interested but I’m just trying to settle my prefight nerves. I don’t want Jake to be getting hurt tonight in front of the fans and agents.
On the East Coast fighters have more options. There’s four times as many organizations and ten times the prize money for fights in the top three tiers. They still have their underground circuits but a much smaller percentage of fighters find themselves there. Even those fights pay more than here, but what can ya do?”
“Did you know about this blindfolded three way fight?” I ask.
“I’ve seen three way fights before. In fact Jake has been in one or two of them but never blindfolded. The risk of a fighter getting hurt is bad enough when there’s three of them. But when you throw in blindfolds, accidents happen and fighters really get hurt.”
“Do they get paid extra for this kind of fight?”
“Ha…they don’t get paid shit! Why do think Jake tends bar at night?”
“They don’t get paid at all?”
“They get some, but not enough to pay for the constant training needed the bus or plane tickets to events, etc…etc…”
“If Jake wins toni-”
A loud claxon in my ears announcing the start of the fight drowns out my voice. I look up just in time as three men charge the center of the cage hoping to encounter another fighter and not one of the refs. I notice the two refs are very quick to retreat to the corner of the octagon. Makes me wonder how many of them get hurt.
Almost immediately the Flash and Rocks clash in a fury of fists. Jake charges the center but just misses the other two combatants and collides with the steel mesh of the cage. He literally bounces off, whirls around in time to catch an errant punch right in the jaw, delivered by his friend Rocks. I force myself to watch as Jake’s head snaps back from the blow and I wonder what that must feel like. His reaction to being hit is to strike out in a flurry of fists. He manages to land two on Rocks and the first spray of blood showers the fans who are mashed up against the stage howling in delight.
Normally these fights go for three, three minute rounds. It’s not until you reach the professional level that you fight the longer fights. I find myself glancing down at my watch every so often waiting for a break to come. But just when the bell should have rung ending the first round nothing happens. I watch as the three men careen off one another and sometimes the cage itself. Four minutes into the fight and the three fighters are beginning to show signs of fatigue. Blows that shouldn’t have landed land. Strikes that normally would not have even registered are knocking the men silly. Both Jake and Rocks are handsome men but gradually blood, cuts, and swelling are slowly transforming their looks from the beauties to the beasts. Five minutes into the fight and Jake gets ganged up on and goes down hard. The crowd utters a collective gasp as Jakes body is slammed into the mat. As he lands on his back, Jake immediately rolls to his left to get away but gets caught up against the side of the cage and can’t go anywhere. Both Rocks and Flash descend on the fallen fighter. It’s amazing how well they can hit their opponent despite the blindfolds that are miraculously still in place.
Suddenly Jamarcus is leaping to his feet waving a white towel at the referee’s faces. Both men look his way, then back at the carnage on the other side of the ring. Both fighters are kneeling over Jake and I can see his body shake and shudder as the blows land. At this point I don’t think he is even conscious.
Jamarcus is all but climbing on the cage itself to get the fight stopped. He’s screaming and pounding his fists against the wire mesh. His face contorts and spittle flies from his mouth as he tries to save his fighter. I leap to my feet adding my own voice to the mayhem. The crowd is loving it.
Finally the refs leap into action. One grabs Rocks while the other tackles Flash taking him to the mat. Clearly the refs
On the East Coast fighters have more options. There’s four times as many organizations and ten times the prize money for fights in the top three tiers. They still have their underground circuits but a much smaller percentage of fighters find themselves there. Even those fights pay more than here, but what can ya do?”
“Did you know about this blindfolded three way fight?” I ask.
“I’ve seen three way fights before. In fact Jake has been in one or two of them but never blindfolded. The risk of a fighter getting hurt is bad enough when there’s three of them. But when you throw in blindfolds, accidents happen and fighters really get hurt.”
“Do they get paid extra for this kind of fight?”
“Ha…they don’t get paid shit! Why do think Jake tends bar at night?”
“They don’t get paid at all?”
“They get some, but not enough to pay for the constant training needed the bus or plane tickets to events, etc…etc…”
“If Jake wins toni-”
A loud claxon in my ears announcing the start of the fight drowns out my voice. I look up just in time as three men charge the center of the cage hoping to encounter another fighter and not one of the refs. I notice the two refs are very quick to retreat to the corner of the octagon. Makes me wonder how many of them get hurt.
Almost immediately the Flash and Rocks clash in a fury of fists. Jake charges the center but just misses the other two combatants and collides with the steel mesh of the cage. He literally bounces off, whirls around in time to catch an errant punch right in the jaw, delivered by his friend Rocks. I force myself to watch as Jake’s head snaps back from the blow and I wonder what that must feel like. His reaction to being hit is to strike out in a flurry of fists. He manages to land two on Rocks and the first spray of blood showers the fans who are mashed up against the stage howling in delight.
Normally these fights go for three, three minute rounds. It’s not until you reach the professional level that you fight the longer fights. I find myself glancing down at my watch every so often waiting for a break to come. But just when the bell should have rung ending the first round nothing happens. I watch as the three men careen off one another and sometimes the cage itself. Four minutes into the fight and the three fighters are beginning to show signs of fatigue. Blows that shouldn’t have landed land. Strikes that normally would not have even registered are knocking the men silly. Both Jake and Rocks are handsome men but gradually blood, cuts, and swelling are slowly transforming their looks from the beauties to the beasts. Five minutes into the fight and Jake gets ganged up on and goes down hard. The crowd utters a collective gasp as Jakes body is slammed into the mat. As he lands on his back, Jake immediately rolls to his left to get away but gets caught up against the side of the cage and can’t go anywhere. Both Rocks and Flash descend on the fallen fighter. It’s amazing how well they can hit their opponent despite the blindfolds that are miraculously still in place.
Suddenly Jamarcus is leaping to his feet waving a white towel at the referee’s faces. Both men look his way, then back at the carnage on the other side of the ring. Both fighters are kneeling over Jake and I can see his body shake and shudder as the blows land. At this point I don’t think he is even conscious.
Jamarcus is all but climbing on the cage itself to get the fight stopped. He’s screaming and pounding his fists against the wire mesh. His face contorts and spittle flies from his mouth as he tries to save his fighter. I leap to my feet adding my own voice to the mayhem. The crowd is loving it.
Finally the refs leap into action. One grabs Rocks while the other tackles Flash taking him to the mat. Clearly the refs
Similar Books
