Zane

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He had it. He knew it. He was going to win. Zane Diggs was going to show the 21C that he was up and coming. That he was the next superstar.

The Friday Night Fight in the Grand City Convention Center was the first stop. Zane was winning.

He wasn’t the main event, hell he wasn’t even an important undercard, but shit, he was getting it done. His new agent, Sam Bosque, said do well in the Grand City Friday Night Fight and you get offers.

Zane walked to his corner. It might be a new arena, the next level for his MMA career, but he had his guys with him.

Knox and Vinnie were his trainers and his sparring partners, and they were helping him on his way up to the next level. They were here for him. If he made it into the 21C, the biggest fighting league in the country, he was going to do everything he could to keep his guys with him. He was going to do it like Lebron did, keep his crew tight and loyal. And bring them along on the money train.

He was on the platform, and that train was in sight.

Zane looked over at the VIP row where he saw his agent, Sam, and next to her was Meyer fucking Thompson!

The CEO of the 21C, the founder, the man who could make or break a fighter’s career, was there. He was talking to a pretty blonde lady, probably his wife, and not really watching the fight.

Shit. He was going to make Thompson pay attention. Zane’s eyes stayed on Meyer’s row, and then he saw someone else that caught his eye and held it.

Sitting behind Meyer, one row back, was the most gorgeous girl he’d ever seen. She was watching him. It sent a pulse of extra energy through his body. He was amped up already, but she fired him up even more.

Meyer Thompson may be talking to his wife or waiting for the main event, but this girl, Zane could see he had her attention. Just like she had his. She seemed to glow, her skin, her hair, wow.

There was a God. There had to be to make this little miracle happen and place her ringside for his fight.

“Hey, Hello?” Knox slapped him in the face. Whoa, yeah, back to fucking work.

“Yeah, I’m in.”

“Finish him this round. Time to use that hook.”

“I know. I just want to do it right in front of The Boss.” Zane Diggs felt like his blood was running at high octane. He was going to give the head of the 21C something to remember.

“Yeah, I saw, he’s not totally focused on you,” Knox said to him and looked over at Meyer.

“Make it good. Make him watch.” Vinnie said, and Zane nodded. They were right. It was time.

Zane danced around the ring a little. His opponent, some street fighter who was trying to get his big break too, flailed at him, tried his best shots, and he kicked. It all landed in the air. His opponent had gotten in two good shots in the first round, but he was starting to gas and starting to panic.

Zane just needed him to lean in a little more, and he’d take his own shot. Out of the corner of his eyes, the little blonde was on her feet. Meyer was also watching now. The Boss was paying attention.

He needed the eyes. Zane Diggs didn’t want anyone to miss it.

He wound up his left, and the chin in front of him made the perfect target. He cocked it back as far as he could, and he felt the energy, the anger, the ambition, and the training concentrate from his shoulder to his elbow. It shot down like electric current to his fist. He hooked his left all the while his opponent was looking at Zane’s right. He never saw it coming. The punch landed square on the jaw and Zane felt the guy’s bone crunch under his glove.

The lights were out on this guy. Zane’s left hook was impossible to withstand. It was a show stopper.

The crowd erupted, and Zane saw Meyer nod, but he looked beyond The Boss, to that blonde. She was still there. She saw too. Zane didn’t know why he wanted her to see what he could do, but he did. Whoever she was, he’d see her again, he knew it.

Adrenaline coursed through his blood. He saw Sam, his agent, whisper something to Meyer. This was all good. Vinnie and Knox rushed over to him in the center of the ring.

“Holy shit,” Vinnie said.

Zane had unleashed his most powerful weapon at the right time in front of the right man. Just as he’d planned. His left hook was his calling card, and it had just done its job. His boys knew it too.

“Perfect man, The Boss got an eyeful!” Knox said as he put a towel around Zane’s shoulders.

They both stepped back as the ref grabbed Zane’s arm. His opponent staggered back to his corner. There was a melee in the ring all around him. But he made a point to seek out that beautiful face. Something about the way she looked at him had him wanting to connect with her again. He did.

Through the melee of the ring, he locked eyes with her. They were gray. Her eyes were gray. He smiled at her for a brief second, and she looked down. Who the hell was she? He’d find out. He had to meet her.

The action in the ring pulled him back as the announcer’s voice filled the arena.

“The Welter Weight Winner, by knock out, ZANE DIGGS!” There was applause, it felt thunderous. Zane was used to fighting in church rec centers and school gyms. To him this was epic, but he knew it was just the beginning.

The ref had him by the wrist and then swung his arm up in victory. As his left arm extended over his head, Zane felt white hot pain in front of both of his eyes. He struggled not to stagger back at the intensity of it. He ground his molars together as he clenched his jaw against the feeling in his arm.

