Free Million Dollar Baby by F. X. Toole

from where Reggie go to the body. Dashiki never been this deep. Reggie keep moving and pounding, then he be gone. Then he right back again, be whipping on Dashiki like he his daddy.
    Pats say, “Reggie’s beatin him up, Jeet. Reggie’s beatin him up.”
    Ring girl come prancing by half bare-ass and holding up the round card. Now we in the fourth.
    Reggie keep on putting a hurt on the boy. I yell to Reggie to relax and to have fun. Dashiki look over to me, can’t help himself. He can’t believe I be talking about fun. Boy never been in this water. Big strong boy, and he tough, he gain weight, like Reggie, but he tired from all that missing, from all that getting hit. He taking so many punches, he think he be fighting a drag queen with a purse. Pats and me see Dashiki be holding his breath when he load up to punch. We like that.
    Pats say, “Look at those lumps, Jeet. Boy’s tough, but he’s never been hit. Eyes want to cry.”
    Pats be right. I say, “Boy look like a los’ child.” I yell up to Reggie, “Stick and move, Reggie! Back him up! Dass it! He can’t fight backin up, baby! Stick him!”
    Reggie hit the boy so hard he knock his mouthpiece out. Referee give it to one of Dashiki’s corner men, who wash it. Reggie standing near the corner where the ref tell him. Corner man twice drop the mouthpiece from the ring all the way down to the floor. He do that to give his fighter more time to rest.
    Reggie something, he talk straight to the corner man from up the ring. He say, “Say, bro’, thanks for the res’.”
    Corner man jump like he been stuck, but he grin and shake his head because Reggie so cool.
    See, boxing look like it a muscle thing, like it be two fools up there just beating each other upside the head. It ain’t about the fighter using his strength, it about him delivering force. Boxing a mind game once you know the physical part. Now we deep into Dashiki mind, and he thinking about going home. But his pride won’t let him back down. Not yet.
    Bell ring, and once he in the corner I see Reggie be breathing hard.
    I say, “What wrong.”
    Reggie say, “I throw a gang of punches. Second wind ain’t kicked in.” Reggie look like something on his mind.
    I say, “Tell him, Pats.”
    Pats say, “Breathe for me, baby, take it all the way in and let it all fall out. Don’t push it out, just let it fall. That’s it, fill up like a opera singer, fill up from the belly first, and now just let it fall out. Make a sound for me, baby, that’s it. Make another.”
    See, most trainers never talk about breathing and punching at the same time, only say take a deep breath in the corner. Pats, now, he teach breathing like it be a holy thing. He right. Breathing right save you ass. Reggie make a sound like Pats say, and right away he be looking ten years younger.
    Fifth round and Dashiki make his run. He come out throwing bombs. Couple times he clip Reggie good and Reggie got to cover up.
    Pats say, “Reggie’s waiting, Jeet. Dashiki’s trying to come on, but he’s got zip in his tank. Reggie’s got to come back on the boy.”
    Pats see it good. I yell it up to Reggie. I say, “Don’t wait! Double up that right han’! He tired, Reggie, he tired!”
    Reggie quick step to his left and he throw a right-hand upper-cut, a right hand over the top, and come back with a hook. One of Dashiki legs buckle, and he get old right there on TV. Harvey on the far side. His face so dark you think he got a rope around his neck. Bell ring and the card girl jump into the ring, all prancing and shaking her booty.
    Sixth round and Dashiki all swole up and he be moving in slow motion. Reggie jump him, knock his ass all across the ring. Reggie see a knockout and step it up. He hit the boy with a six-punch combination so pretty it make you dick hard. Boy’s legs wobbly and he ready to go. Reggie hit him with five more … jab, another left hand, hook to the body, double hook to the head. The boy dead on his feet and stumble