Chapter 1054 - 1054: A Humbling Start

In the ring, Okabe looks hell-bent on ending the fight. His breathing wheezes with every punch, loud enough for Yuzuru to hear.

Yuzuru believes it won't be long before Okabe slows down and runs out of stamina.

But instead, his guard crumbles first, allowing two wild punches to crash into his chest and chin.

THUD! DSH!!

"Okabe is tearing through him!!"

He manages to block the next hook, but the impact knocks his arms and entire body aside.

Then two more hooks land, followed by another pair, and another...

BUGH! DSH! THUD! BHACK! BOOM!!

"Yuzuru can't keep him off!"

"He's taking punch after punch, and Okabe just won't stop!"

Seeing that Yuzuru can no longer react to any of the incoming punches, the referee finally steps in to protect him, waving off the fight with a sweeping motion of his arm.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"It's over!"

"The referee has seen enough, and Okabe takes the win by stoppage!"

Okabe throws both arms into the air, letting out a triumphant roar before breaking into an absurd little dance.

He bounces on his knees, swings his arms around like a clown, then struts across the ring with his chin raised, taunting the crowd as though he's just conquered the world.

"Who runs this shit?! Ronin does! Remember that, you fuckers!"

He even delivers the line in English, having rehearsed it for weeks so that not only local viewers but also the international audience can understand him.

And of course, his real target is none other than Declan and his team, who are undoubtedly watching the fight from the locker room.

Declan and Redmond watch the monitor with open contempt, their expression twisted with disgust. What makes it even more infuriating is the way Okabe keeps throwing Ronin's name around, as if the victory somehow proves the superiority of the entire organization.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck am I watching?" Redmond scoffs, shaking his head. "Does that idiot even know what a boxing match is supposed to look like?"

"He's not trying to impress boxing purists," Declan adds. "He's trying to sell Ronin's name."

Redmond turns to Declan, fixing him with a cold stare. "Then make them remember where they stand! Show them no mercy. Show them that outside their little corner of the world, they're fucking nobodies."

***

Declan carries all his pride, contempt, and pent-up irritation with him as he steps into the ring. The hostile cheers from the local crowd only fuel his growing anger, their voices serving as yet another reminder of how badly he wants to put these people in their place.

Those who speak English shout loud enough for Declan to hear, despite their heavy Japanese accents.

"Kenta! Show that loudmouth what you can do!"

"Oei, Gaijin! You had plenty to say at the weigh-in! Let's see you back it up in the ring!"

"Talk all you want, Byrne! Kenta's gonna shut that mouth of yours!"

"Come on, Kenta! Make that arrogant bastard eat his words!"

Declan hears every word, his jaw tightening as the crowd continues to jeer him. He longs for the bell to ring, eager to wipe the smirks off their faces and make the entire country witness the folly of underestimating a two-time world champion.

Then, the bell rings to open the first round of the WBO Final Title Eliminator.

Ding!

"Here we go! The WBO Final Title Eliminator is officially underway! Kenta Moriyama against Declan Byrne, a two-time world champion! There's no room for mistakes tonight!"

"And with a world title shot on the line, neither man can afford to hold anything back. Let's see who takes control first!"

Declan comes out looking ferocious, eager to impose himself from the opening seconds. His expression is full of confidence, his eyes fixed on Kenta as he advances without a hint of hesitation.

Let's see how long that confidence lasts once you feel my punches.

Kenta reaches the center of the ring, anchoring his stance as he waits for Declan to approach.

He looks ready to fight the way he usually does, standing his ground and meeting his opponent head-on.

"Come on, Moriyama. Why don't you try taking a taste of these?"

But just as Declan closes in, Kenta makes a small stutter step, opening both gloves as if inviting him to a slugfest.

For the briefest moment, Declan hesitates.

But he commits anyway, unleashing two vicious punches in quick succession: a lead uppercut followed by a crushing right overhand.

Kenta casually draws his lead foot backward. He places a frame against the incoming left, then catches the overhand with both arms.

Dp. Dugh.

Rather than bracing himself against the force, he lets his retreating movement soften the impact, giving ground just enough to take the sting out of Declan's power.

"What a ferocious opening from Byrne!"

"He's throwing bombs right out of the gate!"

Declan immediately cuts the distance again, snapping out a sharp lead hook as his right hand loads for the follow-up.

But Kenta slips smoothly off the line, answering with a right check hook as he steps out to Declan's left.

DSH!

Kenta's check hook lands cleanly on Declan's face.

Declan's right punch continues through its trajectory, but Kenta is already gone, leaving it to cut through empty air.

For all his aggression, Declan looks ridiculous for a former champion of his caliber, drawing laughter and jeers from the local supporters.

"Where the hell are you punching, Byrne?!"

"Wrong way, dumbass!"

Their open laughter only fuels Declan's anger. His pride and oversized ego make him even more impatient to prove himself and teach them all a painful lesson.

He pivots sharply and resumes his pursuit of Kenta, relentlessly forcing his way into close range and chaining one combination after another.

"Byrne is turning up the pressure!"

"Moriyama needs to be careful here. One clean shot could change everything!"

Declan's aggression, however, only blinds him to the fact that Kenta isn't fighting the way he expected.

At times, Kenta plants his feet and patiently withstands the assault. But he also slips off Declan's line of attack every third punch, preventing him from chaining his combinations together with ease.

Gradually, Kenta draws Declan deeper into his relentless pursuit, until the strain of forcing one combination after another begins to compromise his posture.

Then, without warning, Kenta lands another check hook at the base of Declan's jaw.

DSH!

"Oh! Another check hook from Moriyama!"

"Byrne is starting to pay for that reckless aggression!"

The impact throws Declan further off balance, his stance crumbling as he struggles to recover.

Before he can regain his footing, Kenta explodes from the outside with three crisp punches in rapid succession.

A left hook to the stomach, a right hook to the side of the head, then another left hook to the face.

THUD! DSH! BAM!!

Kenta loads up another right hook, ready to unleash it, but…

Blugh!

Declan drops to one knee before the punch can come.

"OOoh! He's been knocked down!"

"And we're not even two minutes into the first round! What a disastrous start for the former world champion!"