Verdell Starns had both hands over her mouth. Beside her, Leander Seismore was up on two canes. Refusing the folding chair, somebody kept pushing at him. Three rows over. Jarvis Hollingsworth stood on a bleacher with his phone down at his side.
Not filming, just watching. Then the music hit. Cade Bochamp came through the crowd with the belt on his shoulder and his red hair burning under the lights, slapping hands, walking like a parade. He got to the middle of the mat and looked at the janitor and grinned at the cameras. "Last chance," Cade said.
You can apologize now and skip the part where I embarrass you. And Jeremiah Starn smiled. It was the first time anybody in that building had ever seen him do it. Just promise not to cry, he said. Melvin Thibido clicked the stopwatch.
Here is what 90 seconds looks like. One man has spent his whole life being the fastest thing in the room. The other one stopped needing speed a long time ago. Cade came out fast because fast was what had always worked. He shot a double leg hard.
The exact same one from the promo night. Jeremiah's legs went back and his hips dropped and his chest landed on Cad's shoulders like a door closing on a hand. The whole crowd heard the air leave the champion. Cade scrambled up. Good champion level scramble.
He came off the mat throwing. Jab. Jeremiah's head moved two inches. Cross two inches the other way. Hook.
Not there. Second hook. Harder. Wild. Jeremiah did not move his feet once.
Watch that part again. Four punches from the fastest welterweight alive. The man in front of him keeps his heels planted on the same two squares of vinyl the whole time. Then Jeremiah stepped in. He caught the wrist, turned it over, and walked around behind the champion in one motion.
Both hooks were in before Cad's brain finished the sentence it was in the middle of. The arm went under the chin. 300 people made one sound. And then Jeremiah let him go. He unhooked.
He stepped back. He put both hands at his sides. 22 seconds. Melvin Thibido said flat reading the watch. Cade came off the mat with his mouth open.
He looked at his corner. Norman Hargus had not said a word. He charged again. Jeremiah caught the collar tie. Stepped his foot behind Cad's ankle and put him down on his back so gently it looked rehearsed.