Chapter 403: It Was Just a Coincidence
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The big screen had already started replaying the punch from all sorts of different angles. What could be seen was a simple hook by Taylor, nothing fancy, hitting Saunders right in the middle of his face, followed by another hook that knocked Saunders to the ground. Analyzed from a technical perspective, no controversies surrounded these two punches.
"Why didn't Saunders dodge? That punch wasn't fancy, it wasn't even that fast, it looked ordinary. Even I could see Taylor's punch trajectory clearly, Saunders," someone said.
"It's not that he didn't want to dodge, it was that he couldn't dodge. That's how it is with Taylor's punch; you can see it clearly, but you can't dodge it," another person answered.
James King stared at the big screen with his mouth wide open, his expression too complex to be described with words. Taylor's attack just now was way too familiar to James King.
Using footwork and rapid body sways to approach his opponents while confusing them with feints, then a simple and straightforward punch. That was the typical attack from Taylor. From the perspective of a spectator, Taylor's punches could be easily dodged, but from the point of view of his opponents, Taylor's punch was unavoidable.
That was Taylor the boxing champion; even when the world knew how he was going to fight, even if his opponents were informed earlier of his attack methods, they would still fail to avoid that lethal punch in the ring.
"But he's 32 years old now, how can he still throw out punches like that?" James King mumbled to himself.
James King had been Taylor's agent for over a decade, and he understood Taylor better than anyone. Taylor's attack method had long been imprinted in James King's mind, and it would never fade away. James King had initially thought that Taylor's body had deteriorated as he aged, and he would never attack like that again. That was the reason he did not favor Taylor in the fight.
At that moment, James King had a feeling; he felt as if Taylor had returned to his peak from a decade ago. The Taylor back then delivered attacks like that to his opponents, attacks that were exactly the same as the one he used today!
Could it be that he has returned to his condition from before? A sudden sense of fear arose in James King's heart. He understood better than most how strong Taylor was when he was at his peak.
Impossible, it's definitely impossible. Taylor is old. There is absolutely no way he can return to his condition from when he was younger!
...
In the boxing ring, Taylor was at a loss. He looked at the referee who was bent over on the floor in front of Saunders, checking to see if Saunders could continue the fight. If the referee were to confirm that Saunders could no longer continue, then he would announce Taylor's victory.
However, Taylor's baffled look made it appear as though he did not know what had happened, as if he wasn't the one who had thrown that punch.
KO'd just like that? That easy? Taylor looked suspiciously at his fist.
Saunders was not a newbie boxer; he had become the tenth ranked title challenger of the WBC, which meant that his strength was among the world's first class boxers. Moreover, he was a boxer who was skilled in defense.
However, Taylor felt that he had won too easily. He had only needed a straightforward attack to put Saunders on the ground.
Why was Saunders' defense so weak? Taylor recalled the attack and examined it in detail, then suddenly realized something.
No, it wasn't that Saunders was weak, it was that my attack was too perfect. When I attacked just now, whether it was speed, agility, or my body's explosive power, they were exceptional, just like a decade ago! Yes, the feeling during my attack was exactly the same as ten years ago!
Taylor looked at his fist in disbelief. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand why a 32-year-old version of himself was able to execute an attack that was at the level of his 22-year-old self.
At that moment, the referee had already confirmed that Saunders could no longer continue the fight. He waved to signal the medical team, and at the same time, he walked to Taylor's side, grabbed his arm, and lifted it high up in the air to declare his victory.
"Boo… Boo… Boo… Boo…" The booing emerged once again.
"Idiot. Saunders, you idiot. Don't box if you're so weak! You made me lose money!" an unknown person shouted. Following that, a great burst of curses emerged from the stands.
"Taylor, you stupid bull, you pumping 'roids now?"
Some of the audience tore the betting tickets in their hands and threw the torn pieces in the air, mixing them with the color paper falling from the top of the boxing ring.
Dai Li looked around and smiled weakly.
Taylor. This fellow sure is unpopular. He is still getting cursed even after winning the match!
...
Surman, the WBC president, had just attended an event and was currently seated in an airport lounge, waiting for the boarding announcement.
The broadcast announced that the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. Surman frowned in resignation.
Oh, that's right. Taylor's comeback match was today, I wonder how his fight with Saunders went. Surman waved at his assistant.
His assistant left and made a call to inquire about the fight, then walked back swiftly.
"Mr. President, the fight is over. Kevin Taylor KO'd Saunders," the assistant said.
"That fast?" Surman checked his watch. "The match should have just started, right? Did they start the match early?"
"No, Mr. President, the match started on time. However, the match was decided in a only one round." The assistant thought briefly before continuing, "To be precise, after the match began, Taylor only needed one attack to KO Saunders."
"One attack to KO an opponent!" Surman sucked in a breath of cold air and mumbled to himself, "Don't tell me the Kevin Taylor from before has returned!"
...
Dai Li walked out of the hotel casino with a big smile on his face, as well as a 1.59 million dollar check.
Dai Li had placed a 50,000 dollar bet on Taylor winning in the first round, and the odds were 41, so Dai Li won a total of 2.05 million dollars. However, earnings from bets were taxable, so the amount Dai Li actually received was not as high.
The winnings from buying lottery tickets were taxable in the US, and the taxes included federal tax, state tax, and personal income tax. Among them, the federal tax was fixed at 25%; the state tax, on the other hand, differed according to each state. In Nevada, it was 6.5%. The personal income tax ratios were based on the different levels of personal annual income. Americans would voluntarily declare their tax returns after winning the lottery. There was once a news report on an American who had won a huge prize worth 200 million dollars; however, in the end, he only received 80 million dollars, a total of 62% being deducted as tax.
