Round Three.

  Jack Jones stood in his corner, heaving for air. His face was red, his hair drenched in sweat, and his massive chest rose and fell like a bellows. Across the mat, Lap Donahue looked equally as wrecked, but there was something in his eyes now — fire.

  “You’re tired,” Doug muttered. “I told you. You went too hard in the second round.”

  Jack waved him off, still smiling. “I got him, Coach. I feel it.”

  Doug grabbed his face. “Listen to me, dammit. He’s figured out you gas out fast. He’s gonna shoot on you, test your cardio. Don’t give up a takedown. Sprawl and grind.”

  Jack smirked, still cocky. “I’m gonna break him in half, Coach. Watch.”

  Doug just muttered, “Jesus Christ…”

  The ref stepped up, glanced at both men, and raised his hand. “Round three — SCRAP!”

  Lap exploded forward.

  Jack was still smirking when Lap dropped low and shot for a double-leg, wrapping his arms around Jack’s tree-trunk legs.

  “Whoa—” Jack yelped, stumbling.

  “YES!” Lap’s corner screamed. “DRIVE, LAP! DRIVE!”

  Lap drove forward, lifting Jack’s legs off the ground. The crowd gasped as Jack’s 260-pound frame was completely airborne for a brief second — and then slammed to the mat.

  BOOM!

  “TAKEDOWN! THREE POINTS!” the ref bellowed.

  “NOOOO!!” Jack roared, trying to turn to his stomach.

  Lap immediately climbed onto his back, hooking a leg. Jack panicked, his massive body thrashing as Lap desperately tried to flatten him out.

  “STAND UP, JACK! STAND UP!” Doug roared.

  Jack gritted his teeth and dug his hands into the mat. His massive upper body flexed, and he began powering up to his feet with Lap still clinging to his back.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “NO WAY!” Johnny screamed.

  Lap tried to drag him down, but Jack stood up with all 220 pounds of Lap hanging on his back. The crowd went insane.

  “CRAZY STRENGTH!” the commentator roared.

  Jack threw his hips forward, shook Lap off like a dog shaking off water, and spun to his feet. Lap scrambled — but too late.

  “ONE POINT — ESCAPE!”

  The crowd erupted.

  “YEAAAAAH!!” Jack roared, flexing both arms.

  The score was now 4-4.

  “HE’S STILL IN IT!” Danny screamed, losing his mind.

  Doug, however, looked pissed. “Stop celebrating and FINISH IT!”

  The round ended.

  Jack stumbled to his corner, his legs heavy as lead. Lap limped to his side, gasping for air. Both men were absolutely wrecked.

  Doug grabbed Jack’s face again. “You dummy. You’re lucky you got that escape. Listen to me — you have two minutes left. If you don’t finish him in the fourth, he’s gonna gas you out and win by decision.”

  Jack could barely breathe. “I… I can’t lift my arms, Coach…”

  Doug glared. “Then bearhug him. You still have freak strength. Get behind him and squeeze the life outta him.”

  Jack nodded, still trying to gulp in air. “Bearhug. Got it.”

  Doug grabbed his face one last time. “Don’t gas. Don’t showboat. End it.”

  Jack nodded.

  Across the mat, Lap’s coach was screaming in his ear. “You’ve got him! He’s dead tired! One more takedown and you break him!”

  Lap nodded, his eyes bloodshot and wild. “I’m gonna finish him, Coach.”

  Round Four.

  “SCRAP!”

  Both men exploded forward.

  Lap immediately went for another double-leg — but Jack was ready this time. He sprawled, his giant frame crushing Lap’s momentum like a brick wall.

  “NO!!” Lap’s coach screamed.

  “Come here, you little punk,” Jack growled.

  Jack snatched Lap’s head and yanked him up. Lap stumbled to his feet — and Jack clamped his massive arms around Lap’s torso in a vice-grip bearhug.

  “OH MY GOD!!” the commentator screamed.

  “BEARHUG!!” Danny yelled, on his feet.

  Lap’s face turned red as Jack squeezed the life out of him. Lap’s feet kicked off the mat.

  “AAAAAGHHHH!!” Lap screamed.

  “FINISH IT!” Doug screamed.

  Jack arched his back, heaving Lap off his feet like a ragdoll, and dropped him face-down. Jack instantly took his back.

  “HE’S GOT BACK CONTROL!” Johnny screamed.

  Lap tried to turn — but Jack flattened him out, driving his hips into the mat. Lap’s face was pure panic.

  “NOOO!!” Lap screamed, trying to turtle.

  Jack wrapped his massive arms around Lap’s neck from behind.

  “HE’S GOING FOR THE CHOKE!” the commentator yelled.

  But Jack didn’t want the choke. He pinned Lap’s shoulders to the mat with his chest and squeezed.

  “PIN HIM! PIN HIM!” Doug screamed.

  Jack drove his massive chest into Lap’s shoulders, forcing his blades to the mat. Lap screamed, arching his back — but it was too late.

  “SHOULDERS DOWN! MATCH OVER!!”

  The crowd EXPLODED.

  “WINNER BY PINFALL — JACK JONES!!”

  “YESSSS!!” Danny lost his mind.

  Jack rolled off Lap, gasping for air, his entire body shaking. Lap curled into a ball, clutching his chest, utterly defeated.

  Jack stumbled to his feet and flexed both arms. “I’M A MONSTER!!” he roared.

  Doug immediately stormed over. “Stop that! Shake his damn hand, Jack!”

  Jack stumbled toward Lap, still heaving. Lap looked devastated. Tears welled in his eyes as he limped to his feet.

  Jack extended a shaky hand. “Good match, man.”

  Lap stared at him, still devastated. “…You’re a freak, dude.”

  Jack laughed. “I know.”

  Lap shook his hand. “I shoulda beat you, man. You were dead.”

  Jack grinned. “Yeah… but I didn’t break.”

  Lap nodded once. “…Respect.”

  Jack stumbled back to his team, still heaving. Johnny and Danny pounced on him.

  “BROOOO!!” Johnny screamed. “THAT BEARHUG WAS INSANE!”

  Danny was losing his mind. “YOU KILLED HIM, MAN!!”

  Jack just gasped. “I’m… never wrestling again.”

  Doug stepped up, grinning. “Good job. But you made that a lot harder than it needed to be.”

  Jack grinned weakly. “Yeah… but I won, Coach.”

  Doug smirked. “Barely.”

  Kent stood quietly, watching. His match was next.

  “Nice work, Sledgehammer,” Kent said quietly. “Rest up.”

  Jack, still struggling for air, turned to him. “Yo… you got this?”

  Kent smiled softly. “…Yeah.”

  “Who’s he going against?” Jack asked.

  Doug’s face hardened. “…Henry Dirhges. World rank #4.”

  Jack froze. “…Wait. What?”

  Doug nodded. “Yeah. Kent’s got the hardest fight of the night.”

  Johnny’s face went pale. “Holy crap… Dirhges?”

  Danny blinked. “Bro… that dude’s a monster.”

  Kent just smiled, calm as ever. “Yeah. I know.”

  Jack, still gasping for air, muttered. “…Good luck, man.”

  Kent just grinned. “Don’t need it.”

  End of Chapter 9.