The roar of the crowd and Jason Luo's relentless assault had completely infuriated Wuriqiu!
Victory, which should have been in his grasp, had slipped away. How had the situation flipped so suddenly?
Back in the wrestling world, Wuriqiu was once a respected tough guy. There was no way he'd let Jason Luo beat him without a fight!
Seeing that Jason Luo's onslaught showed no sign of stopping, and realizing he couldn't defend against it anyway, Wuriqiu decided to gamble everything on an all-out counterattack!
Though Jason Luo's offense was airtight, Wuriqiu gritted his teeth, absorbed the heavy blows, and started trading punch for punch, injury for injury!
This kind of fight left no room for tactics—it came down to whose bones were harder, whose will was stronger, and who feared death less!
Jason Luo's punches grew heavier with his boosted Strength, while Wuriqiu's power was monstrous in its own right. Even with Jason Luo's 15% boost pushing his Stamina to insane levels, the sheer force behind his opponent's punches still drove him back again and again...
But every time Jason Luo staggered back two steps, he would lunge forward once more—strike, press in, and attack again!
Fueled by his hunger for victory and the negative effect of his title, Jason Luo had gone completely berserk...
The madness wasn't only in the ring—it swept through the crowd as well!
America was a land where individual heroism thrived. In a bloody showdown like this, every man in the audience felt as if he were the one on stage, shirtless, veins bulging, screaming at the top of his lungs:
"Punch! Keep going! Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
Fists flailed wildly in the air, women screamed and ducked away from the frenzy...
The commentator was equally swept up in the chaos, his voice cracking from overexcitement:
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is no longer an ordinary match! These two men are like Mars colliding with Earth—pure destruction! The fight to the death has begun, and only one will remain standing! Jason, I admit I was wrong. You really do have cannons in those fists. I just don't understand—why do you have to get pummeled first before you'll unleash your full power...?"
In the ring, the bloody war raged on. Wuriqiu was the one bleeding. Jason Luo's punches were faster, and with his enhanced Stamina he could endure more, giving him the edge in this brutal exchange.
Wuriqiu's face was cut open, his scalp split, blood running down his face. As Jason Luo surged at him again, Wuriqiu could no longer withstand it—especially when he met Jason Luo's crazed, almost inhuman eyes under the effect of his title. Fear crept into his heart.
Wuriqiu tried clinching to buy time, but the referee, eager to keep the fight's intensity alive, quickly broke them apart.
Jason Luo attacked again. Sometimes a fighter survives on sheer willpower, but once that fades, only the instinct to endure remains. Wuriqiu had already lost the will to attack.
He barely blocked two of Jason Luo's punches before trying another clinch. But Jason Luo was ready this time—he stepped back and landed a vicious hook that sent Wuriqiu staggering.
The moment he saw the Reaction, Jason Luo's confidence soared! He charged in, swinging with full force!
Wuriqiu took several more punches before his body gave out. Though still standing, his eyes were unfocused, like a drunk who'd downed five bottles of whiskey. Jason Luo was about to finish him off when the referee, who had been watching closely, stepped in and held him back...
The referee pried open Wuriqiu's eyelids, saw his glazed expression, and waved to stop the fight!
The arena exploded in thunderous cheers! The crowd was even more ecstatic than Jason Luo himself. Chaos swept the hall—some danced in place, others poured beer over themselves, some grabbed whoever was next to them, man or woman, and kissed them wildly...
Even before the official announcement, Brown and Raul had already scrambled onto the stage to embrace Jason Luo. Brown roared with laughter, while Raul cried and laughed at the same time...
It took a full five minutes of effort from the commentators and referees before the chaos finally calmed down.
Then, the referee brought Jason Luo and Wuriqiu to the center of the ring and officially declared Jason Luo the winner of the final elimination round—he had secured a spot in the finals!
Applause!
Endless, deafening applause!
This fight had earned Jason Luo the love of countless boxing fans. Some shouted, "Go, Wonder Kid!"—the long-time supporters.
Others yelled, "Good job, Golden Boy!"
Still others called him "Iron Will Jason."
Jason Luo waved to the fans in thanks, though he wasn't too fond of those nicknames. "Golden Boy" belonged to Oscar De La Hoya, and being called "Little Golden Boy" just sounded lame...
Greeting fans along the way, he returned to the locker room. The first thing he did was share the victory with his coach. At first, Pedro didn't believe him, but after all three swore to the heavens, the old man finally accepted it!
"Jason, well done! Well done! Maybe God took pity on me and sent you into my life. Son, keep going! We'll keep going together! I'll try... no, I will definitely make it back before the finals. Wait for me, ha ha...
I'm so happy—cough—God, this is wonderful..."
Hearing Coach Pedro so overjoyed made Jason Luo feel everything was worth it. Just as he was about to say more, Sonny suddenly came on the line:
"Holy crap, Jason, you actually made it to the Top 16? That's incredible! Hold on, I'll send one of our reporters over for an exclusive interview. Remember—don't talk to anyone except the one I send!"
"Get lost..." Pedro's teasing scold came through before the call ended abruptly.
Everyone knew about their relationship, and Jason Luo and the others couldn't help but laugh. After the good news, another call came in. Jason Luo answered—it was Dr. Miao.
David Miao was just as excited, practically shouting:
"Jay? That was amazing! Oh, Tony, and all the friends who came today—we're together right now. You have to give me face tonight. Come celebrate at my place, okay? Bring your boss and coach too!"
Jason Luo laughed. How could he refuse Uncle Miao?
"Alright, Uncle Miao. I'll check with Mr. Raul and the others, but it shouldn't be a problem."
"Good, good! Bring them along. You already know the way to my place. We'll head home and start preparing."
"You're going to so much trouble!"
"Ah, don't worry about it..."
After hanging up, Jason Luo told Raul and Brown. Both had already eaten with Mr. Miao once, so they were familiar and readily agreed.
Once everything was packed, Jason Luo lingered for a moment, glancing back at the locker room with a bit of reluctance. After all, once the finals came, the venue would no longer be Podiat.
For the finals, Podiat was too small. That was why the Golden Gloves Tournament always held its final matches in Chicago's largest military stadium, with a capacity of 63,500 spectators.
Brown noticed Jason Luo's hesitation and quickly understood.
"Ha! Come on, kid. Once you see the finals arena, you'll understand what a real big stage looks like!"
In high spirits, the three of them left Podiat, laughter echoing as they walked away.