Once the two fighters began exchanging blows in the ring, Jason Luo quickly realized just how fast his opponent's reactions were—and how vicious his counters could be.
The Cuban boxer almost never threw single punches. Whether it was the lead hand or a rear heavy punch, he always strung them together into rapid-fire combinations. The blistering pace left Jason struggling to adapt…
He couldn't let himself get dragged into this rhythm!
Gritting his teeth, Jason forced an advance, trying to close the distance for an inside attack. But Hado's Footwork was sharp—just a few dance-like sidesteps and he'd already pulled away. Worse, he could throw heavy punches while retreating, leaving Jason momentarily stunned!
Damn, his heavy punches have real power!
Luckily, Jason's toughness had improved recently. Otherwise, just that move alone would have made him hesitate to advance again…
This was trouble.
Unable to close the gap, stuck against an opponent with quick reactions and a fast tempo—how was he supposed to fight this?
Barely twenty seconds in, Jason was already far behind on points. If this went on, things would never turn around. The only path to victory was a knockout!
Wollers broke it down for the crowd:
"We can see the Cuban boxer living up to his reputation—agile combinations and uniquely fluid Footwork are giving him the early lead. Now the question is, how will the young kid respond…"
With no better option, Jason tightened his defense and tried to counterpunch. But Hado's attacks were like the wind, leaving almost no gaps. And when he pulled back, he was gone in a flash—like chasing a wounded rabbit, nearly impossible to catch!
How do you fight that?
Jason was getting frustrated. Even with all his effort in defense, Hado's relentless flurries kept breaking through, steadily widening the points gap.
With his gloves shielding his head, Jason could hear the relentless drumbeat of punches slamming against them—bam, bam, bam, bam, bam… It sounded like a drummer hammering a snare. The style reminded him of his longtime sparring partner, Kamman. What a furious pace…
Pace?
Yes—predicting the rhythm!
Jason's eyes lit up. That was it. Let him keep punching in rhythm!
Hado came in again. Jason braced for the first strike, then anticipated the jab that would follow. He ducked low and, using the momentum of rising, ripped a heavy body hook toward Hado's midsection…
The punch caught Hado by surprise. Too late to dodge—he threw up a rear hand to block. But Jason had planned this, putting all his weight and momentum behind the strike. One hand wasn't enough to stop it!
The blow sent Hado stumbling back several steps, his face shifting slightly…
What a heavy punch! Shaking his hand, Hado stared at Jason with new respect. His recklessness vanished—he wasn't about to attack with wild abandon anymore.
Jason exhaled slowly. The punch hadn't been decisive, but it had forced Hado to recognize his power. Both men settled down, more cautious than before.
This was boxing. Once an opponent shows he can drop you with a single punch, the pressure changes everything. Hado adjusted his approach, abandoning nonstop assaults for a more measured positional battle, carefully looking for chances…
Wollers' voice rang out again:
"Cuban fighter Hado was pressing hard with his technical edge, putting Jason in trouble. But that counter! What a read—he lands a crushing body hook! Hado blocked with his right, so no serious damage… but that punch had real weight behind it. He definitely felt the threat. And now, he's changing tactics."
"Ha! Looks like Jason's made real progress. Both fighters now understand each other better. This is turning into a fight between the weasel and the crocodile—let's see who finds the breakthrough first!"
As always, Wollers' commentary was vivid. He nailed the picture perfectly: Hado's rhythm was fast, his evasive reactions sharp and efficient. Jason, though, was like a crocodile in armor—thickly defended, with the power to finish the fight in one strike.
In a stand-up battle, Jason wasn't at a disadvantage. His slight edge in height and reach kept things fairly even. The points stayed close, each fighter cautious about the other's heavy punches, with few clear openings.
But this couldn't go on. Jason had already fallen behind early, and dragging things out only worked against him.
No, he had to find another way!
This was the edge of a technical boxer—with a points lead, he could just drag the fight out. Winning on points was still a win.
But Jason couldn't afford that. He tried everything—Pendulum Advance, diving rushes, sidesteps into surges… nothing worked.
Hado was too quick, his Footwork too sharp. Closing in was nearly impossible, and Jason even ate a few heavy counters while trying. Tactics that usually worked against technical boxers were backfiring badly against him.
Damn it…
The bell finally rang. Round one was over.
Back in the corner, Coach Pedro frowned deeply, clearly troubled.
"This opponent's too agile. Your Footwork can't keep up—that's the problem. I think you should fight him straight-up, look for your moment. I'll try to think of something else."
Even his coach was at a loss. Jason's chest tightened with anxiety. Was he really about to be eliminated in the very first round?
The worst part was that even his trump cards wouldn't help here.
Adding a few Free attribute points wouldn't change anything. Even if he forced himself to take a knockdown and triggered the Unyielding Body effect, it might not matter—the gap in Footwork and Reaction was just too wide…
Sweat beaded across Jason's forehead. No matter how he turned it over in his mind, he saw no way out.
The bell rang again. Round two had begun.
When they returned to the ring, Hado was even calmer than before. He'd seen Jason's struggle and was satisfied with the pace. For him, this was ideal: drag it out safely, get the win, and move forward without risking injuries. Why take a chance against Jason's heavy punch when it could jeopardize the rest of the tournament?
One fighter frustrated, the other content—that was the story. Neither gained much ground. Even Wollers grew anxious.
"Oh, this won't do! On the surface the fight looks even, but with Hado holding the points lead, the Cuban has all the initiative. Looks like Jason is in trouble."
"That's right. As much as I prefer Jason's hard-hitting style, we can't ignore that this nimble Cuban style really does counter aggressive fighters. Come on, Jason—you'll find a way!"
Wollers didn't hide his bias for Jason, but that wasn't an issue. Compared to the Cuban, Jason was the local fighter, practically on home soil. Naturally, the crowd was behind him.
In the ring, Jason kept searching for openings. But no matter how he pressed, Hado's strategy never changed: shut down his rear punches, and at the slightest hint of danger, retreat fast. Survival above all…
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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