Success was complicated. Ethan's next fight was a battle with veteran fighter, Curtis "Crusher" Daniels, known to fight dirty. Frank tried to talk him out of it but Victor pressured Ethan to do the fight; Victor guaranteed it would pump his rankings.
It was brutal. Curtis got away with several illegal blows the referee didn't count, and by the final round, Ethan was hardly on his feet. He won the fight by split decision, but his injuries were brutal.
For weeks, Ethan could barely recover. Pain in his ribs and the constant headache made training almost impossible. Victor was relentless.
"You've got another fight lined up in two months," Victor said during a visit to the gym.
"I need more time," Ethan said, his voice strained.
Victor's expression hardened. "This is the business, Ethan. You don't get time. You get results."