The Boxing System: I Became the King of the Ring-Chapter 23: Javier vs Devon III

The bell ended round two. Javier stumbled to his corner on wobbly legs.

He dropped onto his stool hard. His chest rose and fell in ragged gasps. Sweat poured down his face - from his hair, off his chin, burning his eyes through the headgear.

Every muscle ached. His shoulders felt like they were on fire. His arms hung heavy. His ribs pulsed with pain where Devon had punched him.

But the crowd support was different now. They chanted his name.

Miguel appeared with water and a towel. He dabbed at Javier’s face and neck with quick movements.

"How are you holding up?" Miguel asked.

"Im beaten," Javier wheezed. "But okay."

"This is it. Last round. Three minutes to take this whole thing."

Javier’s hands shook when he grabbed the water bottle. His nerves mixed with exhaustion. His heart pounded against his chest.

"Look over there," Miguel said with a nod.

Devon slumped on his stool across the ring. Blood ran from his nose down to his chest guard. Danny gestured wildly while talking, but Devon’s stare seemed lost.

"You see that?" Miguel said. "That’s a fighter who’s been broken down. You did that to him."

Vicente appeared next to them, his face grave.

"Final round, kid," Vicente said. "He’ll come out swinging for his life. Stay sharp."

The warning buzzer sounded. Miguel yanked the stool away.

"Three minutes," Miguel said, gripping Javier’s shoulders tight. "That’s all that stands between you and winning."

Javier got up and rolled his shoulders. His body felt looser now. Ready for war.

The crowd buzzed with electricity. "JAVI! JAVI! JAVI!" echoed from every corner.

Devon stood up across the ring. He tried to bounce like he had in round one, but his legs moved sluggish. That early confidence was gone.

The referee moved to the center and waited.

"Last round, boys. Keep it clean."

Both fighters walked forward on shaky legs. They touched gloves once more.

"Box!"

The bell rang crisp and clear.

Three minutes would decide it all.

**************

Devon came out with urgency this time. Not reckless, but desperate. He knew the scorecards were against him.

He opened with crisp combinations. Double jab, straight right. His feet still moved well, but slower now and more careful.

His first solid punch caught Javier’s shoulder and spun him slightly. Devon pressed forward with a left hook that scraped across Javier’s headgear.

[DEFENSE +0.1]

[CURRENT: 59.6/100]

"Get behind that jab!" Danny yelled from Devon’s corner.

Devon obeyed. He pumped quick jabs, trying to find his range from the opening round. Most hit Javier’s gloves, but they were building toward something bigger.

Javier moved forward, looking to get close where he’d found success. But Devon was ready. He stepped aside and drove a clean right into Javier’s ribs.

The punch made Javier grimace and step back.

[ENDURANCE -0.3]

[CURRENT: 69.6/100]

"Be patient!" Miguel called out. "Let him come to you!"

The first minute was brutish. Both fighters studied each other one last time. Devon tried to box. Javier tried to pressure. Neither made a major error.

Then Devon slipped up.

He threw a jab that went wide. Javier saw it coming and slipped inside with a short uppercut that connected clean under Devon’s chin.

The shot lifted Devon to his toes. His eyes went blank for a second.

[UPPERCUT SKILL +0.2]

[CURRENT: 43.2/100]

[POWER +0.1]

[CURRENT: 61.2/100]

The crowd sensed blood. They got louder.

Devon, shaken but standing, grabbed Javier around the waist. He held on while his head cleared.

"Break!" the referee ordered, stepping in to pull them apart.

When they separated, Devon’s legs looked wobbly. But he was still in there fighting.

"Box!"

Devon came forward with fresh desperation. He threw a three-punch combo - jab, cross, hook - that all connected with Javier’s guard and body.

Javier took the shots and answered back. Left hook to the body, right hand upstairs. The body shot made Devon grunt out loud.

[BODY SHOT LANDED: SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE]

[HOOK SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 58.6/100]

Now both fighters worked up close. This was Javier’s territory.

He attacked the body with purpose. Short, sharp shots to Devon’s ribs and stomach. Each punch drained more out of his opponent.

