LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 037 Between Husband and Wife
"Hit his brow bone!"
"Yes!!! That punch was amazing! Such a tricky angle!"
"KO! The fifth KO! The fifth KO, that punch was too heavy, Andrea definitely won't get up."
"Link is the champion! Link is the champion!!!"
In a high-rise duplex apartment in Manhattan, New York, Mr. Franco Duvall watched as Link sent Andrea to the ground with a punch on HBO Sports Channel and jumped up excitedly, punching the wall before reluctantly pulling back his fist and rubbing it.
Mrs. Nora Duwa, wearing a coat, came down the spiral staircase from the second floor and seeing her husband shouting and hitting the wall like a child, she couldn't help shaking her head.
"Franco, keep it down, Vera will be woken up by you."
Mrs. Nora Duwa whispered a reminder.
"Okay, okay, I got it."
Franco Duvall turned down the volume of the sound system and sat on the couch, took a sip of beer, and stared at Link on the TV, then he suddenly let out a long sigh.
"Ah, why can't my father agree with me? Link is very strong. When he enters the boxing world, he will definitely become a champion boxer, a very profitable champion boxer.
Our main event promotion company's boxers, the old ones are retiring; the left ones are not strong. You know what people say about our company? Hmph, they call our company a retirement home for champions.
Now is the time to make changes, but why won't my father agree to sign Link?
If we had Link, give me five years, and I am confident that the Main Event could surpass the top events and once again become the century's strongest promotion company in boxing."
Franco clenched his fist tightly and crumpled the beer can into a ball.
But remembering the day he returned to New York and approached his father about signing Link only to be refused and scolded, his father said he was too impulsive, not a proper boxing promoter, and that he should go back and reflect.
Thinking of his father's words, he felt disheartened, released his hand, and the crumpled beer can fell to the floor, clinking noisily.
"Stop thinking about Link's matter, father disagrees, he must have his reasons."
Nora picked up the beer can, tossing it into the trash bin.
"What reasons does he have?
Stubborn, rigid, obstinate, conceited, thinking it's still the seventies or eighties, where you could make progress with fists and favors.
That approach doesn't work in boxing anymore, but he still refuses to correct it, nor will he let go and let us handle it.
If he continues to be stubborn like this, the Main Event company will sooner or later be ruined by him."
Franco helplessly said.
Nora gently reasoned, "Father... Father's rejection of your proposal is somewhat inconsiderate, but honestly, Link's asking price is too high, USD 100 million in signing fees, which is an astronomical figure that not even Ali or Tyson dared to ask, how can he, an amateur, dare to ask for so much?
From amateur to professional boxer, it's still a long road, and it's not an easy one. A slight mishap could lead to a big loss.
You also know our company's situation is not the same as before, it can't withstand such a big loss."
"Dear, you also must understand father's worries."
"I understand, I understand, but still..."
Franco, watching Link on the TV spread his hands, "Link really is a great boxer, and this really is a great opportunity.
Nora, you've worked in the boxing industry longer than I have, you know more than I do.
I ask you, if you could go back to the 60s or 80s, and had the opportunity to sign an unknown Ali and Tyson for USD 30 million, would you spend that money to sign them?"
"Not willing!"
Nora Duwa answered crisply.
"Ah... why?"
Franco looked at his wife in surprise.
His wife, Nora Duvall, was initially one of Mr. Duvall's administrative assistants and had worked as a boxing promoter for twelve years. She was now the president of the International Development Department of the main event company, having been in the boxing industry longer than him.
Whenever he had work-related issues, he would consult with his wife, who mostly supported his opinions. He understood his wife, but her response this time was unexpected.
Nora Duvall said calmly, "The thirty million then is not less than a hundred million now, even if I knew they would become super boxers, I wouldn't have signed them.
First, the company doesn't have that much liquidity, spending too much money to sign a boxer would definitely impact the company's subsequent development.
Second, the company's growth relies on the collective effort of a group of people, you cannot depend on just one person, relying solely on one person is not a sustainable or healthy development model."
For example, Ali, in '67 he refused military service and got his boxing license revoked by the sports commissions across America. He couldn't compete in boxing for the next four years. When he made a comeback in '71, he challenged the boxing champion Joe Frazier and was defeated.
In '73, he came back a second time to challenge the boxing champion Ken Norton, and was defeated again. It wasn't until '74 when he successfully challenged the boxing champion George Foreman and returned to the boxing scene. There was a seven-year gap in between, and if the top promoter at that time had placed their hopes entirely on him, they would have definitely gone bankrupt much earlier.
Then there's Tyson, his problems were even more numerous—fights, sexual assault, prison terms, unexpected losses in boxing. Don King's promotion company had spent over fifty million on him back then. Although they made a large sum eventually, it was far less than expected.
And look at Link Baker, you admire, the truly capable are never those who play by the rules. From what we've seen of Link recently, he clearly doesn't play by conventional strategies.
Such a person has a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding or failing. If the company places all its hopes on him, and something unexpected happens to him in the future, how would the company recuperate the funds invested in him?"
Franco was left feeling somewhat disheartened by his wife's words; he slumped onto the sofa, his shoulders sagged, and his eyes returned to Link fighting in the ring.
He murmured softly, "But this is a great opportunity, a 50% chance of success is quite high, it would be such a pity to miss it."
Nora gently squeezed his shoulders and spoke softly, "Don't regret it too much, there are plenty of opportunities. In addition to Link, there are other boxers in this championship who are quite good.
For example, the heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, the cruiserweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr., the light heavyweight champion Joe Smith, and the middleweight champion George Groves. They are all very good choices."
Franco shook his head, "How can they compare to Link? Link is someone who can change the course of boxing, he is Caesar, while they are at best Labienus and Mark Antony, mere followers of the trend."
Nora paused her massage, fluttered the bangs on her forehead and looked resigned.
She didn't know what Link had said or done to her husband, but ever since he met Link, whenever he spoke about boxing, he would talk about Link, whenever he watched a boxing match, he would talk about Link, and at home, he often watched Link's fight recordings.
He praised Link enormously, claiming Link was stronger than super boxers like Ali, Tyson, George Foreman, and Mayweather.
Now he even described Link as Caesar, which was not just admiration but extreme reverence, almost obsession.
If she didn't know her husband's preferences were clear, she might have thought otherwise.
"Link is very talented, but his demands are too high. He asked you for a hundred million dollars in signing fees and proposed a 70% share to Greg Cohen, which is absurd.
A boxer making the promotion company work for him, that's impossible, and I don't think anyone in the boxing promotion industry would satisfy his demands."
To sway her husband's mind, she didn't mind whispering some sweet nothings in his ear.
Franco spread his hands, "Link is a capable person; he will make a lot of money in the future, asking for a higher share is justified."
Nora helplessly replied, "But he is just an amateur boxer now; who can predict whether he will become a champion or end up in jail?"
"That won't happen, he is a person with clear goals and a clear mind, someone with ideals, ambition, and the capability to achieve them. He won't easily engage in risky behaviors, he won't end up in prison or get into accidents, and he's not just any amateur boxer; he is the Golden Gloves super middleweight champion, a highly potential and excellent amateur boxer," Franco said agitatedly.
Nora glanced at her husband; feeling resigned, she let go of his shoulders, got up, and went upstairs to sleep, while shouts came from downstairs.
"Nora, come quickly, I have a plan, a great plan, help me look it over. This time, even Duvall won't stop me," he called out.
Ms. Nora covered her forehead with her hand, feeling it necessary to find a time to talk to Link, and ask him to spare her husband.
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