NOVEL WEB Chapter 648: Bonuses and Arrangements
Defeating the former WBA Middleweight World Champion Trinidad, Link's professional record has now become 13 fights with all victories by KO.
His world ranking in the middleweight division has risen to the top five.
After the match, numerous media outlets in the United States reported the process and outcome of the bout.
"USA Today" published an article stating that Huaxia boxer Link is conquering the American boxing ring, and Bernard Hopkins's dominance in the middleweight division is now under threat.
"Los Angeles Times" reported that Huaxia Boxing King Link continued to showcase his heavy punch advantage in his fight against Trinidad.
In the first round at the 165-second mark, he used a cunning set of combination punches to knock down Trinidad, causing two of Trinidad's ribs to fracture and significant liver damage... Link's ranking in the middleweight field jumped forward by more than twenty positions, rising to fifth place, and he also became the fastest climber in the middleweight rankings.
"Chicago Tribune" commented that the boxing techniques Link employed in the match seemed very familiar, with most of the moves borrowed from Black boxers like Ali, Joe Frazier, and Joe Louis. The paper considered Link's strategy of learning from several American Black Boxing Kings to deal with Trinidad as a very wise move.
"The Ring" magazine wrote that before entering the European and American boxing rings, all of Link's matches ended within 30 seconds. Against Australian champion Robert Allen and Nicaraguan champion Ricardo Mayorga, he required tens of seconds to a couple of hundred seconds.
This time facing Trinidad, it took 165 seconds. The increasing duration indicates the growing difficulty of the matches. If he were to face Hopkins, who once defeated Trinidad, Link would never be able to finish the match within one round.
Some media were stirring up the pot, while others mocked him with concealed criticism. Still, some reported truthfully.
No matter how the U.S. media covered him, Link's name gradually spread throughout the American boxing ring, and even among ordinary audiences, many people recognized the emergence of a formidable Huaxia boxer named Link. He frequently demolished his opponents within one round to claim victory and was exceptionally powerful.
Link also gained some boxing fans as a result.
After the match, he received his share of the fight earnings.
Since he is currently just a second-tier boxing star with limited fame in the American boxing ring, his income is somewhat impacted — an appearance fee of only 100,000 US Dollars, ticket revenue share of merely 15%, PPV revenue share of just 25%, and no merchandise revenue share.
All income sources combined totaled about 3.4 million US Dollars.
According to his contract with the top promotion company, earnings under 5 million US Dollars are shared in a 60/40 split. In the end, the portion he could take home was only 2.1 million US Dollars.
However, adding in his winnings from casino bets, the total revenue for this match was approximately 7 million US Dollars.
After defeating Trinidad, who was ranked fifth across all organizations, he now possesses the qualification to challenge the World Boxing Champion Hopkins from the big four organizations.
Yet Hopkins refused to accept the challenge, so Link could only continue to fight in the next round to earn the title of challenger to the Boxing King.
His next match will be against North American champion Jermain Taylor.
The opponent defeated British champion Daniel Edwards in early February to qualify for the next round. His current professional record is 23 wins and no losses, ranked third across all middleweight organizations, one rank higher than Link.
Negotiations and communications over Link and Jermain Taylor's match are still underway, and the specific match time is estimated to be in May or June.
The winner will automatically gain the right to forcibly challenge World Boxing Champion Hopkins.
Given Link's extremely dominant performance over the past 13 matches,
and Jermain Taylor's status as an undefeated champion, named "Boxing's Rising Star" by ESPN in 2003 and "The Ring's Best Rookie of the Year," he holds significant fame in the United States.
The date of the match between the two has yet to be announced, but it has already garnered much attention.
Many are curious about who will triumph when the two meet — whether Jermain Taylor can maintain his unbeaten record, and whether Link can preserve his streak of KO victories within the first round.
Under the operations of the two management companies, this match is maintaining high media coverage.
"Link, what do you think of Jermain Taylor's skills?"
In Las Vegas, inside the gym owned by the top promotion company, Bob Arum pointed to the TV showing Jermain Taylor in a match and asked.
"Not bad, first-class heavy punches, first-class movement speed, very flexible fighting style — he's a boxer with potential."
Link replied.
Bob Arum glanced at him helplessly. He had asked Link to evaluate Jermain Taylor, yet Link, like a boxing veteran, looked down on the opponent with a superior attitude.
His tone was simply overbearing.
It was as if no one in the boxing ring could stand as his opponent.
Bob Arum was also deeply puzzled. Link, a rookie who had only debuted recently, what gave him the confidence to disdain those opponents? Was it just his record of 13 wins with all victories by KO?
He had previously heard that Huaxia people were generally modest and low-key, adhering to the philosophy of harmony, yet with Link, there wasn't a trace of modesty.
"The general consensus in the boxing ring is that Jermain Taylor is stronger than Trinidad and might even threaten Hopkins's dominance. Against him, do you still have the confidence to KO him within one round?"
Bob Arum asked with skepticism written all over his face.
"You might not believe me if I say yes, but I will try my best to make it happen."
Link said, watching the ongoing match on TV.
He wasn't unfamiliar with Jermain Taylor either; the two had fought once back in 2008.