Chapter 642: One Million Bet

After Link became the Intercontinental Champion, domestic media also reported a lot on several of his matches, especially the WBA Asian Boxing Championship held in Tokyo, Japan at the end of October.

That match was between Link and WBA Asian Middleweight Champion Terao Shinsuke, who ranked first among Asian middleweight boxers and 28th in the world, and was once rated as the No. 1 Asian middleweight by the media.

In this match, Link used the back throw again and KOed his opponent in just 15 seconds.

After the news reached China, the People's Daily used more than 3,000 words in the sports section to give a detailed introduction to the situation of the match, and also included a photo of Link knocking down Terao Shinsuke.

CCTV News Channel also reported the news in the noon news, and also played a video of Link VS Terao Shinsuke's 15-second match.

"Huaxia Youth Daily" and "Huaxia Sports Daily" and other newspapers used the entire page to introduce Link's recent 10 professional matches. All ten matches ended in the first round, taking a maximum of 30 seconds.

The China Youth Daily said that this has never happened in the history of world boxing, and it is happening to Link now. Link uses his strong iron fist to knock down opponents one after another, promoting the blood of Chinese men.

When the domestic people saw these news and videos, they were very excited and excited, and regarded Link as an idol and hero.

Blogs, forums, and Tianya communities are full of posts reposting Link's games.

People with good literary talent will use beautiful language to describe the process of the game, describe Link's strength, and talk about how amazing it is to KO opponents 10 times in a row in professional competitions.

People with poor literary talent will use the keyboard to shout "Link is awesome! ! ! ! ! "

The media that originally complained that Link was too low-key after the Olympics and was unwilling to cooperate with their interviews also published articles praising Link for his lofty ambitions, not caring about the fame and fortune in front of him, and training wholeheartedly to achieve good results.

Those athletes who accept media interviews every day and behave particularly high-profile should learn more from Link.

Liu Xiang "."

In addition to domestic media, media in Asian countries also reported on Link's games to varying degrees.

Japanese media believed that Link could KO Terao Shinsuke in one round, and his strength in the middleweight field could rank among the top five in the world, and he might have a chance to become the world champion of the four major organizations.

Philippine media said that Link was the second Pacquiao, and his future achievements might not be much worse than Pacquiao.

South Korean media praised Link as the Asian Little Superman. His achievements in the boxing world also represent that the sport of boxing is slowly rising in Asia and attracting the attention of the world.

Under the operation of top promotion companies, European and American media also noticed Link's achievements since he turned to professional boxing and reported on them.

The New York Times reported that Chinese athlete Link, who won 3 golds and 1 silver in the Athens Olympics, entered the professional boxing world in October. His current professional record is 10 wins and 10 losses. He is currently launching a fierce attack on the world boxing champion gold belt, and the position of Bernard Hopkins, the newly crowned middleweight overlord, has been challenged.

The Guardian commented that after Pacquiao, another boxing star is rising in Asia.

The Ring magazine commented that Link's 10 wins and 10 KOs in 10 professional matches are great, and no one has ever tried it before. But on the other hand, it also shows that there are not many strong boxers in the Asian professional boxing world. If it were in the European and American boxing world, Link would definitely not be able to do it.

"Interesting!"

Link put down the Ring magazine and called Sean Gibbons, asking him to make a statement through the media. He wants to make a bet with the Ring magazine.

If he can KO all opponents in one round in future matches, including De La Hoya, Hopkins and others, he will ask the Ring magazine to donate 1 million US dollars to the International Red Cross.

If he can't do it, he will take the initiative to donate 1 million to the International Red Cross and ask the Ring magazine if he dares to bet?

"Emm, Link, are you sure you want to do this?"

Sean Gibbons asked on the phone.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Are you confident that you can knock out Hopkins in one round? Link, I know you're great, and I believe you can beat Hopkins, but Hopkins is 39 years old and has participated in 49 games. He has rich experience and a cunning style. No one can beat him in one round."

"What does it matter? I made a bet with Ring magazine and indirectly challenged the middleweight champion Hopkins. Regardless of whether I win or lose, my next game will attract the attention of the world media. Attention is wealth. Why not do that?

You can tell Bob Arum about this. I believe he will support my approach."

In a high-rise apartment in the eastern part of Kyoto, Link was talking on his mobile phone. When he heard someone ringing the doorbell outside, he said something to Sean Gibbons, then hung up the phone and opened the door.

——

"This"

In the office of Las Vegas-Top Promotions, Sean Gibbons looked at the hung up phone and frowned.

In the past month or so, he has followed Link to fight in Asia and helped coordinate arrangements.

Seeing Link showing off his prowess in the ring and knocking down opponents one after another, he was very excited. He knew that he had not made a mistake in choosing Link, and that he had made the right decision to bet on Link.

In addition, Link not only did well on the stage, but also surprised him with his performance off the stage.

He has been working in the boxing world for more than ten years and has seen all kinds of boxers.

