radicalducati Page 196
Page 196
Photographers frantically pressed their shutters, capturing this visually stunning moment:
A mountain and a tower stand in opposition.
However, the peace was soon shattered.
Perhaps it was Victor's arrogant attitude that angered some people, or perhaps it was Lewis's seemingly "weak" physique that evoked some people's "sympathy," but a veteran in the audience suddenly raised his voice, which clearly echoed throughout the suddenly quiet venue.
"Hey! Big guy! Don't think you can scare people just because you look like a rhinoceros on steroids! Lewis will beat that fat off you piece by piece! Your time will be over soon. A clown like you who bullies people with his weight is no match for a real warrior!"
The speaker was Traudl, the man who once defeated the legendary Rocky and reached the top of the world.
He had a fiery temper and was clearly extremely dissatisfied with Victor Lee's outrageous remarks, so he launched an attack directly.
All eyes were instantly drawn to Traudl, and then turned to Victor Lee on stage.
The smile on Victor Lee's face vanished instantly.
He slowly, extremely slowly, turned his head, his small, sharp eyes locking onto Traudl in the audience.
A palpable sense of oppression spread out, and the temperature in the banquet hall seemed to drop several degrees.
"Trout,"
Victor's voice was deep and threatening, like a boulder rolling, "I remember you. Your time was as short as a nightmare. You have no right to speak here."
If you're so eager to experience what it's like to be 'cleaned up' beforehand, I can give you a free ICU appointment after the race. Or, you can come up now; I don't mind warming up at the weigh-in ceremony.
A cold and direct threat!
The reporters went wild, their cameras switching back and forth between Victor and Traudl.
The security personnel tensed up instantly and instinctively moved closer to the VIP seating area.
Traudl was so humiliated in front of everyone that he suddenly stood up, his face flushed, and seemed to want to rush onto the stage, but was pulled back in time by the people around him.
WBA officials quickly stepped forward to block the two men's view, and the microphone was also quickly moved away.
The weighing ceremony ended abruptly in an extremely tense and unpleasant atmosphere.
Victor Lee gave Traudl and Lewis one last cold glance, then donned his battle suit and, like a black storm, left the scene surrounded by his team and security.
The weigh-in incident, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, caused ripples that quickly spread throughout the entire boxing world.
All the interviews and headlines revolved around Victor's terrifying weight of 407 pounds and his fiery confrontation with Traudl.
Lewis' team remained unusually calm in the post-match interview.
"Weight is just a number,"
Lewis' coach, Manny Steward, told the media:
"Lennox's speed, technique, and intelligence are key. Victor is strong, but he's clumsy. We'll use kite tactics to take him down."
Lewis himself simply stated, "We'll see who's the best in the ring tomorrow night."
Victor's team, on the other hand, appeared more flamboyant.
As he had said before, Lowell laughed heartily at the camera: "Warm-up? Victor never jokes. If Traudl dares to show up, I won't mind calling an ambulance for him."
As for Lewis? He'll just be the first name to be eliminated in Victor's Declaration. One round? Two rounds? We'll see.
The casino odds fluctuated again due to the weigh-in ceremony, with Victor's odds of winning becoming even more favorable, but many others believed that Lewis's skills were enough to create a miracle.
As night falls, Atlantic City remains brightly lit, as if it were daytime.
Outside the magnificent stadium in the center of the square, the air was filled with the sounds of people.
All 45,000 seats were occupied, and the roar of the crowd reached the sky.
The spotlight swept across the crowd, illuminating excited, enthusiastic, and expectant faces.
Most of the audience members were supporters of Victor Lee.
Many of them were overseas Chinese, waving flags and cheering for their fellow countrymen heroes;
There are also a large number of boxing fans who worship absolute power. They are attracted by Viktor's destructive fighting style and arrogant, unruly personality, and they shout:
Chapter 165 Two Knockouts: Lewis is Also a Durable King
However, nearly a quarter of the people are die-hard fans of Lewis.
They were mostly more rational, appreciating technical boxing; though fewer in number, they were well-organized, chanting slogans in unison, and their momentum was astounding.
"Lennox! Lewis! Lennox! Lewis!"
The cheers and shouts rivaled those of Viktor's supporters.
In the VIP section, boxing legends gathered once again.
Joe Lewis, Frazier, Holmes, Marciano, Dempsey, Liston... and Traudl, whose face was still grim.
They are no longer the main characters, but rather the most professional spectators, waiting to judge this new era's battle for supremacy.
The camera frequently gave them close-ups, capturing their every reaction.
