Today marked the day before the fight.
The official weigh-in had already taken place a few days earlier, but now it was time for the ceremonial weigh-in, a spectacle for the fans.
The minibus came to a stop at Madison Square Garden.
Damon peered at the iconic building, his nerves kicking in.
He wasn't someone who feared crowds, but this felt different, overwhelming even.
The door swung open.
He glanced at Whittier, who looked calm and casual, as if he had done this a thousand times before.
And in reality, he had.
Damon envied that calmness, feeling a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach.
As they stepped out, the noise hit them, a roar of voices calling out from all directions. "Whittier! Donald Whittier!" The fans were chanting for his coach, not him.
Damon's name was absent from the shouts, and while he didn't expect a hero's welcome, the reality of it stung.
