Chapter 36: First Opponent - Dean "The Beast" Curtis

When the first day of the tournament arrived, Joe's opponent was Dean Curtis, a fighter also known by his nickname: "The Beast". Curtis was a fearsome name with his tall height and muscular build. Curtis, who quickly knocked out his opponents in every match, was one of the most feared names in the boxing ring.

The first fight Joe watched was as tough as he expected from Curtis. From the moment he started fighting, Curtis did not give his opponents a second to breathe, attacking them like a true "beast". However, Joe was determined to remain calm against this opponent.

The first round was about to start. When the referee told both of them to get up from their corners, Joe's mind was very clear. Watching Curtis' style, he realized that his opponent was aggressive but disorganized. This could be a great advantage for Joe.

"Just be patient," Joe whispered to himself. "You have to be smart, not fast."

In the first round, Curtis used all his strength to deliver several quick blows to Joe, but Joe stood back, watching for a weak spot in his opponent's defense. When Curtis tried to quickly approach Joe, Joe suddenly stepped back and hit him hard in the face with a hard punch.

Curtis staggered slightly, but quickly recovered and started attacking again. Joe's plan was clear: remain patient, wait for his opponent's mistakes, and find the right moment.

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In the second round, Joe's strategy began to show itself. Curtis repeated the same mistakes several times. Joe neutralized Curtis' long arms by striking from shorter distances. Although Curtis was very strong, Joe's agility and strategy caused him to tire quickly.

When Joe caught a weak moment, he quickly lunged for his left boxer and managed to shake Curtis with a powerful Dempsey Turn technique. Curtis was thrown by this blow and fell to the ground. The referee started counting, but Curtis managed to get back to his feet quickly.

"Come on, is that it?" Curtis said, gritting his teeth. "I'm here!"

He could see in Joe's eyes what he was feeling. "That's not all, Curtis. Now we're getting started."

By the third round, Curtis' momentum had slowed down significantly. Joe was waiting for an opportunity to corner him. Curtis' fatigue was giving him more of an advantage each time.

And with one last move, Joe threw Curtis off balance and hit him squarely in the jaw with a right hook. Curtis fell to the ground. The referee started counting. This time, Curtis couldn't get up for long and lost the match.

"Joe wins!"

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