16.

Ding! Round One.

‘And here we go. Both fighters meet in the centre of the ring. Taylor throws a probing jab. Harrison throws a big right hand. Teddy dodges easily and resumes working the jab. Reggie’s looking to let everybody know who’s boss, but Teddy Taylor looks comfortable.’

‘That could change quickly, Jim.’

‘Indeed, Tommy, but Teddy is keeping active. Reggie looks a bit stiff. Until now! A jab followed by a straight right. Ted tilts his head and the blow glances by. He counters with a solid hook to the ribs. Now he’s inside looking for openings. Reggie covers up. Taylor backs away.’

‘Nice work from Taylor. I expected to see him ducking for cover at every punch Reggie threw. But he’s standing his ground and holding his nerve. Most importantly, he’s showcasing the counterpunching he used to be known for.’

Ted was in the zone. He needed to be. He eyed his opponent’s every move with laser focus, observing and memorising the length of his stride, the swing of his hips and, most importantly, the patterns of movement of his head and hands.

Reggie stalked with heavy steps and hands low. Ted suspected a trap. He obliged and landed two quick jabs, feigned a right hook and then backed away to reset. At all times he kept one eye on Reggie’s right hand.

They circled the ring. Ted took the invitation to move inside, this time feigning the second jab and throwing a right hook that bounced off Reggie’s left glove and landed with half its force into his temple. Reggie was off-balance but had Ted where he wanted him. Reggie came over the top with a big right hand. Ted anticipated and ducked expertly. The punch sailed overhead, creating an opening.

‘This is unbelievable! Reggie’s backing up. Now he’s against the ropes. Teddy’s unloading on him. Now Harrison’s in the corner. Boom! That was a big left hand from Taylor. Reggie’s covering up for dear life. There’s the bell. My, oh my, it couldn’t have come any sooner for Reggie Harrison!’

‘Now, that wasn’t what we expected, was it, Jim? Taylor’s taking heavy breaths on his way back to the corner but he looks determined. Reggie’s steady on his feet, despite copping some real heat.’

‘This next round is going to be very interesting.’

‘Sure is, Jim. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Taylor dictated that entire round, probably surprising Harrison by taking the fight to him.’

‘So, what does Taylor do now, Tommy? Does he keep it up?’

‘I don’t see why not.’

Ding! Round Two.

Ted wasn’t surprised when Reggie opened the round by pressing forward. As Ted expected, the jabs were slow and awkward, yet effective in keeping Ted guessing. Ron and Pop’s advice replayed in the back of his mind. Fast right.

Reggie absorbed the countering jabs and continued to muscle Ted around the ring. Ted kept moving everything from his head to feet to avoid Reggie’s jabs, knowing they could be followed by something more severe.

Let him jab. His right’s getting twitchy.

In frustration, Reggie followed a jab with a wide right cross. There it is. Ted ducked and hammered a left into Reggie’s ribs – like hitting an oak tree. He followed with a right uppercut to the chin. He missed the target. Reggie barely flinched at the set-up rib shot and fired a thunderous left hook that exploded against Ted’s temple.

The black hole didn’t just appear – Ted fell into it. A chorus of sirens echoed in his head. A deep, consuming blackness burned his skull. Visions of his father’s snarling face flashed like lightning. His legs turned to jelly, but sporadic pulses of electricity from the storm in his head jolted them whenever he was about to fall.

Sixteen-year-old Ted reddened with shame as the sound of his father’s shouting and his mother’s crying carried out onto the street.

‘Do you want to come back to my place tonight?’ asked his friend Riley from the driver’s seat.

‘Jodie’s home,’ whispered Mel. Another way of saying: You must do something.

Ted swallowed and got out of the car. He didn’t know what lie he could come up with to try to play down whatever was going on inside. He shut the car door, wishing the neighbours still bothered to call the cops when his parents fought.

Mel got out, hurriedly walked around and gripped his arm. Riley sped off.

‘Wait on the porch,’ Ted told her.

