Chapter 1026: A Battle of Inches
July 20th, 2019. Korakuen Hall.
The atmosphere inside Korakuen Hall grows increasingly feverish as the evening progresses toward its main event, a WBC-ranked bout between Japanese Super Featherweight Champion Tatsuki Aramaki and WBC Continental Americas Super Featherweight Champion Marcus Callahan.
The crowd has already been given plenty of reasons to raise its voice. All four Ronin fighters who appeared on the undercard have swept through their respective opponents with a succession of knockouts, leaving the audience buzzing with anticipation.
By the time the main-event fighters make their way toward the ring, the venue is already primed for another explosive contest.
"Listen to that noise!" one commentator exclaims, his voice nearly swallowed by the roar of the crowd. "I can barely hear myself in here!"
The second commentator laughs. "That’s Korakuen Hall for you. When this place sells out for a fight like this, the crowd doesn’t just watch from their seats. They make sure everyone in the building knows they’re here!"
"And judging by the volume in this arena, I don’t think anyone is going home disappointed tonight," the first commentator replies.
Since the opening bell, neither man wastes time testing the waters. They immediately engage near the center of the ring, with Callahan taking control through his flicker jab.
His lead hand darts forward in quick, deceptive motions, repeatedly touching Aramaki’s guard and forcing him to react while he circles around Aramaki.
He keeps shifting his position, making Aramaki turn and adjust his feet to maintain the distance.
Aramaki’s comparatively shorter reach forces him to settle behind a high guard, absorbing and deflecting the jabs while looking for a chance to close the gap.
Whenever he attempts to answer, Callahan is already moving. He retreats with a sharp L-step, slipping away from the line of attack, then fires another flicker jab from the outside.
Callahan keeps playing it safe, but that does not make the fight any less dangerous. Despite his difficulty getting within striking range, Aramaki continues hunting him with relentless intensity, refusing to let the American settle into a comfortable rhythm.
Whenever Aramaki’s high guard catches a flicker jab...
Dug.
Aramaki always reacts as quickly as possible, not giving his opponent any comfort to breath.
He steps in with a sharp jab while already dropping his right hand, preparing to unleash a powerful hook.
Callahan responds with another L-step, forcing Aramaki to abort the punch before it can be thrown.
But Aramaki adjusts just as quickly. He pivots, steps in again, and fires a sharp one-two to catch Callahan before he can escape.
For once, Callahan has no time to retreat. He immediately shifts his stance into a Philly Shell, parrying the jab with his right glove before rolling his lead shoulder to deflect the right hand.
Dp. Dugh.
Then he quickly sends a right counter.
But Aramaki reads it well. He steps back, bringing both gloves up to cover his face in a double-door guard.
Dug.
Then he drops his right hand again, preparing another hook.
Callahan angles away from the line again, forcing Aramaki to cancel it and adjust his position once more.
Their movements and exchanges stay intense, but never once any of them can land any clean blow. Callahan keeps denying Aramaki’s assault with his footwork, and Aramaki always keeps his discipline despite his intense pressure.
Their exchanges remain intense, but neither fighter manages to land a clean shot. Callahan repeatedly evades Aramaki’s attacks with sharp footwork, while Aramaki maintains his discipline despite the relentless pressure he applies.
"Callahan’s footwork is keeping him out of trouble," one commentator observes. "But look at Aramaki. He’s not getting frustrated or rushing his attacks. He keeps adjusting and finding ways to close the distance."
"That’s what makes this matchup so interesting," the other commentator replies. "Callahan is trying to control the fight from the outside, but Aramaki refuses to let him dictate the pace without a fight. Sooner or later, one of them will have to find a way through the other’s defense."
By the time the first round ends, neither fighter has managed to land a clean punch. Yet as Callahan makes his way back to his corner, he can already feel the heat building throughout his body.
His hair is disheveled, his eyes burn with fierce concentration, and his ears feel hot. Even with Aramaki’s relentless pressure finally paused, his heartbeat still refuses to settle.
Part of it is the atmosphere inside Korakuen Hall, with the sold-out crowd adding to the intensity of the night. But even as Callahan settles onto his stool, the threat Aramaki has posed throughout those three minutes continues to weigh on him.
Raymond Collins, his chief second, approaches and wipes the sweat from Callahan’s face with a towel, his expression serious. One round is hardly enough to exhaust a fighter of Callahan’s caliber, but Collins can already see the strain in the amount of sweat on his face and the rhythm of his breathing.
"Easy, Marcus," Collins says, pressing the towel against his fighter’s face. "You’ve gotta pace yourself and take control of the tempo. I’ll give this crowd credit, they’re fucking wild tonight, but don’t let them get in your head. Stick to the game plan and make him fight on your terms."
Callahan shakes his head. "It’s not the crowd. It’s him."
Collins glances toward Aramaki, who looks perfectly at ease, chatting with his team in the opposite corner.
"I’ve never had anyone put this kind of pressure on me," Callahan continues. "He never settles down. He’s always moving, always coming after me like there isn’t another round left. Every time I throw, he fires right back with the kind of intent you’d expect from a guy trying to finish the fight in every exchange. How the hell am I supposed to pace myself against that?"
"Then why not bait him?" Collins asks. "Draw him in and catch him with a coiling counter when he commits."
"I tried that already," Callahan says, irritation creeping into his voice. "You saw how it went. He still reacted in time and blocked the counter."
Collins nods, accepting his fighter’s assessment without losing his composure. Deep down, however, he never expected this kind of performance from Aramaki.
He has studied Aramaki’s previous fights and knows the Japanese champion as an aggressive pressure fighter who relentlessly hunts his opponents, relying on constant forward movement to wear them down.
Collins had assumed Callahan’s footwork would be enough to neutralize that straightforward pressure. But the Aramaki he is seeing tonight is nothing like the fighter he had studied on tape.
"Fine," Collins says firmly. "If he’s that eager to hurt you, stop circling out every time. Hold your ground, settle into the shell, and let him come to you. Make him pay for getting too close, and he’ll think twice before rushing in again."
Callahan gives a firm nod. His breathing has settled, and his gaze sharpens as he stares across the ring at Aramaki.