Chapter 6

The next day, when Wang Lei ran to Sadler's boxing gym, his entire body ached. This kind of muscle soreness usually only appeared in the first few days after rebirth when he started exercising, and then it disappeared. It reappeared during boxing training with Sadler due to the increased intensity, but it was relatively mild and he recovered in three days.

Unexpectedly, after standing for forty minutes and walking for twenty minutes under his grandfather's supervision yesterday, the muscle soreness reappeared, and it was even more intense than before.

This indicated that the training intensity of the six-sided penetration stake and the槐虫 step taught by his grandfather was much greater than the training at Sadler's boxing gym.

It seemed that he would have to endure more suffering in the future!

Wang Lei howled in his heart.

But he would not give up because of this. If he wanted to become a professional boxer, his parents would definitely oppose it. Without his grandfather's support, he would never be able to step onto the boxing ring.

So no matter how hard the training was, Wang Lei had to persist.

Fortunately, although the muscle soreness was intense, it did not affect his training at the boxing gym.

In the following days, Wang Lei ran back and forth between Sadler's boxing gym and his grandfather's Chinese medicine shop, increasing his training time from four hours to five hours.

Four hours at Sadler's and one hour at his grandfather's, but the training intensity at his grandfather's was the greatest, even greater than the combined intensity of the four hours at Sadler's.

Especially after a week when his grandfather taught him a very low stance dynamic stake exercise, which he had never practiced before, Wang Lei almost couldn't walk the next day, with his legs feeling as heavy and sore as if they were filled with lead.

Although his body ached, his spirit was very excited, which made him very focused during his afternoon training at the boxing gym with Cruz.

After a week of mutual attacks and non-retaliatory defense practice with Cruz, Sadler had the two start formal sparring.

Wearing thick boxing gloves and full protective gear, they started with two rounds per day, with a two-minute rest between rounds, then changed to five rounds every other day, with only a one-minute rest between rounds.

In the first week, Wang Lei was basically dominated by Cruz, being beaten up miserably. In the second week, Wang Lei could spar with Cruz, gradually becoming evenly matched. By the third week, whether it was due to Wang Lei's high talent or the mysterious training from his grandfather, Wang Lei's punches became heavier and faster, and his focus and vision became sharper. Cruz's punches seemed to slow down in front of him, making it easier for Wang Lei to defend or counterattack.

As a result, Cruz was dominated by Wang Lei.

By the fourth week, Cruz was only being hit by Wang Lei during sparring, being knocked down two or three times per round, and almost unable to get up by the end of five rounds.

In the fifth week, Sadler conducted another physical test for Wang Lei, with the following results:

Height: 173.5 cm

Arm span: 176 cm

Weight: 129 pounds

Body fat ratio: 10%

Strength: 45 bench presses at 120 pounds, maximum strength 245 pounds; 30 squats at 200 pounds, maximum strength 405 pounds

Punching power: Left straight punch 250 pounds, right straight punch 400 pounds

100-meter speed: 10.65 seconds

Endurance: 4000 meters in 12 minutes

Compared to the previous physical test data, almost every item showed significant improvement, especially the punching power. His right punch had already reached the level of a professional middleweight boxer, making him a super heavyweight puncher in the 129-pound lightweight category.

Sadler was pleasantly surprised, firmly believing that he had found a world-class talent and attributing it to his own efforts.

To make Wang Lei even stronger, Sadler decided to find him a better sparring partner.

To improve a boxer's skills, an excellent sparring partner is crucial, and their skill levels should be similar.

Cruz was no longer suitable.

Just before the end of the summer, Wang Lei met the new sparring partner Sadler had found for him.

Emil Griffith!

A black man who looked bigger and darker than Cruz.

However, judging by his age, he was probably around forty.

Just as Europeans have "face blindness" towards Asians, thinking they all look the same, Wang Lei also had a slight "face blindness" towards Europeans, especially black people, who all looked the same to him.

Therefore, although Emil Griffith looked familiar, Wang Lei couldn't remember where he had seen him.