Fear spurred him back to the light and the black hole settled in the top right corner of his blurred vision. The sirens faded to a humming in the distance. His brain kicked in. Take a knee. He needed to go down before Reggie shut the lights off for good, but his jelly legs didn’t listen and continued to drag him unsteadily around the ring. Just keep moving. With his vision hazy, he relied on his ears and instincts to feel Harrison stalking for the kill. Keep your hands up. He pushed both gloves against his cheeks to make sure they were there. Something flashed and he clenched his entire body.

Ted hurried through the front door into the dimly lit living room where the commotion was coming from. The television lay smashed on the floor and a couch was upside down. He followed the animal-like cries and found his mother and sister huddled in a corner.

His mother’s eyes were wide with fear. His father’s rampages were nothing new, but normally his mother would watch the situation play out with a disturbing calm Ted could never understand. She attacked Ron in her own way. She knew what strings to pull to send him into a rage.

The look on her face suggested she had pulled one string too many.

‘Go outside, Teddy,’ she whispered. ‘Don’t let him see you.’

Too late. Ron emerged down the hallway in long boxing shorts and a tight white singlet fittingly known as a wife-beater.

Ted’s hands twitched. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, gesturing to his mum and sister.

Jodie had buried herself under Mum’s arm as if she could disappear into her. She squealed as their mother rose to her feet.

‘Get out, Ron,’ she said through gritted, bloodied teeth.

‘You have some nerve.’ The alcoholic stink of his breath carried the short distance between him and Ted.

She looked up at Ron with contempt. ‘You’re pathetic.’

The punch hit his gloves and brought the sirens back to the foreground. Take a knee. Keep moving. Hands up. A hit to the ribs sent a shockwave of pain through his body that no amount of adrenaline could mask. Only his semi-conscious stubbornness saved him by keeping his fists pressed against his face as he blocked the follow-up blow. Take a fucking knee! The fear of not being able to rise stopped him. Keep moving. Hands up. Clarity was returning. Just throw a punch.

The straight right caught Reggie by surprise and flush in the nose, stunning him.

Ted sought to follow up with another but his punch sailed to the side of the target and he nearly fell forward. He had bought some time but had to get back into rhythm. Keep moving. Hands up. His hands didn’t listen; they dangled by his side. Feeling Reggie hot on his tail, he all but ran backwards until he felt the ropes on his back. He rolled off the ropes, lost his footing and rolled across the ground, but bounced straight back to his feet. Somehow the manoeuvre shook some of the cobwebs clear. Reggie continued towards the swaying Ted, but the bell rang.

Jodie hugged Ted’s waist. The war of words and alcohol-fuelled hate escalated. Mel came in the front door and stood quietly in the hallway behind them.

‘This what you wanted? Ron?’ said Monique, stepping forward and leaving Ted behind. ‘One big happy family.’

The string snapped. Ron’s open palm knocked her to the floorboards with a thud.

Ted lunged forward and stepped directly into a backhand that nearly knocked him on top of his mother. In blind fury, he cannoned his right fist into his father’s left cheek.

Ted stumbled to his corner, kicked the stool away and remained on his feet. The bell was still ringing in his head.

‘He needs to show me something,’ said the referee.

Andrew acknowledged the referee with a nod and turned to Ted. ‘Ted, talk to me.’

Ted swished water in his mouth. ‘Yeah,’ he said after he spat the water out into a bucket. When he moved his jaw, a jolt of pain fired through his temple.

‘You don’t look good.’ Andrew stood close and held Ted by the arms to help him stay upright without trying to make it too obvious.

‘I’m okay. I’m okay.’

Andrew bobbed his head. ‘He’s going to come after you with everything. You gotta avoid him this round. Get your head back on. Get your gloves up.’

Ted took a deep breath and smirked. ‘You’re starting to sound like Pop. All you’re missing is the slap.’

Andrew slapped him. ‘There you go.’

