Page 34 of Falling for the Forbidden Fighter
He shrugs. “Everything.”
My dad looks more nervous than Louis. He paces around, chewing his cigar.
Ricky just stands in the corner. Ever since the blowup, he’s been pretty reserved. He kept assisting with training, but only out of devotion to Dad. Every time he looks at Louis, I still think he might snap.
The crowd erupts.
The last fight before our match is over.
My stomach ties itself in knots. I swear, it’ll be a miracle if I don’t puke.
“You good?” Louis asks as we line up to walk out.
“Me? Stop worrying about me.Focus.”
He looks menacing in his black and turquoise robe with the gym’s logo on the back—The Blizzard. It’s hard to imagine that this will be the only time he does this. He looks natural in this environment, like he was made for it.
When it’s all over, will he really give it up?
His name echoes in the arena, joined by the familiar Rocky Theme. From here, we can hear the crowd laughing.
We both look back at my dad, who shrugs.
“What?” he laughs. “It’s his only fight. Might as well. You ready, Philly?”
Ricky groans.
I roll my eyes.
Louis slams his gloves together and strides out of the tunnel.
Things happen fast. When you’re in front of crowds this big, everything feels like a blur.
They check Louis’s gloves, his face.
We get set up in the blue corner, joining Louis in the ring.
Ruiz walks out with the crowd advantage. They roar for him, and he wears their intensity on his jagged face. He’s mean-looking, but the type of mean that isn’t personal. You step in the ring with this guy, you’re his enemy—no hard feelings.
There’s nothing left to say, nothing to do.
The announcer joins both fighters in the center, the rest of us clear out of the ring, the ref goes over what he expects, and the bell dings.
It’s real now.
Louis starts the fight too hard, too fast. He crowds Ruiz, throwing a few body blows that get blocked before he takes a hook on the jaw.
That knocks a little sense into him.
He dances back, gets some space.
“Slow it down!” my dad roars. “It’s the first round, kid!”
He’s right. Most first-time fighters would take four rounds for their first bout. For Louis, he’s going eight unless somebody goes down and doesn’t get up. He needs to pace himself.
The two circle each other, poking at their defenses.
Ruiz isquickwith his jabs and fast on his feet. Louis tries a few to get in but fails to find the target. Ruiz takes the opportunity to get some counters in.
