r18novel Page 165
Page 165
His coach whispered a warning to him in Russian: "Nikolai, be careful. That Chinese guy is either already crushed by the pressure, like an egg that breaks at the slightest touch; or... he'll become extremely dangerous, like a wild beast driven to the brink. Don't give him a chance."
Valuev snorted and clenched his huge fist, his knuckles cracking.
How many wild beasts has he taken down?
The appearance of a figure in the VIP section caused a small commotion.
Sir Simon Leicester, a renowned barrister in the British legal profession, sat impeccably in the best seat, dressed in an expensive bespoke suit.
His expression was serious, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.
His arrival itself is a strong signal that he and the legal force he represents are closely monitoring everything that is happening in the game and Victor Lee’s performance.
This silent gaze is more suffocating than any noisy questioning.
Finally, the staff knocked on the door.
"Mr. Li, it's time to enter."
Viktor suddenly raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by a deep sense of repression.
He stood up, and Frankie helped him put on his bright red battle robe.
Old Jack gave his boxing gloves and mouthguard a final check.
"Let's go, child."
Old Jack's voice was deep and resonant, "We've come this far! For your own sake! We can't afford to lose."
Viktor nodded without saying anything.
He took a deep breath, shutting out all the noise—both external and internal.
As he appeared at the tunnel entrance, an indescribable, complex, and enormous roar erupted within the stadium.
The shouts, curious screams, encouraging cheers, and undisguised boos and curses intertwined, forming a torrent that assaulted the eardrums.
The spotlight shone down on him, isolating him in a blinding light. Every gaze was like a cold scrutiny, trying to penetrate his armor and probe the turmoil within him.
He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the red carpet leading to the boxing ring.
The noise from the audience seemed to come from a distant place, or perhaps it was booming directly inside his skull.
He could feel his heartbeat, heavy and rapid, creating an eerie resonance with the waves of pain emanating from his finger bones.
The host, in an exaggerated, dramatic tone, drew out his words as he introduced him: "At the Blue Corner! A controversial genius! A fighter right in the eye of the storm! 12 wins, 1 loss, 12 knockouts in his career! From Chicago, 'The Tiger'—Victor Lee!!!"
Inevitably, the host's introduction included hints of that "incident," and the noise in the venue rose again, with boos seemingly drowning out the cheers for a moment.
Viktor's face looked unusually cold under the bright lights. He didn't respond at all, but mechanically walked into the ring, touched his gloves, and jumped a few times on the spot.
Each time his foot touched the table, each time his muscles tensed, the pain in his finger bones protested more clearly, but this pain only made him more alert and more angry.
In the opposite corner, Valuev stands there like a real iceberg.
He waved indifferently to the audience, which sparked an even purer and more enthusiastic cheer.
His gaze swept over Viktor without any emotion, as if he were looking at an inanimate object.
The huge difference in size made Viktor appear somewhat "small" in his presence.
The referee called the two men to the center of the ring for final instructions and checks.
Valuev looked down at Viktor, who met his gaze without flinching, his eyes burning with a cold flame.
The referee repeated the rules of the game, emphasizing fair competition, but in this eerie atmosphere, his words seemed pale and powerless.
The two returned to their respective corners.
Victor spat out his mouthguard, old Jack gave him one last sip of water, and Frankie whispered urgent final instructions in his ear, but Victor couldn't hear a word.
In his world, all that remained was the enormous figure opposite him and the burning rage within his chest.
The bell is about to ring.
This is no longer just a fight for the world championship title.
This is a brutal performance, conducted in full view of the public, testing the limits of psychological endurance. The eyes of the world are focused on this, waiting for a tragedy or a miracle to unfold.
The bell that rang crisply at the start of the first round was like the fuse that lit a barrel of dynamite.
Victor Lee unleashed an astonishing speed almost before the bell had even finished ringing!
He shot towards the center of the boxing ring like a bullet fired from a gun.
Suppressed anger, humiliation, and all the complex emotions transformed at this moment into the most primal fighting desire and the power to become the boxing champion!