‘For a moment I thought they were going to throw in the towel, but Teddy just got a slap to the face, and they’re sending him back out.’

‘Taylor is either very brave or very stupid. He doesn’t look right to me.’

‘Round Three, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t blink!’

Ding! Round Three.

For the first time since he had entered the house, everything was silent. Mel was on her knees hugging Jodie, Monique was unconscious on the ground and Ted stood frozen in terror, his right hand still in a fist.

Ron stumbled. Ted wasn’t sure if it was the booze or the punch he’d planted on his father’s jaw that caused it. Ron retaliated with a punch of his own. Ted ducked and punched him again. Ron’s head rolled and he stood upright and wriggled his jaw. When his jaw settled, his face reflected the same look that Ted remembered from the day the black hole first arrived.

‘Goodnight, Teddy,’ Reggie grunted.

Ted was still sluggish, but regained control. He did his best to maintain distance from Reggie without backing himself into the ropes or, even worse, a corner. His hands were up in a defensive stance. He wasn’t thinking about throwing a punch. The goal was to waste as much time as possible. He chewed up a minute back-pedalling, dodging and ducking. The crowd booed, but he was professional enough not to care.

‘Come on!’ said Reggie as he stopped to complain to the ref. ‘He’s gotta show you something.’

The ref turned to Ted. ‘He’s right.’

Once Teddy saw that look, he knew what was coming. He stepped back to avoid the savage punch that could well have killed him. Deep down, he knew this would only end with an unconscious body on the floor. He clenched his fist, determined to make sure it wasn’t him this time.

Ted sprang forward and hit Reggie with a cheap shot. Technically the fight hadn’t been paused during the conversation, so it was fair game. Ted knew he’d find out very quickly if it was a smart move or not. The shot of adrenaline helped to put him back in a fighting frame of mind.

Reggie rushed forward in anger. Ted stepped back to avoid the first punch but the second forced him to block by raising his left shoulder. Reggie struck him in the bicep, corking the muscle. Grimacing, Ted threw a left jab to Reggie’s cheek. The bigger man barely flinched. Ted ducked a right hook and came upwards throwing rapid combinations to keep Reggie in defence. Reggie responded with punches of his own as his breaths turned heavy. The sound of Reggie’s heaving chest encouraged Ted to keep his foot on the accelerator.

‘They’re going toe to toe! Jim, this is unbelievable. Taylor seems to have recovered and has managed to rope Reggie into a brawl after the bigger man has already spent his energy chasing him around the ring.’

‘Taylor lands a hook. So does Reggie. Taylor rolls with it and comes at him again. Lands one, lands two. Reggie starting to tire but keeps throwing them. But his punches are lacking force and Taylor knows it.’

‘Little Boy Blue is sticking it to Reggie Harrison! Reggie takes a knee! But he needn’t have – the bell rings. What a comeback round for Taylor!’

‘That will count as a knockdown in the judges’ eyes. Tommy, this fight has been turned on its head. Taylor has assumed the lead by my count, with two rounds to one, but I feel Reggie took a tactical knee rather than being forced. Taylor, on the other hand, would still be feeling the weight of that second-round meteor that landed on his skull.’

‘At this rate, Jim, there’s not many rounds left. This won’t be decided by the judges.’

‘Talk about poking the bear,’ said Andrew as he crouched in front of Ted.

Ted sat on the stool, opened his mouth for his mouthguard to be removed and kept it open for a squirt of water. He swished the water around before spitting it into the bucket beside him. ‘My left bicep’s corked.’

‘You gotta keep it moving.’ Andrew massaged Ted’s arm with his thumbs.

Ted winced.

‘That bad, huh?’ said Andrew. ‘That’s gonna be a problem. You need that left jab. Don’t take him on without it. Pick your moments – treat it like it’s Round One all over again.’ Andrew slapped him. ‘Hey, you listening?’

Battered and bruised, Teddy stood over his father in the backyard on what would be the last night of physical violence in the Taylor household.

