"Mom, look, Link is a world champion now. Do you still think he's a bad boy?"
In a hotel room in New York's Times Square, Taylor Swift sat cross-legged on the sofa, watching Link writing Chinese characters on TV.
"He is indeed very good now, but he did do bad things in the past, and I didn't make it up."
Mrs. Andrea placed a plate of washed blueberries on the table.
"Then will you still stop us from dating? Don't deny it, you forced Dad to pretend to be paralyzed last time, right? I have to say, Dad's acting was terrible."
Taylor snorted.
Mrs. Andrea shook her head, not surprised that her daughter had seen through the incident. After all, her daughter was a smart person. She chuckled and said, "Taylor, even if I didn't stop you, it would be difficult for you two to become a couple because you're both too busy. Like now, Link has returned to Los Angeles after competing abroad, but you don't have time to greet him.
Besides, Link is an energetic boxer, and he needs a girlfriend who can be by his side often, not a nominal girlfriend who is always flying around and can only communicate through phone calls. Do you understand what I mean?"
Taylor lowered her head and thought for a moment, then put down the fruit plate in her hand and got up to leave.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to cancel all my announcements and go back to Los Angeles to find Link."
"Suit yourself!"
Mrs. Andrea said indifferently.
"Link, Mike, before watching the semifinals, how about we play a game?"
"OK!"
"I have no objections!"
On TV, the "Following the Champion to Watch Boxing" program continued. Host Steve asked the staff to bring in a machine and introduced it to everyone, "This is a punch force testing machine developed by Clark Boxing Champion Company in Nevada. It can accurately test a boxer's punching power. Link, I heard your boxing gym also has one, right?"
"Yes, it's very good to use. So is this an advertisement?" Link laughed.
"Haha, okay, it is indeed an advertisement."
Steve laughed. "Mike, I heard that your peak punching power was once as high as 1800 pounds. How much is left now? You test it first, and then we will invite Link to test it. I heard that his punching power is as high as 1500 pounds."
"Link, you're a super middleweight boxer, and your punching power is also 1500 pounds?"
Tyson asked in surprise.
"That's the burst punching power. The average is only over 1100 pounds."
Link gave a more conservative number.
"1100 pounds is also very powerful. My average during my peak was only over 1500 pounds."
Tyson took off his suit jacket, wearing only a shirt, walked to the punch force testing machine, moved his thick right arm a few times, and punched the target. The numbers on the machine changed rapidly, finally stopping at 1450 pounds.
"Wow!"
Seeing his punching power, 50 pounds heavier than heavyweight Tyson, the audience applauded and cheered vigorously.
"Link, you just said your maximum punching power was 1500 pounds, and you immediately hit that number. Are you deliberately hiding your strength?"
Steve laughed.
"Of course not. My punching power is roughly around 1500, with an error of no more than 50 pounds."
Link smiled and returned to his seat.
After the interlude, he continued to explain his match with James DeGale to the audience.
DeGale was indeed a skilled boxer who had won a gold medal at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He had comprehensive techniques, excellent physical fitness, and performed well in both offense and defense. He was an enhanced version of Andre Berto.
During the match, DeGale's mentality was also very stable. Link entangled with him for four rounds, knocking him down four times.
However, after being knocked down, DeGale was able to get up quickly the first two times without being counted out. By the end of the match, Link had to stand in front of the referee's table with DeGale and accept the referee's score for the first time, ultimately winning with a score of 31:19 and advancing to the finals.
However, if it weren't for him, DeGale would have been the 2008 super middleweight gold medalist.
"Link, do you have any regrets about not being able to finish all your amateur matches with a knockout?"
Steve asked.
"A little, but the Olympic gold medal can make up for all the regrets."
Link said, holding the gold medal on the table.
"Haha, well said. No matter what, you're the champion."
Steve clapped his hands and asked the three guests to comment on Link and James DeGale's performance in the match.
The three of them believed that Link couldn't knock out his opponent partly because the opponent was strong, and partly because Link had consumed a lot of energy in the previous match against the strong opponent Altaiyev.
Rafael reminded everyone that Link had to go on a diet to control his weight, meaning he was fighting on an empty stomach, making the match even more difficult.
Hearing Rafael say this, everyone suddenly realized and applauded Link.
Link didn't refute. If he had fought DeGale at 78 kilograms, he would have been more confident in knocking him out. But for a world champion, whether or not the amateur record was all knockouts was not important. The reason he was obsessed with knockouts was mainly to attract media attention and get a larger signing bonus in negotiations with the signing company.
Now that he had signed a contract and become more famous, even a household name world champion, his next step would be to move on to professional matches. One less knockout wouldn't have much impact, and this "flaw" could even generate more news topics.
