Kevin

 

 

We just arrived at the arena and I hold Eve’s hand as I help her out of the car. My parents are here for the fight and there is silence as we walk down the hall to the locker rooms. I feel great today and I’m ready for this fight with Chip Washington.

Clint has been wonderful the last two days and I’m feeling we will make a really great team. I’ll have to find a new sparring partner if we decide he’ll be my new coach. Finding a new partner should be easy enough.

When we reach the locker rooms, we go inside, and Clint is there waiting for us. He tells me that he reserved front row seats for Eve and my parents instead of a suite. I think my mother is about ready to pass out. She hasn’t ever sat that close before. Eve looks just as terrified as my mother.

“Kevin, if I’m sitting that close, you best win this fight fast and without blood. I don’t know if I can take seeing my boy getting hurt.”

“Ma, I can get you new seats, if you want. But I plan on kicking his ass.”

“You do your best Son. I got your Mom and Eve. You worry about the fight and I’ll take care of these two.”

I have twenty minutes before my fight begins. Clint is taping my hands while Eve sits here beside me trying to be cool as a cucumber, but she’s not hiding it well. I kinda think it’s cute, but I also feel bad she gets so nervous for me. Once he gets my hands taped I’ll have some time alone with her and I hope I can calm her jitters.

“I got this, Sweetheart, so stop worrying. I have fought guys better than him and come out on top.” I take her in my embrace and hold her close and say, “After this fight, I’m going to take you back to the hotel and rip your clothes from your body. I can’t do that if I’m hurt and a week without being inside you has been killing me.”

I bring my mouth down to hers and I want more. I need more and I’m going to end this fight fast. There is a storm coming and I’m the ‘Lightning’ that is going to strike Chip Washington.

My intro music blares through the speakers and pumps through my veins as I head down to the cage. The feeling I get inside every time I walk this walk is unbelievable. I was born to be a fighter; there has never been a doubt in my mind about that. I live and breathe for this moment. I train for this, I keep my body and mind healthy for this. I am a fighter and I’m ready to show the world I am their champion.

Clint opens the gate to the octagon and I step inside. The crowd is on their feet chanting my name. I can hear them. I can feel their excitement. It runs through me as if they think I am their God; but I’m not a God, I’m a fighter. I’m their entertainment, maybe some of them idolize me, but to me this is who I am in my soul.

While the commentator does the introduction, I walk the walls of the octagon for my fans. I spot my parents with my girl next to them. They stand on their feet with the cheering crowd, my dad has one arm around my mom’s waist and the other around Eve’s shoulder. I know he’ll take good care of both. I walk to the center of the cage and face my opponent, Chip. We send each other glares while the rules are being rattled off. I reach out my hand to touch gloves and Chip ignores it. That tells me the kind of fighter Chip is. That is how he wants to play; well, I’m ready to play.

Round one and Chip is a Judo fighter and the arm bar is his favorite take down. I keep that in my mind while we dance around the cage. He isn’t that aggressive at the beginning of the rounds and I know this. I do his little dance until I catch him off guard when I land a foot to his calf. He tries to lunge forward on me, but I step back. I know he wants me on the ground and I’ll do my best to stay on my feet. My last fight with Luke Douglas, I gave him too much of the ground and I won’t make that mistake with Chip.

Chip connects a jab to the right side of my face and I give him a high knee to the side. He tries to lock his arm around my neck but I break free. We do this song and dance for a while and the round ends with me giving him a few kicks to his thigh.

Clint tells me where my high points were in the round and where Chip’s were. I keep this in the back of my mind when round two starts. I know this is an easy fight for me and right now I feel confident I’ll win.

Chip and I are center ring and I want to cut the cage off to him. I do that by sending a jab/kick combo and he backs up; doing what I want. He throws himself forward and gets me around the waist. I land an elbow to his back. He gives me a few punches to the side; it’s nothing that will affect me. But then he spins on me and has my back. He tries to lock a choke-hold but my elbows to his stomach makes his grip weaken. I break free and spin on him, landing a high kick to his thigh. I hear Clint yell out last minute. I step back from Chip, and he goes after my waist again. We both land some hits, but mostly it’s been more of a hold till the round ends.

Round three and the bell rings. I go to the center of the octagon and so does Chip. We basically go around in circles and I wait for him to make a move. Finally, he comes at me with a jab and lands it to the side of my face. I spin on my heels and kick my leg out, landing a sidekick. Chip falls and it’s lights out for him. I get another knockout by sidekick to my record and the win. I barely have a scratch on me, but like I said it was an easy fight.

On the way out of the cage, I go to my girl and get her. Taking her by hand, we walk to the locker room together. When we get there my old coach is waiting by the door. I can see trouble is brewing. It’s clear he is drunk, he can barely stand. I’m not sure what to do and I know the press will be here soon waiting to get an interview. I don’t have a clue where Clint is, so I ask everyone to wait here until I find him. I give Eve a kiss before I walk off to find Clint.

By the time I find Clint and we round the corner to the locker room, my old coach is there, in Eves face yelling at her. I take off running towards them and Clint is hot on my heels. Before I can touch my old coach, I am being held back by my father and Clint. I can see my girl standing there taking coach yelling at her. She isn’t giving him the satisfaction of letting him bother her. My father tells me she is fine, and security has been called. I try once more to break free, I want to lay his ass out. I can see the camera’s flashing and I know this will be all over the gossip mags and internet.

Finally, security is here dragging him out. He’s kicking and screaming and putting up a fight. Yelling out trash about Eve. My father and Clint let me go and I take her in my arms and I hold her tight. I want to get her out of the flashing cameras and I tell her so in her ear. We break free and I lead us all to the locker room.

“You alright? Did he touch you? If he touched you, I will put that asshole in the hospital.”

“Kevin, calm down. He didn’t touch me; only yelling things that made no sense. He was wasted and slurring his words. I just want to leave here and go celebrate your win.”

“I’m so sorry, Sweetheart. He shouldn’t have been back here. I’ll never let him near you again.”

“It’s not your fault so let’s move on.” She gets up on her tiptoes and whispers in my ear, “We can talk about this later, but right now your mom is shaken up so we need to do something for her.”

Eve is worried about my mom and not herself? How did I get so damn lucky to have found her? I give her a quick kiss before I get the tape off my hands and shower. We have a celebration to get to.