Read Online Million Dollar Baby by F. X. Toole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: F. X. Toole
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you breath when you punch, you going to wear down. You get tired, and now you in the other man’s pocket. It happen to him his last loss. He don’t train hard because he think it be a easy fight. Other boy put pressure on Reggie, bang him to the body, and Reggie tense up and don’t breathe. The ref stop the fight when Reggie get hurt and be too tired to punch back.
Before the bell, Reggie touch hands with me and Pats. I get down ringside on the steps with Pats, and the bell ring.
Pats say, “Look out, Dashiki.”
First two rounds, Reggie tease him. He make him miss and then he make him pay. Dashiki talking to himself by the end of the first round. Corner men know Dashiki got power, so they don’t be worrying. They say take your time, press him behind the jab, and everything come. But Dashiki got doubt. He worrying because he never fight nobody before who know how to fight a southpaw. Reggie come to the corner feeling good, nice and relaxed. He breathing good.
Third round Dashiki move out like he chopping down a tree, feet all dug in so he can throw power shots. He miss with six big ones, then throw four more, only thing he hit be air. He try to move in and go to his right, but Reggie step outside his front foot and make him move to the left instead. To the right is where southpaws want to go, just like to the left be natural for a right-handed fighter. Dashiki move out to the right again, Reggie move farther out to the left. When Dashiki start to throw his big jab, Reggie jab his jab, hit Dashiki jab hard straight into the glove when the punch be partway out. That enough to take Dashiki balance, and that mean he can’t punch until he set up again. That simple thing be how Reggie take Dashiki jab. He do it all night long. Only thing Dashiki be hitting on Reggie be the arms and elbows and gloves. Reggie taking the boy to school. Dashiki desperate in the middle of the round. Most of his knockouts have came in the first three, but he can’t hardly hit Reggie. He come charging in with a big hook, but Reggie duck under. Reggie step to the left at the same time and hit the boy on the way in with a right to the gut, and then he come back with a left hook of his own to the jaw. Dashiki hands have came down from the shot to the body, and Reggie drill him with three stiff jabs to the nose and eyes that drive him back, make him blink. Dashiki never been here before, don’t know what to do.
Pats see it first.
Pats say, “Jeet, look. The boy can’t fight goin backwards.”
I wait and watch. Reggie do the same thing, and so do Dashiki. Pats right about Dashiki backing up. Pats my man. Bell ring.
I say, “Boy can’t fight backing up. Only time he hit you is when he walk straight in, when he take three or four to land one. Back him up’s what you got to do in there, hyuh?”
Now Reggie got Dashiki backing up, Reggie keep him going like that and keep on jabbing Dashiki jab. This open him up so Reggie can drop his right hand hard down the middle and come back with the hook to the body, hook to the head, and then he quick jab out and be clear of Dashiki power. Reggie keep it up. Sometime Dashiki manage to get his right foot outside Reggie left foot, and when he do he able to land a shot. But Reggie so quick Dashiki can’t get combinations off.
Some places the commission let you yell up to your fighter more than others. New Jersey letting Dashiki corner yell all they want, so I be yelling, too.
I say, “Stick him, baby, stick and move, back him up! He can’t fight a lick backing up!, see that? Stay on him!”
See, Dashiki can hear me just like Reggie can hear Dashiki corner. Dashiki hear me saying he can’t fight backing up, that mess with his head. Now he wondering how come nobody taught him to. Now he blaming his corner for his tore-up face. Now he ain’t focus on Reggie, and the old man be whipping his ass. Lumps coming up all along his left eye, what be closing from Reggie right hand. His short rib be killing him
Before the bell, Reggie touch hands with me and Pats. I get down ringside on the steps with Pats, and the bell ring.
Pats say, “Look out, Dashiki.”
First two rounds, Reggie tease him. He make him miss and then he make him pay. Dashiki talking to himself by the end of the first round. Corner men know Dashiki got power, so they don’t be worrying. They say take your time, press him behind the jab, and everything come. But Dashiki got doubt. He worrying because he never fight nobody before who know how to fight a southpaw. Reggie come to the corner feeling good, nice and relaxed. He breathing good.
Third round Dashiki move out like he chopping down a tree, feet all dug in so he can throw power shots. He miss with six big ones, then throw four more, only thing he hit be air. He try to move in and go to his right, but Reggie step outside his front foot and make him move to the left instead. To the right is where southpaws want to go, just like to the left be natural for a right-handed fighter. Dashiki move out to the right again, Reggie move farther out to the left. When Dashiki start to throw his big jab, Reggie jab his jab, hit Dashiki jab hard straight into the glove when the punch be partway out. That enough to take Dashiki balance, and that mean he can’t punch until he set up again. That simple thing be how Reggie take Dashiki jab. He do it all night long. Only thing Dashiki be hitting on Reggie be the arms and elbows and gloves. Reggie taking the boy to school. Dashiki desperate in the middle of the round. Most of his knockouts have came in the first three, but he can’t hardly hit Reggie. He come charging in with a big hook, but Reggie duck under. Reggie step to the left at the same time and hit the boy on the way in with a right to the gut, and then he come back with a left hook of his own to the jaw. Dashiki hands have came down from the shot to the body, and Reggie drill him with three stiff jabs to the nose and eyes that drive him back, make him blink. Dashiki never been here before, don’t know what to do.
Pats see it first.
Pats say, “Jeet, look. The boy can’t fight goin backwards.”
I wait and watch. Reggie do the same thing, and so do Dashiki. Pats right about Dashiki backing up. Pats my man. Bell ring.
I say, “Boy can’t fight backing up. Only time he hit you is when he walk straight in, when he take three or four to land one. Back him up’s what you got to do in there, hyuh?”
Now Reggie got Dashiki backing up, Reggie keep him going like that and keep on jabbing Dashiki jab. This open him up so Reggie can drop his right hand hard down the middle and come back with the hook to the body, hook to the head, and then he quick jab out and be clear of Dashiki power. Reggie keep it up. Sometime Dashiki manage to get his right foot outside Reggie left foot, and when he do he able to land a shot. But Reggie so quick Dashiki can’t get combinations off.
Some places the commission let you yell up to your fighter more than others. New Jersey letting Dashiki corner yell all they want, so I be yelling, too.
I say, “Stick him, baby, stick and move, back him up! He can’t fight a lick backing up!, see that? Stay on him!”
See, Dashiki can hear me just like Reggie can hear Dashiki corner. Dashiki hear me saying he can’t fight backing up, that mess with his head. Now he wondering how come nobody taught him to. Now he blaming his corner for his tore-up face. Now he ain’t focus on Reggie, and the old man be whipping his ass. Lumps coming up all along his left eye, what be closing from Reggie right hand. His short rib be killing him
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