His fighting spirit was astonishing, and his eyes were terrifyingly sharp.
Valuev was clearly somewhat surprised by his opponent's aggressiveness.
He habitually extended his lead hand jab, trying to control the distance and use his huge reach to block Victor.
His jab was like a heavy spear, whistling through the air.
But tonight, Victor felt more agile and sharp than ever before!
All external noise seemed to disappear; his entire focus was on his opponent's movements.
Seeing the fist coming, the body reacted instinctively.
A swift, minimally sized dive and dodge easily dodged the first punch!
Then came the second jab. Victor quickly tilted his head to the side, and the fist grazed his hair!
"Wow! Lee dodged Valuev's initial probing attack! His movements were incredibly agile!"
The commentator's voice, tinged with surprise, blared through the loudspeaker.
Valuev frowned, increased the intensity of his attack, and threw a heavy right punch, attempting to flatten the agile "mosquito".
However, Viktor's reaction was faster than anyone could have imagined!
He dove down again, his body swinging like a pendulum, perfectly avoiding the heavy blow!
The Tyson-esque pendulum dodge possessed him at that moment!
He even used the momentum of his dive to instantly cut into Valuev's inner circle, entering the most dangerous area for his tall opponent!
"Incredible! Li got close so easily! The danger zone in Valuev!"
The commentator's voice rose an octave.
Valuev was startled and instinctively wanted to close his arms and hug the opponent—a natural reaction for a tall boxer when facing an inside opponent.
But just before he could close his arms, Victor's attack began!
His anger found an outlet!
It struck Valuev's ribs like a storm!
These two punches were delivered in a short, rapid, and extremely fierce manner!
This is one of Victor's signature technologies—the "Chicago Typewriter"!
The fists landed heavily and precisely on the same spot, producing a dull and terrifying "bang bang" sound!
"Oh! Rib strike! Beautiful hook! Lee is starting to attack the body!"
Valuev winced in pain, letting out a muffled groan as his massive body trembled slightly.
He barely managed to complete the embrace, using his weight to press Viktor down, trying to catch his breath and stop this terrifying onslaught.
He was incredibly strong, and he gripped Viktor like a bear.
Normally, boxers will wait for the referee to separate them.
But the hug completely ignited the anger in Viktor's heart!
He doesn't want to wait; he wants destruction!
He swayed his body wildly from side to side, unleashing astonishing core strength, and actually managed to break free of a sliver of space from Valuev's bear hug!
Viktor slammed his right foot back, twisted his waist and hips, and poured all his strength, anger, humiliation, and resentment into this punch!
A fierce uppercut, delivered from below, was like a lurking venomous snake suddenly poking its head out, precisely piercing through the narrow space and slamming hard into Valuev's chin!
A clear and solid thud echoed through the suddenly quiet gymnasium.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Valuev's cold expression froze instantly, replaced by a blank, incredulous look.
His eyes glazed over, and his massive body suddenly stiffened.
The white mouthguard flew out of his open mouth, arced through the air, and landed on the boxing ring.
He didn't collapse immediately, but stood there like a frozen mountain peak, as if pondering what had happened.
Then, having lost all support, he began to tilt.
Like a giant tree that has been felled, it slowly and irrevocably falls backward.
His heavy body slammed onto the boxing ring, producing a dull thud that shook the entire arena.
He didn't even make any self-protective movements; he simply lay down on his back with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen into the deepest sleep, eerily peaceful.
Then came a deathly silence!
Everyone was stunned by this sudden and earth-shattering scene!
The referee was clearly stunned for half a second before lunging forward and loudly counting down: "One! Two! Three!..."
But Valuev showed no reaction; he was "sleeping" soundly.
"...Eight! Nine! Ten!"
The referee waved his hands, ending the game!
Chapter 140 The Boxing Champion's Relaxation Moment
After the silence, a roar like a volcanic eruption swept through the entire O2 Arena!
"Oh, God!"
"what happened?!"