Then the champion quietly asked, “Your father taught you to watch the feet, didn't he?”
Eli froze.
Adrian remembered.
PART 2 — THE SECRET BETWEEN TWO FIGHTERS
Years earlier, Marcus had trained in a basement gym beneath a grocery store. He was not the strongest fighter, but he understood balance and timing better than anyone around him.
Adrian was younger, faster, and desperate for a professional contract.
The two became training partners. Marcus taught patience. Adrian taught aggression. For a while, they made each other better.
Then promoter Victor Hale arrived.
Victor wanted Adrian to become a champion and considered Marcus an obstacle. During a late-night training session, Marcus confronted Adrian about a dishonest deal involving an upcoming fight.
The argument became physical.
Adrian struck him.
Marcus fell badly.
The injury ended Marcus's boxing career and created medical problems that followed him for years. The gym owner and Victor Hale buried the real circumstances, fearing that Adrian's career would collapse before it began.
Adrian was young and afraid. He stayed silent.
His career flourished.
Marcus became a father.