Shadow Empire

Chapter 1064 The fighting style is too rough

“Ethan’s fighting style has matured. I suggested he try a different style, but he refused.”

The coach sitting next to Lance was watching the match and explaining Ethan's current situation in the ring to Lance.

He was like a war fortress, never dodging enemy attacks, but only using his arms to block and defend, and then looking for an opportunity to deliver a fatal punch.

Despite seemingly smoking and feeling the waves of passion and excitement sweeping through the competition venue, he appeared somewhat out of place with the rest of the competition.

Listening to the coach's words, Lance turned to look at him and asked, "What style do you want him to try?"

"Dodge!" the coach said seriously. "Mr. Lance, a boxing match may seem like it only lasts a few minutes and will be over quickly, and the fighters won't suffer any serious aftereffects."

"But in reality, boxing matches, especially heavyweight boxing matches, are harmful to the body, especially the brain!"

"Imagine a car repeatedly hitting your head at 35 to 40 kilometers per hour; you can't possibly escape unscathed!"

"Even if your head is hard enough and your neck is resilient enough, we cannot be sure whether the tissues inside are safe."

"I've heard that the brain isn't a stone or dog poop, but something very soft that breaks at the slightest touch."

The coach's expression turned somewhat wistful as he spoke of the sport. "I know some heavyweight boxers, those blue-collar workers, whose health didn't improve after retirement, and many of them passed away quite early."

Boxing matches can't be all stars; there have to be some "blue-collar" players. Their value lies in serving as stepping stones for the winners, or as one of the numbers in the background.

A boxing superstar may have only fought the top two ranked boxers, with a record of one win and one loss.

But if he only tells people that his current record is one win and one loss, he can't be a big star!
Which superstar has a record of one win and one loss?

Therefore, this is where the importance of blue-collar workers comes into play. They become the part used by these talented or skilled players to stack up stats. When a star player shows stats like 17 knockdowns and 3 knockdowns in 20 matches.

Three of those knockouts were from when he and other stars were in the ring, and of the previous seventeen knockouts, at least twelve were against blue-collar boxers.

They will decide how long they fight in the ring based on their appearance fee.

If the appearance fee is significantly higher than his average level, it means that the opposing coach wants a good result, that is, a quick knockout to win the match.

If the appearance fee offered by the opponent only meets his standards, then the Blue Leader will drag the match into five rounds, and may even try to knock out the star fighter.

There are many such people because becoming a top performer in any sport is never something that can be achieved simply through hard work.

Sports have never been about hard work, but about talent, innate talent, so it has been unfair from the very beginning.

You can use all your strength and work hard every day, but when you punch someone, it only weighs 600 pounds.

But some people are so talented that they don't need to train. They can throw a punch that weighs 700 pounds or more. After training, they can throw a super punch that weighs 1,000 pounds. Where is the fairness in that?

Those boxers who enter the industry with great enthusiasm and climb to the heavyweight division and gain some fame don't actually have many choices.

They kept trying to climb higher, but their talent limited them; they would never become boxing stars in their lifetime.

So they either retire immediately, find a boxing gym to become a boxing coach, look for young people with talents they never had, and train them to become the kind of people they could never achieve even if they tried their best.

Alternatively, you could join a gang, become a gang member, or fight in underground bare-knuckle boxing matches, the kind where you risk your life for money.

Of course, there is another option: to stay in the ring, become a blue-collar worker, be constantly knocked down, and become a laughing stock in the eyes of boxing fans.

Although they've become a joke, at least their lives aren't too difficult, and they don't have to live in fear. But there's one problem: their minds.

Being constantly bombarded with punches weighing around 1,000 pounds will definitely cause brain damage. Once the brain is damaged, it's no small matter.

The coach himself lacked talent and had worked as a blue-collar worker for a while, but he was unwilling to become a laughing stock in the ring.

He has tried so hard, he has learned so much and has so much experience, but he still can't do it.

So he found a boxing gym and started looking for talented boxers, helping them achieve their dreams while also helping himself achieve his.

Ethan is the most talented person the coach has seen in all these years. He has very strong physical qualities, the kind that the coach envies and hates, and his punches are very heavy.

A single punch from him could dent a steel plate; his bones are also very hard, able to withstand heavy blows without harming his body.

Therefore, the coach hopes that Ethan can go further and use the knowledge and experience he has taught to prove that he is not lacking in effort or experience; he simply lacks some top-level physical qualities.

Over the years, he has come to like Ethan very much. He is self-disciplined, hardworking, and has none of the bad habits of other boxers. He never stays out overnight and trains or practices whenever he has time.

