The Boxing System: I Became the King of the Ring-Chapter 7: Real Combat

The second round began with Javier feeling slightly more confident. His movements felt less frantic, his breathing more controlled. The system reflected measurable improvement:

[ROUND TWO ANALYSIS]

Defensive Success: 71%

Punch Accuracy: 38%

Ring Movement: Basic but improving

Miguel touched gloves again and immediately went to work. This time his jabs came faster, testing Javier’s improved reactions.

Javier slipped the first punch, his head moving just enough to avoid contact. The second jab caught his glove as he brought his guard up.

"Better defense," Miguel acknowledged, stepping in with a light hook to the body.

The punch landed with a thud against Javier’s ribs. Not hard enough to hurt, but solid enough to teach respect for body shots.

"Tuck your elbows," Miguel instructed while Javier grimaced. "Protect your liver. That’s where fights end."

Javier adjusted his guard and threw a one-two combination. The jab missed, but his cross found Miguel’s shoulder.

"Good follow-up," Miguel said, countering with a quick uppercut that Javier barely saw coming.

The punch grazed Javier’s chin through his headgear. His knees wobbled slightly.

[SIGNIFICANT CONTACT]

Impact: Moderate

Balance: Disrupted

Recovery Time: 2.3 seconds

"Keep your chin down," Miguel said, not pressing his advantage. "Uppercuts find exposed chins."

Javier reset his stance, this time keeping his chin tucked properly. Miguel circled right, forcing Javier to pivot and maintain distance.

"Don’t back up in a straight line," Miguel said, throwing a jab that pushed Javier toward the ropes. "Angle out."

Javier stepped left instead of back, creating space between himself and the ropes. Miguel nodded approvingly and immediately tested the lesson with another combination.

Jab, cross, hook were all landing on Javier’s gloves as he covered up defensively.

"Good defense, now counter," Miguel said, stepping back to create an opening.

Javier threw his own combination. Jab missed, cross caught Miguel’s glove, but his hook found an opening and tapped Miguel’s headgear.

[CLEAN STRIKE LANDED]

Target: Head contact

Timing: Excellent

Technique +0.5: [Current: 4.0/100]

"Beautiful timing!" Miguel said genuinely. "You waited for the right moment instead of forcing it."

Miguel picked up the pace, throwing combinations that made Javier work harder. A three-punch combination backed Javier against the corner, where Miguel demonstrated proper in-fighting.

"When you’re trapped, don’t panic," Miguel said while throwing short punches to Javier’s body and arms. "Work on the inside. Short punches, tie up if needed."

Javier tried grabbing Miguel’s arms to create a clinch, like he’d seen in professional fights. Miguel allowed it, then pushed him back gently.

"Good instinct. Clinching buys time and stops combinations."

With one minute remaining, Miguel increased the pressure significantly. His punches came in rapid combinations of jab, jab, cross, hook, that tested Javier’s defensive skills under real pressure.

Most of the punches landed on Javier’s gloves and arms, but several found their mark on his headgear and body.

[UNDER PRESSURE]

Punches Absorbed: 12

Defensive Success: 63%

Fatigue Level: High

"Stay calm," Miguel said while maintaining his attack. "Panic makes you sloppy."

Javier’s legs felt heavy, his arms slower to respond. Miguel’s punches seemed to come from everywhere at once. A hook to the body made Javier grunt audibly.

But in the final thirty seconds, something clicked. Miguel threw a lazy jab, and Javier saw it coming early. He slipped right and countered with a perfect cross that caught Miguel clean on the headgear.

The punch landed with a sharp pop that echoed through the gym.

[COUNTER-PUNCH LANDED]

Target: Head (clean)

Power: Good

Speed +1.0: [Current: 9.5/100]

Technique +1.0: [Current: 5.0/100]

"Excellent!" Miguel stepped back, genuinely impressed. "Perfect counter-punching. You read my rhythm and timed it perfectly."

Other kids around the ring cheered. Even Tommy looked amazed that Javier had landed a clean shot on their trainer.

Miguel smiled and threw one final combination of jab, cross, hook, that Javier managed to slip and block effectively. He was learning to see punches coming instead of just reacting blindly.

The final bell rang, ending Javier’s first real boxing experience. His legs felt unsteady, his arms hung like dead weight, but his mind raced with new understanding of the sport’s complexity.

Miguel pulled out his mouthpiece and walked over to Javier with a huge grin. "Outstanding work. You just sparred two full rounds and landed clean shots. Most beginners can’t do that after months of training."

Miguel removed his gloves, breathing easily despite two rounds of active movement. "Exceptional work for a beginner. You’ve got natural ring sense that can’t be taught."

The system provided comprehensive post-fight analysis:

[SPARRING COMPLETE]

Overall Performance: Exceptional Beginner

Learning Rate: Accelerated

Natural Abilities: Counter-punching, adaptability

Areas for Improvement: Conditioning, defense

Other kids climbed into the ring, congratulating Javier with mixture of respect and envy. Nobody had expected him to look competent against Miguel, let alone land clean shots.

"Damn, you actually boxed," Tommy said, helping remove Javier’s headgear. "Thought he was gonna embarrass you."

"Miguel went easy," Javier replied, though the system’s data suggested otherwise. His improvement rate had impressed even the experienced trainer.

Miguel unwrapped his hands thoughtfully. "You’ve got something special, kid."

He pulled Javier aside while other kids resumed their training. "I run an advanced program for serious students. Daily training, strict discipline, preparation for amateur competition."

Miguel reached into his gym bag and produced a folded paper. "Brooklyn Golden Gloves tournament registration. Six months of proper training, you could enter novice division."

Javier stared at the form, remembering his previous life’s choices. Easy money versus hard work. Shortcuts versus dedication. Criminal success versus legitimate achievement.

[COMPETITION PATH AVAILABLE]

Tournament: Amateur Boxing Circuit

Timeline: 6 months preparation required

Commitment Level: High

Vicente appeared beside them, his expression serious. "This is your real choice. Champion’s path or the streets that destroyed us both."

"What’s involved?" Javier asked.

"Training six days a week. Proper nutrition, which means no junk food. Early sleep, no staying up late. Complete commitment to boxing development." Miguel’s tone carried weight of experience. "It’s not glamorous. Most kids quit after two weeks."

The form felt heavy in Javier’s hands. Signing meant abandoning every shortcut he’d learned in his previous life. No easy money, no criminal connections, no safety net except his own dedication and talent.

"Think about it," Miguel said. "But don’t think too long. Golden Gloves registration closes next week."

Javier stared at the signature line, pen hovering over paper that could change everything. Around them, other fighters trained with single-minded focus, chasing dreams that separated them from street corners and group home desperation.

From across the gym, Tommy called out, "Javier! Your ride’s here!"

The group home van had arrived for pickup. Other kids gathered their belongings, chattering about the day’s training and upcoming weekend plans.

Javier’s pen remained suspended over the Golden Gloves application as Miguel waited for an answer that would determine his future.