Chapter 496: Can't Win Even With Cheating

Some people are destined to become dazzling while others are still exploring this world.

Lanse is such a person; a large amount of alcohol represents wealth and profit, and no one can refuse this in this highly commercialized country.

When everything is labeled with a price and placed on a shelf, money is the standard to measure everything!

No one can refuse Lanse, just as they cannot refuse wealth.

A larger organization began to be built around Lanse, and at the same time, a network of interests was woven.

It will become larger and larger, penetrating into deeper places, pulling more people into this large net, and becoming a part of it!

A few days later, in the New Jincheng Gymnasium, a boxing match was about to begin.

In the lounge, the boxer invited this time was making final preparations.

"Iron Fist" Logan is his nickname, describing his fists as being like steel, making people unable to bear them.

Almost most boxers with some fame have their own nicknames; nicknames are not necessarily negative labels, but can also be a manifestation of acceptance and recognition.

Before a boxer goes on stage, they need to wrap bandages on their fists.

The purpose of wrapping bandages is mainly to protect the boxer's fists, protecting the muscles of their hands and wrists so that they won't cause strains or dislocations due to certain reasons.

Logan's coach took out a roll of specially made bandages from the backpack he was carrying.

These bandages looked much thicker than ordinary bandages—not just a little bit, but much thicker.

It was loaded; there was some plaster inside, sewn into the bandage hand guard.

At first, it wouldn't have any problems; it was soft and fluffy.

But as the match progressed and deepened, sweat, or even the boxer intentionally letting water enter the gloves by drinking water or pouring water on their body...

After the plaster absorbed the moisture, it would become rock-hard, like cement!

This is also the origin of the Iron Fist nickname; he is a cheater, and a repeat offender.

But because he has always hidden it relatively well and won't challenge top-ranked boxers, over time, people don't think there is any problem.

Those ordinary boxers lack sufficient social influence; even if they had some doubts about Logan after the match, no one would stand up to preside over justice for them.

Once, organizers had checked Logan's gloves and didn't find any problems, so people stopped checking, only thinking that this was some people's unwillingness to accept failure.

Most people admit that Logan's fists are hard, so the nickname "Iron Fist" gradually spread.

But there are also some people who know about this; Logan has also become a "stumbling block" in the eyes of some people, especially when people need him.

After wrapping the bandages, his coach put gloves on him, "The referee won't open your gloves, so you don't have to worry at all."

"The big guy on the opposite side has some strength; Steel Chin just had his chin broken by him. You should try to avoid head-on fighting with him before your fists harden."

"Use your footwork to move quickly; after five rounds, we'll give him a taste of color."

Logan nodded and bit into his mouthguard.

The coach patted his shoulder to let him relax, "An ordinary match, take down the opponent, and bring back the victory!"

On the opposite side, Ethan's coach was also arranging tactics, "Logan's performance is actually very ordinary, but his punches are very heavy; everyone who has fought him says so."

"He is used to saving his stamina until the later rounds before starting to exert force, so he will mainly move around in the first few rounds to consume your stamina; don't be fooled."

"Your backhand punch is very lethal; it must be harder than his. If there is a chance, don't be stingy!"

Ethan nodded, "Don't worry, I will let him know that I am the Iron Fist, not him!"

The coach likes Ethan's strong confidence and his strong physical talent, "Good, tell people with victory after victory that an 'Ethan Storm' is forming!"

Many people came to the match site today; Ethan's fame is constantly increasing with his victories, and Iron Fist Logan also has many fans and haters. Coupled with the Koda family pushing propaganda behind the scenes, Likalai State thinks this will be a wonderful boxing match.

More than a thousand people came to the scene, and at the same time, the Koda family opened telephone betting; before the match started, the total betting amount exceeded two million.

As both boxers went on stage, the referee began to check their gloves.

They won't casually untie the boxers' gloves, but will only confirm that there are no foreign objects in the gloves through touching and other methods, and then he explained the rules.

The two boxers bumped fists and then separated.

Ethan had a good feeling about Logan; Logan was very polite, didn't make any offensive moves, and didn't say anything unpleasant.

He even took the initiative to greet Logan.

As the bell was rung, the match officially began.

In the first round, both sides clearly fought very conservatively, mainly focusing on probing and moving around. Most boxing fans also know that Logan's matches will only enter a state after four or five rounds, so they are not anxious at all.

Logan maintained an attitude of avoiding fighting throughout the first round; apart from trying not to fall behind in technical points through technical strikes, he avoided fighting the whole time.

This made Ethan actually a bit puzzled, but he respected the other party's fighting style; after all, everyone has their own insights.

Some people just like to bombard from the start, as if they are in a hurry like their mother; the winner raises their hand, and the loser falls down.

There are also some people who fight with more style and technique; they will take the initiative to expose flaws, letting the opponent launch attacks to consume the opponent's stamina.