He hoped Ethan could go even further and become the Federation's heavyweight boxing champion as a foreign immigrant; that would be a wonderful thing!
He had considered Ethan's situation a lot, but Ethan did not accept his advice on more flexible evasion and insisted on his own style of play, defensive counter-attacking.

To this end, Ethan trained both hands to be very strong. Sometimes he would deliberately create openings, making his opponent think they had found Ethan's weakness, and then deliver what the opponent considered a crucial punch, only to be knocked down by Ethan's punch.

This tactic has been studied by almost everyone, but it's still very effective.

Every heavyweight boxer has his own confidence. They believe that even if Ethan were to land a punch on his chin without any resistance, he would stagger a few steps even if he didn't fall down.

Ethan was betting on this with them.

My own chin, head, are hard enough, and my own fists are heavier than theirs.

Therefore, Ethan's fights are very entertaining and exciting; people enjoy the intense, high-powered exchanges between heavyweight boxers.

It's the kind of match where a single punch feels like it could send the person flying, not a match where the winner is determined by technical points, like lightweight or featherweight.

Every time the ring is filled with fighting, someone will bleed, someone will be beaten black and blue, and someone will be beaten to the point of being unable to get up.

No matter who it is, the moment their body falls straight down like a tower is the most exciting moment of the competition, and also the moment that everyone is looking forward to.

“You are his best friend, and he has always listened to you, so I think that if anyone can persuade him and he will listen, it must be you.”

The coach's face was full of pleading. "He's too good. He should enjoy a more perfect life instead of spending his old age in a hospital bed."

"Moreover... some heavyweight boxers are starting to use technical fighting styles, and if Ethan doesn't try to change, his future fights will become increasingly difficult."

"His opponents won't go all out with him and exchange heavy punches. Instead, they'll use more agile footwork and tricky punching angles to constantly circle around him and look for opportunities."

"At that point, he'll become a target!"

After hearing this, Lance pictured a guy flicking his head out of the background and nodded. "I'll talk to him after the match."

The coach breathed a sigh of relief. "That's for the best, thank you!"

Lance shook his head. "He's my brother. As long as your advice is good for him."

The first round of the match had already ended while they were talking. The coach left Lance's side and quickly walked to the edge of the ring to start discussing tactics for the next round with Ethan.

In the first round, they were both testing each other, probing each other's attack range and feeling how heavy each other's punches were. This was very important for the athletes.

In the later rounds, they'll use the intelligence they've gathered in the ring to devise a strategy to defeat their opponent. It sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple—

I can hit him, but he can't hit me: maintain a medium to long distance and prevent the opponent from getting close.

I can't hit him, but he can hit me: I infiltrate close range to ensure that my attacks are powerful enough to not be ineffective or miss the target.

The opponent's punch is very heavy: avoid direct attacks on vital points.

The opponent's punches aren't too heavy: as long as they're within your tolerance range, you can exchange punches with them.

These scattered clues will eventually be pieced together to form the next tactical plan.

Some boxers can't summarize these things on their own; they're more focused on the match. That's when coaches come in. They can see things more clearly from below and better devise reasonable tactics.

The second round of the match began soon. The coach didn't have any special arrangements for Ethan, because Ethan currently had a clear advantage in these issues.

The skullcrusher is also a relatively traditional boxer. To put it simply, he doesn't like fast movement or technical things. The two of them basically stay in a small area and slowly circle around each other, throwing punches or defending.

Although there's nothing particularly fancy about it, the visceral, hard-hitting action provides a very intense viewing experience.

In the second round, both sides had some actual contact and gained a clearer understanding of each other's strengths.

Starting from the third round, the clashes between the two sides became slightly more intense.

Boxers who are confident in themselves often make some changes in their physical management; they don't restrict their physical abilities too much.

Only boxers who lack the confidence to knock out their opponents in just a few rounds will pay more attention to managing their stamina in order to have more energy in later rounds to defeat their opponents.

Ethan played very aggressively, and sometimes he would even deliberately expose more openings to lure his opponent into making a move.

The skullcutter was cautious. He had heard of Ethan's reputation as "Steel Fist," but in addition to that name, Ethan's ability to withstand blows was also astonishing.

He was very careful; even when Ethan put his chin within reach, he didn't dare to throw a punch.

His attention was focused on Ethan's fist, and whenever he made a punching motion, he could see that Ethan's fist would also be ready to move.

He wasn't confident he could withstand a punch from Ethan unscathed; sometimes, the indirect influence of a nickname can be quite significant.

He also has a terrifying title, "Skull Crusher," which describes his ability to smash people's heads with his fists, so why isn't Ethan afraid?
He didn't understand, and he attributed it to the youth's boldness and blind confidence. But he wouldn't be fooled. He would use his talent, experience, and skill to defeat his opponent, not to resort to brute force.

