Tomorrow's hope

A few months after his win over Carlos, Joe's professional career was in full swing. But with each win, he was facing tougher opponents. Each new match tested his endurance and his limits. Gus saw that Joe was getting stronger every day, but he was aware that this rapid rise would put pressure on the young boxer.

One day Frank found Joe in Gus' office. He left a thick file on the desk. "Here's your next opponent," he said. Gus opened the file and studied it in silence for a while. Finally he looked up and looked at Joe. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Joe, his eyes fixed on Gus's, answered firmly: "Whoever it is, I'm ready."

Frank added with a grin: "This is Eddie 'Wild Animal' Jones. 25 years old, 18 fights and only two losses. He's tough, ruthless and fast. But Joe, this is your chance to really make a name for yourself. If you win this fight, you'll be recognised."

Joe started to learn all about Eddie. Gus was analysing Eddie's fights, studying his every move in detail. "This guy's technique isn't very good," Gus said one night. "But he's got animal strength. If you take his punches, you won't last long. So you've got to use your speed and your intelligence."

The preparation was Joe's toughest training programme ever. Jogging in the freezing cold of Boston in the mornings, followed by weight training and technical training... His body was pushed to its limits, but his mind was focused. Joe had to be ready when he stepped into the ring, not only physically, but mentally as well.

As the news of the match with Eddie spread, there was great excitement among the spectators. Eddie's fans were claiming that he would easily knock Joe out. Gus kept reminding Joe: "The crowd doesn't matter. It's just you and your opponent in the ring. The rest is noise."

When the day of the fight arrived, there was a huge crowd in the arena. When Eddie Jones stepped into the ring, applause and cheers erupted. His muscular build, determined expression and cool composure struck fear into his opponents. But Joe had learnt to control his fear, as Gus had taught him.

As the first round began, Eddie came out fast. His punches were beginning to wear down Joe's guard. Each of Eddie's punches was as heavy as a block of concrete and reverberated through Joe's body. While the crowd cheered Eddie's dominance, Joe was on the defensive. Gus was shouting from the corner: "Patience! Use his speed and power against yourself!"

For the first two rounds, Eddie had Joe pinned in the corner. Joe took a few hard blows, but he managed to stay on his feet. His face was swollen and his breathing quickened. But Gus' calmness was motivating Joe. "He's stronger than you, but not tougher. It's time to tire him out," Gus said at the start of the third round.

In the third round, Joe changed tactics.He started dodging Eddie's punches and making moves to tire him out. Gradually, Eddie's pace was slowing. In the fourth round, Joe landed his first serious attack. As Eddie dropped his guard and threw a left hook, Joe moved quickly to the side and landed a hard hook to Eddie's ribs. The look of pain on Eddie's face shocked the crowd.

By the fifth round, Eddie was running out of energy. Joe was still determined. He used his wits, as Gus had taught him, to exploit Eddie's vulnerabilities. In the end, Joe used a quick combination to catch Eddie off guard and knocked him down with a hard right hand. As the referee counted, Eddie struggled to get up, but couldn't.

"Ten! Knockout!" When the referee raised Joe's hand, the crowd went wild. The defeat of Eddie "Wild Animal" Jones had made Joe's name nationwide.