This is actually a fairly laid back pre-match meet and greet with the reporters compared to the last one I had had, and seeing as how Donte Evans is here as well this is coming as quite a shock. Donte has done some growing up since our last match, so he seems like a little less of a prick now. The two of us still make snarky comments about one another, but it’s more playful, and light-hearted than angry threats as we talk about our upcoming match. The match is in four hours, so we are both pumping ourselves up.

Damion and Gabe are seated beside me, and Donte, and his pit crew are seated at the far end of the long panel-style table, a microphone in front of him as well. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to the match,” Donte says as he rambles on and on about the last question he had been asked.

Suddenly I see her, and a part of me gets uncomfortable at her sight. It’s Alison Lial from The Morning Cup, and she’s got the floor. She looks dead at me, but there is absolute no discomfort or familiarity there. Thank God. I don’t know what I would do if she brought up what happened or spilled the beans with Brandi standing over in the corner showing off her ring to some of the other boxer’s wives she knows. “Mr. Trial, I was hoping you could comment on Ms. Eaglewood’s latest win; last night’s match has caused her to break a state record for most consecutive wins –including your own record, Mr. Trial. Care to share your thoughts on Ms. Eaglewood’s success?”

“Honestly, I haven’t seen Eaglewood fight. I don’t really watch female boxing,” what did I just say? Oh, God, someone is going to take this the wrong way. Fuck me.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed someone as involved in the boxing community as you would have been keeping an eye on someone quickly approaching such an impressive record,” Alison said, a bit taken back by my comment.

I try to save face quickly before this shit gets online; there are so many cameras pointed at me. “Well, I used to watch female boxing more, but it’s been a while. I have been fairly occupied in my own training; I hadn’t even realized someone had been close to breaking that old record-”

Donte jumps on his mic before I have a chance to save face. “Are you saying you don’t think women should box, Jonathan?” He says loudly and clearly into the mic. “That’s not cool, man.”

My mouth goes dry. “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all.”

Too late. There are cameras in my face and reporters scribbling shit down in their notepads. This is the last thing I need to be worrying about right now. “Mr. Trial, what are you opinions about female boxing?” someone shouts out.

“Do you feel that your record was only broken because female boxing is in some way more simplistic than traditional male boxing?”

“Would you take up Ms. Eaglewood in a match if she challenged you?”

Oh my God… make it stop. I feel like a deer in headlights. “Well… um… she’s not really in my weight class,” I say as though that answers all the questions that are being thrown at me. I don’t know what to say.

Donte leans into the microphone. “Look, Jonathan, I don’t know what you’re suggesting down there, but I for one feel that female athletes do not get enough credit for their capabilities. Really, we should be talking about the gap between men and women athlete’s pay. My sister is a soccer player as many of you all know, and it’s really a shame that we don’t care enough to pay-”

I can hardly hear what he is saying, but I certainly know he’s helping me to dig my grave deeper and deeper. This was an unexpected turn of events. I try one last time to make things better. “I absolutely agree with you, Donte,” I say quickly, but there are eye rolls amongst the crowd. Well, we’re going to have to fix this shit later. The meet and greet are over, and I have to get ready for my match.