"Go Link! Go Link!"
As he was thinking, he heard cheers in Chinese. Link turned to look at the big screen, which was showing the scene before the finals.
The match was in the afternoon, and the stands of the Workers' Stadium were filled with over ten thousand Beijing citizens, mostly young people, and many people were holding Link's boxing posters and shouting for him.
According to reporters at the scene, there were no fewer spectators at the match than when Zou Shiming and Zhang Xiaoping, two Chinese boxers, participated in the finals.
The main reason was that the day before the match, Link had saved a child in Houhai and defeated Phelps, who had won eight swimming gold medals, in the process. This incident was reported as "positive energy" news by Chinese official media, and "Chinese Character Brother" Link's fame in China soared, becoming the most famous athlete in this Olympics, even more famous than Phelps, who had won eight gold medals.
"Link, I heard that you and Phelps had a swimming competition at the CBS TV swimming pool yesterday. How did it go?" Steve asked.
"This is his gold medal for the 200-meter freestyle."
Link said, holding the gold medal on the table.
"Wow, he lost to you?"
Steve took the gold medal and looked at it. It was indeed the swimming event mark. He picked it up and showed it to the camera, which captured the gold medal.
"Link, you swim faster than the world champion?"
Tyson and the others also looked at him in disbelief. Although boxers were strong, fast, and had great endurance, the force exertion in boxing was different from swimming. For a boxer to swim faster than a swimming champion, it was definitely superhuman talent.
Link explained, "As you all know, I live on Miami Beach. My ancestors were fishermen, and I'm a diver, often swimming in the sea. My technique is not bad, and I'm only a little faster than him. We exchanged gold medals afterward."
Yesterday, when he was on the CBS TV show, the producers suddenly invited Phelps, who was wearing eight gold medals.
As soon as Phelps saw him, he shouted that he wanted to compete with him.
With the encouragement of the CBS host, the two went to the swimming pool and had a race.
In the 200-meter lane, it only took him 98 seconds to complete the whole course, more than 5 seconds faster than Phelps. If it were in seawater, he could have been even faster.
After the race, Phelps was deeply affected and said that he would double his training after returning home, hoping to defeat him next time.
"Link, you're several seconds faster than Phelps. Have you considered becoming a swimmer and participating in the Olympics in four years?"
"Not for now. My current goal is to become a world boxing champion."
Link said, clenching his fists.
"Link, I support you. Boxing is much cooler than swimming."
Tyson patted his shoulder and said.
Link agreed. Swimming could only win championships and get a few more advertising endorsements afterward, but the income wasn't much.
Top boxers, on the other hand, were walking money-printing machines, earning hundreds of millions of dollars in a half-hour match, faster and more than any other sports star. He naturally wouldn't give up the big picture for small gains.
"...a boxer, and that he would definitely become a boxing champion in the future. I didn't believe him at the time, thinking he was just bragging to get my attention. I didn't expect him to win the championship at the Olympics. It's unbelievable."
"Two months ago? What a confident young man. I like this young man. We can invite him to our house next time."
Mr. Trump said, stroking his chin.
Ivanka also stared at the boy on TV. He seemed even more handsome than two months ago. At that time, he was wearing casual clothes and looked very ordinary, but after just over two months, he had become so handsome and extraordinary, full of charm.
It's amazing.
Maybe she could chat with him when she goes to Miami in the future.
"Link, congratulations again on winning the Olympic gold medal. I want to ask you a question on behalf of all boxing fans: When is your next match? Is there a definite time?"
Steve asked on TV.
"Roughly in early September, I will move to professional boxing and participate in the WBA super middleweight championship ranking match."
"Great, I wish you victory in your first match and more championship belts in the future."
Steve said.
"Ask about his relationship status, boxing fans are concerned about this issue."
Ms. Tina interjected.
Steve was stunned for a moment. The show was about to end, why ask about his relationship status again? Was it appropriate? He thought for a moment, but couldn't find a good way to bring it up, so he just asked two random questions and ended the recording.
"Hmph, I bet you'll continue to work in the field. Congratulations, you can find opportunities to flirt around again."
Ms. Tina sneered in his earpiece.
Steve's eyes twitched, feeling very bitter. If he had known she would become his superior, he would have been more serious when dating her and wouldn't have fooled around outside. Now the revenge had come.
He thought for a moment. If Tina was still the director of the program production team, it seemed safer for him to work in the field. If he stayed in the studio, his life might be in danger.
Thinking of this, Steve Mandanda smiled slightly, feeling a little relieved.
(End of Chapter)