Ch.138An Asian aiming for the heavyweight division? And even the championship?

After finishing my greeting with Hwang Hyeongcheol, I started warming up and suddenly had a thought.

‘I feel like I’ve been in this situation before.’

Memories from the past started coming back to me.

What happened back then? What did I do to my opponent?

So this is why Sangha hyung was so worried.

But why does this keep happening?

My thoughts suddenly paused there.

‘Is it because I look weak?’

Actor Kim Donghu doesn’t hear such things anywhere.

Because of the achievements and accomplishments built as an actor.

I’ve become someone people absolutely cannot disrespect.

But what about Kim Donghu as a boxer?

For such a thug to speak carelessly about people around me.

It means I still need to grow much more.

‘Then I just need to show them.’

What position I’m in.

What training I’ve done, and what kind of fights I can deliver.

I just need to let everyone know.

Then they won’t be able to say such things again.

And I plan to personally show this opponent in particular.

“…Donghu, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“No… your expression is, um, never mind. Yeah, I trust you anyway.”

Sangha hyung started to say something to me but stopped.

Knowing what he meant, I maintained my smile and answered.

“Hyung, I’m really fine. I’m not angry.”

“I know, I know.”

Sangha hyung glanced at my fist briefly before quickly ending the conversation.

After warming up a bit more.

I went straight up to the ring.

“…Donghu, did something really happen?”

“Huh? No? Why?”

“Uh… well, that, ah, never mind.”

Yerim also started to say something but stopped.

Why is everyone acting like this?

“I’m really fine, it’s nothing.”

“Ah, uh, okay.”

The conversation ended there.

I slowly rotated my wrists and ankles while waiting for my opponent to climb into the ring.

“Wow, look at that expression. So fierce. I’m scared, I might wet myself.”

I hear the mocking words.

Yes, boxer Kim Donghu is still lacking.

That’s why I could hear such words.

Because I’m in that position.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

My heart is beating but it’s incredibly cold.

A cool sensation pleasantly coats my eyes.

As soon as I face him, I see numerous paths.

Roads only I can take.

Glance.

I look at the bell.

When will it ring?

That question didn’t last long.

Ding!

The crisp bell sound rings.

Yes, now it’s time to show everyone,

What position boxer Kim Donghu is in,

So that no one can look down on me again.

++++++

‘He looks fierce.’

Paek Sangha got goosebumps seeing Kim Donghu’s expression for the first time.

How could someone smile so coldly?

For someone who claimed not to be angry, his expression was terrifying.

‘He must have said something.’

The thug’s behavior was predictable and expected.

But it bothered him that Kim Donghu had reacted so sensitively.

‘Why provoke such a good kid?’

If you had to compare Kim Donghu to something, he was like a docile tiger.

Yes, a tiger.

Just as a tiger remains a tiger no matter how docile it seems.

It meant he was a predator not worth provoking.

‘Is it because he’s heavyweight?’

Generally, heavyweights have a certain level of endurance.

Since they can withstand several hits, they definitely had more grit.

Should I call it toughness that comes from weight class?

That’s probably why he was running his mouth.

‘And he’s quite skilled too, being Rookie of the Year.’

There was some basis for his trash talk.

But that’s only when dealing with an ordinary opponent.

‘Well, he hasn’t experienced Kim Donghu yet.’

Kim Donghu’s punches weren’t simply at a level you could call hard.

If I had to compare, they were like ridiculously large iron stakes.

Unbelievable destructive power that could cause a first-round TKO in a heavyweight match.

And the timing and accuracy to back it up.

This was already frightening enough.

‘He also has stamina and speed.’

You could say he’s the complete package in boxing.

Ding!

And that complete package starts rampaging as soon as the round begins.

A left foot stepping deeply forward simultaneously with an extending left hand.

Bang!

A sound erupts as soon as the headgear and fist connect.

‘He must be surprised.’

This is on a completely different level from the fighters he’s faced before.

You can actually see the shock in Hwang Hyeongcheol’s eyes.

The problem is.

‘That was just a jab.’

Even thrown lightly without much power, it had that much impact.

A simple, light movement extended to gauge distance.

Transforms into a blow powerful enough to make others feel threatened.

“Eek!”

You can see him trying to move his body, unable to control his momentary emotions.

He must be angry that this fight is completely different from his previous ones.

‘But it’s meaningless.’

Hwang Hyeongcheol trusted his endurance and pushed forward with his body.

Since he had the size advantage over Hwang Hyeongcheol, his strategy was probably to pressure him into the corner.

‘That’s probably how he’s won until now.’

Strategically, it wasn’t bad.

Because that way, you could wear down your opponent’s stamina quite a bit.

“Hmmph!”

Holding his breath and trusting his endurance, he charges forward with a straight punch.

It was quite fast for a heavyweight.

You could say it was the best among the fighters who had faced Kim Donghu so far.

However.

Swoosh.

It doesn’t connect.

‘He escapes the pressure so easily that it’s meaningless.’

Flexibility that can only be described as grotesquely supple.

And muscle control ability that can perfectly utilize even the tips of his toes.

These two things give Kim Donghu the freedom to go anywhere in the ring.

And Kim Donghu didn’t just stop at escaping.

Bang!

Thud!

He creates distance again while precisely planting his fists into the abdomen and liver.

“Kuhh…kek…!”

With those two hits, the mouthpiece in Hwang Hyeongcheol’s mouth tries to come out but stops.

Eyes that seem to have experienced something unbelievable.

‘Yes, it must be unbelievable.’

He must have immediately felt the dimensional difference from the punches he had endured until now.

