The momentum in the ring had completely shifted!
From the moment Jason Luo was forced against the ropes, many sensed danger. When Siham's punch landed clean, the crowd erupted—gasps and shouts rippling through the audience of fans who had come from across the world to support him.
Some of them had even traveled from overseas just to cheer for Jason Luo. After witnessing his matches against Charlison and Koichi Matsumoto, countless fight fans had become devoted supporters. Those with the means had come thousands of miles to watch him live.
Everyone believed that after Jason Luo's crushing victory over Matsumoto, tonight would be another easy win. Yet in the very first round, things had already taken a drastic turn. Was the difference in skill between the two fighters really that great?
Although Jason managed to neutralize the crisis through clinching, it also revealed a harsh truth—he was clearly at a disadvantage in close-range combat.
His opponent would definitely continue pressing the attack up close. Without a counterstrategy, Jason Luo's chances of winning looked bleak…
Whyte and Holyfield were both impressed by Siham's fluid combination punches.
"Oh? Siham's made real progress," Whyte remarked. "Looks like he's been working hard these past six months to patch up his weaknesses. Morell was wise not to accept his challenge—if he had, he might've lost that title for sure."
Holyfield nodded. "I agree. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before the WBA Gold Belt belongs to Siham. The super middleweight division is about to change hands."
In the ring, the referee separated the clinch and brought both fighters back to the center. The break gave Jason a brief chance to breathe, though the referee warned him not to hold for too long or risk a penalty.
As the fight resumed, Jason strengthened his front-hand control, shifting angles constantly to stay away from the ropes.
Siham charged twice more, but Jason anticipated his movements, slipping away with sharp lateral steps that left Siham swinging at air.
The first round finally ended. Jason Luo had started off poorly, clearly at a disadvantage.
Back in the corner, Coach Brown's expression was grim. "How are you? Any injuries?"
"I'm fine… just feeling the pressure!"
Brown pressed an ice pack to Jason's neck to keep him focused. "Yeah, I noticed. Our pressure strategy doesn't work at mid-range—that's my mistake. You'll have to try side attacks. And if he closes in, use the Body Hook. You must suppress him, or this fight is over!"
"But he keeps cutting off my movement with those swings. I can't use the slide step!"
"Then find a way! The more he stops you, the more it means it's working. Take wider circles or jump-step sideways—whatever it takes to break this stalemate! Listen, Jason—paradise is just ahead. No matter how dark it gets before dawn, break through it!"
Coach Brown's fiery words reignited Jason's determination. He'd trained too long and too hard for this. Tonight, nothing could stop him—not even fate itself.
All in!
Jason opened his Attribute Panel and assigned his only Free Attribute Point to his rear Heavy Punch. Night of the Heavy Hitters? Let's see who hits harder!
The added Attribute Point instantly wiped out the lingering negative effects from Siham's earlier strike. The bell rang—Jason Luo stepped out looking renewed, ready for round two.
This time, he took the initiative. He stepped in, then suddenly shifted sideways mid-motion, flanking Siham with a surprise angle. Siham turned to block, but Jason hooked around his guard, twisted his waist, leapt sideways again, and landed two solid heavy punches.
Siham, watching Jason's legs closely, was caught completely off guard by the jump step. His incredible toughness kept him steady, but Jason had clearly regained the upper hand.
Irritated by Jason's constant movement, Siham refused to stay on defense. He lunged forward, trying to cut the distance, but Jason responded with quick pivots and sidesteps, keeping him at bay. The ring became a battlefield of pursuit and retreat, both men attacking and countering in bursts.
This shift reignited hope in the crowd. Cheers erupted once again.
"I knew it! Jason won't let us down—keep it up!"
Whyte's eyes lit up. "Now I get why this kid's risen so fast. He's got some tricks up his sleeve!"
Holyfield gave a faint smile. "He's got great agility—that's clear. But dodging alone won't win him the fight. If Siham catches him just once, it'll be over."
Unbeknownst to them, Mayweather—standing a few seats away—had overheard. He glanced in their direction but said nothing.
Whyte and Holyfield exchanged knowing grins.
...
Following Coach Brown's tactical adjustments, Jason scored solid points with his flanking attacks. Still, Siham retained control of the rhythm. First, Jason's rear Heavy Punch lacked enough force to truly threaten him. Second, Siham knew Jason hesitated to fight up close, so he kept closing in, smothering his mobility.
Even worse, Siham dominated the inner circle. His quick footwork made it hard for Jason to pull away, forcing him to keep moving and burning Stamina rapidly.
The pace was fast, both men putting full momentum into every blow. Each punch hit hard—but with so much movement, accuracy dropped sharply. Still, a single landed hit could do real damage.
Siham grew frustrated with the chase. Jason's jump steps were unpredictable, impossible to read. Finally, Siham made a ruthless decision: stop defending and meet offense with offense. He began focusing on intercepting counters—using attack to stop attack, aiming to trade punches.
Jason noticed the change but had no choice—he had to keep side-stepping and striking; it was the only way to stay in the fight.
He feinted again, darted to the side, and drove a straight punch toward Siham's temple. Siham blocked with his rear hand and instantly countered with his left. Jason braked hard, twisted his waist, turned back front, and unleashed a vicious hook powered by his rotation.
To his surprise, Siham didn't dodge or back away. Instead, he launched a massive uppercut with his rear hand—he was going to trade blows!
Jason had no time to evade. He clenched his jaw, committed fully, and accelerated his swing.
The strikes landed almost simultaneously.
"Bang! Bang!"
Siham staggered slightly from the wide hook, but Jason took the uppercut flush on the chin. His head snapped back violently, a tooth flying out alongside his mouthguard. The force spun him halfway around before he collapsed onto the canvas, the world spinning.
It's over… it's over…
Coach Brown clutched his head, stunned. Raul stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
The crowd roared, while Jason's fans fell silent.
The knockdown was a crushing blow to morale. It was a clean, heavy exchange—both men threw with everything they had, but only one went down. It clearly showed the difference in raw power.
Worse still, after such a brutal hit, it looked like the fight was all but decided.
The referee rushed in immediately. If Jason's condition looked severe, he'd have to stop the match. After all, Jason had literally lost a tooth—proof enough of the damage.
Lying dazed on the mat, Jason's jaw and mouth were numb, his saliva uncontrollable. If the referee noticed, he'd end it without hesitation.
Then—ding!
A familiar system prompt echoed in his mind.
"Detected: Host knocked down by heavy blow. Conditions met for automatic activation. Victory in Adversity triggered. All Attributes increased by 18%. You have eight minutes to establish dominance and defeat your opponent completely, or you will enter a three-day Weakness Period."
A surge of heat swept through his body. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, his mind cleared. Feeling returned to his jaw and mouth—though that missing tooth was gone for good.
When the referee lifted Jason's eyelid, he was met with a bright, focused gaze. Startled, he asked, "Can you continue?"
Jason nodded slowly. Missing a tooth might affect his speech forever, but that didn't matter.
"Alright. I'll start the count. One!"
Jason rose steadily from the canvas. He had planned to act dazed, to lull Siham into a false sense of security—but he couldn't. The Victory in Adversity boost had filled him with unstoppable strength and a burning hunger to fight.
Under that sheer willpower, pretending to be weak was simply impossible.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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