Any strings that connected Ted and Ron as father and son had been severed.

Ted could barely believe what had happened. As the adrenaline cooled, his hands began to quiver and ache – the hands that had beaten his father’s face to a pulp and then dragged him outside onto the lawn, where, with a harrowing rage, Ted had held him upright with one hand and bashed him some more with the other.

The slap spurred Ted back to reality. He’d been staring into the lights above the ring, daydreaming so deeply that the sirens in his head had nearly sung him to sleep. Hidden in their song was a question – did he really want to win this fight?

‘Ted, you sure you’re okay?’ asked Andrew.

‘I’m fine.’

‘Okay.’ Andrew was clearly unconvinced. ‘On your feet. Ted, I don’t want to be standing here with a towel flinching in my hand. Be smart.’

Ding! Round Four.

‘Tommy, that fourth round was probably more in line with my expectations as to how this fight was going to go. Taylor backing away, working the jab and looking for counter opportunities, with Reggie constantly pressing and trying to back Teddy into a corner.’

‘I think that’s what we all expected, but given the mayhem of the opening rounds, I think that last one spells the end for Teddy. His head isn’t all there – he doesn’t seem sure on his feet. This fight is one punch away from ending.’

Round Five followed suit and the sixth started similarly. Despite the lack of action, the crowd was on the edge of their seats. They could smell Ted’s blood as Reggie circled. Twice in the sixth round Ted got stuck in the corner, defending for his life. The first time he managed a quick exit, but the second time he wasn’t so lucky.

‘Reggie has him in the corner again. Ted tries to duck and escape, but Reggie practically punches him back and Ted bounces like a yo-yo off the ropes. Teddy’s hands are up but there’s nothing he can do. Reggie mixing up his punches forces Ted to drop his hands and boom! He lands a right hand, but it wasn’t flush. Teddy remains on his feet for now.’

Ted felt like he was being trampled by a stampede, but the clapping sound from ringside signalling only ten seconds left in the round spurred him on. It was longer than he could last in the corner. The last punch was an inch away from ending the fight, and another one was on its way. Ted leaned forward and pushed as much as he punched. Pushing towards Reggie so that his punches were ineffective, he tried to grapple, but was tossed aside like a rag doll. Reggie continued the hunt and Ted scrambled from corner to corner.

It’s almost suicidal in boxing to try to defend until the bell rings, especially when you’re cornered. Knowing there could be no more than five seconds left, Ted was tempted to risk it. That was until an exhausted-looking Reggie, with no intention of letting the fight last another round, zeroed in with predictable intent.

Ted bounded forward from the corner as Reggie approached with his punch locked and loaded. Ted got as close as he could, and his right hand launched upwards and collided with Reggie’s jaw. There is no sweeter feeling in boxing than connecting a flush uppercut. Reggie was heavy-footed and unsuspecting. He buckled and fell forward onto Ted and both men tumbled over as the bell rang.

‘Just when we thought Taylor was done for, he goes and lands the bravest uppercut I’ve ever seen and scores a knockdown. And you know what? I have a feeling Harrison may have been saved by the bell there. What do you think, Tommy?’

‘Once again, brave, or stupid. You say brave – I guess it was.’

‘This is your chance,’ said Andrew, doing all he could to rev Ted up. ‘He’s blowing hard! You hurt him! He’s not invincible!’ He drummed his hands against Ted’s thighs. ‘Have you got your legs back?’

Ted looked down at his legs and began wriggling them. ‘I guess so. My arm’s going numb.’

Vinnie pulled Ted’s head back up and pressed ice against his badly grazed temple.

‘Go run some fucking rings around him.’ Andrew pressed his thumb into Ted’s shoulder. ‘Remember, pick your moment. Keep knocking the wind out of him until it comes.’

Ted stood up, squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. Pain shot up to his temple and the black hole flared, but when he opened his eyes his vision was clear enough.

Ding! Round Seven.

Reggie’s shoulders were a little lower than they had been previously, and his hands were too. He was deflated enough to look like a different fighter.

