Sample
This story is about 2200 words.
The big Irelander head butted him and he hit the ground. The first fight had gone well. Two minutes of messing around before a quick knockout, but this one had proved to be much more difficult.
Sam stood on the edge of the ring looking worried. He had right too. Joe was bleeding quite strongly from the head right now and he could barely see.
Joe stood up slowly and was greeted by a punch to the side of the head that shook him deep inside. This one was slow, but had real power. He was the heaviest hitter Joe had fought since that madness back at Lord Thomson's manner that had started all this.
Joe returned the hit with a series of half hearted combination shots to the head. This one had no defense, but it didn't matter. He could take it as well as he could put it out.
Joe came around the side and their arms came around in a hook at the same time. Joe went low and dodged the shot while hooking the man's arm in his own. He turned his body and put his hip inside the other man's. He had learnt this style of fighting awhile ago and it was something he couldn't do in a regular fight, but here most things were ok. He pulled the man over himself and he went down.
Joe casually punched him as he tried to stand up and the man's head went around. He kept on rising and Joe kept on hitting. Somehow the man was able to stand up and they ended up trading punch for punch in a vicious melee.
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BACKYARD BRAWL
UNCIVILIZED BOXING SERIES #3
(SMASHWORDS EDITION / Copyright Kenneth Guthrie 2011)
Joe has signed up to be the champion of both the underground scene and the legit pro-boxing world’s number one, but to do it he has to fight the three best fighters in the illegal fighting world and live to talk about it. It is the hardest fight of Joe’s life and one which will decide more than just his future, but the future of boxing itself.
"Joe, its $1000 up front and $2000 for a win," Sam said trying to convince him again.
"I know," he said quietly.
They hadn't done as well as he thought that they would after he got the championship. A year had passed and, although he had faced off with some excellent fighters, including Ted who had walked away with enough to buy that extension to his farm, no one had really challenged him. The mainstream just wasn't getting enough of the good talent and a lot of the fans were turning back to the illegal fights where a lot of the younger fighters were doing the rounds.
Joe knew that he was going to have to go back to doing the rounds again, but he wasn't so sure if he wanted to become the underground champion as well. If he fought well, and he knew by now that he was good enough to try, he could possibly take it, but how would it feel to have to do double duty. Illegal and legal, could they really be mixed like Sam was suggesting.
"Tell, Lord Thomson, I want to talk."
Thomson was the man who had taken him this far and he needed a heavy hitter like him to get him through the mush at the bottom of the underground competition. He had no intention of fighting his way through all the beginners.
Sam leapt for glee and ran out the door of Joe's little town house. He had earned enough to have this and a small farm, which he used for most of his training now. It was close to his daughter and he could visit under the guise of Ted's friendship. It was a good deal.
He turned back to his contemplation. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with Thomson again. He was the most annoyingly evil man he knew. It would not be fun to see him again.
Joe sighed and sipped his whisky. It could be worse he decided before sitting up and leaving the house.
"Joe, how long has it been?" Lord Thomson asked at the door to his mansion.
"One year or more, sir," Joe replied. It didn't hurt to be respectful to the man who had brought him so far.
Lord Thomson led him into the sitting room.
"Ah yes, time does fly, doesn't it?" Lord Thomson said as he settled back in a big leather chair.
“Yes, it does.” Joe said.
Joe sat back to wait for Thomson’s reply. It was time to get down to business.
"So, Mr. Crockfield has told me about your proposition. I am certainly glad to hear that you have reconsidered your position." Thomson finally said.
Lord Thomson sipped his wine and looked out the window a bit. He was likely hoping that this would make Joe consider his position. Unfortunately for him, Joe had met his kind a dozen times or more and knew this little game well. It would not strengthen his bargaining position.
"I can do it," Thomson finally said.
"But?" Joe asked. There was always a 'but'.
"But? But I need you to fight the top three all on one night," he replied.
Joe was taken back. Three of the best in one evening? Was this man mad?
Lord Thomson continued, "Of course, there is a reason. You see the tournament structure is such that you need to fight from the bottom up. You know that, I imagine."
Joe had fought his way to near the top before his luck changed. He knew exactly what it was like.
