If someone asked the audience who the best heavyweight boxer in the world was right then, eight out of ten would give the same answer: Hopkins, “The Iron Professor.”
Hopkins entered and won a gold medal in the Olympics when he was 22 years old. He subsequently became a professional boxer. As an amateur who had already won in the Olympics, he was at an advantage when he became a professional boxer.
Hopkins was two meters tall, with an arm’s reach of 206 centimeters. That combination was perfect for heavyweight boxing. A fist that was capable of delivering devastating blows, and a light and nimble body. In the heavyweight class, those who were shorter than him would be at a major disadvantage. Those who were around the same height didn’t have an arm’s reach as wide as his. Those who were taller and larger than him wouldn’t be able to match him in speed and agility. In other words, Hopkins’s body was perfect for the sport.
Most importantly, not only did Hopkins have the perfect body for boxing, but he also demonstrated masterful technique.
Amateur boxers tended to have better technique. The reason was that amateur boxers tended to wear protective gear when boxing, and that made it difficult to get a win with a knockout. This forced boxers to learn how to gain points through good displays of technique, as it was the best way to win a match. Thus, people who had competed in the Olympics, like Hopkins, naturally had better technique.
Moreover, Hopkin displayed intelligence when he boxed. He always observed his opponents before deciding what to do, whether that was thinking of an overall strategy or making on-the-spot changes.
An excellent body, a strong will, and an intelligent brain. Hopkins had no flaws. All these reasons were why Hopkins earned the nickname “The Iron Professor.”
Hopkins did not disgrace his nickname. Ever since he went professional, he had defeated countless opponents. At the moment, he was the boxing champion of both the WBO and the IBF. Of the four championship belts, Hopkins already possessed two of them. With his current momentum, it was only a matter of time before he would get all of them.
If Taylor could be regarded as the heavyweight boxing conqueror of the previous era, then Hopkins was the ruler of the heavyweight boxing of the current era.
In the face of Taylor’s challenge, most other boxing champions would have to consider it carefully. Now that Taylor had restored his body back to its original condition, he would have no trouble beating down anyone who came his way. No one could guarantee that they could block his attack.
However, Hopkins was different. He accepted Taylor’s challenge. As the saying goes, the young calf is not afraid of the tiger. Hopkins, who was on the rise, was very keen to fight against Taylor, because Taylor was once the heavyweight boxing champion. It was like a lion pride; if a young lion wanted to be recognized by the other lions as leader of the pride, the best way to do so was to defeat the former leader. If the young lion succeeded, he would become the new leader. Those who defeated the old kings and claimed their thrones were respected and honored.
For boxing organizations like the WBO and IBF, the face-off between Hopkins and Taylor was a great opportunity. Showdowns between famous boxers brought about many benefits. If it were possible, boxing organizations would have boxing matches between champions every day.
…
In a secluded villa in an affluent community, an anxious 70-year-old man held a phone.
“Mr. Ayres, the news you mentioned before is true,” a man on the phone said.
“So, is there really a physical therapist?” the old man said excitedly.
“Yes,” said the man on the phone, “but the man only appeared two years ago, and he did not stay in Europe for a long time. It seems that he only stayed in Switzerland and Scotland. I can’t find out the details due to matters of personal privacy concerns, and it was two years ago. So far I only know that the physical therapist is an Asian.”
“What is his name? Have you found it?” the old man asked eagerly.
“I did find a name through some means. The name of the physical therapist is… let me have a look. His name is Lithium… well… Day, yes, it is Lithium-Day,” the person on the phone said. However, there was an air of discomfort to his voice.
“Lithium-Day? What a bizarre name. Are you sure?” the old man asked with some skepticism.
“He is Asian, strange names are not uncommon for them. He might be Indian, I’ve heard that there are many strange names in India,” the man said.
“An Indian physical therapist called Lithium-Day,” the old man nodded. “Thank you for the information you provided me. I hope you can continue to help me to keep a lookout for news about this Lithium-Day. It would be best if I knew where I could find him.”
“No problem. But Mr. Ayres, I want to remind you that even if the physical therapist can help your wife recover, his fees will be very high. You need to keep that in mind,” said the person on the phone.
“Okay, thank you very much.” The old man hung up the phone. Sorrow flashed in his eyes.
“Lithium-Day, where can I find this guy!” the old man spoke to himself while looking into the room next to him. In the other room, a white-haired old woman was lying quietly in bed.