Most of the boxers he knows have well-developed limbs and simple minds. There are also many boxers who have developed some very bad living habits after becoming famous, such as drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, bank parties, fighting, etc.

Link performs very well in private. He doesn't drink or take drugs. He trains every day, goes to bed early and gets up early. He has very healthy living habits. He is also a singer, can play piano and guitar, likes to read, and has a very good personality.

Over the past period of time, he and Link had gotten along very well and had never had any disagreements.

This incident troubled him a little today.

When Link saw that "Ring" magazine was underestimating him, he made a bold promise to make a bet with "Ring" magazine to defeat all opponents, including Hopkins, within one round.

This incident shows that after winning 10 consecutive games, Link became complacent and thought that no one in the world could be his opponent.

If Link continues to maintain this mentality and be arrogant, I am afraid he will suffer a defeat in the next game, and Link's mentality will also be affected to some extent. In this case, I don't know if Link will be unable to recover.

If it is true, Top Promotion's investment in him will be wasted, and his job will also be affected.

Sean Gibbons sighed, picked up the "Ring" magazine on the table, got up and walked upstairs to Bob Arum's office.

Knock on the door!

Hearing Bob calling in, Sean Gibbons opened the door and saw Bob Arum sitting on the sofa smoking a cigar. Opposite him sat De La Hoya, who had just come out of the hospital not long ago. The two seemed to be talking. Talk about something.

"Hey, Sean, I heard that you signed a very powerful boxer. He won 10 times in 10 fights by knocking out his opponent within 30 seconds. Where is this guy? Come and talk to us when."

Hoya greeted loudly.

"Link will return to China for training after the competition. He will have several competitions in the United States next year. You can compare notes then."

Sean Gibbons said.

De La Hoya nodded and said to Bob Arum: "I've also heard about that guy Link. He won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the Olympics and was the 69kg boxing champion. He is indeed a very good boxer. If If I were not busy preparing for the game with Hopkins some time ago, I would also go to Athens to sign him.”

"You can't sign him."

Bob Arum shook his head and looked at Sean Gibbons, "What's the matter?"

"It's Link's business."

Sean Gibbons glanced at De La Hoya, unsure if he wanted to hear it.

Hoya stretched his waist and had no intention of leaving at all.

"It's okay, keep talking."

Bob Arum said.

Sean Gibbons opens the Ring Magazine article and talks about Link's bet of one million to Ring Magazine.

puff!

De La Hoya was drinking coffee. When he heard that Link was going to KO all the middleweight boxers in the European and American boxing circles in one round, including De La Hoya and Hopkins, who he couldn't beat, he couldn't help but spit out his words.

"Is this guy serious? He dares to bet that he can KO me and Hopkins in one round and donate a million dollars if he loses? Is he crazy?"

Hoya asked, wiping the coffee from his mouth.

Sean Gibbons shrugged, looked at Bob Arum and said: "I also advised Link to be cautious in the game and not to be too careless. He said that doing so can attract media attention, and he also said that you should support him. decision.”

Bob Arum rubbed his chin and thought for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter, pointed at Sean Gibbons and said: "Do as Link said, we not only have to do as he said, but we also have to vigorously publicize this matter. Let all the media in the world report on Link’s bet with Ring Magazine, and the bigger the fuss, the better.”

Sean Gibbons frowned, "Bob, although Link is good, it should be difficult for him to KO De La Hoya and Hopkins in one round."

"It's not difficult to do, it's absolutely impossible."

De La Hoya shouted with a stinking face. Since his debut in 1992, he has won more than ten world championship titles in six levels, even though he lost to Trinidad, Shane Mosley, and Hopkins. There are three people, but they have also been ranked in the top ten for 8 consecutive years in the P4P strength ranking list of "Boxing Ring".

No one in the boxing world dares to say that he is not good enough.

But today he was despised by a rookie boxer thousands of miles away.

It's so abominable.

If his injuries hadn't healed yet, he would have wanted to fight that guy named Link right now.

"Sean, you are a boxing promoter. What you should consider is how to promote Link in the shortest time and in the most efficient and economical way, so that he can become a boxing star and let the media report his matches. Boxing fans voluntarily buy tickets to watch his fights, which makes viewers willing to spend money to subscribe to his live broadcasts, and also allows the company, you, and Link to make money.

If you think about it carefully, if we now publish Link's statement in newspapers and magazines such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Ring, saying that Link will KO all the middleweight boxers in the world in one round, including Huo Huo Ya and Hopkins, will this news attract the attention of the media and boxing fans?

I tell you it will.

De La Hoya and Hopkins are both the most famous boxers in the current boxing world, with many boxing fans, while Link is a Chinese, a three-time Olympic world champion, with a professional record of 10 fights, 10 wins and 10 KOs. The popularity of the forum is also good.

When Link, a new boxer, makes a statement to challenge everyone, I think many media will be happy to report it, and boxing fans will continue to pay attention to Link's next games. People who like him hope that he can continue to win. His haters expect him to lose the next game.

