Chapter 494 - Boxing Fight (1/2)

Chapter 494 Boxing Fight

Every night, the alley behind owl tavern was abuzz with noise and activity.

Loafers and nearby laborers loved coming here after work. There was no Tiktok or Weibo in this era. Hence there was also no turning into keyboard warriors, and entertainment was sorely limited, especially for these lower-cla.s.s citizens of the society. They couldn’t afford a game of golf or attend fancy dance parties like the wealthy gentlemen and ladies, nor would they understand the sophistication of theatre.

One thing this group of men preferred, however, was a sport like boxing, where flesh met flesh and spattered blood and sweat were everywhere. Now, this was indeed a man’s romance. Combine that with some money, and the entire prospect became an exhilarating and adrenalin pumping undertaking for the underprivileged lot.

The truth was, it wasn’t just the workers, but even the rich enjoyed this brutal amus.e.m.e.nt. Among the rowdy crowd were gentlemen dressed in fine suits and hats. They tapped their canes, waving money in the air like they were toilet paper. A group of onlookers had gathered in a circle, leaving a s.p.a.ce in the center for tonight’s two main protagonists. One was a hulk of a man who worked in a s.h.i.+pyard. The muscles on his arms bulged, and his chest was covered in a carpet of thick hair like a bulletproof vest. They called him Anchor Quinn, inspired by the tattoo on his right arm, and he was a regular among the underground fight club. He scored 13 winnings and six losses in the past three months, and he could have reverted the losses.

Tonight, his opponent was an unfamiliar face. Asians were rare in London, especially those who spoke fluent English. This one claimed to be a famous traveler from a wealthy family, probably equivalent to a British squire. His hands belonged to one who had never done a days’ labor, and his healthy but far from strapping physique had many of the spectators feeling less than optimistic about him.

“What the h.e.l.l is this? Couldn’t they find a better fighter?”

“I bet he won’t last ten rounds against Anchor. That poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d will most probably end up in the hospital!”

“Ten rounds? I don’t think he can even last five! If the guy has any sense at all, he should kneel and beg for mercy before it even starts.”

“If memory serves me right, he won’t get any money then…”

“Instead of thinking about making money, he should think about protecting his own little

life.”

The crowd discussed among themselves, the odds between the two compet.i.tors, worlds apart.

On the one hand, Zhang Heng’s odds had jumped to 7/1, and on the other, Anchor’s was only 1.9/1. In other words, if you were to place a pound on Anchor, and he won, you would earn less than two s.h.i.+llings. But even then, the majority placed their bets on Anchor. After all, it was free money.

It was a shame that small-scale street boxing promoters had limited funds. As a result, each indivudual betting limit was capped at five pounds, also an effective method to keep anyone from bribing a boxer to secretly manipulate the game. Otherwise, winning by quant.i.ty was also an excellent way to make money. However, for most of these workers, five pounds was a lot of money. Since it was rare that they encountered such a risk-free opportunity to make money, people had began borrowing money before the match started.

And what happened next confirmed the people’s verdict.

While Anchor had his share of shortcomingsclumsy and threw slow punches-every punch he threw was firm. Under his violent offensive, his poor opponent, the Easterner, could only dodge, and even so, still received several punches on the body.

Until now, he did not even have a chance to attack, completely subdued by Anchor’s overwhelming firepower. “Kill him! Anchor! Tear him apart! We don’t need sissies in a man’s sport!”

“Show him what English men are made of!”

The crowd’s fervent cheers seemed to give Anchor an injection of renewed strength. His awkward, clumsy movements became faster and lighter. Zhang Heng received two more punches, and he wasn’t looking too good.