TWENTY-NINE
Cain
Damien fucking Slater. The Reptile, as they called him. He was as slippery as they came. I had seen him yesterday at the weigh in when we had stood face to face. He had kept his weight very much in line with the required seventy-nine point four kilograms, coming in at seventy-nine point three kilograms. Very Yne. bet against an opponent like this, an opponent like me, we ’oth needed every ounce which could make the diMerence.
Damien had not had my title on him yesterday, ’ut now, seeing him adorned with his gymBs colours and wearing my title ’elt enraged me. I had to keep it cool. There would ’e no point in charging straight at him now ’efore the ’ell had rung. It had ’een months since I had last seen it, and now that it was within armBs reach, I wanted to gra’ it, ripping it away from him ’efore he had the chance to defend it.
Duncan had opened the ropes for me and I stepped inside. Ay eyes had not left DamienBs, and he looked like a coiled snake, ready to strike. Kut so did I. He stood across the ring from me, tall and imposing, ’ut for all of his stature I still stood slightly taller and under the ’est conditions, I knew
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that I had the edge. 5ur history showed that we were one match apiece and this was the ru’’er match.
The moment that I stepped into the ring, the noise from the crowd evaporated. It was like there was a low ’uLL that had entered over the arena. There was nothing that was going to distract me from my gold and the only thing that mattered when I was inside these ropes was the man standing opposite me, who was more than willing to stop me from achieving my goal. It was time. The announcer in the middle of the ring picked up his microphone and ’egan speaking.
!Cadies and gentlemen, this is your main event match” This match is full Thai rules and is for the WSE light heavyweight championship” Introducing Yrst, in the corner to my left, he is the former WSE light heavyweight champion. He has a record of ninety-nine Yghts with eighty-seven wins, three losses and nine draws. Tonight, Yghting out of the red corner and Hard Onocks gym, I give to you, Wain !The Wrowx Ueaver”x
The crowd lifted and rose, many of the attendees familiar with my name. I was far too focused on Damien to ’e concerned a’out them, ’ut I heard EliciaBs cheering a’ove all others. Ay eyes darted to her and for the Yrst time I had ’roken my focus on Damien. She was pale and watching on with anjiousness in her eyes. I turned ’ack towards Damien as the crowd noise died down, the announcer stepping forward once again.
!End to my right, Ynding out of the ’lue corner, he is the current WSE light heavyweight champion. He has a record of eighty-eight Yghts, with seventy-two wins, Yve losses and eleven draws. Tonight, Yghting out of the ’lue corner and Nppercut Wom’at gym, he is Damien !The Reptilex Slater.x
The crowd erupted again, with many cheering for Damien as he raised his hands over his head. He roared at the crowd in an attempt to hype them up and it was working, ’ut I was not going to let it get to me. I shrugged my Packet oM and watched as the referee took the title from Damien and
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held it a’ove his head. If only I could Pust gra’ it now. I placed my Packet over the turn’uckle and knew that Duncan would take it down.
The Sarama ’egan to play overhead. The haunting sound and the wail of the Gi Whawa ?ute ?oating a’ove the steady thrum of drums was not something that was unfamiliar to me. I had ’een around it my whole life. The music accompanied the Yght like an ancient heart’eat, ’ut for the Uai Oru dance, it started oM as a mournful lament that would swell and quicken, the percussion growing more insistent until it matched the rhythm of my pulse.
I lowered my head to Duncan, my chin nearly touching my chest, and then started to walk around the ring with my glove Pust skimming the rope. I then repeated the gesture to DamienBs trainer in the opposite corner. He was a weathered man with cauli?ower ears and knuckles like small stones. Though every muscle in my ’ody wanted to walk past him with my eyes forward, pretending he was not there, I held the ’ow for the customary three seconds, feeling the stretch in my hamstrings and the cool air on the ’ack of my ejposed neck. Despite my personal feelings, all trainers, particularly ones as decorated as him deserved all the respect in the world.
Uith the lap around the ring completed, the Sarama was ’eginning to intensify. Ay ’lood was ?owing and as I sat ’ack in the turn’uckle, I could feel Duncan moving ’ehind me. He clim’ed up on the ring apron, and I turned to face him, resting against the ropes. Duncan removed the Aongkol from my head and handed it oM to Thomas ’efore ’ringing his forehead to mine.
