Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas were both 17. They were so together in friendship that they felt like brothers. They had known each other from childhood. They grew up in the same building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Antonio was fair, lean and lanky. Felix was dark, short and husky. Antonio’s hair was always falling over his eyes. Felix wore his black hair in an Afro style. They both had a dream – becoming a light-weight champion of the world.
Whenever they got a chance they exercised, sometimes at the Boy’s Club and sometimes at the gym. They would run every day morning, wearing sweat shirts and short towels around their necks. While some youngsters were into street doing wrong things, Antonio and Felix slept and had positive dreams. They had a collection of Fight magazines. They also kept the torn tickets of all the boxing matches they had gone to see. They also had some, cuppings of their own.
After a series of elimination bouts, they were told that they were to meet each other in the division finals scheduled for the 7th of August. That was 2 weeks away. The winner would represent the koy’s Club in the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament.
They boys continued to run together. But even when joking with each other, they both sensed a wall rising between them.
One morning, less than a week before their bout, they met as usual for their workout. Antonio glanced at Felix who kept his eyes straight ahead. He was practising some leg movements and hitting an imaginary jaw. Felix suddenly stopped and told Antonio that they must speak to each other.
Antonio knew it was about their fight. Felix said that since he came to know the fight was between them, he kept awake at night pulling punches on Antonio, trying not to hurt him. Antonio told the same thing. He said that it is natural they thought about the fight. Both are fighters and they both want to win. There are no draws in the eliminations.
Felix tapped Antonio gently and told him he wanted to win. Antonio replied by saying that in the ring the better man wins. When they get into the ring it has to be as if they had never met. They will be like two strangers who want the same thing but only one can have it. Felix agreed. They have to fight it out.
Felix then makes a suggestion. They won’t see each other until the day of the ght. He will stay with his Aunt Lucy, in the Bronx. Antonio agreed and he held out his hand, palm upwards making a deal. Felix sealed the deal by slapping on the open palm. Antonio wanted Felix to run with him a little more. But Felix said he wanted to be free as he wanted to think alone. Antonio asked him if Felix was worried. Felix laughed and said he was not worried. They will fight and after that they will get together again as if nothing had happened. The amigo brothers hugged each other tightly.
The evening before the big fight, Antonio made his way to the roof of his building. He tried not to think of Felix. He thought he had made up his mind. He would knock out Felix early and quickly so that he does not get hurt by a long fight.
Felix decided to watch a movie in an effort to keep Antonio’s face away from his mind and fists. The film was The Champion’, acted by Kirk Douglas. The champion was getting beaten. Felix got a shock. He imagined himself in the ring, blasting Antonio against the ropes.
He stopped watching the film and began to walk on the street. There he saw only a few boys wearing gang colours. Walking did not relax him. Neitherdid the film. It had stirred him up. He went straight back to bed.
Antonio was passing some heavy time on the rooftop. How will the fight tomorrow affect his relations with Felix? Friendship had nothing to do with the fight. But he soon controlled his negative thoughts. He did some fancy dance steps to drive away his negative thinking. His amigo brother Felix was not going to be Felix in the ring. He was just an opponent. He prayed for victory through a quick clean knockout in the first round the Golden Gloves. There will be no draw. May the best man win.”
The crowd cheered wildly. At the center of the ring, the referee gave instructions. “Keep your punches up. No low blows. No punching on the back of the head. Let’s have a clean fight. Now shake hands and come out fighting.”
Both the fighters touched the gloves and nodded. Felix and Antonio turned and faced each other squarely in a fighting pose. Felix wasted no time. Now they were fighting like real competitors. The first round came to an end both trying hard to floor the other.
