- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Location
- Canada
Carl let out a slow breath, his fist shooting forward once, but his breathing not changing. It was findnig his center before the fight. James stepped into the room.
"So who am I fighting tonight anyway? No one was saying anything." Carl asked casually, throwing a few more jabs.
"See, that's the funny thing..." James said hesitantly.
"What?" Carl faced him this time.
"Your normal opponent? He's um...out. Threw out his shoulder yesterday night. So um...they had to call up a stand in."
"Great, who am I up against? I know I was supposed to be squaring off against Carter, and he's a good fighter. Would have been pretty good to face him."
"Well, Carter called in a favour and got his old friend to step in. You're fighting Tandy." Carl stopped dead.
"Tandy? As in Nico Tandy? the number five contender in the entire fucking world? The one that's considered to be on a roll, and might actually make the title this year?" Carl asked, stepping towards James as he spoke.
"Yeah, that's him. Look, Carl, I'm probably less happy about this than you. Just...don't die in there, okay? If you can make three rounds, just three rounds with Nico Tandy, you're a contender, and the gym is on the map. You don't have to win!" James said with his hands up in a placating gesture.
"What if I do?" James smiled.
"Atta boy. If you win, your status in the league will explode. You'll be able to compete for the title in the first year. So what do you say?"
"Bring him on. Didn't come all this way for nothing." James smiled and Carl walked toward the path that would take him to the ring.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Blood Bowl!" The voice ripped through the sound system, lights exploding into luminescence to show the ring more clearly now. The assembled crowd roared. "There is a change in the line up for tonight's featured bout! nfortunately, the Mighty Carter coudl not make his fight! But fear not, the fight must go on!" The crowd gave a lukewarm call for this news. "In his place tonight, back in the Bowl after four years absence, I give you, number five int he world...Nico Tandy!"
The crowd went insane as Nico walked towards the ring. He was a tall man, lean and hard as iron. His head was shaved, and he carried himself with teh confidence of someone a head taller than anyone else in the room. he took his place in his corner, and waited.
"And here to challenge Nico Tandy, is Carl, the Piledriver!" Carl stepped forward, striding with all the confidence he could muster. Quite a night. Not only was he picking a fight way out of his comfort zone in terms of skill, but if it all went south, not only would he not help the gym, he'd humiliate himself in front of Megan. Just what he needed.
He took to the ring, and shook out his shoulders. Nico stepped towards the middle, and Carl did likewise.
"Piledriver, eh? You fought in the undergorund, didn't you?" Nico said just loud enough for Carl to hear him.
"Yeah. How'd you know that?" He asked.
"Saw you fight. Two years back at the underground nationals. Watched you take top prize. May the best man win?" Nico smiled at him, and Carl got the feeling he could like this man.
"You got it." They stepped into place, and the first bell rang.
Billie barely managed to suppress a gasp as Carl adn Nico came at one another. Nico tried to close range, throw Carl instantly into a grapple where Carl would lose his advantage of reach, but Carl knew his business in that regard. Lightning swift jabs fired out, three fo them landing with enough for ce to force Nico bad, or suffer harder blows than he coudl take. The crowd was already on their feet, screaming for all they were worth at this start.
Each man circled the other, before Carl made the next move. Measured, powerful strikes that looped out fromt he sides, each one enough to throw an average man to the floor without concern. nico dodged each one, knowing that blocking them would sap his endurance too quickly. Carl was actually smiling now, knowing the game Nico played. Wait it out, pick up on Carl's tells, give him nothing in return. It would have worked too. Nico moved in response to one of the punches, reading it clearly, and moving to trap the limb. Carl stopped his move, adn lunged in, hammering his knee into Nico's chest. The wind rushed from the man, and Carl hammered a fist into the side of his neck. Tandy staggered, but came back with a an uppercut that made Carl back off. Each man eyes the other weighing their chances. If Carl could keep out of Nico's grapple, then he liked his odds. But if he couldn't...his chances would fall apart incredibly fast. But it was on now. The two stepped in, and started swinging.