He wants to ride this round out and get his breath back. Ted didn’t plan on wasting the opportunity to pounce, but he had only been half right. Reggie wanted an easy round, but by ending it early rather than by taking it easy. Ted approached confidently. Reggie’s hands and shoulders rose. Shit. He’d walked into a trap.

Ted slowed and leaned back to avoid Reggie’s right hand, which sailed past. Ted jabbed ineffectively. Reggie returned body shots. Ted dropped his left elbow to block and punched with his right. Ted was in danger, standing toe to toe with Reggie in the middle of the ring; he’d have to fight his way out of it. Reggie was also in an undesirable position; his gamble to suck Ted in failed. Missing punches saps more energy than landing them – he would also have to fight his way out.

‘Don’t blink, Jim. The boys are going punch for punch!’

The crowd erupted as the combatants planted their feet and exchanged hands. Ted hoped to outlast Reggie but copped a solid punch, which signalled that Reggie still had some fight in him. Ted landed a couple of good shots of his own but sacrificed power for speed, and Reggie was unfazed. The hard part was getting out.

He leaned into Reggie, trying to push off him to avoid the hook that would chase his retreat. Reggie stepped back expertly and landed a tight uppercut that pushed through Ted’s gloves and ripped his chin and neck upwards. Thankfully the gloves absorbed most of the impact. Ted tried clinching and expected Reggie to oblige and take the opportunity for a quick break, but Reggie’s intentions were clear – he didn’t want this fight going another round. Ducking, blocking and weaving, Ted scrambled for safety, the blows never landing square but knocking him around. Ted finally found his feet and commenced jabbing to take control of the distance between them.

Reggie gave in to fatigue and stopped pushing forward. Ted could barely see out of his left eye but pounced as Reggie tried to take a breather.

‘Blood is streaming from the cut above Teddy’s eye, but he’s all over Reggie. He smells blood and he doesn’t care whose it is! He lands a combination to Harrison’s body. Reggie drops his hands and Taylor gets the jab back out. Reggie is now on the edge of the ring. We haven’t seen him there all night. This could be dangerous for Teddy. He doesn’t seem to mind as he moves in, but the referee has called a halt.’

Ted hurried to his corner where Andrew and Vinnie were waiting. Vinnie was ready to finally prove his value on the first significant cut of Ted’s career. Ted’s skin was split above his left eye and bled profusely, fed by the rapid pumping of blood in his body.

The ringside doctor approached as Vinnie wiped the blood away. ‘I can fix this.’ Vinnie’s face gave nothing away, but the man hadn’t showed much emotion since 1973.

The doctor frowned as he leaned in to inspect the cut. ‘You can try.’

‘I know you don’t want to, but just see out the round, Teddy,’ said Vinnie.

Ted obliged, and with only twenty seconds to go by the time they resumed, Reggie didn’t get a chance to take advantage.

Ted sat in his corner and Vinnie went to work. A cotton bud that had been soaked with adrenaline was resting between his lips like a cigarette. He gently washed the blood from Ted’s face and applied pressure with a piece of gauze for twenty seconds. He removed the gauze then he pressed the cotton bud into the cut. Andrew worked around Vinnie, applying an ice-cold iron enswell to Ted’s face to slow the blood flow.

‘It’ll hold up for a round, but I need another crack at this one.’ Vinnie liberally applied Vaseline. ‘Protect it this round.’ He turned to the doctor, who had appeared over his shoulder.

The doctor squinted and studied the cut expressionlessly. ‘Hmm.’ That was all he said before he turned away.

‘I suppose that’s a yes,’ said Andrew.

Ding! Round Eight.

The next round was a chess match. The pace ground to a halt. Heavy, slow steps carried the fighters as they circled the ring. Reggie wanted to get at Ted, but Ted set a wide distance between them.

