I jogged through the gravel, working myself up to a sprint as I got closer and closer to the shed I called a gym. By the time I got there I was well out of breath, I was unfit and on the verge of passing out, "bloody hell" my trainer Nate sighed, "your gonna need to work a lot more if you wanna get in that ring mate" he explained. I nodded and walked into the "gym". Nates gym was basically a little shed near the highway with a bunch of exercise equipment, a set of punching bags and a ring with a wooden floor. I wanted to get strong and big, aiming to start fighting some other locals in organised fights rather than getting into shit out in the street. I got on my wraps and gloves and started working combinations on a bag. that became my life for 7 months, 3 times a week at the gym, other than that it was schoolwork or working. I didn't see much of my family and was glad of it, my dad was the cliche alcoholic prick and my mum was just an idiot who couldn't stay away from my father for longer than 2 weeks after a break up.
Everytime I did see my dad he was drunk, he gave me shit about boxing as soon as I started. "ooooh you gonna build up and beat me up?" He mocked, slurring his words, "as if, you won't last a week" and with that he punched me in the ribs, following with a kick to the arm. I pushed through it. that was what I did every time I saw him though, that was the routine.
After the 7 months I was a bloody machine, fleshed out muscles and a six pack that was coming up. I was a great fighter as well. every combination, every kick, every punching technique known in kickboxing, I knew it.
"Alright, I think your ready to go in" Nate told me and grinned, proud of his work. He called some people and managed to get me a fight the next Friday night. I practiced everything I was going to do.
My dad found out Thursday afternoon. some people at his work heard about it which was how he came to know of it, as soon as I got home he was there.
"Fighting tomorrow aye?" He said " I've gotta hand it to you, you've gotten in shape, but your gonna get absolutely annihilated in there, especially if it's someone like me"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked back
"It means that if you fight someone that's anything like my size or strength your going to die" he replied, "here let me show you"
He got up and walked towards me and threw a right punch aiming straight for my teeth. I leant to the side and dodged it, the retorted by hitting him square in the chest, knocking him back and then kicked his legs out from under him.
He lied there on the floor looking at me, trying to get up and groaned while he tried. id broken 5 of his ribs.
I leant down and looked at him.
"Shits changed" i explained.
And with that, I kicked him in the teeth with my Runners.
Friday night, this was it. I pulled on my mma gloves for the first time, I ran through some combos with Nate really quick just for the sake of it. I heard my opponents music start playing and he made his way to the ring, "kill you" by eminem played as he walked up cockily to the ring. Then my music played.
"Reign of darkness" by thy art is murder thumped through the speakers as me and Nate walked up. I entered and went into the middle. the ref started talking but his words were a blur to me, I looked at the man I was about to fight and he looked straight back at me.
"Alright touch gloves" the ref ordered
We both walked straight back to our corners, the crowd "ooooohhed" as we went back. then it was on,
"You ready?" He asked me, I nodded
"You ready?" He asked the other bloke, he did the same.
"Let's go to war!" The ref announced.
The other guy sprinted straight at me. I waited. waited. then sidestepped at the last second,pushing him straight into the link fence, he hit it hard but I wasn't done. before he could get back up I walked over and grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him straight back over. I went straight for him, my knees in his chest I punched straight into his jaw and head. again, again, again. people started yelling but I blocked it out. he tried to pull his guard up pathetically but his arms slumped straight back down. blood poured from his mouth and his nose bled profusely. Nothing was stopping me. I felt like a ball of fire. I felt like a bulldozer, no a tank, ripping and blasting and crunching bone. then I was pulled off him and everything hit me. people were screaming and leaving to throw up. I looked at my opponents face and saw nothing but red and pulp. a few teeth lay next to his now disfigured face. I heard sirens. I left the ring and walked home. I slept longer than I ever had before in my life that night.