As long as someone pays attention, Link's reputation in the boxing world will grow rapidly, and we will make more money, okay? "

Bob asked.

"Hmph! Bob, your idea is too idealistic. Everything you say is based on the premise that Link can win. What if he loses? What will happen if he loses? Then he will be regarded as a sensationalist. The clown.”

Hoya said.

Sean Gibbons thinks the same way.

If Link can keep winning, things may develop as Link and Bob Arum expected. With each victory, Link will become the top boxer in the boxing world. By then, Link, the company, and Anyone who has him as an agent will make money.

However, there are no consistent victors in the boxing world. The main reason why Link was able to easily win ten consecutive games in Asia is because the boxers in Asia are not strong enough. Terao Shinsune, the number one middleweight, is only ranked 28th in the WBA organization. .

After Link enters the European and American boxing circles, future competitions will definitely become more and more difficult. Let alone KO everyone in one round, it will be difficult to continue to win the competition.

Therefore, compared to Link's risky strategy, he advocates a steady and steady development path.

Depending on Link's strength and qualifications, if he takes his time, he may not be able to become the world boxing champion in two or three years.

Such an aggressive approach could easily destroy Link's potential stock. Once destroyed, the company's investment would also be in vain.

Bob Arum waved his hand, "You have to have confidence in Link's strength. In a high-level amateur competition like the Olympics, he can also win by KO in the final. Will his strength be worse? Competing in WBA Asia In all ten games, he won all within one round. He definitely has the strength to be a world boxing champion.

Even if he doesn't win in one round when challenging Hopkins, it doesn't matter, after all, the opponent is Hopkins.

In addition, Link is a smart man, a very smart guy. He knows his own strength and what he wants. He has a clear plan for the future. He is by no means comparable to an ordinary boxer.

Just like last year at the World Championships in Bangkok, he had been noticed by several major promotion companies. They offered him US$1 million to sign him, but he refused without hesitation and directly offered US$5 million.

Hoya, if it were you, would you dare to do this? "

asked Bob Arum.

De La Hoya curled his lips. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he won a lightweight gold medal. Bob Arum found him and wanted to sign a contract with him, saying that he would train him into a top boxer.

Since Top Promotions is one of the top companies in the industry, it was even more of a blessing to be spotted by Bob Arum.

De La Hoya eagerly agreed without much thought, and the signing bonus was only $200,000.

Now I heard that the top promotion company offered a check of one million US dollars to sign Link, but Link sternly refused. He suddenly felt that he was too naive and easy to deceive at the time, and he admired Link's calmness at the time.

"Hoya, you don't dare to do this because you are afraid of losing this opportunity, but Link dares because he has extraordinary confidence in himself."

Bob Arum continued, "After a year of silence, Link entered the Olympics and competed in five games. In front of several major promotion companies, he showed superb boxing skills, powerful punches, and super Strong defense and defense capabilities, as well as a heart-stopping cold punch killer move.

Faced with a boxer with such great potential, which boxing company would not be tempted?

No one.

Link also knows this. He is like a fisherman who treats the Olympic Games as a fish pond and uses his own strength as bait to make us compete for the bait.

Such a person, do you think he would make such a risky decision on impulse?

No! The reason why he dared to do this was because he had great confidence in his own strength. "

Bob Arum sighed, "Such a smart, bold, ambitious and driven person, even if he is not a boxer, will become a very powerful character in other fields, so I am more and more sure to spend a lot of money to sign him." King made the right decision to sign him."

Sean Gibbons nodded thoughtfully, "Then I will contact the media now to issue a statement and stir up this matter."

"In addition to the media, there are also Hopkins and De La Hoya. Well, De La Hoya is here. Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, and Jermaine Taylor also informed. Let them respond toughly. For example, if they meet Link, they will give him a hard lesson and tell him to stop talking nonsense. In short, the tougher the better.”

Bob Arum said.

"Okay, I get it."

Sean Gibbons got up and left.

Hoya curled his lips, "You are hyping Link like this, and you are not worried that the pressure from public opinion will be too great and your investment in him will be in vain?"

"Don't be afraid! Link is stronger than you think."

Bob Arum said.

Hoya snorted softly, stood up and said he would go back to practice boxing, trying to defeat Link in one round and let him know the strength of the world's top boxing champion.

Bob Arum shook his head and didn't think he could do it, and Hopkins still might.

——

In the high-rise apartment of Chenxi Building in Dongcheng District, Kyoto, Link saw off the waiter who delivered the food and heard the doorbell ringing outside again.

Opening the door, Lin Zhilin stood at the door in a white off-shoulder dress, with long black hair hanging down her shoulders and a sweet smile on her delicate face.

With the breeze in the aisle, the scent of her body became clear.

"I'll come over right after get off work. You're not late, are you?"

"No! Just right!"

Link took her hand and entered the house.