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I struck down each of them in the first round; however, the last guy was stronger than the others. Faster. I only beat him down because he got sloppy at one point. He lasted five rounds, which was longer than the others.
“You're strong, Josiah,” Coach Max said to me after training. “But you lack restraint. When your opponent is down, you back off, you don't keep hitting them. That's barbaric.”
“But where’s the fun in that?”
“Fun? This isn’t fun, boy,” he said, cutting me off. “Here we have rules and we abide by those rules. Do you understand?”
I frowned, hating the fact that this was yet another prison like my former school.
“Do you understand me, young man?” he reiterated, and I nodded.
When my father came to pick me up in the evening, he asked, “Do you like it here?”
I shrugged my shoulders and replied, “I'll get bored soon unless they continue to give me worthy opponents.”
My father, who was normally unfazed by my behavior, was suddenly perplexed. He looked like he was starting to be just as confused and worried about me as my mom was.
As time went on, my skills became sharper, and I was getting better by the day. I was a beast, crushing anyone in my path, big or small. I rose to fame quite quickly and was on my way to becoming a big star when things took a different turn.
At twenty-two, Coach Max introduced me to some investors who had been pushing me to become better and were the reason for most of my recent wins.
Things changed swiftly when Coach Max told me that the investors required me to lose the next match, a match I had been preparing for and dreaming about. They wanted me to lose for their own personal interest.
I refused, telling Coach Max that I had been training for this match for months, and winning it was my ticket to stardom, fame, and being among the elite.
He reminded me that these investors had been in the game longer than I had, and that they wouldn't take no for an answer. I told him that I didn't care.
“It's this arrogance that will be the end of you, Josiah,” Coach Max said to me.
“I can't lose, Coach,” I reply. “I simply can’t.”
Coach Max sighed and asked me to come with him. We left the gym and headed to a fancy restaurant where we met with the sponsors, the investors all dressed in suits.
We sat at their table, and I was forced to listen to their political words about the money that could be made from my defeat.
“My career as a professional boxer is tied to my winning this fight,” I said, catching the eyes of the only woman in their midst.
She was casting a flirtatious grin at me, however subtle, and sizing up the muscles threatening to burst out of my suit. She was sexy. Slender, with her red dress revealing the contours of her body. I knew she was older than I was, but still. She was hot. She wasn't even paying attention to the deal, as all her focus was on me.
I tried not to make it so obvious that I was into her, but she was making it seem impossible. I felt her feet gently climbing up my legs from underneath the table between us.
Coach Max noticed the subtle and covert signals. He stole a glance at me with a hidden grin.
“Your career is tied to us, young man,” one of them replied, drawing my attention back to the issue at hand. “You will do as we say.”
I felt rage swelling up inside me, and Coach Max, knowing that I was unstable in the head and could decide to do something very stupid, caught my eyes and signaled me to stay calm.
“You will lose this fight, or else we will make sure you never become a professional boxer. And you can kiss that precious career goodbye. Do you understand?”
I hesitated, controlling my anger by balling my fists in both hands. He was threatening me, and I hated it when people threatened me, when they thought that they had power over me. These men obviously thought that I was a puppet that they could use and control at will. They had no idea.
“Do you understand, Josiah?”
“Yes, sir.” I faked a smile.
The ring was ready, and the crowd was cheering after the announcer had introduced us, the current heavyweight champion and me.
The bell rang and the fight began. The champion was pretty good; he had strong punches and was fast. He fought like the legendary Muhammad Ali, while my moves resembled those of Mike Tyson.