He stayed conscious and forced the sick feeling in his stomach back down. The ref released his arm and instinct took over.

He couldn’t let anyone see. Zane repeated that in his head again and again. No one was going to see this pain.

Zane knew he was hurt again, but he would not let on, to anyone. He was getting that contract. Meyer Thompson was going to sign him. Zane wasn’t going to show the slightest weakness.

Vinnie and Knox took him back to the locker room, he showered, changed, and was very careful with his arm. It was his shoulder, that’s what hurt. Knox came over.

“Hey man, what’s up with your shoulder?” Knox didn’t miss anything. But Zane wasn’t new at this either.

“Little tender, no big deal.”

“Let’s got to the trainer.”

“It’s nothing. I want that contract. I just tweaked it. Let’s go.”

Zane blew off Knox. Knox was closer to him than anyone. He trusted Knox and knew that his friend understood. Knox was a fighter too. He wasn’t at Zane’s level, but soon he would be. He needed a few more quality wins.

Zane was carving out a path for both of them. If he got this contract, it would help get Knox in the right place too. It would help Knox get seen by the right people.

Vinnie came over and hugged him. Vinnie was the third part of their trio. They all came up in the same hometown. Vinnie was a hype man, a corner man, and the beer run guy. He wasn’t a fighter, but he made things good for Knox and Zane even when they were fighting for zero money.

“You know I can get it.” Vinnie started to whisper in his ear. Vinnie was always trying to help. Zane loved him for it.

“No, just help me keep this from the 21C bigwigs. I’m okay.”

“Sure. I got it. Your agent – man she’s fucking gorgeous – anyway, she’s outside. She says hurry up!”

“Yeah, she’s pretty, and her boyfriend’s a cop or some shit so I’d keep your comments about her to yourself.” Zane was doing all he could to play like everything was fine. Everything was fine.

He walked out, and there was his gorgeous agent Sam Bosque waiting in the hallway.

“Good job Zane. I just finished talking to Meyer Thompson. He liked that hook.”

“Yeah?” Sam was all business and focused in on him with the sentence that could change his life.

“So, here’s the deal. He wants you in the 21C League.” The 21C was the place to be. There were other MMA leagues, but this one had the most American champions, paid the best, had the best venues, and made the biggest names of the fighters. The 21C was the only way in Zane’s mind to get where he wanted to go. To the top.

“This is what we wanted.” Zane was nodding yes before Sam could even get the offer out.

“Yes. It’s a start. Meyer Thompson’s goal is to get the best fighters fighting in his league. That’s important. But he’s also got to make money doing that. You’d be best to remember that too.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“You’re going to be training at his place here in Grand City. You’re going to be on the ladder for a few high-profile fights, and if you do well, down the road, I’ll be sure you’re in the discussion for title shots.” Zane wanted to kiss Sam he was so happy.

“Shit! That’s awesome.”

“You’re not going to get rich with his deal. But he’s going to pay enough for you to set yourself up with a place in Grand City. You’ll be trained by his team and have access to the best of the best.”

“Thanks, Sam. Knox, too right?”

“You’re welcome. I’m going to defer my ten-percent. Live on it that until I get you the first endorsement. And yeah, I got Knox in to spar and be on your staff.”

“Jesus, thank you.”

“Don’t be too excited. Thompson is giving you 50K to start. You’ll get purses for the bigger fights. But all of this is contingent on one thing.”

“Winning,” Zane knew. He was there to win.

“Yep, with that face and a belt or two, stay out of trouble, and we’ll get you where you want to be.” She smiled at him, but she was serious. His agent was tough, and he knew she was right. He needed to win. Zane rubbed his shoulder, trying to diffuse the pain he felt. It was a tear, something inside, deep in the soft part under the bone. Zane would have to ignore it.

He’d be staying in Grand City. This would be the place where he made his dreams real.

He stood for a moment in the tunnel. The lights of the big arena were now focused on the Main Event. The applause he’d heard for his fight were hushed compared to how loud it was for the big names about to fight.

The sound fueled him. He would be there soon. He knew it.

He felt an arm around his shoulders, and he winced. It brought him back to reality. He needed to be healthy and strong. It was Vinnie giving him a squeeze.

Zane would figure out how to manage. He felt better already. The business of rising up could now take center stage. He could leave the bad stuff behind him.

And if he was lucky maybe he’d also have time for that blonde bit of business he’d seen ringside. He wondered how to find her.

Zane Diggs had a lot to do. And he damn well wasn’t going to let that stupid tweak he felt in his shoulder stand in his way. MMA was about pain: doling it out, withstanding it, and pushing through it.

No. Nothing was going to stand in his way. Pain was his business.