In the HBO pay-TV live broadcast booth, commentator "Bomber" Jim Lampriy and former heavyweight boxing analyst Larry McCann were already in place.
"Good evening, everyone! Welcome to the Atlantic City Plaza Centre! I'm Jim Lampley, and my partner is Larry McCann. Tonight, we're about to witness a fight that could rewrite heavyweight history! Larry, the tension from the weigh-in seems to be building into tonight."
“Yes, Jim,”
Larry McCann's voice was calm and insightful: "Victor Lee's 407 pounds was a signal, a declaration of absolute power. Lewis's composure, on the other hand, represented ultimate confidence in his technique."
Traudl's provocation was no accident; it represented a backlash from old-school boxers against Viktor's "power-first" philosophy. Tonight, will power overpower technique, or will technique prevail over power? The answer is about to be revealed!
Backstage, the two soldiers were making their final preparations.
The atmosphere in Lewis's lounge was heavy and focused.
Manny Steward gave his final tactical instructions: "Listen, Lennox, forget his weight, forget his strength. He's not strong enough. No matter how strong he is, it's useless if he can't hit!"
Use your movement to control the distance and strike him with your jabs. Don't get into close-quarters combat too early; wear him down. His stamina can't sustain high-speed attacks for more than twelve rounds. Patience, remember, patience is key!
In 1987, the fifteen-round championship fight was cancelled and reduced to twelve rounds.
Lewis nodded silently, his eyes closed, as he visualized how he would use agile footwork and long-arm jabs to control his opponent.
On the other hand, a violent calm permeated Victor's lounge.
He didn't listen to music or yell; he just sat quietly as the coach wrapped bandages around his neck and applied Vaseline.
Viktor stared ahead, as if he could already see his opponent fall.
Old Jack simply said, "Run him over, like a steamroller. Show him real power. Don't try to punch him; his arms are long!"
The stadium lights dimmed, and spotlights shone on the entrance.
First up was challenger Lennox Lewis.
Dressed in a gold suit, accompanied by spotlights and the Canadian national anthem, he strode quickly toward the boxing ring with a blank expression, his steps light and springy.
He jumped into the boxing ring and made his final preparations in the corner.
Immediately afterwards, the lights dimmed again, and a beam of blood-red light shone on the entrance to the contestants' passage.
The deep, oppressive music begins—it's a bass-heavy version of "The Gods Enter Valhalla".
Victor Lee has appeared!
He wore a red cloak, the huge hood obscuring his face, revealing only his rounded chin.
He was like a demon emerging from the abyss, each step heavy and slow, as if the ground itself was trembling.
Beneath the cloak lay a terrifying 407-pound body that would instill fear in any opponent.
The entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar of cheers and boos.
He ignored everything and slowly walked towards the boxing ring.
Once in the ring, he abruptly threw off his cloak, revealing his muscular upper body. Then, facing the audience, he spread his arms and let out a silent roar, as if declaring his dominance.
The referee called the two men to the center of the ring for the final instructions.
“Listen, children, protect yourselves at all times. Follow my instructions. No hitting the back of the head, no hitting below the belt. When we are separated, we are separated. Understand?”
The referee looked at the two of them seriously.
Lewis nodded.
Victor Lee merely glanced at the referee with his cold eyes and nodded slightly.
There was no eye contact, no feigned fist bump.
The two returned to their respective corners.
The bell tolled to start the first round!
Lewis darted out from the corner like an arrow, using his excellent footwork to move around the perimeter.
He maintained a safe distance, his lead jab probing out like a viper's tongue, testing Victor's rhythm and defense.
Victor, however, adopted a completely different strategy. He
Instead of launching a fierce attack, it advanced steadily like a fortress, its arms raised high to protect its head.
Lewis's jabs landed crisply on his forearms and gloves, but seemed to have no real effect on him.
Viktor's steps seemed slow, but they carried an unstoppable sense of pressure, forcing Lewis step by step toward the rope corner.
"Lewis started cautiously, using jabs to control the distance."
Jim Lampriy provided the commentary.
"Yes, but look at Viktor's defense, it's almost impenetrable. Lewis's jabs aren't powerful enough to hit him, it's like shooting a tank with a water gun."
Larry McKen analyzed, "Lewis must find a more effective method."
After two minutes of probing, Victor seemed to have figured out Lewis's rhythm.
His eyes suddenly sharpened!
Suddenly, he took a step forward, and his huge body burst out with an astonishing speed that was completely disproportionate to his weight!
They instantly closed the distance!
Lewis felt a sudden alarm bell ringing in his mind, and instinctively wanted to back away or hug her.