placed a pretty serious wager with him and prepared for him to announce it to the rest of the gym. All was fair, he wasn't going to get me to quit.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," he yelled loud enough to be heard in all four dirty corners, "Come on over, this will be quick." The broad smile on his face made me suspicious but I continued on with it, had to show him I was a good sport.
"Gentlemen, let me ask you something," Hubert called out again to the crowd, "How many of you are here on a free scholarship?" A few chuckles came up from the crowd. "Anyone coming here without paying a penny?" This time more of the boxers quietly murmured a tense "no".
"Well, my friend right here," the big, meaty paw of the gym owner landed on my shoulder and held on tight, "he's begged me to let him train here...for free. Well, son, you must be having some financial troubles, no?"
The whole crowd knew that I was wealthy, or at least used to be. They weren't aware my father had cut me off from my only source of income and I was practically penniless. Angry mumblings started to grow and throb from the crowd as I got myself into a defensive stance.
"How many of you go work at a job you hate, on top of going to school on top of helping out around the house? Anyone here got a maid?” The laughter coming up from the crowd took a sharp turn towards angry." Anyone here end up handing over every dime they’ve ever made to the family just to try to help out a little? You give every last penny just so the little ones can have some shoes and something to eat. You ever have to do that son?” Hubert asked me directly. I meekly replied "No’ and he continued with his spiel. “Well, surely you’ve been broke before, right? You’ve been so busted you’ve had to choose between taking the bus or saving up for one small meal each day, right?” He didn’t even wait for my response. “What about you guys?” A cheer erupted from the congregated fighters. Their sweaty, well-toned arms rose to the sky, out for blood. My pulse quickened as I watched them slowly getting closer and closer.
"Now, that's a type of person I’d want to work something out with, someone who came to me in need. Many of you know that very well, I never turn away someone just because they’re having some financial difficulties. Little did I know that one day I would have a billionaire come asking me for that very favor. Imagine my shock!"
If the crowd had pitchforks nearby, they'd be waving them around at that point. They wanted my head for what they believed I represented.
"So imagine my shock...when I agreed to it!" Hubert stepped back in mock-amazement, hands up, a look of bewilderment on his face as if he was two different people struggling for control. This just amped the crowd up even more. It was hard not to be mesmerized by his crowd control, he missed his calling as a fight promoter or even as a preacher.
"Settle down, settle down," Hubert got the control back and slightly simmered the collective anger. "My man Rorke here," his hand landed on me again, his huge hand firmly gripping my shoulder, "thinks he's gonna fight in the battle at the end of the month, the one some of you have been training for for over a year.” An angry rumble grew from the audience, he had riled them up again. Hubert motioned his hands for them to settle down again and they did. I think both the crowd and myself were just hanging on, waiting for him to give the command to ‘attack’. My arms remained ready to at least try and defend myself. His famous smile returned and his shoulders shrugged as Hubert announced, “I don’t know about you, but I kind of want to see what happens. See this rich kid get thrown to the lions!”
The crowd went nuts; laughing, hooting and hollering in delight. Hubert had turned their opinion and now they also wanted to see me make an ass of myself. It was a damaging blow to my confidence to see just how sure everyone was that I wouldn’t do very well in the big
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," he yelled loud enough to be heard in all four dirty corners, "Come on over, this will be quick." The broad smile on his face made me suspicious but I continued on with it, had to show him I was a good sport.
"Gentlemen, let me ask you something," Hubert called out again to the crowd, "How many of you are here on a free scholarship?" A few chuckles came up from the crowd. "Anyone coming here without paying a penny?" This time more of the boxers quietly murmured a tense "no".
"Well, my friend right here," the big, meaty paw of the gym owner landed on my shoulder and held on tight, "he's begged me to let him train here...for free. Well, son, you must be having some financial troubles, no?"
The whole crowd knew that I was wealthy, or at least used to be. They weren't aware my father had cut me off from my only source of income and I was practically penniless. Angry mumblings started to grow and throb from the crowd as I got myself into a defensive stance.
"How many of you go work at a job you hate, on top of going to school on top of helping out around the house? Anyone here got a maid?” The laughter coming up from the crowd took a sharp turn towards angry." Anyone here end up handing over every dime they’ve ever made to the family just to try to help out a little? You give every last penny just so the little ones can have some shoes and something to eat. You ever have to do that son?” Hubert asked me directly. I meekly replied "No’ and he continued with his spiel. “Well, surely you’ve been broke before, right? You’ve been so busted you’ve had to choose between taking the bus or saving up for one small meal each day, right?” He didn’t even wait for my response. “What about you guys?” A cheer erupted from the congregated fighters. Their sweaty, well-toned arms rose to the sky, out for blood. My pulse quickened as I watched them slowly getting closer and closer.
"Now, that's a type of person I’d want to work something out with, someone who came to me in need. Many of you know that very well, I never turn away someone just because they’re having some financial difficulties. Little did I know that one day I would have a billionaire come asking me for that very favor. Imagine my shock!"
If the crowd had pitchforks nearby, they'd be waving them around at that point. They wanted my head for what they believed I represented.
"So imagine my shock...when I agreed to it!" Hubert stepped back in mock-amazement, hands up, a look of bewilderment on his face as if he was two different people struggling for control. This just amped the crowd up even more. It was hard not to be mesmerized by his crowd control, he missed his calling as a fight promoter or even as a preacher.
"Settle down, settle down," Hubert got the control back and slightly simmered the collective anger. "My man Rorke here," his hand landed on me again, his huge hand firmly gripping my shoulder, "thinks he's gonna fight in the battle at the end of the month, the one some of you have been training for for over a year.” An angry rumble grew from the audience, he had riled them up again. Hubert motioned his hands for them to settle down again and they did. I think both the crowd and myself were just hanging on, waiting for him to give the command to ‘attack’. My arms remained ready to at least try and defend myself. His famous smile returned and his shoulders shrugged as Hubert announced, “I don’t know about you, but I kind of want to see what happens. See this rich kid get thrown to the lions!”
The crowd went nuts; laughing, hooting and hollering in delight. Hubert had turned their opinion and now they also wanted to see me make an ass of myself. It was a damaging blow to my confidence to see just how sure everyone was that I wouldn’t do very well in the big
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