Page 83 of Undefeated

On.

Shame…

On.

The crowd cheered my name. I have never been a vain person, but the crowd was something that I have never heard before. I hate to admit it, but I liked it. The chanting provided me with a reason to show this big fuck what I came here for.

He attempted to get me off of him with a right jab. An uppercut followed. Both were dodged without much effort. I stepped back to his right, and swung a left hook into his ribs.

Oh shit, that felt like it cracked.

I’ve always said the eyes don’t lie. And his didn’t. He was hurt.

I knew what was next.

Lord. Prevent me from…

I swung a right-left hook into his torso.

Killing…

I threw a series of jabs to get him off balance.

This big bastard.

I threw a signature left hook at his ribs. He body twisted to his right, and both gloves came down for a fraction of a section. A fraction is all I needed.

I swung a right uppercut that connected directly with the bottom of his jaw. I followed with a left jab that connected solid with the front of his chin. His chin came down just a touch and his gloves dropped completely.

Everything went to slow motion for a moment. I heard the crowd cheering my name. I heard Kelsey pounding the mat, indicating the end of the round being only seconds away. And I heard, clear as day, Mike fucking Ripton scream.

You got this, Dekk!

A few times in my career, I have thrown a punch and regretted it. After it is thrown, it’s impossible to stop, especially by someone with my speed and strength. The right cross I threw at Mc Claskey’s temple was one of those punches. As soon as I threw it, I realized he was already unconscious. The punch connected on the left side of his temple. His head looked as if it was going to snap off of his neck.

And he fell to the mat.

And he did not move.

I vaguely remember seeing the referee step in. I turned toward the crowd. Everyone was on their feet, cheering. I looked back at Mc Claskey.

And he did not move.

The referee waved his hands.

And I realized that I had gone the distance. Not in this fight, but in my career - and with Kace. The Heavyweight Championship of the world was next. From what I had read, several million people were watching this fight on Pay-Per-View. Without a doubt, I would be a household name overnight. The title fight would bring millions of dollars, even if I lost the bout.

Mc Claskey moved his head.

Thank you Lord.

When they finally got Mc Claskey to his feet, I heard the announcer before I noticed all of the people gathered around me. And it sunk in.

I have actually won.

“…of the sixth round. By knockout. The winner, Shane Shame on Dekkar.”

As Kace stepped into the ring, my dog tags dangling from her clenched fist, I saw the look of pride in her eyes. And I further realized, not only had I won this fight - I had clearly won at the game of life.