Bell to Bell: A Boxing Story

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Tonight is the night! The finals of the tournament are here! Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's card has only one match. Gabe Calloway will fight against John Sloane to determine the winner of the Golden Eagle Tournament, and this fight will also crown the new holder of the vacant Pro-Am Boxing Championship!! Let's get this fight started!!"

"Gabe and Sloane start off the round with a stare-down, a tactic we have seen many times in this tournament. Sloane throws a few quick jabs to start the action! Calloway steps back to avoid them, but Sloane moves forward to take away the distance. Sloane throws another set of jabs, but they're avoided by Calloway. Calloway throws a right, but the punch is ducked by Sloane. Neither fighter is gaining ground over the other. Sloane throws a right, ducked by Calloway, another right by Sloane, again ducked by Calloway! Calloway throws a left-right combination, but it's blocked by Sloane! Sloane counters with a body shot, but is again blocked by Calloway! Calloway is looking better than ever in this fight. Sloane throws a right. Countered by Calloway with a flush body shot! Calloway has connected with the first blow! Calloway has the advantage over Sloane! Sloane has backed up to avoid Calloway's blows! Calloway throws another body shot! The shot connects without resistance! The advantage is in Calloway's favor as this match comes to an end!"

"The second round is off! Sloane starts off this match with a very vicious onslaught, Calloway's advantage has easily been shifted towards Sloane's favor. Even though Sloane has not connected with a blow, his furious combination has driven Calloway into the corner! Calloway's guard seems to be impenetrable tonight! Calloway slips out from the corner and throws a heavy right at the same time! The blow connects! Sloane is dazed, as Calloway seems to be gaining ground once more! Calloway throws a right, but it's blocked by Sloane who counters with a clean left! Sloane throws a left-right-left combination that rocks Calloway! Both fighters have connected with heavy blows in this round! Neither side has an advantage as we enter the last stretch of this match! Sloane goes to throw a right, but Calloway slips the blow and counters with a right of his own! A right-left combination by Calloway ends this round!"

The next two rounds were filled with action-packed moments. Each fighter dominated the other in moments that displayed their boxing supremacy. Neither fight would give an inch to the other as the fight went on. Soon, the  fifth round came to a start.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the fifth round of this contest. So far in this fight, we have seen the pinnacle of Pro-Am boxing in these two excellent fighters. No matter the winner, this fight is sure to go down in boxing history! These two fighters have shown why the deserve to be here in, in this moment."

"Sloane starts off the round with a heavy right. The blow connects and stuns Calloway, but he quickly recovers! Calloway dodges Sloane's flurry of attacks! Sloane connects with a vicious right, but Calloway returns the favor! Calloway is pushing Sloane back, but Sloane is fighting for a chance to stay in this! Sloane is gaining the upper hand against his powerful adversary! A vicious combination by Sloane! Calloway is getting rocked! Sloane is on the assault, but Calloway comes back with huge right hand! Calloway has turned the tables on Sloane! Calloway is dominating Sloane with vicious combinations! Switching from body to head shots, Calloway seems to be unpredictable in this round!  Sloane is backed into a corner! Calloway is beating Sloane into a pulp while he's stuck in the corner! Sloane slips out of the corner! Calloway is now the one taking a beating in the corner! Sloane is dominating Calloway as this round reaches it's end."

"We are arriving at the sixth and final round of this match! This has been a fight for the record books! We have never seen such an emotionally powerful match in Golden Eagle history! Whoever wins this war will truly deserve the championship and the trophy! Without further ado, let's get the final round underway!"

"Sloane starts off the final round with a few jabs, but none connect. Calloway is dodging all of Sloane's blows! Calloway is dancing around his opponent! It's like he's floating on air! Sloane cannot touch Calloway! We seen Calloway move similar to this at the beginning  of the fight, but this is on a different level!  Calloway is bobbing and weaving like nothing ever seen before! He is easily dodging and countering all of Sloane's punches! How long can Calloway keep this up?!  Calloway is attacking and defending all at once! He seems unstoppable! Will Sloane be able to counter Calloway's masterful evasiveness, or will he fall victim to Calloway?! Sloane is unleashing a vicious combination, but to no avail. Calloway keeps dodging his blows with ease! Calloway has thrown very few punches this round, but he has not been hit at all! One minute remains in this round! Sloane throws a right! Calloway tries to dodge, but he has nowhere to go? Calloway is on the ropes, but he is still bobbing and weaving! He slips Sloane's left, and  counters with a vicious blow that sends Sloane to the ground as the final round ends!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just witnessed something amazing here! Gabe Calloway and John Sloane have fought to the very end of a very physical battle! Since a knockout has not occured, the winner will be decided by decision! It'll take the judges a bit to tally up the scores, so feel free to walk around the arena. If you would like autographs, our fighters will be in their locker rooms! I will announce when the judges are ready to reveal their results."

While the judges tallied up their scores, Gabe walked back to his locker room where he was met by Michelle.

"You did great out there! You were amazing! How are you feeling after that fight?"

"That was the hardest fight I have ever been in. I knew he was tough, but I didn't know he was that tough. I couldn't knock him out no matter how hard I hit him."

"You seemed untouchable in that last round, how did you do that?"

"Remember what you told your dad, the first time I met him?"

"About your boxing skills?"

"Yeah, but mostly about how I 'dance' around the ring. I remembered dancing with you under the bridge while I was getting back into fighting shape. I remembered how light I felt in that moment, and how easily I moved around. That feeling is what gave me the advantage in the final round. When I used that in the first round, I couldn't remember the feeling completely, but when I saw you in the crowd in the break between round five and round six, I understood what I was missing. This whole time I've been trying to impress someone that is no longer in my life, because of that, I failed to see that the one person that matters most in my life was already proud of me. I've been so blinded by trying to follow in my father's footsteps, I never realized that by doing that I was missing out on what mattered most to me. I don't care if I win or lose anymore as long as you are right there with me."

"I'm glad you think that way, because the results are in. Let's go."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the results are in. The first judge has scored this fight 28-27. The second judge has scored this fight 27-28. The third, and final judge, has scored this fight 29-26. THE WINNER OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE TOURNAMENT, AND NEW PRO-AM BOXING CHAMPION IS GABE CALLOWAY!!"

The crowd screamed with excitement as Gabe was crowned as the tournament winner. After months of fighting, he achieved everything he wanted. Per tradition, Gabe gave a speech about his victory. 

"These past few months have been the hardest of my life. I have been homeless, arrested, beaten, and injured. I have clawed my way to the surface. I began at the bottom, but through months of pain and suffering, I have finished at the top! Though these past few months have been hard, they have also been the best months of my life. I wouldn't be where I am today with someone that is very special to me: Michelle Dunny! She has been with me since the beginning of the whole thing. She has been there for me when I needed her the most, and I can't thank her enough. In fact, the reason I won was because of her. She taught me that I should never work to impress someone that wasn't here, but instead work to make those that are here proud of me and who I have become. Thank you all for cheering me on! Before I go and celebrate my win, there is something that I have to say! Michelle, you have been the most amazing person that I could ever ask for. You have been by my side and supported me through everything. No words can explain how grateful I am to you. You have changed my life more than you know. I want to say this in front of everyone that is in this arena and to everyone that is watching this at home: Michelle Dunny, you are the most amazing woman in the world and no one can ever begin to compare to you, I love you!"

Gabe's ultimate dream had finally begun its start. With the prize money from the tournament, Gabe bought his own place. With the tournament behind him, Gabe went pro, with Michelle by his side.