DON'T READ THIS CHAP FOR NOW!!!!
Pedri did everything at a fast pace to avoid being late. This was his first day at the Community Gym Club. After ordering a heavy breakfast that cost $200, Pedri left for the CGC.
Community Gym Club was about 2 km from the Coop Place Hotel Lodge. In about 20 minutes, Pedri arrived at the entrance of the club, his face sprinkled with sweat from running to avoid being late.
He could have boarded a vehicle, but the heavy morning traffic jam in the city left no time for delays. But due to the hard life he had gone through, this was common to him.
At the gates of CGC stood two burly guards dressed in navy uniforms, their arms crossed as they sized up every entrant. One of them, with a bushy mustache and a permanent scowl, looked like he could bench press a car.
"Morning, young man," the other guard, a slightly kinder-looking fellow, said.
Pedri nodded, catching his breath. "Morning. I'm here for training."
The mustachioed guard raised an eyebrow but waved him through after a brief look at his name on the list. "Don't mess up, kid," he muttered.
As Pedri walked past, he couldn't help but notice the towering iron gates adorned with golden boxing gloves at the center. The entrance foyer was grand, with polished marble floors and walls decorated with framed photos of past boxers.
A small fountain sat in the middle, water cascading from the fists of a sculpted boxer into a crystal-clear basin. To be honest, the previous day Pedri had no attention on such things.
"This place has flair," Pedri mumbled, trying not to gape. This was a place he could enjoy for himself if everything would go on his way.
As Pedri entered the camp, Jack was already at the training ground. It was exactly a quarter past seven. At this time, the gym bustled with activities.
The training ground itself was massive, with sections dedicated to different aspects of boxing. Rows of punching bags lined one wall, while another was filled with weights and fitness machines.
A large whiteboard stood at the front, scribbled with motivational quotes like "Pain is temporary, pride is forever!" and "Train like a beast, fight like a champion!"
Some men were skipping rope in a corner. "These must be the beginners," Pedri muttered under his breath as he walked toward Jack, the overall manager and occasional coach.
On the other side, others were busy perfecting their footwork drills and shadowboxing. Watching them made Pedri's heart race. Competing here to represent the club and make a name for himself was going to be no walk in the park.
Finally, Pedri approached Jack, offering a polite greeting in a low, professional tone. "Good morning, coach."
Jack turned to Pedri with a warm expression. Beside him stood an old man with a massive belly, white hair, and a bald patch.
"Oh, good morning, kid. How are you?" Jack replied.
After extending greetings to the old man, Pedri addressed Jack directly.
"You said you have experience?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes. "If so, do you think you can win trophies for our club?"
Courageously and confidently, Pedri replied, "Yeah. If I ever got the chance in a promising club like this one, I would win trophies to the maximum. For now, what's important is getting the opportunity."
Jack gestured for Pedri to follow him, leading him to a hall labeled L 2. Inside, ten other young men were already gathered, all dressed in workout gear and ready for the test.
The hall was an impressive sight. The floor was padded with high-quality mats, the walls adorned with murals of legendary boxing matches. A section at the back housed a row of offices with frosted glass doors, each labeled with titles like Manager, Coach's Room, and Medical Bay.
Jack stepped forward and addressed the group in a firm but encouraging voice. Everyone seemed alert and attentive before Jack.
"Welcome to the Community Gym Club. Here, we take boxing as both a passion and a profession to nurture talent. However, we have limited resources, so we can only recruit two of you today.
Your performance during training will determine who earns those spots. After the training, you'll face off against our top boxers in a final test."
The group murmured nervously but nodded in agreement. Here would everyone was brought to a sharp unexpected test to qualify.
The training started with an intense warm-up. Jack led the group through a series of dynamic stretches, ensuring every muscle was prepared for the grueling workout ahead.
"Alright, team! Let's start strong! Ten laps around the hall. Move it!" Jack barked, his voice echoing through the space.