As a city based on gambling, the taxation laws in Las Vegas were more complicated. There were a lot of tax deductions and tax exemption policies in place even for foreigners. If a foreigner were to win money at a casino in Las Vegas, they were not required to personally declare tax returns like an American. They just needed to show their passport, and the casino would directly deduct 33% of the winnings as tax, while the remainder of the winnings would be returned to the winner.
Although Dai Li had suddenly paid several hundred thousand dollars of tax, he still earned a good amount from his gamble. Over 1.5 million dollars. And that was the income after tax. It was already enough for Dai Li to purchase state-of-the-art training equipment.
I'll treat Taylor to something good! He even had to cut down on what he ate. Dai Li thought for a moment before dialing Taylor's number.
If it were the Taylor from before, he would have gone to the casino and spent a few million dollars on gambling, before searching for a few hot chicks to take to bed. However, the current Taylor was bankrupt; he couldn't afford to spend money on items that were not necessities. Until he cleared the debt from the bank, having a nice meal at a restaurant or having a drink were the best rewards available to Taylor.
Dai Li found Taylor on the observation deck of the hotel. He sat there in silence, just like before the match.
"What are you thinking?" Dai Li walked over and sat beside Taylor before continuing, "Before the match, you were worried that you couldn't beat Saunders, now you've won. Why do you still look like this? Buddy, you should be celebrating right now."
"Coach Li, I've won, but I feel weird. Now that I think about it, I don't even know how I actually won," Taylor said in a troubled voice.
"You're stronger than Saunders! A beautiful punch combo hit Saunders, and then he fell down. It was that simple." Dai Li mimicked a punching gesture.
"No, that's not what I mean. You watched the match. I only used one attack to KO Saunders, but he shouldn't be that weak," Taylor said.
"It's not that he's weak, it's that you are strong enough. That's why you managed to completely obliterate him." Dai Li looked at Taylor with an expression that seemed like a smile but wasn't a smile.
"I feel weird." Taylor shook his head. "To tell you the truth, my body has been feeling weird since the match, but I can't pinpoint exactly what is wrong. I don't know how to describe this feeling."
"It must be the feeling of youth!" Dai Li was still all smiles.
"Feeling of youth?" Taylor nodded in confusion; he thought that Dai Li's description was spot on.
"Do you remember what I told you before that I would do my best to let your body return to its condition from when you were 27 years old? Looks like the effects of my training are finally showing." Dai Li looked satisfied.
"What did you say? Body returning to the condition of a 27-year-old? Is this true?" Taylor widened his eyes. He naturally found Dai Li's words hard to believe.
"Don't look at me like that, and don't think that this is somehow amazing. Sports and exercise can make a person younger. There are many real examples. The rich can remain strong and healthy if they maintain a training habit, even if they are 60 or 70 years old. And in medical science, sports and exercise can also improve blood circulation and metabolism, restoring the bodily functions of an individual. If you frequent some of the high-end gyms, you will notice that many people look far younger than their actual age." Dai Li used an excuse to cover it up.
"What you mean to say is that all of this is the result of my training?" Taylor asked, his eyes bulging.
"What else could it be? Or maybe you think I'm a wizard, and all I have to do is chant a few incantations to make you young?" Dai Li stood up and laughed as he patted Taylor on the shoulders. He then continued speaking, "Kevin, you have to be more confident, and even more so, you have to have faith in me. I will do my best to maintain your excellent condition, but you also have to maintain the high-intensity training. If you return to being like before, drinking, smoking marijuana, and having at women without restrictions, then even I won't be able to help you anymore."
...
Mason was a well-known boxing commentator. He was correct in many of his predictions for important boxing matches, and so he was regarded "The Light of Betting" in boxing matches. A lot of boxing magazines would invite him to write in, and bookmakers would pay him consulting fees. And his blog had even more fans and followers, many of whom bet in boxing matches. When an important boxing match was coming up, Mason's blog would get a dramatically increased number of visits.
Mason frequently placed bets as well. After all, he was a professional in these sorts of things, and as an insider, he had earned quite a lot from boxing match betting.
However, in the match that just ended, Mason stumbled like a horse that had just lost its front hooves. He predicted that Saunders would defeat Taylor, and he even wrote a few long articles on it, analyzing from multiple perspectives. And the end result was Saunders getting KO'd by Taylor in the first round.
Taylor actually won, and he won so easily. Wasn't Saunders skilled at defending? How did he get knocked down so easily? He's lost me several thousand dollars! Mason stared at his betting ticket on the table in a depressed mood. Initially, he had hoped to earn some extra cash from the match before having fun for a few days in Las Vegas, but now he had lost money, and not just his bet, but his hotel accommodation fees as well.
Damn Taylor, he's already 32 years old, but he can still fight like that! Mason pressed himself against the sofa in anger, grabbed his laptop, and opened his blog. Hundreds of comments appeared instantly before Mason's eyes.
"Didn't you say it was a sure-win for Saunders? He ended up being KO'd in the first round."
"You're a liar. You understand nothing, you're all talk, your prediction was completely off, and I'll never listen to your lies anymore."
"Idiot, I listened to your pre-match prediction. You made me lose 500 dollars!"
"Your blog said that Taylor was no more, is your face now swollen?"
Comment after comment, each one of them insulting Mason, some even directly cursing him.
"These bastards. All of them gave me likes when they first heard my prediction, now, after losing just one match, they're already cursing me!" Mason felt angry, but he had nowhere to vent his anger.
"No! I have to make sense of my previous prediction! If not, the spit from these fans will be enough to drown me." Mason frowned in thought for a long time before opening up a blank document and keying in the following title:
"Kevin Taylor's victory was only a coincidence."