Reggie made the mistake of only targeting Ted’s cut. This made it easy to defend. Ted knew where the punches were being aimed. Reggie should have been attacking Ted’s body to try and bring his guard down, but the bigger man was tired and not thinking strategically.

Reggie mistimed a jab and Ted countered with a straight left, which sent shards of pain from his corked bicep up to his neck and down through his fingers. After the period of inactivity it was stiffening up. The punch landed, but Ted was slow to retract his arm into a defensive stance and without a follow-up punch in motion, he was caught in no man’s land.

Reggie unleashed a combination of punches. Ted desperately covered up and kept his head moving. He needed to protect his cut eye, but it would all be for nothing if he got knocked out, and that was a real danger. He pulled his head back as far as he could into his shoulders and saw a left hand zeroing in on him. He tilted his head forward to ensure it didn’t strike his face and his chin was crushed into his sternum. His neck muscles were bunched and pulled to their limits.

‘Taylor is down!’

‘He bowed his head forward to protect his eye and his head was crunched.’

‘That’s gotta hurt!’

‘Ted’s on his feet and rolling his neck, but with a grimace.’

‘He’s shaking his left arm as well. Jim, this doesn’t look good.’

‘Ted waits until the count reaches nine and now, we are back to the eighth round.’

Ted survived the remainder of the round and rushed to his corner to let Vinnie get back to work.

‘Well done,’ said Vinnie, with a fresh cotton bud between his lips. ‘I’ll get this under control.’

‘How’s the neck?’ asked Andrew.

‘Fucked,’ groaned Ted. ‘I need you to loosen my arm – it’s hard as a rock.’

‘Well, Tommy, there’s plenty of activity in Taylor’s corner. Vinnie Rubik working his magic on that gash above the eye, and Andrew Baker trying to loosen him up. Meanwhile, over in Harrison’s corner it looks like they’re really putting a rocket up him. It’s a tough one to score, but I don’t think either fighter would be confident going to the judges. These last three rounds – if we get that far – are going to determine the winner. What are your predictions, Tommy?’

‘I’ve been blown away by Little Boy Blue tonight. I really didn’t think he stood a chance, but he’s proven us all wrong. Reggie got caught by surprise early, but the momentum is shifting his way now that Taylor needs to protect his cut, has a stiff left arm and seems to be still hearing the birdies sing from the second round.’

Ding! Round Nine.

Ted expected Reggie to come out with his previous plan of pushing Ted into a corner where he could unload on him. Reggie’s corner had come up with something else – it was Reggie who settled against the ropes.

‘Jim, are we seeing the infamous rope-a-dope here?’

‘Sure looks that way. It’s genius, if you think about it. Reggie is low on energy reserves as it is, and rather than chasing Teddy into the ropes, he can just wait and reel him in like a fish.’

‘What if Ted doesn’t take the bait?’

‘Ted needs to keep moving to keep the blood flowing through that left arm or risk his muscles seizing up so bad he can’t punch.’

‘The rope-a-dope was made famous by Ali against Foreman in the classic Rumble in the Jungle, where Ali essentially acted like “a dope on the rope” and sucked Foreman in. Foreman took the bait, only to tire himself out while Ali, safe in a defensive stance, was able to counter. The interesting take here is that Reggie is the bigger, less agile and reactive fighter, but we know he only needs a small opening.’

Ted couldn’t help but wonder what Pop would advise. He had to keep active, but that meant walking into the trap. He approached cautiously. For all he knew it could just be a ruse, with Reggie ready to charge at him. It wasn’t to be. Reggie stayed against the ropes with his hands low, leaving his chin open and inviting him in. Ted jabbed and struck Reggie square in the chin, but the hesitant punch barely packed any weight. Reggie didn’t flinch. Ted jabbed again, this time with a bit more sting. Reggie raised his left hand to block. Sensing that Reggie’s right was ready to strike, Ted backed off.

