1 JUST ANOTHER UNDERDOG

training is painful especially for someone with a low tolerance for pain. But at some point your brain just shuts off a bit and it lets you keep going despite the sweat dripping down your face or you know.....the slight feeling that your lungs are collapsing.

Jack had never been the most athletic guy, the most he ever did in highschool was join his schools wrestling team because he wanted to hang out with some of his friends.

He turned out to be so out of shape that he had a panic attack after being pressured too hard on the first day, the type of panic that makes your throat close up and feels like drowning.

He never participated in a single match and basically became a mascot but at least to his credit he kept up with the running and weight training to his own extent and keep going kept pushing.

But as usual his motivation was worn away over time and he hated himself for it. And he felt like he was just dying on the inside just waiting for something, anything! to make him feel alive to give him some purpose that could guide him and make him a real person that deserved to be alive.

Nothing ever came and as the years passed he became an adult skirted through college and got a job on his 22nd birthday he cried himself to sleep. Things change though jack got a bit more healthy he started working a bit harder and then he found a passion, boxing!

Jack had just tried out a membership at a local boxing gym on a whim and he just loved the feeling of it the adrenaline of fighting in a ring was amazing even if it was only for sparring of course he got decimated but at this point he was used to losing.

he kept coming back and he kept improving learning a bit more each day dodging, throwing a proper punch, footwork, all of it made him happy. As the months passed he understood that he was just average but it didn't bother him he kept going until he was actually pretty fit and he joined a small match organizer and got his first real fight.

as the bell rung he felt his heart pump and he started to sweat a little he was up against a 190 pound 6'0 fighter with a record of 1-1 he was the same size as jack practically but he felt a lot more aggressive, jack was hit by a few jabs but he traded back for the most part and he barely managed to dodge the incoming right hook and came back with with a couple body strikes after getting in close for the clinch.

Jack did, however get hit by the next overhand that he didn't see coming due to his hyper focus on attack he stumbled but managed to get his guard up in time before he got rushed. Pushed into the corner and taking a pounding he tried to take some initiative and push his way out with a few shots to the opponents face but instead he got hit with a lucky liver punch, 'oh n-' and then he crumpled on to the ground.

It felt like he had gotten shocked and stabbed at the same time if that made sense? Jack wouldn't really be able to explain it much but it hurt in a very bad way as the countdown continued jack tried to get up putting everything he had into it he felt like he was tearing himself apart but he managed to stand up.

But jack was slightly disoriented and when the round went on the pressure only increased he was taking a beating and he got hit by a powerful body shot and he felt one of his ribs crack he wanted to scream but instead he put everything into one last shot to the jaw jack felt the weight of his life and his struggle in this punch and it knocked his opponent down.

10...9...8...7...6...5.. and he started moving the opponent was getting up 4... 'just stay down please!' 3...2.. and he was up and the round was over i went back to my corner and told him to throw in the towel.

I could barely walk and i would have to go to the hospital most likely but i wasn't in much danger the thing that hurt the most was the failure though it made jack want to cry he thought about how far he had come and that was it he truly realized how far he had come from someone who lacked motivation and drive to how hard he had tried in this fight and he thought to himself 'I guess its alright to be just average'.