Read Suckerpunch: (2011) for Free Online Page B

looked at us. “Do you want me to use that?”
     
    “No, let’s do it again,” Gil said. “Serious now. Ready? Okay. Woody’s jiu jitsu is improving. He’s not gonna win any tournaments yet, but his takedown defense is very good, and if he does get taken down, he knows how to avoid submissions and damage and get back on his feet. And when he does, he’s usually pretty upset.”
     
    “Nice,” Kevin said. “For the show, I’ll probably have a drop from somebody, maybe Benton, spliced in saying that ‘improving’ coming from you is the same as saying it’s excellent. Because of how good you are.”
     
    “Hell, I can say that,” Gil said.
     
    “It will probably work better coming from someone else.” Kevin turned to me. “What do you think about Burbank saying your fight three years ago was a fluke?”
     
    “I think he’s improved a lot since then, and this is going to be a completely different fight. But I’ve improved too, so he’s not getting the same fighter, either. It’s going to come down to who makes the first mistake. And the last one.” I nodded. That was some good shit right there.
     
    But Banzai Eddie wanted more, and Kevin wanted to get it for him. He said, “You couldn’t knock him out in your first fight. Does that worry you?”
     
    I smiled. “I wouldn’t say I
couldn’t
knock him out; I just didn’t get the chance. He gave me the opportunity to submit him, and I took it. The first and only time I won by an ankle lock.”
     
    “I’ll take credit for that,” Gil said.
     
    Kevin smiled. “So you’re going to knock him out this time?”
     
    “I’m not picky. I’ll take the win however it shows up. I’d like to keep it out of the judges’ hands, though.”
     
    “You’re a finisher,” Kevin said. “That’s why Eddie loves you.”
     
    Gil swore. “Sorry.”
     
    “No problem,” Kevin said. “Woody, Junior Burbank said he’d never trained to defend ankle locks before that fight, so it doesn’t really count that you beat him that way.”
     
    “His record has a No Fair category? Can I get one of those?”
     
    “Good point.” Kevin laughed. “If he decides to take it to the ground, what are you going to do?”
     
    I smiled too, but it was getting harder. I leaned forward a little and in my peripheral vision saw the cameraman adjust to keep me in focus. “It’s not a dictatorship in there. Not until about two seconds before somebody gets knocked out, so it doesn’t matter what he decides. He’s a big boy and a great wrestler, so he probably will take me down. I’ll get back up. Maybe I’ll take him down.”
     
    Kevin made a note. “Burbank’s coach said they’ve been watching tapes of you since they got the call that you were the replacement, and in your last four or five fights you’ve been cut pretty badly, and you open up pretty easily in general. Are you worried that might be a strategy for Burbank, to try to cut you and win by referee stoppage?”
     
    “Are you serious?” I looked at Gil.
     
    He sipped his coffee and stared straight ahead.
     
    I said, “That’s pathetic if it’s what they want to do. If that happens, I’ll go to the hospital, get stitched up, and come back for a rematch
that
night.” I took a breath. “But it won’t happen, anyway. I have a great corner and we use the best cutman in the business, and if I get cut they’ll keep me from leaking too much.”
     
    Kevin kept his eyes on mine. He was circling me in the water. “Burbank said no matter where the fight goes—on the feet, on the ground, in the clinch—he’ll dominate with his strength and break your spirit. He said he’ll see it in your eyes when you break. And when he sees it, he’ll punish you for as long as he can before the ref stops the fight or you go unconscious.”
     
    “Did he really say that?”
     
    “I’ve got it on my laptop if you want to watch it.”
     
    “No. I’m sure I’ll see it enough tomorrow.” I stared past him and