and Adam both stared at John on the ring in stunned silence. That punch meant no one could underestimate him.
"Shit, Adam, where did you find this monster? You aren't trying to get me killed, are you?" Bob joked with a grin.
Though shocked by John's power, Bob kept composed. After all, raw strength doesn't automatically mean fighting skill. John was a teenager, how much real fight experience could he have?
"I didn't know this kid was that strong. Bob, watch yourself or you'll get knocked out and become a punchline."
"No way, kid's got no chance. I'll take him down and show him fighting's not just about strength," Bob growled, storming onto the ring.
Adam stood off to the side, eagerly watching the drama unfold.
...
"Bob, you've already fought a few rounds. Let me be nice here -- why don't you take a break and catch your breath before coming back in?"
Seeing Bob drenched in sweat, John grinned playfully.
"Shut up boy. That little warm-up means nothing. Kid, I'll teach you how to really handle yourself in the ring. Good luck."
...
"Come on, Bob! Teach this kid a lesson -- fighting isn't just about power!"
"Bob, finish this in ten seconds!"
"How long do you think the kid will last?"
"Three rounds max."
"But that punch was really strong."
"Dude, fighting isn't just about strength, got it?"
...
Just as expected, people love to watch the chaos.
*****
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