The fist comes from the right this time, and I absorb it. Our eyes are locked in a dead stare, neither of us even daring to blink because we know, on an unconscious level, that it could be the point in which the other one strikes and we're caught off guard.
I jab a couple small jabs from the left, just attempting to break his concentration more than anything else, but it isn't working. A tight right hook comes at me, but it whiffs into thin air. Now is my chance and I lay it all out.
A solid right lands directly on his face, two left jabs while I regain the momentum with another solid right.
He falls back and I pounce towards him. My right lands on his glove, but he is dazed. He has regained his footing, but he took a couple solid hits that is sure to wear him down.
Our eyes have again locked in a dead man's stare.
A ding and it is the end of the round.
I drink my water and the sound of voices in the distance keep me company as I stare across the ring at the enemy.
Any other day, I could sit and have beers with this mother fucker, share stories of wasting money and women, but today we are at war. I've got to get this out of my head. Makes me weak. This mother fucker needs to die.
I left that round with a big lead. I can take him out in the next one. The pain of those solid right handers have to be hitting him hard now that his adrenaline is coming down.
We get back up and the ding starts the next round.
He is playing it safer now. His guard is up further, his face has been hurt, but that just means I've gotten him weaker. Just have to wait for my moment to land another good solid hit. He'll be done for sure.
I jab a couple quickies, again, trying to break his concentration, but his hands are planted. His guard is secure.
His jabs are weaker now, but my eyes aren't leaving his. Fuck that.
I can see it in his eyes, they dart a quick little dart to my left hand before coming back to mine. He's lost it. His edge is gone. Just have to wait for the perfect time.
A right then a left, my jabs are getting more intense as I try to break his guard. I notice his right is flinching just a bit. That's his weakness growing. Just a little bit longer and he is done.
His eyes dart over to my left again and I force a right directly towards his face.
It catches glove and then I notice it - a left hook coming straight for my face. All I can think - I blinked.
-Dustin S. Stover
