Chapter 1030: The Real Danger of Feints
Back in the ring, a significant change is becoming apparent in Callahan’s approach. Instead of reacting to every movement Aramaki makes, he begins forcing Aramaki to react to him.
Aramaki drops his stance, and Callahan also lowers his level, opening both hands as though ready for whatever comes next.
For a moment, Aramaki really hesitates, considering his option to that invitation.
Finally he sends a left toward Callahan’s body.
But Callahan quickly steps back, slaps the punch aside, and fires a sharp jab into Aramaki’s chest.
His reaction and movement are so quick that Aramaki fails reacting to it.
Thud!
The jab knocks Aramaki backward, and Callahan immediately follows with a right.
Aramaki raises a double guard, but...
Thud!
Callahan actually slips a left hook into his ribs.
And rather than retreating, he steps inside and moves toward Aramaki’s rear.
"Smart move by Callahan!"
"His punches are so sharp and quick that Aramaki barely has time to react!"
"He even managed to deceive Aramaki with that right before sneaking the left hook into his ribs!"
Aramaki pivots quickly, determined to keep the pressure. But the moment he turns around, Callahan is already threatening him with a series of feints.
It forces Aramaki into a reactive state, adjusting his guard and stance in response to each feint and level change.
Seeing that reaction, Callahan’s confidence begins to grow. His footwork comes alive, and his hands grow busier.
Feint, then jab.
Dug.
Another feint, then a one-two.
Dug. Dug.
He sidesteps to his right, pauses for another feint, and nudges Aramaki’s guard with a probing jab before firing another one-two.
Dug.
Dug. Dug.
The tactics are simple, and none of his punches land cleanly.
But he keeps moving and throwing from the outside, while also mixing in feints that force Aramaki to react instead of applying his own pressure.
"Now that’s more like it! Callahan is finally finding his rhythm!"
"Exactly! He’s keeping Aramaki occupied, no longer giving him easy opportunities to close the distance."
***
That rhythm continues for another two rounds, with Callahan maintaining control without allowing Aramaki’s feints to work on him.
Then, midway through the fifth round, Aramaki finally takes a risk. He suddenly drops his stance, lowering his right glove as though loading up for a powerful hook.
Instead of reacting to the threat, Callahan dares him to come inside.
"Enough with the bluffing, asshole..."
This time, however, Aramaki isn’t bluffing. Staying low, he makes a sharp entry and drives a stiff left toward Callahan’s body.
Callahan slaps the punch aside again, preparing to launch his own left.
"Too predictable."
But suddenly...
DHUACK!
Aramaki’s right snaps forward from a low angle, catching Callahan squarely in the face.
"Whoa! Here it comes!"
"The Cobra Shot finally makes its appearance tonight!"
Korakuen Hall erupts as Aramaki uses the impact of that Cobra Shot to close the distance.
"GO, ARAMAKI!"
"KEEP THE PRESSURE ON HIM!"
"SHOW HIM WHAT YOU’VE GOT!"
This time, however, Callahan refuses to run away like a coward. Even though he knows Aramaki has the advantage in the phone-booth fight, he does not rush to escape.
He holds his ground and braces for Aramaki’s assault, settling into a bladed stance as he parries with his right glove and deflects incoming punches with his lead shoulder.
Dp. Dug.
Dug. Thud! Dp. Dugh.
Then, when Aramaki appears to unleash a heavier right straight, Callahan finally steps back.
He tilts his body and head to slip the punch, then fires a sharp check hook as he angles away from the line of attack.
Dsh!
The hook catches Aramaki cleanly on the cheek, turning his head slightly as Callahan completes his escape.
"Woohoo! What a nasty move from Callahan!"
"He lands the check hook and gets himself out of danger in the same motion!"
Despite that, Aramaki’s composure remains completely undisturbed, and the support from his fans shows no sign of fading.
"KEEP GOING, ARAMAKI! YOU’VE GOT THIS!"
"DON’T LET HIM GET TO YOU! KEEP PRESSING!"
"THAT’S RIGHT! SHOW HIM WHAT A JAPANESE CHAMPION CAN DO!"
Callahan, meanwhile, looks completely at ease. With both gloves hanging low, he sways his upper body from side to side, shifting his weight with a loose, almost taunting confidence.
"Go on, keep shouting. Cheer for him all you want."
"The louder you cheer for him, the more I’ll make your precious champion suffer."
From the blue corner, however, Nakahara immediately calls out to keep Aramaki from getting carried away.
"Easy, Aramaki! Easy! Keep the pressure, but don’t lose your cool!"
Aramaki pulls his guard back up, tucking both gloves beneath his chin. He takes a deep breath and resumes the pressure without letting impatience take hold.