"Unfortunately, you can't just jump from bottom to top. There are hoops, you see. You have to jump through them if you want to fight at the top level," he said.
"So why all three? Couldn't I fight them one by one over a few months or even weeks? Why just one day?" Joe asked.
"Well, this is where the problem lies for you. You are the pro-boxing champion. Once you beat one of the underground top three the others are going to avoid fighting you. It would take you months to get to the top."
Joe saw the logic of it. He had avoided fighting people lower than him when he thought they might cause him injury or make trouble for him. It was no different.
"So you want me to fight them all on one day so they have to fight me?" It made sense.
"Yes, that and the purse will be huge if you can pull it off."
"I see," Joe said.
"Will you do it?" Thomson asked quietly.
"I don't see any other way. It's a massive take if I can pull it off. If I don't I walk away with a tidy sum. There's nothing to lose."
Thomson nodded and signaled Sam over.
"Make the preparations. We have agreed."
We certainly have, Joe thought. Three of the best would be a tough challenge. They may all not be that good, but by the last one he wouldn't have anything left. It would be all guts. That was fine with him. He had guts to spare.
The big Irelander head butted him and he hit the ground. The first fight had gone well. Two minutes of messing around before a quick knockout, but this one had proved to be much more difficult.
Sam stood on the edge of the ring looking worried. He had right too. Joe was bleeding quite strongly from the head right now and he could barely see.
Joe stood up slowly and was greeted by a punch to the side of the head that shook him deep inside. This one was slow, but had real power. He was the heaviest hitter Joe had fought since that madness back at Lord Thomson's manner that had started all this.
Joe returned the hit with a series of half hearted combination shots to the head. This one had no defense, but it didn't matter. He could take it as well as he could put it out.
Joe came around the side and their arms came around in a hook at the same time. Joe went low and dodged the shot while hooking the man's arm in his own. He turned his body and put his hip inside the other man's. He had learnt this style of fighting awhile ago and it was something he couldn't do in a regular fight, but here most things were ok. He pulled the man over himself and he went down.
Joe casually punched him as he tried to stand up and the man's head went around. He kept on rising and Joe kept on hitting. Somehow the man was able to stand up and they ended up trading punch for punch in a vicious melee.
Finally the man, who had taken more than his fair share of hits during the fight slowed and Joe got a good hit in. It knocked the man to the ground and Joe reacted instinctively by coming down low and walloping the man across the jaw as he tried to stand up again. The man hit the ground hard and was out.
Joe put his arms up and the crowd screamed. He had no idea how he managed it, but he had taken that monster down.
He walked to the side of the ring for a rest, but the final opponent jumped in the ring even before the unconscious man had even been properly dragged out. The bell rang and Joe was back into it.
The competition had been like this throughout. The three men knew that he would be coming at them hard and that he was much more skilled. They had clearly decided to wear him down. It was a good choice and it was working.
He slumped forward as the skinny man started to pound him. He didn't have anything left. There was no way he could continue. Already he could feel the man's fists cutting into his body and breaking him down. He took a punch to the jaw and fell over. He spat blood and slumped down.
The announcer started to scream out the count. The crowd was really roaring now. If he lost that meant that legal competitors couldn't beat the hardened underground fighters. He didn't care, but that would be how it would seem.
He pushed up and the other man punched him in the back of the head. He fell flat as the count reached eight. Somewhere inside of him a voice screamed at him to get up. He pushed himself upwards with all his might drawing on that voice.
He stood and the devil on the other side of the ring charged at him. He tried to ram him to the ground again. Joe kicked the devil in the knee and uppercut him in the face. A splash of fire came from the man's mouth and burnt Joe's skin. He brushed it away with one bloodied fist and kept on.
The devil was fast as he had heard as a child from the priests in the small town he had grown up in. They had told him the devil was strong and would take the soul of anyone who showed weakness in front of him. Joe was not weak. This devil would not take his soul.
He blocked a fiery spike and returned with a fast combo. Adrenaline was pumping through him as the fear of being burnt again took over his delirious mind. He hit the creature in the side and it smiled at him. He hit it in the eye and then in the groin. It bent over, but continued to smile. He hit it in the side of the head and its eyes spun. He kept hitting it in the face until it fell the ground and then he hit it some more.