Ghost in the Underground

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Chapter 17: The Fall of the Golden Boy

The underground arena was still buzzing.

Leon Graves—Golden Boy, the favorite, the technical fighter—was out cold.

And the one who did it?

Sammy "Ghost" Vega.

Sammy stepped out of the cage, his hands still wrapped, knuckles sore. He didn't celebrate. He never did.

Rick, on the other hand, was grinning like a madman.

"Holy sh*t, bro! You slept him! You actually put him out!"

Carlos was more reserved, but there was pride in his eyes. "You did good. Kept your composure. Didn't let him set the pace."

Sammy exhaled. His body ached, but he wasn't satisfied.

Leon was good. The best guy he'd fought so far.

But he wasn't unbeatable.

Nobody was.

As they walked toward the locker room, fighters and spectators watched him. Some with curiosity. Some with newfound respect.

And some?

With something else entirely.

Before Sammy could reach the locker room, a voice stopped him.

"That was impressive."

Sammy turned.

A tall man stood near the entrance. Shaved head. Scar over his left eyebrow. Built like a brick wall.

Carlos tensed beside him.

Rick muttered, "Sh*t… That's Roman."

Sammy had heard the name before. Roman Alvarez.

A heavyweight. A street fighter who turned cage fighter. A monster in every sense.

Roman smirked. "Didn't think you had it in you."

Sammy didn't answer. He didn't need to.

Roman took a step closer. "You ever think about fighting bigger guys?"

Sammy shrugged. "I fight whoever's in front of me."

Roman chuckled. Not mocking—genuinely amused.

"I like that," he said. "Might have to test you myself someday."

Then he walked off.

Rick exhaled. "Dude, if he challenges you, I hope you're ready."

Carlos shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's focus on what's next."

Sammy didn't argue. But in the back of his mind, the idea lingered.

Fighting Roman?

That would be different.

Meanwhile, back in the cage, Leon was finally sitting up.

A medic checked his eyes with a flashlight. Still dazed.

He had never been knocked out like that before.

Never.

His coach crouched next to him. "You okay?"

Leon didn't answer right away.

He was staring past the crowd—toward the exit where Sammy had just left.

"…I didn't respect him," Leon muttered.

His coach sighed. "Nobody did. That's why he won."

Leon clenched his jaw.

Losing wasn't new to him. But losing like this?

Being beaten at his own game?

That was different.

And it wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

Sammy's win spread fast.

Within hours, the underground scene was buzzing.

Forums, group chats, fight clubs—everyone was talking.

> "Ghost is legit. Kid can box, but he's got some nasty clinch work too."

"Golden Boy got exposed. All that technique means nothing if you can't fight dirty."

"I wanna see Ghost vs. Roman. That'd be a war."

Sammy had been an unknown. An overlooked underdog.

Now?

People were watching.

And that meant more opportunities.

More challenges.

And more danger.

Back in the locker room, Sammy unwrapped his hands. His knuckles were swollen, but he barely noticed.

Carlos leaned against the wall. "You're on the radar now."

Sammy nodded. "I know."

Rick sat on the bench, still hyped. "We should start looking at the next fight. You've got momentum, man. We can use this."

Carlos glanced at Sammy. "What do you think?"

Sammy flexed his fingers.

"…I think I need to get better."

Carlos smiled. "Good answer."

Rick groaned. "Come on, man. You're already—"

"Not good enough," Sammy interrupted.

He had won. But he had taken too many kicks. Leon had controlled too much of the fight before Sammy forced it into his kind of brawl.

That wasn't good enough.

Carlos nodded. "Then we train. Harder than before."

Rick sighed. "Fine. But after that, we're getting you another fight."

Sammy smirked. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Across the city, in a different underground gym, a fighter watched the replay of Sammy's fight.

He was older. More experienced.

And he had been at the top of the underground circuit for a while.

The kind of guy who didn't like new names getting too much attention.

He rewound the video. Watched the knockout again.

Then he picked up his phone.

"Find out where this 'Ghost' kid trains."

Because if the underground wanted a war?

They were about to get one.

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End of Chapter 17

Next up: Chapter 18 – The Storm Approaches

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