"So who am I fighting tonight anyway? No one was saying anything." Carl asked casually, throwing a few more jabs.
"See, that's the funny thing..." James said hesitantly.
"What?" Carl faced him this time.
"Your normal opponent? He's um...out. Threw out his shoulder yesterday night. So um...they had to call up a stand in."
"Great, who am I up against? I know I was supposed to be squaring off against Carter, and he's a good fighter. Would have been pretty good to face him."
"Well, Carter called in a favour and got his old friend to step in. You're fighting Tandy." Carl stopped dead.
"Tandy? As in Nico Tandy? the number five contender in the entire fucking world? The one that's considered to be on a roll, and might actually make the title this year?" Carl asked, stepping towards James as he spoke.
"Yeah, that's him. Look, Carl, I'm probably less happy about this than you. Just...don't die in there, okay? If you can make three rounds, just three rounds with Nico Tandy, you're a contender, and the gym is on the map. You don't have to win!" James said with his hands up in a placating gesture.
"What if I do?" James smiled.
"Atta boy. If you win, your status in the league will explode. You'll be able to compete for the title in the first year. So what do you say?"
"Bring him on. Didn't come all this way for nothing." James smiled and Carl walked toward the path that would take him to the ring.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Blood Bowl!" The voice ripped through the sound system, lights exploding into luminescence to show the ring more clearly now. The assembled crowd roared. "There is a change in the line up for tonight's featured bout! nfortunately, the Mighty Carter coudl not make his fight! But fear not, the fight must go on!" The crowd gave a lukewarm call for this news. "In his place tonight, back in the Bowl after four years absence, I give you, number five int he world...Nico Tandy!"
The crowd went insane as Nico walked towards the ring. He was a tall man, lean and hard as iron. His head was shaved, and he carried himself with teh confidence of someone a head taller than anyone else in the room. he took his place in his corner, and waited.
"And here to challenge Nico Tandy, is Carl, the Piledriver!" Carl stepped forward, striding with all the confidence he could muster. Quite a night. Not only was he picking a fight way out of his comfort zone in terms of skill, but if it all went south, not only would he not help the gym, he'd humiliate himself in front of Megan. Just what he needed.
He took to the ring, and shook out his shoulders. Nico stepped towards the middle, and Carl did likewise.
"Piledriver, eh? You fought in the undergorund, didn't you?" Nico said just loud enough for Carl to hear him.
"Yeah. How'd you know that?" He asked.
"Saw you fight. Two years back at the underground nationals. Watched you take top prize. May the best man win?" Nico smiled at him, and Carl got the feeling he could like this man.
"You got it." They stepped into place, and the first bell rang.
Billie barely managed to suppress a gasp as Carl adn Nico came at one another. Nico tried to close range, throw Carl instantly into a grapple where Carl would lose his advantage of reach, but Carl knew his business in that regard. Lightning swift jabs fired out, three fo them landing with enough for ce to force Nico bad, or suffer harder blows than he coudl take. The crowd was already on their feet, screaming for all they were worth at this start.
Each man circled the other, before Carl made the next move. Measured, powerful strikes that looped out fromt he sides, each one enough to throw an average man to the floor without concern. nico dodged each one, knowing that blocking them would sap his endurance too quickly. Carl was actually smiling now, knowing the game Nico played. Wait it out, pick up on Carl's tells, give him nothing in return. It would have worked too. Nico moved in response to one of the punches, reading it clearly, and moving to trap the limb. Carl stopped his move, adn lunged in, hammering his knee into Nico's chest. The wind rushed from the man, and Carl hammered a fist into the side of his neck. Tandy staggered, but came back with a an uppercut that made Carl back off. Each man eyes the other weighing their chances. If Carl could keep out of Nico's grapple, then he liked his odds. But if he couldn't...his chances would fall apart incredibly fast. But it was on now. The two stepped in, and started swinging.