Climb

My fists flew through the air with deadly precision and impacted against my opponent's body. I had been training for years to become the best boxing champion around. After my devastating fall from grace years ago, I began to reform not only my image but also my body. People have seen me all around town doing different training methods. Many times I was seen at the local rock climbing wall buffing up my arms and working on my agility as the lack of it was a huge factor in my defeat before. The stories the little kids in town made about me always left a smile on my face. Some said I trained with deadly, man-sized scorpions, dodging pincers and stingers. Others say I go diving deep in the ocean without any oxygen and grab scallops, eating them shell and all. I don’t mind the kids, they are my driving force and I adore them. They look up to me and so I stay on top so I don’t let them down. I am their hometown hero and I will make them proud. The thoughts of my own kids spurred me on even more. I want them to be proud to say that I’m their father, not ashamed. With each thought I pelt my opponent with more and more punches. With one wink to my son in the crowd, I knock my rival to the ground out cold. The arena was silent for a second while people processed what happened. Soon the silence was drowned out by the cheering and clapping of my fans. My own kids whooped and hollered with joy and my wife’s kind eyes shown with pride. Even through my black eye and missing teeth I let loose the biggest smile I could. The ref shambled over and grabbed my arm, lifting it to the sky and bellowed out the results.

“The new reigning champion everybody!”