The more heavyweight the match, the more important stamina management is; don't look at how little time there is in each round, but just those few punches can exhaust the boxer's stamina and make the boxer fall into a passive position!

The first two rounds were very plain, and by the third and fourth rounds, both sides began to have some substantial contact, and the match became better to watch.

Some collisions between fists and bodies made the audience scream constantly, and the atmosphere heated up all of a sudden.

After the fourth round ended, Ethan's coach told him to be careful because the next part is "Logan Time."

This is a saying among Logan's fans, representing that Logan is about to start exerting force.

And his haters call this period "Cheating Time"; even if the organizers or even the league haven't caught him cheating, many people still believe he cheated.

Although everyone didn't have any fierce attacks in the first four rounds, just constantly dodging and punching also consumed a lot of their stamina.

Ethan panted slightly and nodded, saying, "I will be careful."

Sure enough, Logan's aggressive moves and desires became more obvious; he began to take the initiative to find Ethan's flaws and try to give him two hits.

Ethan, who had taken a few punches, also felt it; Logan's fists felt heavier and harder to him.

He was also a bit puzzled; everyone's stamina was being consumed, so why did his fists become heavier instead?

Shouldn't they become lighter because of the consumption of stamina?

He didn't understand, and didn't think too deeply; at this moment, all he wanted was victory!

Shi Dong, sitting in the corner, watched the match on the ring; the Lanse family bet another 500,000 on Ethan to win.

Because Iron Fist Logan is after all a character who has been famous for a long time, and Ethan is just a boxer who has fought a series of small characters, so from the perspective of people's acceptance, Logan's odds are lower because he has a greater chance of winning.

And because Ethan just started to become famous and hasn't fought any powerful opponents to prove himself, his odds are slightly higher.

Among them, nearly 1.6 million are bet on Ethan; if Ethan wins again, then this time they will lose a big one!

Excluding other parts of the income, they roughly need to lose about 700,000!

He lit a cigarette, squinted his eyes and watched Ethan, watching Logan who was looking for an opportunity, hoping that this time they wouldn't jump out of the script!

With the 'dang dang dang' sound of the time ending, the fifth round ended, and both boxers returned to their positions; Ethan's panting speed clearly increased.

The coach poured some water on his head, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why are his fists getting heavier?"

Many people have studied Iron Fist Logan's matches and have more or less discovered these strange places, but the league said he had no problems, so naturally, everyone could only think that his stamina pool was deep and his stamina management was good.

When you don't have the strength, your ability to withstand damage from the outside world will decrease; that's the only way to explain it.

The coach didn't have anything to say, only letting him try his best not to be hit.

The sixth round began; everyone could see that the stamina of both sides clearly hadn't recovered, and the footwork under their feet clearly became heavier. In one exchange, Ethan couldn't dodge in time and was hit squarely in the face with a punch!

He was staggered backward for the first time, almost falling to the ground; the referee hurriedly pushed away Logan, who was preparing to pursue, and ran to Ethan, asking about his situation.

"How many is this?"

Ethan shook his head; he had some tinnitus now, looking at the fingers the referee was constantly gesturing, he blinked his eyes forcefully, "Three."

The referee looked at him for a few seconds, "Can you still fight?"

Ethan nodded, "I can."

After he touched his forehead with both hands to indicate he was still okay, the referee announced the match would continue.

Ethan carefully dodged Logan's fists, dragging it until the end of the round.

He returned to the corner and sat down, panting heavily, constantly dodging and blocking, making his stamina consume faster—

When your opponent is just pretending to throw a punch, and you need to mobilize most of your strength to defend, while also stepping back to open up the distance and coordinating with a series of changes in your body, the stamina consumption increases exponentially.

"His punches are too heavy, just like a hammer!"

!.

The coach's face was also a bit gloomy; looking at the match records and commentary records, it was completely different from actually bumping into each other.

The words on those records became more vivid and three-dimensional, and also made it very difficult for people to persist!

"His fists make me feel like I was hit by a car," and actually being hit by a punch are absolutely different.

The coach could only ask, "Can you still persist?"

Ethan's cheekbones and forehead were already swollen, his cheeks were also swollen, and there were several red marks on his abdomen, all swollen and with burst blood vessels.

He looked back at the fans who supported him behind him, looking at the brothers sitting in the front row, and he nodded, "I can!"

On the other side, Logan's coach frowned slightly and said, "Stop playing, end him this round."

Logan was a bit dazed, "I wasn't playing with him; I really tried my best. Didn't you see those punches of mine?"

"An ordinary person would have fallen down long ago!"

Logan's coach was also a bit worried; he observed that Logan's stamina was also a bit insufficient.

"Anyway, hurry up."

Both sides rested; there were no technical and tactical arrangements. By this time, it was starting to be a contest of willpower.

The seventh round began; Ethan's footwork was heavier, his stamina was consumed too much, and he couldn't even make quick small steps; his feet were like they were stepped on glue, stuck to the ring.