“Lucy, I will help you get better,” said the old man as tears streamed down his face. However, his eyes showed that he was determined.
Immediately after, the old man picked up the phone and dialed a number.
“Jim, it’s me! Yes, I’m fine, but lately, I’ve had some troubles, yes, money matters, so I’m planning to come back again!”
…
In the training center, Taylor stood alone in the boxing ring. He looked as if he was in deep meditation.
“Kevin, what are you thinking about?” Dai Li stepped forward and handed a sports drink to Taylor.
“Coach, I can’t continue like this. My next opponent is Hopkins. He is probably the strongest active heavyweight boxer around. I am not sure I can beat him. I need a professional boxing coach. I have money now, I think I can hire a boxing coach,” Taylor said.
“It seems that you already have a plan,” Dai Li said.
Taylor nodded. “Yes, I asked my old friends to inquire, but I haven’t heard back from them. As you know, it isn’t easy to find a coach that is capable of coaching someone at my level on such short notice.”
Taylor was, after all, the world’s top boxing champion. An average coach would not be able to meet his standard… Only the world’s top boxing coach would be able to guide someone at his level. Moreover, in the coaching industry, high-level coaches were a rare commodity. They were regularly sought out for their services, so they had no need to seek out clients on their own.
Trying to find a suitable boxing coach for Taylor in a span of a few days was basically an impossible task.
Just then, Taylor’s phone, which was next to the boxing ring, began to ring.
Dai Li took the cell phone and threw it into the boxing ring to Taylor. Taylor looked at the caller ID and immediately answered.
“Kevin, good news, I just heard that Ayres is coming back!” said the man on the phone.
“Ayres? That ‘white devil’? I thought he already retired?” Taylor asked in a curious tone.
“Yes, it is him, but I heard the reason he decided to come back…” The man paused. “People are saying that he decided to return because of money problems, so his asking price is not going to be low!”
“Although he is over 70 years old, he was once the best boxing coach in the world. I wouldn’t be surprised even if he asked for the highest price in the world.” Taylor took a deep breath and calmed himself. “Send Ayres’ phone number to me, I want to talk to him.”
…
Beverly Hills was the most famous affluent neighborhood in Los Angeles. Many of the most popular celebrities lived there.
“The Iron Professor” Hopkins’s mansion was also located in Beverly Hills. Hopkins, who carried two heavyweight championship belts, earned hundreds of millions of dollars a year, enough to buy him an expensive mansion in Beverly Hills.
At that point, Hopkins also knew of the news of Ayres’ comeback.
“The legendary coach of the boxing world, ‘White Devil’ Ayres, is coming back! That guy should be in his seventies!” exclaimed Hopkins in surprise.
“Yeah,” said Hopkins’s agent, who was sitting opposite him. “I thought he would enjoy retirement in peace. I did not expect that he would choose to return. According to some sources, he encountered some trouble and needs a lot of money. That is why he chose to come back. Otherwise, at his age, having been away from the boxing scene for several years, wouldn’t it be better to just enjoy life?”
“Ayres was once the world’s best boxing coach. He should have made a lot of money during the years he was coaching. His house is much more expensive than most top boxers. If he needs to come back for the sake of money, it looks like he really is in trouble,” Hopkins said.
“Yeah, and with of Ayres’ reputation, an average boxer can’t afford him. His asking price is too high,” the agent said casually.
Hopkins frowned. He thought for a moment, and said, “I plan to hire him!”
“You? You want to hire Ayers? No no no, we don’t need this at all. You already have a professional coaching team. The coaches on the team are highly qualified. Our coaching team has no need to recruit a new coach. Even if he is the legendary ‘White Devil’ Ayres. Moreover, his asking price is too high. Even though we can afford it, it is an unnecessary expenditure,” the agent replied.
Hopkins shook his head, “The reason I want to hire him is not to strengthen our coaching team, but to make it impossible for others to hire him, like Taylor! As far as I know, Taylor has not found a suitable head coach since his comeback. Now that Taylor has apparently recovered to his previous physical condition, if the legendary coach, ‘White Devil’ Ayres goes to him, he will be even more powerful! Then Taylor will be even more challenging to deal with.”
“Yeah, why didn’t I think of that! Even though we don’t need Ayres, we can’t give him to Taylor! Hopkins, your mind is something, you really are worthy of the title ‘The Iron Professor.'” The agent stood up. “I will contact Ayres now!”