Devon tried to match the pace, but his punches had less bite. He was wearing down.

[TECHNIQUE +0.1]

[CURRENT: 64.2/100]

"Corner him!" Vicente shouted from ringside.

Javier started driving Devon toward the ropes. Not chasing wildly, but cutting off his escape paths. Smart pressure work.

Devon threw a desperate right to create space. Javier ducked low and came up with a perfect left hook to Devon’s temple.

Devon’s knees gave way. He stumbled sideways and grabbed the ropes to keep from falling.

[CRITICAL STRIKE LANDED]

[RING IQ +0.1]

[CURRENT: 46.1/100]

The referee moved closer, ready to wave it off if Devon dropped.

But Devon had heart. He pushed off the ropes and swung back wild. His hook caught Javier square on the jaw and snapped his head back hard.

Stars burst behind Javier’s eyes. His legs went rubber for a moment.

[AGILITY +0.1]

[CURRENT: 73.7/100]

Both fighters were running on fumes now. Just heart and instinct kept them going.

They met in the middle and traded everything left. Technical boxing was done. This was pure will.

Javier landed a sharp jab. Devon answered with a cross. Javier fired back with a hook that caught Devon’s ear.

The gym went wild. Everyone on their feet, voices hoarse from screaming.

[JAB SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 67.6/100]

[STRENGTH +0.1]

[CURRENT: 68.2/100]

Thirty seconds on the clock. Both knew it was do or die time.

Devon found one more push. He threw a combination his corner would be proud of - jab, cross, hook, uppercut. Clean punches despite being dead tired.

Two caught Javier clean. The hook opened a cut over his left eye. Blood started flowing.

But Javier kept coming. He walked through the shots and fired back twice as hard.

A right to Devon’s body made him fold slightly. The follow-up left hook to his head straightened him back up.

[ENDURANCE +0.1]

[CURRENT: 69.7/100]

Ten seconds. Five. Three. Two. One.

Both fighters threw their last punches at the exact same moment. Javier’s right cross met Devon’s left hook in the air.

Both shots landed solid and true.

Both fighters staggered back, completely empty.

The bell rang like church bells on Sunday.

"TIME! STEP BACK!"

The referee jumped between them as both boys swayed on their feet.

Javier sat down hard on the canvas, gasping for air. Across the ring, Devon leaned against the corner, blood dripping onto his chest guard.

The gym exploded. Three rounds of honest work had earned both fighters respect.

****************

Miguel got to Javier first, helping him stand on shaky legs.

"Easy, kid. Just breathe," Miguel said, unlacing Javier’s gloves with steady fingers despite the chaos around them.

Danny helped Devon to the center. Both boys stood next to each other, swaying like trees in a storm. Totally drained.

The anger was gone. Just exhaustion and respect remained.

Devon pulled out his mouthguard and turned to Javier. His face was puffy, blood still running from his nose.

"Hell of a scrap," Devon said, his voice scratchy.

Javier nodded, too tired to speak.

They bumped gloves one last time. Two kids who’d given everything they had.

The system window flickered weakly in Javier’s vision:

[FIGHT COMPLETE]

[RESULT PENDING...]

[HEART RATE: 165 BPM]

[SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE GAINED]

But Javier barely noticed. His eyes stayed fixed on the judges’ table, where three men in white shirts compared their cards.

The head judge got up with a piece of paper. The whole gym went quiet. You could hear people breathing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a decision."

Javier’s heart hammered so hard he felt it in his ears. Next to him, Devon was just as wound up.

The referee took the paper and looked at both fighters.

"After three rounds of amateur boxing..." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He stopped. The quiet went on forever.

"Judge Martinez scores the bout 29-28."

No hint which way. The crowd stayed silent.

"Judge Williams scores the bout 28-29."

Still no clue. Dead even.

"Judge Thompson scores the bout..."

The pause stretched like hours. Both boys held their breath.

The referee raised both their hands up high.

"By split decision, the winner..."

The gym exploded before the name could be heard. The noise was so loud it shook the training gym.