It wasn't until Sadler introduced him that Wang Lei remembered he had seen this black man in videos and photo albums at Sadler's house.

Sadler had a collection of many classic boxing match videos, which he often played at the boxing gym for Wang Lei to watch.

There were early black heavyweight champion Joe Louis and the most famous middleweight champion, known as the "Boxing Saint" Sugar Ray Robinson; undefeated white heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano and the "Devil" Sonny Liston; Muhammad Ali and his fierce opponent Joe Frazier, with whom he had three famous fights.

Of course, there was also Sadler's former disciple George Foreman.

These were basically famous boxers that Wang Lei had heard of or seen online in his previous life, and there were many more boxers that he had never heard of or seen online in his previous life.

Emil Griffith was one of them.

Although he was unknown in Wang Lei's previous life, Emil Griffith was not an ordinary person. He was a middleweight champion who debuted in 1958, won his first light middleweight title in 1961, and then won the middleweight title in 1962 and 1966.

From 1961 to 1968, Emil Griffith dominated the light middleweight and middleweight divisions, with the championship belt always hanging on his waist.

However, Emil Griffith retired in 1977.

Wang Lei also remembered the professional record Sadler had once told him about Emil Griffith.

85 wins, 24 losses, 2 draws, 23 KOs.

Winning 85 out of over 100 professional fights seemed impressive, but his KO rate was only about a third of his wins.

In other words, although Emil Griffith was a champion, his punches lacked power, and he could hardly knock out his opponents, usually winning by points.

In the 1960s and 1970s, professional boxing matches generally lasted 15 rounds, only changing to 12 rounds three years ago.

Not being able to knock out opponents in 15 rounds made Wang Lei, who preferred KO wins, look down on Emil Griffith, the former middleweight champion.

He was surprised that Sadler had found him to be his sparring partner.

Although he was a middleweight champion who had retired almost ten years ago, he was still a dominant figure in the middleweight division. For Sadler to bring him in as a sparring partner, and even for free, was no small feat.

"Hey, Sadler, this is your new disciple, the Chinese kid you think can become a world champion? You actually want me to humble myself and be his sparring partner?"

Wang Lei looked down on Emil Griffith, and Emil Griffith clearly looked down on Wang Lei, his expression clearly showing disdain.

Before Wang Lei could speak, Sadler said sternly, "Emil, don't forget the big favor you owe me!"

"Damn it, Sadler, you're actually using this favor to pressure me. Fine, I agree to be this kid's sparring partner, but it can't be more than a month, and no more than ten rounds. After that, I'll cut ties with you!" Emil Griffith grumbled.

"Thirty rounds!" Sadler haggled, ignoring Emil Griffith's last statement.

"Fifteen rounds, no more, Sadler, I'm already old!"

"Twenty rounds, Emil, you're not even forty yet. Didn't you tell me you could return to the ring? Are you just bluffing?"

"Fine, Sadler, you win. Twenty rounds it is, but I'm not going to take it easy. If this kid can't keep up, don't blame me!"

"Hehe, don't worry, this kid is very tough and has a heavy punch. Just be careful not to get knocked down, or it will be embarrassing!"

"Me getting knocked down?" Emil Griffith couldn't help but laugh, laughing for a while before saying, "Sadler, I didn't know you were so funny? If this kid can knock me down, not only will I do 20 rounds, I'll do 30 rounds, and I'll introduce some active professional boxers to be his sparring partners for free. I'll even come to support him when he fights professionally!"

"Deal, no backing out!" Sadler decisively said.

Emil Griffith looked stunned, "Sadler, you don't really think this kid can knock me down, do you?"

Sadler smiled, "Why don't we just try? Unless you're afraid?"

"Ha, I'll curse a Chinese kid who hasn't even grown hair yet?"

Provoked by Sadler, Emil Griffith put on his boxing gloves and mouth guard without a word and stepped onto the ring.

"Come on, Chinese kid, let's have a match. Let me see how good you are, the Chinese kid Sadler thinks can become a world champion."

Facing Emil Griffith's provocation, Wang Lei calmly asked, "Mr. Griffith, don't you want to warm up first?"