It was similar to the fear a child feels when experiencing punishment for the first time.

‘It’s still just jabs.’

Despite the shock,

Kim Donghu was still thoroughly toying with Hwang Hyeongcheol using only his left jab.

Yes, it was toying.

‘Like an adult playing with a child.’

Just as the cycle of absolute defeat was about to continue forever.

Ding ding ding.

The first round ending bell rang, saving Hwang Hyeongcheol.

+++++

“Huff… huff….”

After the round ended, Hwang Hyeongcheol collapsed toward his corner where his second was.

“What is he… what the hell is that bastard….”

He was confused by a situation he had never experienced before.

“How good is his stamina that he can throw punches like that in an instant?”

“It doesn’t matter, he can’t last long anyway. How much stamina could he have?”

“Yeah… that’s right. He threw a lot of combinations too.”

“Combinations? No, he only used his left hand.”

“But… but… his movements were big, right? It’s doable. He must have used a lot of stamina.”

Hwang Hyeongcheol seemed to have difficulty making proper judgments.

He was rambling incoherently.

“Anyway, I just need to corner him… then one-two, stick it in and it’s over. Right?”

“….”

Instead of answering, Hwang Hyeongcheol’s coach briefly looked at the opposite side.

There stood Kim Donghu with cold eyes, not even catching his breath.

As if this level was nothing.

The sight of him calmly drinking water without a single drop of sweat made them break out in cold sweat.

One side was panting as if they had just sprinted.

The other side was peacefully taking a break.

The atmosphere was like finishing a light walk and taking a rest.

But the coach believed in Hwang Hyeongcheol.

‘No matter how trashy his personality is, he’s still Rookie of the Year.’

The second round that started like that.

The pattern of the match was similar.

Kim Donghu kept pressuring Hwang Hyeongcheol using only his left hand.

Hwang Hyeongcheol barely endured with an expression like he might die at any moment.

But as they say, even a rotten fish is still a fish.

Hwang Hyeongcheol gradually pressured Kim Donghu and started pushing him into the corner.

‘Got it, got it!’

Until then, Hwang Hyeongcheol was happy that his winning formula was still working.

Just a few steps left.

The moment he touches the corner.

The moment his back leans against the post, he’ll throw his signature hook.

This is how he had claimed the Rookie of the Year title.

‘With the headgear, I’m invincible!’

Having protective gear for the head meant

He could attack more boldly.

Because the headgear would absorb most of the impact.

Therefore.

Thud.

The moment he heard Kim Donghu’s back finally touch the post.

Whaaaaa!

Hwang Hyeongcheol moved.

A hook thrown strongly while diving in deeply.

‘Huh?’

But the opponent who should be hit by that hook wasn’t in his sight.

Being too focused on the goal, he didn’t notice that the process had gone wrong.

Thump!

At that moment, an impact comes from an invisible place.

Despite clearly wearing headgear, the impact is delivered directly to his temple.

‘Ugh…!’

His head spins.

Despite wearing headgear, his vision shakes.

It was just one hit.

‘I’m heavyweight!’

That’s why he could endure it.

Thump!

If only the uppercut that followed hadn’t come.

Because of it, his falling body is forcibly lifted.

As his brain shook and nausea was about to come,

Hwang Hyeongcheol saw Kim Donghu looking at him without any emotion.

‘I, I need to block.’

Not knowing what was coming.

With the thought of wanting to live, his guard unconsciously went up.

Crack!

As if waiting for that, Kim Donghu’s hook landed directly on Hwang Hyeongcheol’s liver.

And exactly at this point.

“Urgh…!”

Hwang Hyeongcheol’s memory cut off.

++++++

‘What did I just witness?’

Gym owner Paek Sangha was shocked by the combination that had just unfolded.

‘That’s what I saw during that sparring session.’

An invisible hook followed by an uppercut.

I thought the attack ended there, but.

‘There was a liver shot too?’

It was a perfect three-hit combo.

A combination that could be delivered in less than a second.

The most shocking point was that the opponent was wearing headgear.

‘Yet it was a TKO.’

Even knowing how strong he was,

Seeing something even more impressive was shocking.

‘He just casually handled the heavyweight Rookie of the Year.’

At this rate, finding sparring partners domestically seemed meaningless.

‘We’ll have to go overseas.’

The options were either America or Mexico.

‘There are no worthy opponents domestically.’

No, it was rather a shame.

A tiger trampling on boxing dreams.

It wasn’t something that could be handled domestically.

++++++++

At the same time.

“Is this fighter really a promising talent?”

“There was quite a lot of appeal from Korea… but I’m not sure if it’s worth our company’s involvement.”

Germany.

The brand that dominated the world with three stripes

Was currently having a meeting about one Korean.

“Kim Donghu… from what I heard summarized from his interviews, he seems to be aiming for an Olympic gold medal.”

“Where? Where gold medal? In boxing? Then which weight class? Light? Welter?”

“They say heavyweight.”

An Asian heavyweight.

As soon as those words were heard, light laughter filled the meeting room.

Snickering sounds.

“An Asian aiming for heavyweight? And champion at that?”

“Does he not know how symbolic the heavyweight class is?”

“Light or welter maybe, but heavyweight! Even middleweight would be questionable!”

“1988! From a country with no gold medals since then, heavyweight? Haha!”

How could a Korean win a heavyweight gold medal?

Everyone laughed.

“But what if, what if it really happens, what do you think?”

Just one person.

The current owner of the brand with three stripes.

Adihes’ current CEO Herbert Tainer.

His sharp instinct cried out.

“Let’s see him compete first. The national team selection… have someone record the match.”

This time feels different somehow.