The tense stand-off continued for half the round. Reggie was showing more restraint than he had all fight. Ted’s left arm was burning. He’d made up his mind how to tackle this latest development but was waiting for the moment. Reggie would have to do something eventually, otherwise he’d be donating rounds to Ted’s scorecard. If Ted wasn’t nibbling at the rope-a-dope, Reggie could be pressured to move off the ropes.

Ted’s plan was to reverse-engineer the rope-a-dope. By his best guess there was a minute left in the round. He moved in, peppering Reggie with jabs. This time Ted didn’t back away as much. He launched a straight right. Reggie swung and Ted ducked and resisted the temptation to attack – that was what Reggie wanted. Even though the missed punch exposed Reggie, Ted didn’t counter. When backed against the ropes it’s easy to cover up and let the ropes help absorb your opponent’s punches, and then, once the opponent tires, spring forward with a counterattack.

Both fighters stuck to their plan, but as the ninth round was winding down, Ted nibbled a little more than previously. The ten-second warning sounded.

Ted attacked with the same jab-jab-straight combo and added a left hook. Reggie unleashed as expected. Ted raised his hands to protect his head, defending for his life and hoping to God Reggie only had eyes for the knockout and not his ribs.

‘Wow! What an intense round that was. It may have taken some time but eventually the rope-a-dope paid off. Teddy was saved by the bell.’

‘He sure was, Jim. Ted thought he could take advantage of the sitting duck, but Reggie sprang into action and had Ted covering up for dear life.’

Ted took a seat in his corner.

‘What are you thinking, Ted?’ asked Andrew.

‘I don’t think Vinnie’ll need any more cotton buds.’

‘We think you’re up two rounds. Only two to go. If he’s pulling this rope-a-dope shit and you just pepper him, then you’ve got this in the bag.’

Ted shook his head. ‘You seen who’s judging? Kelton’s three wise men. Same guys that screwed over Lopez. No way I’m going to get the nod over Reggie if it comes to that. Reggie knows it too. I have a plan.’

Ding! Round Ten.

Reggie assumed his position against the ropes, just as Ted hoped. Reggie wanted a knockout but could see out the fight if needed, knowing the judges would be behind him. Ted approached timidly as he had last round, only this time he followed up the jab with a hook, and didn’t plan to stop punching until the fight was over.

‘Taylor’s throwing the kitchen sink at Reggie Harrison, who can’t believe his eyes! Taylor is not holding back! Reggie’s now in the corner. Taylor working the body, then moving upstairs, and now down again. He’s breaking through occasionally, but Reggie’s keeping his hands up.’

It wouldn’t be long until the adrenaline would wear out and the lactic acid would start to burn, but Ted had to push through. He slowed down slightly, not because he was tired but because he needed Reggie to drop his guard and the only reason he would do that would be to attack. It was a risk Ted needed to take before dropping dead from exhaustion.

‘Taylor’s fading. Reggie finally gets his hands moving and presses forward. Taylor counters with a right hand and Reggie is back against the ropes, and this time the front door is open! One, two, three punches from Taylor and Reggie has a knee on the canvas and has ten seconds to get back on his feet!’

‘One …’ the referee began.

Ted knew it wasn’t over yet. Reggie would bounce back but would take the full ten seconds.

‘Two …’

Ted sucked in deep.

‘Three …’

He exhaled.

‘Four …’

He readied his mind to do it all again.

There was no five. Reggie was up, and angry. Any ideas Ted had of Reggie boxing out the fight were over. Pride was on the line now. The rope-a-dope shit was out the window. He had a fight on his hands.

They met in the middle. Ted sank a tight uppercut into Reggie’s stomach. The bigger man gasped. Ted’s hook glanced over the ducking target. Reggie pounced. A blinding hook knocked Ted sideways.

Ted wouldn’t remember the rest of the fight.

He looked down at the barely conscious piece of shit on its knees, slouched against his legs. He wouldn’t have cared if Ron were dead.

His clenched fists trembled in pain. Soft hands pulled at his ripped T-shirt.

‘Stop, Teddy,’ his mother whimpered. ‘Please, stop.’