Chapter 07 : Joining a Boxing Gym

"Mario, didn't you have breakfast? Use some strength and be more decisive. If you punch like this, you won't be able to take Link's punch even if you practice for another ten years."

"West, don't mention that bastard Link. I underestimated my opponent yesterday and was not well prepared. If you let me fight again, I will never lose."

"Don't talk, just concentrate on practicing."

On the boxing ring in the second-floor training area of ​​the West Boxing Club, Mario and a boxer wearing a black vest were sparring. Coach West, wearing a white baseball shirt and holding a notebook, was directing the training under the ring.

Link walked around the boxing gym, taking a look at the environment and training equipment.

Yesterday, Coach West came after him to persuade him to join. He thought West was a coach in a small boxing gym, but in fact, this place is more formal than he expected.

It has three floors, with a steel frame structure and glass curtain walls, providing good lighting. The first floor is the office area and canteen, the second floor is the training area, and the third floor is the dormitory and office. There are elevators to go up and down the floors.

The training area is next to the boxing ring. It has all the necessary equipment, including rubber boxing targets, pear-shaped balls, pullers, boxing bags, barbell racks, etc. There are more than a dozen young people doing strength training, and the atmosphere in the gym is very lively.

"Link, this is a picture of Coach West when he was a boxer."

The staff of the boxing gym followed Link and introduced that this person was the manager of the boxing gym, Robinson, who took the initiative to follow Link when he entered the door. He said he wanted to show him around, especially to see the wall of honor.

On the walls of the training hall are photos of West Corian participating in boxing matches when he was young.

West was a middleweight boxer in his youth and trained in the same gym as Roy Jones Jr.'s father.

He made his debut in the early 1970s and competed with boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard for the WBO middleweight championship belt in 1978, but was defeated.

Sugar is the first boxer in boxing history to accumulate prize money of 100 million US dollars. He is very powerful.

Manager Robinson also introduced that Coach West retired in the early 1980s and started working as a boxing coach. He has been a coach for nearly 30 years and is very experienced.

"Very good. Has the gym ever produced any successful boxers?"

Link asked.

"Yes! Of course!"

Manager Robinson then named several boxers that Link had never heard of in his life.

There is only one boxer named Robert Allen who is relatively famous. He once competed with boxing champion Bernard Hopkins for the IBF middleweight championship belt in 1999, but failed. Later, he became a second-rate boxer and is now retired.

Seeing the regretful look on Manager Robinson's face, Link smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. I'm here, and there's a boxing champion here."

Manager Robinson looked at him, unsure whether he was serious or joking, and just agreed that it was great.

"Haha, Link, you're here."

Coach West walked over with a big laugh, as if he had just seen Link. In fact, he received the news when Link walked in, but it would be more appropriate to leave the matter of introducing the honors of the boxing gym to Robinson.

"Link, what do you think of this place?"

Coach West pointed at the clean and tidy boxing gym and asked. Originally the gym was quite messy. Last night he called all the people in the gym plus four part-time workers to stay up all night to clean the gym, so that it didn't look so bad.

"Very good, very formal."

Link nodded in affirmation.

Coach West laughed, "Link, as long as you like it here, practicing boxing at home is not as good as practicing in the gym. Here we have training equipment and sparring partners. If you join West Boxing Gym, I will do everything I can to cooperate with you and provide you with the best training venue and environment, as well as logistical services. How about it?"

Seeing that he was hesitant, West added, "Before you have a professional boxing match, all the services provided by the gym are free. After you have a professional match, the coaching team will only charge you 5% of the prize money."

Link thought about it.

The conditions provided by Coach West can be considered excellent.

According to the rules of the boxing world, after a boxer enters the professional boxing world, the coaching team can get 1%-15% of the boxer's match prize money. The greater the contribution of the coaching team, the more they will get.

The coach also plays a vital role in the development of a boxer.

In addition to training boxers on a regular basis, coaches develop training plans for boxers, looking for ways to make up for the boxers' shortcomings and improve their boxing techniques.

In a boxing match, the coaching team also needs to develop a suitable game plan for the boxers. At the critical moment, the coach can also help the boxer throw out the white towel and save the boxer's life.

A good boxing coach can make a good boxer.

