The uproar began when Matthew entered. The raucous lower level floor was packed with mutterings. Matthew was taken aback when he saw a familiar uniform that was not Rocky's. The man was speaking with the gym manager, and Matthew believed it had to do with sparring again.
It isn't the first time the rival gym has held a sparring practice. The management agreed because money was involved and one of the rules was created in response to specific challenges.
One of the systems included when it comes to sparring...is the bet.
But the bet depends on the decision from both sides.
"Is it about to start?"
The crowded first floor was full with members from all floors. When the door opened and a group of people entered, the tension inside became deep and thick, like predators watching their prey.
"It looks like you are ready? Might as well introduce your fighter before we begin" the man said with a mocking look on his face.
Miguel Cortez.
He is the rival gym's coach. His inferiority problem drove him to challenge everyone who was said to be stronger than him, including Rocky.
He's an infamous coach who was arrogant and selfish. He also has fighters from the underground fighting arena on his back, working for him.
Jared knew that they are not here to spar, but to make trouble.
"It seems like you have a new recruit. Did you find a stray cat again? Be careful not to get bitten like last time" the manager responded with a smug look on his face.
The man's face immediately shifted from being carefree to something deadly. Even the group behind the man changed their faces hearing the manager's words.
But seriously, if stares could kill, everyone here already died.
"Tss!"
Their group consists of one female and four male aside from the coach.
After standing head to head, the rival member stepped inside the ring. The bulky man pacing back and forth with its sly smile and a mocking gesture, eyes wander around the crowd.
"Where's your fighter? Don't let my guy wait for long. And by the way, he is an underground fighter winning straight for three consecutive years"
When a man entered the ring, the whispering became louder. In terms of physique structure, both are comparable, but who wins will be determined by their techniques and power.
With everyone around the outside ring, Matthew and Jared stood leaning against the wall, watching intently at the two fighters on the inside. The other gym's coach stepped inside and began pacing around. "According to the rules. Knockouts or forfeit will determine the winner"
Rocky's manager had previously fought in an underground battle. He knew the opponent was stronger than his fighter. He knew, yet his fighter consented despite not knowing the new opponent's power.
The fight began when the sound of a bell rung from the corner of the ring. Jared's eyes were focused on the fighters' strength, particularly the opponent. Both of them share the same position that an underground fighter should have, but the opponent's disdain and confidence show that he has what it takes to succeed.
Jared's eyes remain fixed on them as they are jumping up and down, step from one side to the other like they were playing with their feet. Their hands stretch, jab and unleash kicks and punches, all while wearing gloves.
Nothing particular about their style, as underground fighters use their tactics such as punches, kicks, and even takedowns.
"Who would you think will win?" Matthew could not help but ask, but he had his doubts about their gym fighter's chances against his opponent.
"Who knows"
When it comes to fighting, both of them are good. It seems to them that their fighter also do underground fights.
But...
"Oooohh!"
"Booo!"
"Take him down, Logan!"
The loud voices of the opposing gym members rang across the bottom level. Their fighter has an advantage since the phony moves he made caused the opponent to lose track of his movements.
As much as Rocky's supervisors wished for a win, the winner had already been decided on. The other gym's coach grinned as he watched the situation unfold in front of him.
The Rocky's fighter was faltering after taking numerous powerful punches from his opponent. With the barrage of super heavy punches and vicious kicks, the boxer was unable to bear the pain, forcing him to bend on his knees.
With the similar body structures, the capability of each move, and the enemy's engaging technique, the fighter had no chance to counter. It was as if the opponent was just messing with him.
"I---ack!"
The opponent did not give the fighter a chance to speak, instead continuing to punch with a sly smile.
"Wow. That's brutal. No matter how much i want our fighter to win, the power of his opponent seems to be coming from years of training and extreme fighting power.
The fighter was good...
'clang!' 'clang!' 'clang!'
"Logan wins!"
But not good enough.
