While enjoying their travels, father and son were also busy arranging another important matter: finding a way for Grace to visit her father at Yangquan Prison.
However, as overseas Chinese arriving from the United States, the prison imposed strict regulations. They required a political review, and visits were only allowed on designated days — a real hassle. After some discussion, Henry Luo decided that Jason Luo should go to Zhengzhou alone first. This time, they had to make sure Grace could see her father.
...
As the date approached, Jason Luo set off for Zhengzhou to meet Mr. Rod. The moment they met, Mr. Rod brought incredible news.
There'd been a major shake-up in the super middleweight division.
Canelo Álvarez had been stripped of his IBF light heavyweight title in order to challenge Kovalev. That move effectively rendered his WBA Super Champion status meaningless, and rumors were circulating that his trilogy fight with longtime rival Golovkin would take place at light heavyweight. In short, he'd officially moved up a weight class. The WBA responded by promoting Regular Champion David Morell within the super middleweight division and arranging a showdown with IBF's newly crowned champion, Prant.
When the news broke, Interim Champion Siham — who held the mandatory challenger position — was furious. He'd waited all year for a title shot and hadn't fought once. Seeing no hope of a championship bout anytime soon, and under the coordination of BX Promotions, he agreed to fight the newly emerging prospect, Jason Luo.
"This is your chance, Jason Luo! We paid a high price for this opportunity, but if you win, it'll all be worth it — the mandatory challenger spot, the North American Intercontinental title. Ha! You're about to take off for real!"
Jason felt dizzy — everything was happening so fast. The North American Intercontinental Champion title even came with a gold belt, but the real prize was the challenge rights: he'd become the WBA super middleweight's official challenger, and if the Regular Champion's title became vacant, he could step in directly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Rod went on to say that the bout would be held at the legendary Madison Square Garden, and major The Ring magazines were already covering it. A win could even earn him a spot in the rankings of the boxing bible — a complete game-changer.
"Go for it, Jason Luo! You're one step away from making your name. If you can push through this, your income will multiply tenfold. Fame and fortune are right in front of you!"
The higher one climbs in boxing, the wider the income gap becomes — and that's exactly what makes it so addictive.
In this atmosphere, the upcoming exhibition match against Koichi Matsumoto suddenly felt trivial. Jason couldn't wait to fly back to Chicago and begin training.
...
The next day, on the Wulin Feng stage, Jason made his debut against former Asian boxing champion Koichi Matsumoto of Japan. The audience was intrigued — the venue usually hosted stand-up fighting events, but this was their first-ever boxing match.
Jason felt the rush of home support. As he entered the ring, the crowd erupted in cheers, and someone even held up a banner that read "Welcome Home, Jason Luo!" Those few words hit him hard, stirring emotions he couldn't easily calm.
Koichi Matsumoto soon stepped in. At thirty-one years old, standing 177 centimeters tall with a 181-centimeter reach, he'd won the Asian title five years earlier but hadn't progressed since. His form had slipped, and now he fought exhibitions just to make a living. Still, he came in confident. Japan had long led Asia in boxing, producing world-class talents like Naoya Inoue, and Matsumoto considered the local level still catching up.
After the referee's checks, the match began.
Matsumoto opened aggressively. His Stamina wasn't great, so he tried to build an early lead, maybe even go for a knockout. His Punch Speed was decent, and his combinations flowed smoothly, but his power shots lacked bite — they posed no real threat to Jason Luo.
Once Jason found his rhythm, he struck back hard. He switched tactics, following Master Liu's advice: use the Rear-Hand Heavy Punch first to force the opponent to move, then strike fast with the Front-Hand Punch while shifting position. The strategy worked beautifully. His Hit Accuracy was high, but his Front-Hand Punch Power still lacked impact — only 17 points — not enough to do serious damage. He could rack up points, but not real punishment.
Matsumoto, though past his prime, had plenty of experience and adapted quickly. Spotting Jason's weak Front-Hand Punch, he pressed in to counter. Jason adjusted immediately: he turned the Front-Hand Punch into a feint, used the Rear-Hand Heavy Punch as a weapon, and began flanking from the side. The sudden shift caught Matsumoto off guard — Jason landed a heavy blow to the head, and Matsumoto staggered back in alarm.
Jason didn't rush to finish him. He treated the fight like a test ground, mixing feints with real attacks to sharpen his timing. It left Matsumoto frustrated and helpless.
Jason's Front-Hand Punch carried little threat, but his Rear-Hand Heavy Punches landed with brutal weight — one hit, and a lump would swell instantly. Yet he never chased the knockout, keeping a calm, positional rhythm instead.
By the end of the first round, Matsumoto's face was covered in swelling, while Jason looked perfectly relaxed. His corner assistant wiped the sweat off his face and had nothing else to do.
Matsumoto was in despair. Jason's power was overwhelming; even at his peak, he might not have been able to match him. Asian boxing had speed and agility, but Power and Endurance were its biggest weaknesses. Without an early lead, there was no hope in the later rounds.
Still, he couldn't quit. These exhibitions were his only source of income — quitting early would mean no one would book him again.
...
Round two began. Matsumoto clenched his jaw and charged forward. Jason decided it was time to end it.
He let out a fierce roar and activated his Intermediate Offensive Title effect — unleashing his full strength.
He darted forward in a Pendulum Advance, sidestepped right with a quick shuffle, feinted with his left, then slammed a devastating right straight into Matsumoto's head. Matsumoto blocked with both hands but lost balance, stumbling back two steps.
"Hah!" Jason shouted again.
A massive Lun Pai followed. Matsumoto braced desperately, but the blow threw him off balance; Jason's Front-Hand Punch barrage came crashing in, leaving Matsumoto defenseless.
The crowd went wild. Accustomed to kickboxing, they were suddenly witnessing boxing's raw intensity.
In kick-based stand-up fighting, punches often lack knockout power. Knockdowns usually come from high kicks, stomps, or low sweeps followed by punches. Even heavy punches rarely cause serious damage. But Jason's barrage tonight was different — brutally explosive and visually stunning. Each punch sliced the air with a sharp hiss, water vapor bursting with every strike, leaving Matsumoto swaying helplessly.
"Damn, that's brutal! Who can take those hits? The Japanese guy's finished — knock him down!"
"What a monster punch! Never seen anyone this vicious before. Damn, this is wild — go all out, drop him!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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