For now, he simply walks Callahan down behind his guard, allowing Callahan to control the fight from the outside, focusing on absorbing the American’s attacks on his gloves and forearms.
He steps stay calm but never ceasing, letting Callahan use his elegant footwork as freely as he pleases.
"That’s it, Aramaki!" Nakahara calls out. "You don’t need to outsmart him. Trust your own boxing and wait for your chance."
Although Aramaki no longer poses much of a threat, Callahan continues moving. Even just to maintain the status quo, he keeps attacking from the outside while circling the ring and making full use of the available space.
Aramaki defends himself well, allowing none of the punches to land cleanly. But Callahan remains satisfied with this rhythm, convinced that he still holds a substantial lead on the scorecards.
"No need to force unnecessary exchanges."
"Let him expose himself."
Callahan does more than dictate the pace with his jab and one-twos. Every so often, he deliberately leaves an opening, baiting Aramaki into coming forward.
But no matter what Callahan offers him, Aramaki remains unfazed. He shows no concern for the scorecards, focusing instead on waiting for Nakahara’s next instruction.
Only when the fight reaches its final thirty seconds does Nakahara give the signal.
"It’s time, Aramaki!"
Aramaki responds immediately, lowering his stance.
Still hidden behind his peek-a-boo guard, he begins to apply more visible pressure, actively rolling his shoulders and moving his head and torso from side to side as he advances without pause.
Callahan tries to maintain his distance by firing a series of straight punches.
Jab.
One-two.
Jab-jab.
Right straight, jab, left hook.
Aramaki dodges every punch cleanly, only allowing Callahan’s gloves to graze his shoulders as they pass on either side.
But when the final left hook comes toward him, Aramaki ducks beneath the arm and takes a sharp step forward.
"There he goes!"
"Aramaki finally slips inside!"
Aramaki opens with two short hooks to the body.
Callahan drops his guard, absorbing both punches without settling into his Philly Shell. He deliberately leaves his head exposed, making the invitation almost blatant.
But rather than taking the bait, Aramaki offers one of his own, using a hesitation movement with his right hand.
Callahan responds by ripping an uppercut with his left, but Aramaki makes a subtle pendulum step, moving back once before stepping forward with a pair of short hooks.
The first lands cleanly on the side, and Callahan manages to block the second.
Thud! Dug.
Despite that, Callahan remains determined not to run away.
"Just bring it on."
As Aramaki sends a short upper, Callahan angles out slightly before launching two diagonal punches: a left uppercut, and a right hand coming down from above.
Rather than trying to protect himself, Aramaki swings his arms like a madman, firing three hooks with even faster rotation.
Thud! Dsh!
Bugh! Dsh! Thud!
Every punch lands cleanly in less than two seconds.
Neither fighter blocks a single blow as their fists pound into each other’s ribs and bodies in a brutal exchange.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
"LOOK AT THE SPEED OF THOSE HOOKS!"
"THEY’RE JUST TRADING BOMBS AT POINT-BLANK RANGE!"
Callahan’s plan was never to trade punches like this. He had only intended to attack briefly with that combination before setting a trap.
But now, after the exchange, he staggers in pain, his mind no longer concerned with setting up another trick. Instead, he is consumed by regret over that decision.
"Damn it..."
"I shouldn’t have stayed here."
Meanwhile Aramaki, despite the damage he has taken himself, keeps his hands moving.
He flashes a left feint, cocks his right hand, and then suddenly dropping his stance without really throwing anything.
Yet the effect is unmistakable. Callahan tightens his guard, and his legs move before his mind can issue a command.
He does more than slip out of the line, taking a much wider step as he desperately tries to escape the danger.
And this is exactly the kind of moment Aramaki has been looking for.
Before Callahan can settle, Aramaki leaps toward him with a powerful Gazelle Punch.
BAM!!!
The punch crashes into Callahan’s right arm, but the impact remains immense, catching him while his body is still transitioning out of the way.
Callahan staggers for a moment, and Aramaki immediately drives a right straight into his belly.
BUGH!
As Callahan’s guard drops due to the pain, Aramaki quickly sends a cobra shot...
DSH!
...and a devastating left hook to the side of the head.
BAM!!
"GOOD LORD! One commentator shouts. "THAT LOOKS DANGEROUS!"
The entire arena erupts as Callahan staggers sideways, struggling to keep his balance.
Aramaki comes again, but Callahan drops first to one knee, sending the Korakuen Hall into another level of excitement.
"HE’S DOWN! CALLAHAN IS DOWN ON ONE KNEE!"
"WHAT A SEQUENCE FROM ARAMAKI! HE FEINTED HIM INTO RETREAT, CAUGHT HIM IN TRANSITION WITH THE GAZELLE PUNCH, AND THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH THAT DEVASTATING COMBINATION!"