Passing the crowd sitting all around the ring, recognizing no one except his boys, who gave him a loud ovation, clapping, whistling, and screaming his name, Jimmy stepped into the ring, assisted by his handlers. He was wearing blue trunks, with a red stripe down the side. He already had his protective head gear and 10-ounce gloves on, and was ready to do battle.

Mike, was already in the ring, sitting on his stool. Leering at Jimmy, and seemingly uttering silent profanity. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” came the voice from the announcer. His voice vibrating throughout the gymnasium, “ the next bout will be in the novice class. Three, three minute rounds with one minute rest between each round. These boxers have never fought in amateur competition before, so we all wish them good luck and good fortune. In this corner, weighing in at 106 and one half pounds from the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, New York, wearing white trunks with a blue stripe down the side, I bring you Battling Mike Galentino.” Since not many onlookers knew too much about Mike, there was very little response from the audience. “And in this corner weighing in at 106 pounds even, from Harlem, New York, wearing blue trunks with a red strip down the side, here is Jimmy.......” The applause from where the boys were sitting was deafening. Joey, Franky, Pissy, and a few of Jimmy’s other friends, clapping and screaming all at the same time, forced the announcer to hold his hands up, and request silence. “The referee for this bout is Abe Tennenbaum, good luck to both of you.

Calling both boys to the center of the ring, for last minute instructions; wishing them good luck , and in the spirit of amateur boxing the referee asked the boxers to shake hands, so as to touch each others gloves as a handshake gesture. Mikes arms remained at his side apparently refusing to shake hands. Abe Tennebaum was not about to let this pass. Admonishing Mike, he said, “if you refuse to shake hands, I will disqualify you, and you will have lost this match, is that understood?” Mike nodded his head that he understood and raised his arms, in a feeble attempt to touch Jimmys gloves, “And another thing” said the referee, “I sense some sort of animosity between the both of you. If I see any sort of misconduct on either of your parts, you will be disqualified, and you will lose your license to box as an amateur in this state. Is that understood?” Both boys nodded that they did. “All right then, go to your respective corners, wait for the bell then come out boxing.

There was silence throughout the gymnasium as the boxers walked to their respective corners, the crowd sensing that something unusual was about to happen. Max and Izzy were giving last minute instructions before the round started, as they were not permitted to issue any during the bout, or to give any words of encouragement what so ever.

The bell interrupted the stark silence. Mike was off his stool in a flash, rushing madly toward Jimmy both gloves held high to protect his face and prepared to unleash an attack. Jimmy was barely off his stool as Mike rushed toward him. Jimmy sidestepped Mike just in time to ward off his attack. The momentum of Mikes lunge propelled him against the ropes of the ring causing him to lose his balance and wind up with his head and shoulders intertwined in the ropes. Recovering rapidly, he turned facing Jimmy, and apparently realizing that he had made a mistake, started plummeting Jimmy with vicious left jabs some of which reached its target. Jimmy now realized that he wasn’t in the ring with an inexperienced fighter that Mike had probably learned how to box in the tough neighborhood of Red Hook, a neighborhood which he was not too familiar with, except for its reputation.

The timekeeper signified the 5 second warning indicating that the round was nearly over with neither fighter gaining much of an advantage. Clinches were many, with Mike uttering obsenities in every clinch, being careful to not let the referee hear his mutterings. Jimmy had fought many street fighters such as Mike, but Mike was not the ordinary street fighter. He was fast, both with his hands and his feet. Each fighter taking as much as he was receiving as the round ended.

In Jimmys corner, both Izzy and Max administered to Jimmy. The one minute rest between rounds ended too fast, but seconds before the bell would sound signifying the beginning of round 2, Izzy whispered in Jimmys ear, “boychick, watch carefully, the punk has a habit of covering up with both hands high on his face when he throws a punch, and at times leaves his lower body open and when this happens, you’ll know what to do.”

“Seconds out,” called he referee. Jimmys thoughts as the bell sounded was why this guy was trying to needle him. He had to admit that it was bothering him, and that he had better settle down, and do some serious boxing. He had met boxers before that were just as good as Mike was, but he had no problem with them. So why was he having a problem with this guy? He knew that he was better than he was so why was he holding back, The heck with this as he walked slowly to the center of the ring to meet his opponent.

Mike came out of his corner, hurriedly, but stopped in his tracks as he gazed at Jimmys face. It was a sort of determined look, one which he hadn’t seen before. Throwing a jab to Jimmys face which was easily blocked, Mike reeled backward as Jimmys counterpunch landed squarely on his ribs. Mike doubled over at the waist giving Jimmy the opportunity to land blow after blow on Mikes face. He was taking a beating, but managed to get Jimmy in a clinch, before he sustained more damage. “Listen you Jew......you may beat the hell out of me, but you’ll never get me down as you did my cousin. You ruined his life, and one way or another I’m going to ruin yours.” So this was it. This was the reason for all the animosity.” Separating the two boxers the referee, although not hearing Mikes words, issued a warning, “I’ll have no talking between you two, understand?”

Mike didn’t have a chance at Jimmys onslaught as blow after blow rained upon Mikes body forcing the referee to step between the two boxers and call the fight to a halt before Mike sustained more damage. The bout was over. It was finished. It was a mismatch. Mike didn’t have a chance. He was outclassed, and he knew it. There was bedlam in the audience, shouts ,cheers, whistles, came not only where the boys were but all over the gym. Flashes from the cameras were everywhere. This is what the fans came to see and they were not disappointed.

Standing side by side in the center of the ring and as the referee raised Jimmys hand in victory, Mike sneered at Jimmy, “I told you that you would never knock me out and you didn’t, so don’t think that I’m finished with you.”

Max and Izzy were elated. This was the beginning. They knew it. Max felt that he was right all along that he had a champ in the making and as Jimmy walked back to the locker room with them, Max asked, “Jimmy, are you ready, are you ready for whatever it takes?” “Yes Max, I am, whatever you want me to do.”

To Be Continued