By the fifth round, both sides' stamina had noticeably declined, and even defense required stamina.

Moreover, he can't always be on the defensive. Ethan's punches are very heavy, and if he keeps defending, he will be very passive. Sometimes he also needs to use offensive methods to neutralize Ethan's attacks, but it's not the kind of offensive method where they exchange blows, so it's still quite tiring to fight.

After enduring five rounds of beatings, the skullcrusher's mentality also changed. In one collision, Ethan's center of gravity shifted noticeably, and his stamina could be felt to be dropping rapidly.

As a top heavyweight boxer, the Skullcrusher almost instinctively forgot his coach's words and subconsciously threw a powerful right hook at Ethan's chin.

At that very moment, everyone at the stadium stood up and started shouting and screaming wildly.

As the skullcrusher's fist struck Ethan's chin, he saw an even faster fist, at the same angle, hit his chin as well!
In that instant, all he could hear were frantic shouts. He saw Ethan stagger two steps to the left. He wanted to catch up and throw a punch, but unexpectedly found himself staggering in the same direction.

Ethan staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance, while he was still leaning. He watched as Ethan caught up with him expressionlessly, and at that moment, he closed his eyes.

He felt nothing at the moment he was hit by the heavy punch; he couldn't feel any pain because the impact on his brain blocked out the pain, and the chaotic signals in his brain couldn't be processed.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying on the ground.

Not far away, Ethan raised his hands and roared loudly. He turned his head somewhat blankly to look at the coach kneeling beside him. After seeing the concern on the other's face, he felt somewhat relieved.

"I've forgotten how I fell down."

The coach joked, "Actually, this is your luck."

"If you saw it, you would be terrified, and I was terrified too!"

The moment he lost his balance, Ethan lunged forward and landed two heavy punches. If the referee hadn't pushed Ethan away, there might have been a third punch.

When those eight or nine hundred-pound fists pound into your face without any resistance, the feeling is absolutely excruciating.

All around were crazy spectators and their wild cheers. Without experiencing this kind of savage yet beautiful competitive sport firsthand, it's hard to understand the boiling emotions of the audience at this moment!
Watching Ethan's retreating figure, the skullcrusher was lifted onto a stretcher; he needed to go to the hospital for a checkup.

All knocked-down boxers need to undergo this examination, which includes checking the fundus of the eye, the back of the ear, various parts of the brain, and other organs to ensure their health.

While lying on the stretcher, the skullcrusher said to his coach, "That technical style of play you mentioned last time, maybe we can give it a try."

The coach was also somewhat pleased, after all, the boxer's health and his status in the boxing league also represented the coach's interests. "How did you come to this decision?"

The skullcutter curled his lip. "Compared to these boxers with superhuman talent, my ceiling is still too low."

He has sensed that he has hit the ceiling of his career, and with many more talented players climbing behind him, his seventh place may soon become eleventh, twelfth, or even seventeenth or twentieth!
Because there are not only naturally gifted boxers behind him, but also those with both talent and technical skill, he needs to prepare in advance.

When his all-out punch failed to knock Ethan down, he realized that he, and his era, were beginning to come to an end.

The stadium was still filled with cheers, but none of that mattered to him anymore.

He had once possessed these things, but he had never seen the view from the top of the mountain. I wonder if Ethan will ever have the chance to go there and see it.

He should have it.

After all, he has great talent.

After the match and after dealing with the boxing union, Ethan got into Lance's car, while his coach and the others went straight home.

The new team members and trainees were unaware of Ethan's relationship with Lance. This was the first time they had seen Ethan with such an important friend, and they were all very curious.

Lance first had him go to the hospital for a check-up. Because he used privileged channels, all the diagnoses and tests came back almost immediately.

He's healthy enough to kill a cow.

Lance then took him back to the manor and prepared a sumptuous dinner, almost entirely meat, all kinds of meat, which Ethan thoroughly enjoyed!
"Your coach talked to me about your playing style during your game, but I didn't think there was anything wrong with your style of play."

"You have extraordinary talent; your abilities allow you to defeat your opponents without needing any special skills."

Ethan nodded repeatedly as he listened. He was no longer the clueless young man he once was; he could sense his own limits—and so far, he had not encountered anyone who could push him to those limits.

After entering the heavyweight division, he fought a total of seven matches, including this one and the eighth, winning all of them and knocking out his opponents. He never felt that seventh place was his limit, and he was confident that he could challenge for the number one spot!

"But if you encounter a technically skilled player, can you adapt to their fighting style?"

"He'll play a more rigorous stamina management game with you, trying to drag you into the final few rounds, and then defeat you through victory points. Have you thought about that?"

(End of this chapter)