"Great job, Matthew!"
"Use the rear-hand power punch! Yes, just like that!"
"Matthew, come on! Knock that bastard Nigel down!"
At the gym's boxing training area, more than twenty people stood around the ring, watching two muscular men spar, occasionally bursting into cheers.
Matthew and his coach, Nigel, were the ones fighting, both fully geared up.
Almost everyone was cheering for Matthew, not because they were on his side, but because boxing coach Nigel had never lost in the gym, and they all hoped to see someone defeat him.
Matthew was on the defensive the entire time. Despite having a lot of street fighting experience, he had only been exposed to professional training for a little over a month, making him no match for Nigel, who trained year-round.
Modern competitive fighting involves systematic, scientific training. In this kind of one-on-one combat, without using weapons, ordinary people can hardly stand against professional fighters.
However, compared to Nigel, Matthew had his strengths, especially after many recent bouts. Despite continuous defeats, he had also accumulated some valuable lessons.
He lacked Nigel's strength and was at a disadvantage in weight, but his footwork was nimble. After some time training, his coordination and agility improved, making evasion his only chance.
If he tried to stand toe-to-toe, Nigel's rear-hand power punch would teach him a harsh lesson.
In their initial sparring sessions, Matthew, lacking experience, took quite a few of Nigel's power punches, limited by his non-professional's resistance to blows.
People around the ring kept shouting encouragement, but Matthew wasn't swayed, making full use of his agility, continuously moving around the ring, occasionally jabbing Nigel with his lead hand to prevent close combat.
This strategy proved effective, allowing Matthew to last until the third round for the first time in a purely amateur training match.
Nigel was older and heavier, which meant he also tired faster, exactly what Matthew was counting on.
He continued to move around, looking for opportunities to strike. Nigel's speed had noticeably slowed by the third round. After dealing with several of Matthew's jabs, a defensive gap appeared on the right side of his face, exposing his cheek.
Seeing the rare opportunity, Matthew leveraged his speed advantage, closed in, and unleashed a lightning-fast left punch, hitting Nigel's face guard, followed by a right punch that again struck Nigel's headgear.
Then, he unleashed a series of combination punches on Nigel like raindrops.
Nigel protected his head, seemingly only capable of defense, showing no sign of counterattack, but his professional resilience was evident, retreating and blocking without panic.
Matthew's assault didn't last long, feeling his arms become heavy, realizing he couldn't knock Nigel down, he backed off after a pressing punch.
Nigel's counter was immediate, but Matthew managed to dodge and keep moving, enduring till the end of the third round.
After a brief discussion, the temporary judges declared, "Nigel wins on points!"
Disappointed voices filled the area around the ring as the crowd dispersed.
With staff help, Matthew and Nigel removed their gloves and gear, walked around the ring a couple of times to catch their breath, and then grabbed some water.
"If I were a few years older, I couldn't have withstood your attack in the third round," Nigel admitted, acknowledging Matthew's strategy was spot-on.
Leaning on the railing, Matthew replied, "But my training isn't enough, my punches still lack power."
Nigel laughed, "I've fought in professional matches across the US. Even though I'm older now, my resilience is still there." He patted Matthew's arm, "You did great, considering your strength, coordination, and agility are top-notch for an amateur, especially since you've only been training for less than two months."
Matthew shrugged, clearly showing the old Matthew was physically gifted but simple-minded. Had he pursued a career in sports, he might have made a name for himself.
"I think you chose the wrong profession," Nigel, who had been coaching Matthew in boxing, believed he saw clear potential, "You shouldn't be an actor."
Curious, Matthew asked, "Why?"
Nigel wasn't joking, "I believe you have the potential to become a professional fighter. If you underwent professional training, you might even compete in the UFC. The only issue is your age."
He added, "If you're interested, I could introduce you to a coach."
"Let's not," Matthew declined without hesitation, "I think being a Hollywood star has more prospects. Becoming an action star wouldn't be wasting my talents."
Nigel nodded, "True, you have excellent innate conditions!" He candidly added, "Physically, you're even stronger than Hugh Jackman, whom I trained before."
Matthew smiled, not taking the bait, but instead extended his hand, touching fists with Nigel, "Thanks for the training. Let's continue after I'm less busy."
This was his last day of training. In three days, he was due at Universal Studios to join the "Fast & Furious" crew for pre-shooting training.
"Good luck!" Nigel had a good rapport with Matthew, "Become a big star soon!"
"Thanks!"
Matthew left the boxing area, showered, and went home. That night, Brittany sneaked over for a visit, leaving again just after 9 p.m., as before.
After this, both became busy, Brittany with preparations for the MTV Music Awards and Matthew with the "Fast & Furious" crew, beginning a five-day training period.
The training was simpler than he expected, focusing on how to cooperate with the crew during action scenes—a crucial aspect since film fights differ significantly from real-life confrontations—and safety during shooting.
"We're lucky, the dangerous stunts have doubles..."
During a break, a tall, thin male actor with golden short hair told Matthew, "You're out of luck, having to perform in both your scenes."
Matthew shrugged, "I'm used to it." He joked, "Paul, I'm an expert in this area!"
The actor was one of the lead actors, Paul Walker. The small group of five or six people participating in the training quickly became familiar, especially Paul Walker.
After a few days, Matthew noticed Paul Walker's easygoing nature, lack of temper, and pleasant demeanor, making him one of the nicer celebrities Matthew had met.
Paul Walker, skeptical, watched as Matthew flexed his arm, revealing the biceps hidden under his T-shirt, "I've been boxing for a while, I can hold my own against professional fighters."
"You wish," Paul Walker chuckled.
"I'm honest, I don't like to boast," Matthew looked at the other actors, asking, "Why haven't we seen the other lead yet?"
Training was almost over, and Vin Diesel had yet to appear.
"He won't be joining the training," Paul Walker shook his head, "I heard from my agent that he's been negotiating with the crew to increase Dominic Toretto's role..."
"Oh?" Matthew was curious, "Isn't his fame not that big? How can he negotiate with the crew?"
Paul Walker seemed knowledgeable, "Vin Diesel has starred in multimillion-dollar films and brought in most of the investment for this project. Although he's not listed as a producer, he has a lot of say. Originally, Dominic Toretto was just a supporting character, but after he took the role, the script was revised several times to make him one of the dual leads."
Matthew nodded, "I see."
The five days of training flew by, and Vin Diesel remained absent.
However, Matthew wasn't concerned. He was only playing a small role and would soon leave the crew, unlikely to interact much with the rest of the cast.
"Fast & Furious" filming started soon, and Matthew joined on the third day, quickly becoming part of the action.
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