The New Challenger

MARCELO

The party was at full throttle. Mandy had no choice but to get involved with the preparations once we got home. All my pals from the gym were there, along with my personal team.

My representative, Raf Austin, and his daughter, Silvana, were also invited. We are not very close, but we do good business together. That is why it is important to include them in my celebration.

Although, I’d rather leave Silvana out of my business. It’s impossible. From what I know, she and her father have always worked together.

And the reason I wanted to avoid her was that she didn’t miss a chance to flirt with me.

“Yeah! Did you see the right-hand he gave the challenger in the jaw? That blow is for posterity. It is not that I cannot be at the level of Marcelo, but quite the opposite. I don’t want to overshadow him.

“We have been mates since childhood, and I would never do that to him.” I listened to Xavier from a distance. That bastard, he couldn’t hold me around. Despite the fact that we had always trained together.

He did not dedicate himself professionally to boxing. His parents convinced him to pursue a degree, and now, he was one of the best lawyers in Manchester.

I walked over to where they were with a sneer plastered on my face. I got behind him, and as usual, I put my arm around his neck in a hug. “What were you talking about, mate? Did you say something about my fight?”

Xavier stretched his back and slowly turned his head in my direction. My face was still grimacing.

“Na, mate, I was telling Charly about the right to the jaw you gave Hugo. I even repeated it in slow motion to see his face when he touches the canvas.”

“Hahaha,” I patted his back and headed over to where Richard was chatting with Raf. As I walked toward them, I listened to Xavier continue with his talk about how he was faster than me.

And the advice that he would give me to improve my technique. Ha!

When Raf saw me arrive, he opened his arms, welcoming me. “Ah! The champion. Toast with us, Marcelo.” He turned to see his daughter. And she did not take her eyes off me. “Silvana, bring the champion a drink.”

Her eyes immediately lit up. “Sure, father.” She went very eagerly to the drinks table and came back with a beer. “Here you go, champion.”

She reached for me to take it, but as she handed it to me, she made sure her fingers brushed mine. As I said, she never missed an opportunity.

“It’s good that you join us, Marcelo. I was telling Richard that we have a challenger ready for you. If you accept it, the fight would be in six months.”

I turned to Richard. Throughout my boxing career. Richard had always been my coach, business partner, and father. I didn’t do anything without checking with him first.

Richard was thoughtful, and I wanted to know what had put him in that state. “Sure, Raf, who is it?”

Raf grinned from ear to ear. For him, this meant more money.

“He’s not someone very recognized. He’s a second-rate boxer. We have to consider his proposal because our media promoter made me see that we have to be inclusive.

“Don’t just go for the contracts with the most famous boxers. You are the champion, there is no one better than you, Marcelo. Today, you just defeated one of the best in the world.”

~Yes, I am the best. And just like Raf put it, this challenger would be a piece of cake.~

“Not so fast, Raf. I need you to give me a year before we have the next fight. There are some things that I have to restructure in Marcelo’s strategies. His training requires some adjustments, and for that, I need time.”

I turned in amazement to see Richard. He hadn’t mentioned anything to me. What changes was he referring to? I was the best in the world, and no one could defeat me, not tomorrow, not in six months.

“Richard, you know the business. Marcelo is fine. He doesn’t need anything else. The challenger, as I told you, is a second-rate fighter. Nothing to worry about.”

Raf turned to look me straight in the eye. “Isn’t that right, Marcelo?”

On that, I agreed with him. I didn’t think I needed a new strategy at the moment. What I was doing was working wonders. Quickly, I saw Richard. He was also waiting to hear my answer.

I shook my head as if this didn’t matter and said, “I don’t see the problem with accepting the challenge. Six months is enough time to prepare well for the fight.”

Immediately, I noticed that Richard raised his eyebrows in surprise. I had never questioned his authority. But in this case, a second-rate fighter, he wasn’t going to do anything to me.

“Don’t worry, Richard, he’s just a minor fighter. There is no one capable of defeating me, not in six months, not in a year.”

I was waiting for Richard’s confirmation, yet he just shook his head and said nothing. His reaction touched something in me. I felt like I’d let him down.

I shook that thought out of my head and thought differently. I couldn’t possibly disappoint him. I’d just won my fourth world title. There was nothing to disappoint here. I was the champion.

“Anybody want roasted sausages? They just came off the grill.” Mandy arrived just then with a tray of low-fat hot dogs.

That made me smile. She did not miss the opportunity to take care of me, even if we were in the middle of a party.

“Not for me, daughter. By now, the consumption of meat in my diet must be almost non-existent,” Richard answered, but Mandy just pouted. She understood very well the diet that Richard must follow.

A year ago, he suffered from problems with cholesterol and high blood pressure. The doctor forbade him to eat salt and red meat. Now, the poor man only lived on salads, fish, and chicken. But I was no better than him.