Loving Kinnick (Rewritten)

Let's Go Give Him Hell

Chrissy and I didn't arrive at our seats before the lights dimmed. The announcer's voice echoed through the building. We stumbled over people's feet as we searched for our row number. The lack of space in between the seats is suffocating.

When the other fighter stepped through the corridor, the crowd clapped. Only from his side of the ring did everyone scream. The arena didn't come to life until white lights flickered through the building and a specific beat rumbled through the ground.

The white spotlights focused on the east side of the entrance. We sat in front of the ring, next to the aisle Kinnick came walking down. The smoke crawled over his skin as he stepped through the corridor. Unlike his opponent, he didn't step out wearing anything flashy. A sleek black robe covered his body with his last name on the back in matte black lettering.

As Kinnick came within touching distance, he stopped walking. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion until he held up his fist, extending it out to me. Mine reached out in front of me, allowing my knuckles to bump with his.

"This one's for you," he mouthed, dropping his left eye into a wink.

My mouth twisted into a smile as he walked away. His fingers curled over the top rope before he hurled himself over. His opponent stepped back as if he was intimidated. Kinnick's grin told me he enjoyed it. I would have given up if it were me he was smiling at like that. John made it clear, Kinnick has a six-inch reach advantage, and he dominated in height.

"On the left in gold shorts, standing at five-foot-eight, weighing in at one-hundred and ninety-pounds, Levi 'Golden Boy' Anderson!"

The crowd cheered for him, but not like they did when Kinnick was announced. "And in the right corner, wearing black shorts, standing at six-foot-four, weighing in at two-hundred and seventy-five pounds, the undefeated heavyweight, Kinnick 'the Hawkeye' Carson!"

The fighters touched gloves before the bell rang. I witnessed Kinnick fall into a state of mind where the person in front of him was nothing but a target. The look brewing in his eyes made me wonder if that's why paramedics waited anxiously on the side of the ring.

When Levi landed a jab on Kinnick, people sensed the tension and stood on their feet. Except, the hit didn't affect Kinnick as he encouraged Levi to hit him again. I couldn't make out the word falling from his lips, but it made his opponent throw a sloppy combination of one-twos.

Levi landed an uppercut on Kinnick's jaw, making his head snap back. The crowd went silent; not a person from Levi's team cheered him on. We watched the referee stalk towards Kinnick, but my body shivered with fear when his head fell forward, and a wicked grin played on his lips.

I watched the muscles in Levi's shoulders ripple as he threw a punch towards Kinnick. He didn't plan on it being deflected, but it was. My eyes squeezed shut, refusing to see the following events unfold as a cracking sound erupted from the ring.

"Is he breathing?" Someone cried out. "Help him!"

My eyes shot open to see Kinnick standing over Levi's body. The rise and fall of his chest is faint. A stretcher was slid into the ring, along with a few nurses.

"Pipe down," John scoffed. "That's what getting your ass knocked out looks like."

I didn't need to see what happened to know he won. Vibrations shook the floor as fans chanted his name. The sound is deafening. My ears felt like they would pop any second, but I couldn't help it; my eyes flew up, and I fell victim to the chaos.

"And still the undisputed heavyweight champion, Kinnick 'the Hawkeye' Carson!"

Chrissy grabbed my arm, pulling me out of my seat. I followed her to the ring, where the team grouped. A few men lifted Kinnick into the air. Pleasure crossed his features as he looked out at the screaming crowd.