"Hahahahah! See that, McLain? My guy has it all. I told you i will make you pay from the humiliation last time? With this fight, i doubt there is someone here who will take on Logan"
Jared smiled as he watched the two coaches' intense argument. He swiftly raised his hand to get everyone's attention, "5,000,000. I will bet 5,000,000 for the next battle. Are you up for another round?"
The entire floor fell silent, with all eyes on him. Some had a weird expression, while others were astonished, like 'are you serious?' type of face.
The silence was broken by the sound of laughter echoing inside.
It was the coach from the rival gym.
Matthew, who was near him, suddenly gripped his shoulder, his face filled with disbelief. "Are you serious? No---are you crazy? 5,000,000?"
The surrounding are engulfed in full mumbling from the crowd.
"Is he serious?"
"Nah! I don't think he has that much money"
"That's dumb. If he has that much money, he's throwing them away"
Jared could care less about rumor. All he sought was an answer from the opposing side.
"Kid, this is not a joke. I doubt someone like you has that much money, or are you serious? This is not a plaything for you to meddle," the coach remarked in a more serious tone, staring at him with a sharp gaze.
He scoffed and strolled towards them, unconcerned by the talk going on around him. He stood on his feet, facing the coach, with his teammates criticizing him, believing he was too old to make jokes.
"What? Are you scared? How about 5,000,000? Are you up for the bet, or are you a peasant that you can't even accumulate such amount if you loose"
With his insulting words, the coach and his members quickly shifted their expressions to a lethal glare.
"Kid, don't be too arrogant if you don't want to eat your own words" said the man with a warning tone. The two person behind the coach whispered in a foreign language that he understood.
"Kid. I will give you a chance to think about what you just said. Arrogance leads to demise, so i'm telling you to back down and take back your words"
Instead of heeding the coach's admonition, Jared laughed at him. The coach felt humiliated by him. He merely wanted to get back to Rocky's manager after the loss in the last fight, and he did, but he didn't expect someone to bet 5,000,000 out of nowhere.
"I see. So that means you don't have that much money, or maybe a dog with its tail between legs. Just say you accept and the fight will start right now, if not...you are free to leave since you don't have money"
The crowd gasps, as does the manager. He didn't expect someone to embarrass the coach from the opposing gym. He did not know Jared, so he assumed he was a new member.
The coach's face fell when he heard Jared's statements. He glared at Jared with a chilly voice and a pointed look, as if the thread of patience was fraying and about to break.
"Who's your fighter?"
He smiled at the man and pointed at himself, "me"
The group behind him, believing he had finally lost his mind, burst out laughing.
Jared and Logan have completely distinct physique structures. Logan was used to competing a much larger opponent than himself, and his years of training paid off as he won three years in a row.
But Jared is different, and he has never had an actual fight except in middle school and college. But, for the sake of the task at hand, he is willing to face a real opponent and compete beyond normal fight.
"You want a fight? Deal. I will give you 10,000,000 if you win"
His mouth twisted in a grin while staring at Jared.
"Bet your wealth if you dare"
His head nodded in agreement, and he gradually turned his back on Jared. Logan, the man who fought and won, smiled at the sight of Jared, who appears to be an amateur in fighting.
"Hey, what was that for?" Matthew asked when they got inside the locker. The members inside couldn't keep their eyes off of Jared while whispering among themselves.
"It is what it is" a short response left Matthew in an utter silence.
The manager entered the locker room and searched for Jared who was changing his clothes.
"Hey kid. Do you know the mess you're in? Do you know what you've gotten yourself into? The Milton Gym is not one like ours. Their members are mostly fighters from an underground ring. Their backings are not an ordinary person"
He warned Jared, but he never seems to listen. He really doesn't want the gym to get into difficulty, but the newcomer's audacity gave him a headache for the first time in a while.
He had someone like that in the past, but the guy eventually lost and left the gym, and now someone appears to be walking the same route as him.
"I'm telling you to stop. I don't care if you have the money or not, but i want you to stop. Don't get yourself in trouble. That man is cunning"
But the words never stays in Jared. It onlys enters and passed through his ears.
"Oh, but i'm serious, and i never bet on something i'm not confident about"
'by the end of the fight...the 10,000,000 will eventually belong to me'