Pedri's legs burned by the sixth lap, but he pushed through. Sweat dripped from his brow, but he refused to lag behind.
As they ran, Pedri caught glimpses of the older boxers in another part of the gym. Their movements were precise, almost robotic, as they hit the punching bags with ferocious intensity.
One of them, a muscular man with a shaved head, shouted encouragement to a younger boxer. "Hit it like it owes you money!"
Pedri smirked, despite his exhaustion. "Colorful characters," he muttered.
After the laps came the pull-ups. Each participant was timed for three minutes to see how many they could complete.
"Grip it tight! Don't let your body swing! Control is key!" Jack shouted as he paced beneath the bars.
Pedri's arms trembled as he hoised himself up. "One…two…three…" he counted, gritting his teeth. By the tenth pull-up, his muscles screamed for mercy, but he didn't stop.
Pedri recalled a funny incident during the 30 minutes break given before the start , the group explored the facility. They wandered to a large swimming pool surrounded by lounge chairs and a shaded pavilion.
"Is this a gym or a resort?" one of the young men joked, dipping his hand into the cool water.
Pedri laughed but didn't show up for the same person was actually doing almost the opposite. Jack had called on him several to up his effort.
That one aside and back in the training test, Jack moved them onto sit-ups, followed by push-ups. Each exercise was monitored closely, with Jack's sharp eyes catching even the slightest mistakes.
"Back straight, kid! Don't cheat yourself!" Jack snapped at one participant. Ensure you have done 70 of them within three minutes. Jack kept counting the rounds as the group struggled onto the ground.
Pedri kept his form as perfect as he could, even though his core felt like it was on fire. By the end of the sit-ups, his stomach muscles felt as though they were being torn apart.
"Good work, Pedri," Jack said, nodding in approval. "But don't get too comfortable. This is just the beginning."
Everyone rose their eyebrows wandering who was Pedri in their midst. However, Pedri kept silent and focused.
The group then moved to the ground training area, where Jack introduced a series of skill-based tests.
"Alright, listen up! You'll be practicing your footwork, speed, and coordination. These drills are not just about strength but about agility and precision," Jack explained.
The first drill involved weaving through a series of cones while maintaining a proper boxing stance.
"Stay light on your feet! Pivot, don't drag!" Jack's voice rang out.
Pedri struggled at first, nearly tripping over a cone. But after a few attempts, he found his rhythm. His movements became smoother, and his confidence grew.
Next was shadowboxing. Jack instructed the group to visualize an opponent and execute a series of combinations. Moreover, his handbook was busy jotting down the marks from the group for everyone.
"Show me your jabs, hooks, and uppercuts! And keep moving! A stationary target is a dead target!" Jack barked.
Pedri's punches were sharp and precise. His shadowboxing caught the attention of Carthy, who observed silently from the sidelines.
"He's got potential," Carthy muttered to Jack pointing at Pedri.
The final drill was a sparring simulation. Each participant had to face a punching dummy, delivering as many powerful and accurate hits as possible within a minute.
"Imagine this is your rival in the ring! No mercy!" Jack shouted.
Pedri unleashed a flurry of punches, his knuckles reddening with each strike. By the end, his chest heaved, and his arms felt like lead, but he stood tall, refusing to show weakness.
After an hour and fifteen minutes, the grueling session ended. The group was drenched in sweat, their bodies trembling from exhaustion.
Jack stood before them, his hands on his hips. "Good effort today. Some of you impressed me. Others...well, let's just say there's room for improvement."
He turned to Carthy, who nodded subtly.
" In one hour time break, we'll announce who moves on to the final fight. Rest up, and be ready," Jack concluded.
As the group dispersed for a one hour break, Pedri sank onto a bench, his muscles burning and his breath ragged.
"That was insane," he muttered to himself. But despite the fatigue, a small smile crept onto his face. He had survived. And more importantly, he had given it his all.