His opponent didn't look like he had much stamina either, but his fists were still as heavy.

The battle between the two sides entered a white-hot stage; Ethan didn't want to dodge anymore, starting to fight a positional battle, and the number of times and opportunities for both sides to exchange punches became more.

With the sweat flying from the punches hitting flesh, the enthusiasm of the entire audience almost overturned the roof of the gymnasium!

People were super looking forward to the result of this match; no matter who won or lost, they contributed an unforgettable match!

At this time, Ethan on the ring couldn't notice anything around him because of his high concentration; he realized that if he continued to fight like this, it would be difficult for him to win, because his fists would become less and less powerful.

The opponent's fists were also a bit weaker, but the weakness was limited.

He must give the opponent a decisive punch when he has the ability to kill!

He has to deliberately expose a flaw!

In one offense and defense, Ethan lowered half his body as if he couldn't even lift his arms; the coaches on both sides who discovered this situation one showed an expression of horror, while the other exhaled a heavy breath while waving his fists!

The next second, one of Logan's swing punches hammered heavily on Ethan's chin; Ethan even heard the sound of bone cracking!

But at the same time, Ethan used all his strength to bet on a lead hook punch; he wasn't very good at this, but he knew how heavy his fists were!

This moment seemed to be frozen; everyone widened their eyes, and many people stood up dumbfounded; they even forgot to shout!

Two giants fell down with a bang at the same time; the entire ring made a sound of violent vibration!

The next second, the referee seemed to react, starting to check the situation of both sides.

Immediately after, he started counting seconds.

In such a situation, if someone can stand up, then the person who can persist is the winner.

People started shouting the boxer's name; the vast majority of people in the entire gymnasium were shouting Ethan's name.

It's not just that Ethan is a local from New Jincheng; more importantly, they placed heavy bets on Ethan!

At this time, Ethan's cheap flesh had been torn open, and blood was constantly flowing out; amidst people's shouting, he opened his eyes.

The whole world was dim; he moved his hands, and the surrounding calls became louder; he could feel that people were shouting his name.

He glanced at the opponent who had fallen on the other side and started trying to crawl up.

The referee stopped counting seconds, looking at Ethan, this giant, looking at him trying hard, sitting up bit by bit, turning around on his knees, and then straightening his upper body, holding his knees and slowly standing up!

In an instant, the entire gymnasium erupted into thunderous applause and cheers!

And on the other side, Logan also woke up; he also tried to crawl up, but in the end, he gave up.

Ethan's hook punch was too ruthless; he now had at least a severe concussion, let alone crawling up, even sitting was difficult!

"In this match, Ethan wins!"

The referee didn't ask Logan to stand up, but had people carry him away on a stretcher; the coaching staff and Lanse and the others all rushed onto the ring, patting his body and hugging him, and Ethan also showed a simple and pure smile.

He won again!

"Damn son of a bitch!" Shi Dong stood up and forcefully threw the cigarette he had just taken two puffs of onto the ground; in front of him were all those who had lost their betting tickets and were loudly cursing Logan, because Logan made them lose money.

But more of them were the gamblers and boxing fans who were holding their betting tickets as if they had seen their parents!

Some even knelt on the ground to worship Ethan!

They believed that this match would inevitably become an important moment in the boxing world; the last exchange of punches made everyone who witnessed that scene have goosebumps all over from excitement!

Lanse was also celebrating Ethan's victory, but Aierwen suddenly patted his arm, signaling him to go to the side.

"I heard people say there was plaster in Logan's gloves."

Lanse frowned; even if he were stupider, he would know what plaster in the gloves meant.

Someone cheated!

What's even funnier is that he cheated and still didn't win!

He licked his lips, glanced at Ethan, who had been helped off the ring and was preparing to go to the hospital, and gave Aierwen a look; the latter nodded slightly and left here.

On the way to the hospital, Logan's gloves were taken off by the coach and casually thrown into the trash can in the gymnasium.

Then he chased a few steps and caught up with Logan, who was being pushed into the ambulance.

They are not short of money; they still have the money to call an ambulance.

"I lost." Logan's eyes were a bit dazed, "Even... like that, I still lost."

"Am I not suitable for this sport?"

The coach's face didn't look very good either; cheated and still lost, what else could he say?

But he couldn't tell Logan "you are just a piece of trash"; he still had to comfort Logan, because Logan would bring him wealth.

"That kid Ethan has talent; we all know this. You lost to him... I don't think this is your problem."

"You should change your thinking; you were like that and still weren't his opponent; it can only be said that he is already over-the-top in the cruiserweight division; he should go to the heavyweight division!"

These words seemed to comfort Logan; Logan recalled the eyes full of shock he felt under Ethan's swollen eye sockets at the end, and he suddenly felt full of guilt for cheating in boxing.

Perhaps, he shouldn't have done this.

Perhaps, if he didn't rely on cheating, he might have been able to become an excellent boxer.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 497 =====