Chapter 1053 - 1053: A Circus in the Ring

Declan Byrne's explosive outburst at the press conference sends the hype surrounding the event soaring over the next thirty hours.

Despite having no title fight on the card, the event had sold out a day before the weigh-in. Now, demand for tickets surges even further, with fans scrambling to find secondhand sellers.

Even in the final minutes before the event begins, people who have failed to secure tickets are still desperately searching for anyone willing to sell theirs.

"Please, I'll pay double the original price! I just need two tickets!"

"I'll pay triple! I need four tickets!"

"I've got seven, but I'm not letting them go for cheap!"

"How much do you want for all seven?"

"¥15,000 each!"

"That's ridiculous! The original price is only ¥5,000!"

"Then go find someone else selling them! You won't find any at this point!"

Inside, the event has already reached the semifinals, and the arena is bustling with excitement, though a few latecomers are still making their way down the aisles between rows of seats.

The VIP and ringside sections are filled with familiar faces from Japan's boxing industry. Among them is Kawamoto Sozen, who recently claimed the WBC welterweight world title and has made no secret of his support for Kenta from the very beginning.

Liam Kuroda is also in attendance, bringing the OPBF welterweight title that Sozen himself once held. He has come with Kirizume, sitting right beside Ryoma and Hayakawa.

"Looks like Okabe's opponent won't last much longer," Kirizume says, leaning toward Ryoma. "Are you really going to stay here until the end? Kenta's facing a two-time world champion, you know."

"I won't be in Kenta's corner tonight."

Kirizume gives him a doubtful look. "Are you sure about that?"

Ryoma shrugs. "It's not like I'm going to sit here and do nothing. There are plenty of ways to influence a fight without being in someone's corner."

Right beside Hayakawa sits Maria, with Logan and Donovan to her left.

They haven't spoken to Ryoma since that meeting, and although NSN has no involvement in tonight's event, they bought their tickets well in advance and still seem eager to repair their relationship with him.

Since taking their seats, both Logan and Maria have repeatedly glanced his way, seemingly looking for an opportunity to approach him. Ryoma, however, deliberately avoids looking in their direction.

"Looks like he's still not happy with you," Donovan whispers.

Logan doesn't respond, his expression remaining impassive. He glances at Ryoma for a moment before shifting his gaze to the NovaLink Media representatives seated behind him.

Until now, NovaLink has never taken on the production of a boxing event. It was Ryoma himself who proposed they venture into it, just as he had once persuaded them to launch a dedicated boxing program on their subscription-based streaming service.

As if deliberately trying to provoke the NSN executives further, Ryoma makes a point of displaying his closeness to the NovaLink Media representatives.

"That commentator and analyst have been doing a great job," Ryoma says, speaking to the man behind him. "I know they've only worked on NovaLink's boxing programs until now, but they've been impressive calling the action live. The analyst in particular, he has some sharp observations."

The NovaLink executive nods enthusiastically, clearly pleased with Ryoma's feedback.

"If possible," Ryoma adds, "I'd like to use them again for my Tokyo Dome event. What do you think?"

"Oh, they'd be delighted to hear that."

Another NovaLink representative leans closer to Ryoma with a slightly awkward smile.

"How do you feel about the production, Takeda-san? This is the first time our company has tried producing a boxing event like this."

"You're doing fine." Ryoma pats the man's thigh. "For such a short preparation period, this is already very good. Though I suppose I'm partly to blame for giving you the idea so late."

"Do you think it's good enough for an event at the Tokyo Dome?"

"I'm afraid we'll need to make it grander than this for that." Ryoma smiles reassuringly. "But don't worry. We still have a month. We'll discuss it again."

Despite the roar of the arena, Maria and Logan hear every word of the exchange. Though they try to appear indifferent, they both let out an involuntary sigh and shift in their seats at almost the same time.

The moment they realize they've given themselves away, their composed expressions falter. Neither looks comfortable.

Maria then gives Logan a brief nod before rising from her seat. She leans toward him and whispers an apology before leaving.

"Sorry, sir. I just find it hard to enjoy this stupid fight."

Indeed, Okabe has made the fight look downright ridiculous with his absurd, unconventional tricks.

He sways his knees from side to side like a clown, leaving his opponent unsure what to make of the bizarre movements. Then, without warning, he leaps forward with a left hook, catching the man off guard.

Afterward, Okabe resumes his casual stroll, his left arm hanging loosely at his side while he rotates his right arm in lazy circles.

"Come on, don't tell me that's all you've got. I'm starting to feel bad for you."

Then he suddenly glances down at his feet.

"Oh, my shoelace came undone."

His opponent looks at him in confusion as Okabe crouches as though to tie his shoe. But a quick glance confirms that neither shoelace is untied.

Before he can make sense of the bizarre stunt, Okabe suddenly springs back up, with a left uppercut, having already closed the distance at the same moment.

Startled, his opponent jerks his head backward to evade it, only for the punch to slam into his stomach instead.

BUGH!!

"A LEFT UPPERCUT TO THE BODY!" the commentator shouts.

Okabe is already inside, chest to chest with his opponent.

He immediately unleashes a chaotic barrage of punches, throwing technique and proper form aside as he attacks with all the reckless abandon of a street brawler.

"Whatever you think of the stunt, it worked!" the analyst beams enthusiastically. "His opponent hesitated for just a moment, and Okabe used that time to close the distance. Now he's inside, where he wants to be."

This is only a JBC ranking bout, with Okabe facing a contender ranked three places below him. The fight is little more than a means of keeping him active and protecting his position near the top of the rankings.

Still, as a curtain raiser, Okabe's unruly antics have done a fine job of heating up the arena. His supporters, most of them looking like biker gang members and assorted street thugs, roar their approval as though the man in the ring represents every last one of them.

"That's it, Okabe! Beat his ass!"

"Fuck him up! Show that bastard who's boss!"

"That's our man! Kick his fucking head in!"

Even Ryoma gets to his feet, joining in by shouting encouragement to Okabe's opponent, an indirect way of exposing his defense.

"Calm down, Yuzuru! Don't let that clown get the better of you! The guy can't box for shit! Keep your cool and look for an opening to counter!"

The problem is that Yuzuru isn't a counterpuncher, nor is he an infighter. He's good at long range and has solid footwork, but he's not particularly good at setting up counters in a phone-booth brawler like this.

Given his fighting style and the situation, his best option is to stop Okabe's momentum and get away from the ropes.

"Don't just stand there, Yuzuru!" his second shouts from across the ring. "Move your hands! Fight back, clinch if you have to, and get away from the ropes!"

But Ryoma, standing closer behind Yuzuru, continues shouting different advice.

"Easy, Yuzuru! Let him burn himself out! Look for your chance to counter! He'll slow down soon."