Chapter 6
It took a while for Max to accept Tammi’s help, but eventually he took the money, promising her that he would make her proud. They had parted from the kitchen with a kiss. Now Max was in the ring, training like he had never trained before.
With the money that his girlfriend had given him, he could hire one of the best trainers in Mayhem, to help him get into proper fighting form. Soon he was climbing the ranks with ease, showing his competitors that he was a force to be reckoned with.
He started putting on more and more muscle, something Tammi wasn’t complaining about, as it made a difference in the bedroom, allowing him to more easily pick her up and carry her around as he drove her crazy.
Things were going well for Max and each day he was becoming more confident in his skills. One day as he trained, sweat pouring down his face, he felt ready for something bigger. When he was done training he walked up to his trainer, a big smile on his face. “Can we talk?” he asked eagerly.
The older gentleman raised an eyebrow motioning for him to sit down. Max, however, stood standing, pacing around. “Can I go for the belt?” The trainer chuckled and shook his head. “What, why not?” Max whined.
“You’re not ready,” he said calmly, looking at the enthusiastic young man. He had been like Max once and appreciated his passion for the sport, but at the same time, he couldn’t let him make the same mistake he had.
“But we have been training for months!”
“Three.
“Okay… so it hasn’t been that long, but I’m ready! I swear!”
The older gentleman just shook his head. “No. Most people train for years before they go for the belt.” Max frowned and crossed his arms.
“I can’t wait that long.” The old man sighed, seeing Max’s face. He knew Max was a stubborn one and that he would never let this go. Getting up, he rubbed his neck.
“Okay.” Max looked surprised as his trainer finally consented. “I’ll get you a match.” Max’s face exploded with a smile as he suddenly lunged forward and hugged the man. “Enough,” he chided, making Max back up as he laughed nervously. “Be here at eight tomorrow.” Max nodded and walked away quickly, eager to tell Tammi the good news.
Soon he was barging into Tammi’s house. It was empty, however, and he frowned, figuring she was at work. He sighed and sat down, impatiently waiting for her. He paced around the house, waiting for the hours to crawl by. Finally, she started opening the door and he grabbed the knob, pulling it back quickly before hugging her tightly.
She screamed at the sudden surprise, dropping her bag. As she realized it was Max, she hit him, forcing her way into the house. “Why don’t you give me a heart attack next time?” Max followed her as she started to take off her coat. “What the hell has gotten into you?” she asked, her hand on her hip.
“I’m going to have a championship match! For the Light Heavyweight belt!” he blurted out excitedly. Tammi looked surprised but smiled as she hugged him in congratulation, forgetting the news she had to tell him. Forgetting, for the moment, about the little plus sign that had changed her whole world this morning.
“Good job, babe; I knew you could do it.” Max grinned, happily kissing her on the lips, hard.
“I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much babe!” he exclaimed, the excitement bubbling all over his body. She chuckled as she sat down.
“So, when is it?”
“Well, I just got a text from my trainer saying it’s on the 21st.”
Tammi frowned. “As in next Saturday?” Max nodded. “Damn, I have work.” Max grimaced, looking at her.
“Can’t you get it off or something?”
Tammi shook her head, “I’m already covering for someone. I’m really sorry, Max.” His frown deepened at the thought of his girlfriend missing his big moment. Tammi looked down, sorry she disappointed him.
“It’s all right. Just promise to be there in spirit?” he said, trying to lighten the mood, even though he was quite bummed out about it.
“I promise.” She smiled, before getting up and kissing him gently. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her into his lap. She giggled and they started to kiss, enjoying each other’s company as they fell onto the couch.
*****
The days flew by seamlessly. Max was nervous as he woke up and looked at the date on his phone. Today was the big day. He turned over and looked at the empty space on the bed with a frown. Tammi was already at work. Sighing, he got up to find a note on the countertop, wishing him the best of luck at his match tonight. He looked at it and smiled before folding it up and putting it in his wallet.
Soon he was driving to the ring. He was nervous and excited all at the same time. This was it. This was where he would prove himself. Getting dressed in the locker room, his trainer approached him.
“How do you feel?” he asked, looking at Max.
“A little nervous, but I am ready for this,” he said smiling, as he straightened himself out. He was wearing nothing but his fighting shorts and stood a couple inches taller than the trainer. His various tattoos, sprawling up his right arm and chest, were on full display. His dark eyes looked excited and butterflies fluttered behind his chiseled abs. “I’m ready,” he finally said. His trainer nodded and together they walked out to the ring.
The arena was filled with eager viewers, ready to see the title match. It was only natural, as a lot of them had bets on the match. A lot of signs, supporting Max’s opponent were waving in the air, shaking his nerve a bit, but he wasn’t about to back out now. Putting on his most confident face, he made his way into the ring and into his corner, where his trainer started to prep him for the match.
Soon he was in the middle of the ring, facing off against a brute of a man. His opponent was from Mexico and had held the belt for six consecutive months. He was a hard man to take down, but tonight he had to be defeated, one way or another.
They shook hands and the sound of a bell ringing indicated the start of the first round. Everything went well at first as Max kept light on his feet, moving around his opponent with ease. His opponent lashed out with a few punches, which he was able to avoid at first, but once he was hit with an uppercut, it all went downhill.
Max lost his focus, taking a beating from his opponent during the first round. By the start of the second round, he was already pretty bloody and his opponent looked confident as he went on the offensive. Things were not looking good for Max.
He stayed away as much as he could, making for a boring match. The audience booed in frustration at the lack of action. They started shouting out insults, making Max reconsider the match, but it was too late to back out now.
By the start of the third round, it didn’t look like there was much fight left in Max. At the same time, Tammi walked into the arena, seeing the crowd of people. She made her way to the aisle, toward the front row reserved for the friends and family of the contestants. She sat down, looking at the ring.
As she did, Max looked out into the audience by chance, locking eyes on his girlfriend. He stopped in surprise, seeing her there. Wasn’t she supposed to be working? Had she managed to get out of work just to see him fight? He smiled to himself, getting distracted. His opponent took this chance to sock Max in the head.
He went down hard, to Tammi’s horror. She held her breath as the referee leaned down looking at him. To everyone’s amazement, Max got up quickly. All of a sudden, he was revitalized with a new, furious fight, taking his opponent by surprise.
Max quickly pummeled his opponent with this new energy, so much so that with one swift kick to the head, Max was able to knock the man out. The former champion hit the ring hard, completely unconscious.
Everyone stared in surprise as the referee made the call, standing up, grabbing Max’s hand and raising it in the air. “The new Light Heavyweight Champion!”