For example, Tyson's coach Cus D'Amato. Many people believe that it was Cus who trained Tyson. If Cus had not died in 1985, Tyson's peak period would have been extended beyond 2000.

And then there's Holyfield's trainer, Lou Duvall.

Lou Duvall is one of the founders of the Boxing Hall of Fame and the owner of a major event promotion company. He has trained 19 boxing champions including Evander Holyfield and Whittaker.

Compared to these famous coaches, West Corian's performance is much inferior, but Link doesn't care.

His strength and speed are steadily improving in training, and he will become stronger and stronger in the future. He doesn't need to worry too much about competitions. What he needs now is a skilled logistics team and a guide to guide him into the boxing circle.

West Corian has been in the boxing circle for more than 30 years and should be quite skilled in his job. Even if he is not so good, it doesn't matter. There will always be time to replace him in the future.

"Coach West, it's been a pleasure working with you."

Link said, holding out his hand.

"Haha, Link, happy cooperation."

Coach West shook his hand vigorously and shouted at the boxing ring and the training area, "Everyone stop, let me introduce you, this is Mr. Link Baker, a new member of our boxing gym. He has excellent boxing skills. Last night at the Red Glove Bar, he knocked out Mario with one punch."

"Wow!"

"Really?"

There was a burst of exclamations at the scene. Everyone looked at Link in surprise, and then looked at Mario with strange eyes, asking him if it was true? He really couldn't even take a punch, so weak?

Mario's face turned red with embarrassment. He originally wanted to hide the news, but he didn't expect West to reveal it directly in public, leaving him no face at all. It was too embarrassing.

He glared at West in embarrassment, then looked at Link, and shouted, "Don't laugh at me, Link is very powerful, a heavy hitter. West said that none of us can take a punch from Link, and that Link will become a boxing champion in the future. Do you know that Link doesn't have to pay a cent for food and clothing for training here? West is going to pay for his training."

Everyone looked at Link with displeasure; no one liked the appearance of an outlier in their group.

"Mario, stop talking nonsense here."

Coach West scolded.

"No, I'm not kidding, West, that's what you told me."

Mario crossed his arms and turned his face away with disdain.

Link smiled softly, picked up a pair of boxing gloves and said, "Mario, we are boxers. It's useless to talk loudly. The real skill is to be able to fight. How about we have another match? I hope you don't fall down so quickly this time."

"Okay, Link, today I will show you what absolute defense is."

Mario waved his thick arms and roared excitedly.

BANG!

Thirty seconds later, Mario's face hit the boxing ring hard.

This time he fought very carefully, protecting his head with both arms from the start of the match, his eyes fixed on Link's fists, and as long as Link's shoulders moved, he would concentrate on defense.

But unfortunately, his defense was still not strict enough. Link only threw a set of combination punches. He first hit Mario's ribs, forcing Mario to lower his center of gravity. The second punch hit the left side of his jaw, causing Mario's center of gravity to shift. The third punch knocked him directly to the ground.

Mario lay on the boxing ring, rolling his eyes. Less than 12 hours had passed, and he enjoyed the dizzy feeling again.

It feels terrible.

Fortunately, Link held back his strength this time and didn't cause him too much harm. He lay on the ground for a few seconds, glared at Link, and walked off the ring angrily.

West laughed and said to the four adult boxers around him, "You guys should also go up and practice with Link and see how powerful a high-level boxer is."

Four adult boxers lined up to practice against Link. Because it was a confrontational exercise, he did not use much force. He practiced with each of them for five or six rounds. With his skilled techniques and physical strength, he made the four men gasp for breath, their steps became disorderly, and they had to admit defeat.

"Link, you bastard, why do you need to fight them for four or five rounds but only one round with me? Are you worried that if you fight for too long, you won't have enough energy and I will turn the tables?"

Mario, sitting in the audience, shouted while holding a water bottle.

Link was a little helpless. This guy had been KO'd twice, so why was he still trying to get back at the opponent verbally? He could only perfunctorily say, "Yes, you have strong endurance. I need to fight quickly to defeat you."

"Haha, I knew it, Link. Next time I'm going to fight you for twelve rounds."

Mario shouted excitedly, pumping his fist.

Link smiled. Although this guy looked ferocious, he was actually quite cute at heart.

(End of this chapter)