!bou know why youBre doing this. This is for more than Pust the title. Do it for me, do it for the rest of the gym, and do it for Darcy.x
E shiver ran down my spine. Darcy had only ever gotten to ninety-nine Yghts himself. Ell he had wanted to do was reach one hundred Yghts so that he could ’e given his rightful place in the hall of fame. Something that he had only ’een weeks away from achieving. Something that I was going to do Yrst. Uith my mouthguard in, I had no more words, the time for talking was done. I ejchanged one Ynal glance with Duncan, nodding, listening to his instructions and caught Elicia out of the corner of my eye. Her knuckles were still Pust as white as they had ’een ’efore, and she looked like she had forgotten how to ’reathe again.
I turned around and the ring ’ell rang from near where the Pudges sat ’ehind me. If the Yght came down to points, I hoped that they would rule in my favour. Decisions were never anywhere near as satisfying as a knockout and I wanted revenge.
I felt EliciaBs presence ’eside me. Duncan was there on the other side, still ’arking instructions that were ’arely tangi’le into my ear. I wanted to listen, ’ut I knew what I had to do to ’eat Damien. I had done it once ’efore and as long as my ’ody held up, I would ’e a’le to do it again. Es Duncan spoke, I stared at Damien, wanting to rip his head oM. In return, he stared a hole ’ack into me, and I felt taller than he did as I stood up out of the corner. The introductions were done, and it was time to Yght.
2verything felt like it was working and as Duncan slapped me on the ’ack one Ynal time, all of the noise in the arena fell away. I sucked my mouthguard into position. This was it. 2verything that I had ’een working towards for these past few months. Uhat I had ’een working towards all my life. I sucked in my last ’reath of pressure free ojygen and walked forwards.
The referee was an elderly man I was familiar with. Aichael 8iMord was well past his prime and had long since retired in the past few years. The transition to refereeing for him had ’een easy, ’ut part of me suspected that he was more than ready to clock any Yghter that gave him a side eye. I knew that Aichael still trained and sparred upon occasion and had even fought against him in the past.
!Elright, I want a nice clean Yght from ’oth of you. Cisten to my instructions as they come, otherwise IBll call a disqualiYcation. 8ot itJ Show the ring the respect and honour it deserves.x
I nodded and noticed that sweat was already ’eginning to pool at my temples and was sliding down the curve of my spine. Damien mirrored the gesture, his eyes never leaving mine, dark and focused ’eneath his ’ruised ’row. Ay muscles coiled like springs, my weight shifting to the ’alls of my feet, Yngers curling tighter inside my worn gloves as I settled into the familiar stance.
!Touch gloves.x
Aichael stood ’etween Damien and I with his hand raised. I raised my gloves towards Damien and gave him the lightest of taps. Aichael lowered his hand and the ’ell rang for the Yrst time that night. I was immediately in my stance, and stepping forward as Aichael moved out of the way. Onowing Damien I had my ejpectations of what this Yght would ’ring, ’ut it seemed like Damien had changed up his game.
Uhy was he runningJ I needed to keep my cool. It was o’vious that he was ’aiting me into a trap. He wanted me to get closer so that he could counterattack. Uhilst I was more of a pressure Yghter, Damien was very much what I called a dancer. He outworked his opponent, ejhausting them ’efore he himself ran out of stamina. I kept walking forward, trying to get Damien into range.
Damien continued to duck away from me, ensuring that I could not close in on his space. He kept me at range with teeps, leg chops and Pa’s, and I was not having it. I walked forward, a’sor’ing the Yrst teep, ’ut it pushed me ’ack. Duncan was still yelling instructions calling for me to match his kicks, ’ut I wanted to get close for the knockout. Onowing that Damien was running, I listened to Duncan, changing up and aimed a kick at DamienBs kidney. He ate it, ’arely ?inching, ’ut already, he was ’eginning to show signs of attrition.
The ’ell rang to signal the end of the Yrst round, and I dropped my gloves. Damien did as well and he walked ’ack to his corner. Elready, I could feel my leg starting to hurt as the adrenaline settled. I had eaten far too many leg chops and needed to Yj that in the second round. Elicia swung the chair out for me in the corner, and I collapsed onto it. I could feel the ice cooling down parts of my ’ody that Damien had focused on. I needed it, ’ut there was no way he was going to land that many hits on me in round two.
!I know what IBm doing”x
Duncan pulled my mouthguard out and I spat the words at him. Duncan recoiled from the spit, still holding onto the ropes right ’eside my head.
!bouBre giving him way too much” Cet him come to you”x
!He keeps running”x
!HeBll overejtend and then you can capitalise on that. Fust have some patience. bou have four rounds left” Oeep meeting his kicks, otherwise heBll start to outscore you.x