Link, of course, didn't change his strategy; his mood often dictated how he fought.
When his emotions fluctuated, his pace was fast, his blows were fierce, and his rush to win was driven by a need to vent; he also wanted to end the match quickly.
When he was in a stable mood, his moves were steadier. He liked to treat his opponent as a sparring partner, scrutinizing how much the opponent had to offer, and if there was anything worth learning. This also allowed him to showcase his skills to the audience and stir their emotions.
Before he became famous in 2009, he was eager to gain fame and make money, fighting more heavily and often defeating opponents within a hundred seconds, which caused a sensation in the boxing community.
After becoming the Super Middleweight champion, he was no longer in a hurry to make a name for himself. He fought more steadily, learning from his opponents, which is one of the reasons his boxing skills significantly improved.
Now facing the former Middleweight champion Hopkins, who had battled in over 60 matches and defeated many strong boxers, was a great package of experience.
This match, he planned to play it safe, hoping to force out all of his opponent's tricks.
Moreover, he heard that Hopkins prepared some dubious tricks to win the match.
He had to be cautious.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Facing an endless barrage of heavy punches from Hopkins, Link responded with composure, taking more than twenty punches in a moment. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, he cleverly dodged three sneak punches.
Sneak punches are unexpected killer moves in a match, often successfully surprising the opponent. Link often used the rear hook punch, which counted as a Sneak Punch.
Hopkins' Sneak Punches primarily involved hidden upper hook punches and swing punches among his combinations. His arms were long, his punches heavy and deceptive, making his sneak punches particularly difficult to anticipate.
According to statistics, among the fifty-plus opponents he had defeated, eighteen were hit by his hook punches. Some were knocked out, and others injured; he was merciless.
Unfortunately, this time he faced Link, who was meticulous, highly skilled, and extremely quick in his reactions. When Hopkins employed sneak punches, Link could react in the shortest time possible, either blocking or dodging successfully.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With his mouthguard clenched, Hopkins continued his aggressive punching.
After throwing over fifty punches, including three special moves, he hadn't managed to injure Link at all.
This was both frustrating and infuriating for him. Link was too cunning, slippery like an eel on the ring—it was impossible to grab him or land a hit. No matter how much force he used, or how fast he was, Link would skilfully dodge, making all his efforts seem in vain.
Hopkins had fought professional boxing for over twenty years and had never encountered such a tough opponent like Link.
"Bernard, hang in there!"
Voices of encouragement came from the coaches below the ring.
Hopkins, of course, would hang in there. With over twenty years in the boxing world, facing all sorts of experts, and experiencing numerous defeats, he had never quit a match, and his mentality during matches was better than anyone else's.
He swung his fists again, furiously smashing toward Link's face. Based on previous encounters, faced with such an attack, Link would raise his right arm to block and launch a swing punch from the left, forcing himself to dodge, and rendering the punch ineffective.
Hopkins gritted his mouthguard, deciding that this time, even if Link struck him, he wouldn't defend. He would follow up with the second and third punches, exchanging blow for blow with Link, employing a fierce fighting style.
He believed that with his rich experience and strong resistance to punching, he could definitely leave some scars on Link's face, or even knock him down.
Unfortunately, he miscalculated. As he threw his fist toward Link's face, Link suddenly ducked and stepped forward with his left foot, closing the distance. A jab hit Hopkins in the left ribs.
Hopkins groaned, involuntarily bending down to guard himself, and as he bent, he suddenly remembered Link's fighting style—hit high when going low, hit low when going high. When Link actively punched an opponent's ribs, the next move was usually attacking the head.
With this in mind, Hopkins was just about to raise his arms to defend.
Bang!
Link's fist, faster than expected, coupled with a swing punch, struck in quick succession. Hopkins blocked the upper hook punch but got hit hard by the swing punch on the left cheek.
Splash!
Struck on the face, Hopkins' head was involuntarily whipped to the right, his facial sweat and saliva flying out, his body reeling two steps to the right, dizzy and seeing stars.
Hopkins roared internally 'Stay on your feet! Never go down,' but Link's punch was too strong, and under the immense momentum, his body involuntarily crashed hard onto the ring, his shoulder scraping the floor as he slid forward half a foot. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Wow!"
"Look, the Black guy went down."
"Link Oppa is awesome! Link Oppa must win!"
Amidst the exclamations from the stands, many people stood up to watch the stage.
Link's fans, seeing him knock down Hopkins in the first round, immediately started cheering loudly; many girls shouted encouragingly, "Link Oppa Fighting!"
"Fuck! Damn you, Link. I'm going to kill you."
Without waiting for the referee to check the situation, Hopkins quickly sprung up from the ground and furiously rushed at Link, his fists hammering down one after another at Link.
He couldn't help being angry; previously, Link had always countered in that manner.
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