The Boxing System: I Became the King of the Ring

"Tommy! Open your eyes! Talk to me!"

Danny dropped to his knees and cradled Tommy’s head with both hands, checking for cuts or serious damage. His touch was gentle but his voice carried real fear.

Javier pressed against the ropes so hard the cables groaned under the pressure. His face had gone completely white. His hands shook as he gripped the top rope.

"Come on, man," Javier whispered, but his voice carried clearly in the sudden hush. "Get up. You’re tougher than this."

The Bronx crowd exploded back to life with vicious celebration.

"Brooklyn boys thought they could hang!"

"Send these bums back where they came from!"

"That’s what real boxing looks like!"

"Stick to playing basketball!"

The laughter was the worst part. They weren’t just enjoying Tommy’s defeat. They were enjoying his pain.

Caleb wandered over with his hands shoved deep in his tracksuit pockets, looking like a man who’d just watched his favorite team score a touchdown.

"Kid’s gonna be fine," he announced to nobody in particular. "Just learned what happens when you step up in weight class."