about one night stands and car alarms.
I wrapped my shoulder good so no one knew I was butchered the night before. I needed to let them know I was wearing the bandage as a precautionary measure.
I got to the arena and I met with Mo in the training room. We were the first one up, so I needed to get my head straight. I told Mo I slept on my shoulder wrong and that’s why I bandaged it up. He wanted to look at it, but I told him it wasn't a big deal. Little did he know how bad my shoulder ached and that I had 45 stitches in it.
My opponent was exactly my size, but I was younger and quicker. My ground game was one of the best in the business. Mo and I went over a few key points and soon it was time for my second professional fight.
Chapter Seven
I stepped out into the ring for a professional fight with a veteran fighter and could only use the left side of my upper body. The only strategy I had considering the condition I was in was to break him down and get him to the mat so I could do a submission move. I was in for a painful night.
After the opening announcements I went back to my corner and Mo was outside the cage yelling instructions. “Just like we ran it in practice Tommy, you got this.” Little did Mo know what I was truly dealing with.
Round one. I rushed out and Vasquez circled me. He knew he didn't want me to shoot into legs and have be a fight on the ground with me.
I threw a left. He blocked it easily. I telegraphed it too much. Vasquez came into me and we began to pummel our arms trying to gain control. I locked my arms around his head and shot underneath his legs with my left arm and got him a fireman’s carry. There was a problem with that move; I was forced to use my right shoulder. Crap, the pain was intense! To be honest the pain only made me angrier. I slammed Vasquez to the floor of the ring and took control. I shifted my weight trying to get my legs inside his legs. Vasquez was face down on the mat and I was riding him like a cowboy on a bull. Except, I had this bull under control! I dropped a series of elbows with my left arm.
“Use your right arm!” Mo yelled at me.
I was waiting for just the right moment where his neck would be left open so I could sink my arm in so I can do a choke submission.
He was guarding it beautifully, and it was impossible for me to get my arm through. So I continue to hammer down my left arm on the back of his head and neck.
I went into complete spastic mode. I unloaded 10-12 consecutive punches and elbows and I could see Vasquez weakening.
Just give me an opening, I thought. I'll choke you out and then we can all go home. Then it happened he used his arm to try to get position by placing them on the mat. And for a brief second his neck was exposed and that's all I needed. I got my left arm underneath his Adams apple in a blink of an eye. I yanked up and tightened it with my right arm which gave me an immense amount of pain.
He shifted his body trying to get out. He was a veteran and he wouldn't tap out lightly. He fought me off for a good 20 seconds, and then I saw the most beautiful thing in sports, my opponent tapped out. That only meant one thing. He gave up and threw in the white flag. I had my second first round knockout.
I jumped up and I looked at my shoulder and I was bleeding through my shoulder wrap. I had torn a number of my stitches out. But it was worth it, I was still undefeated. Granted I was only 2 and 0, but I'll take it.
Mo came into the ring and he hugged me and looked at my face. “I didn't notice you were sporting a beard before.”
Huh? I never grew facial hair in my life. I had an easy routine where I shaved in the shower each day. That was an odd thing to say. I felt my face and felt stubble and hair. What the hell? I shaved before I came down here. That was odd.
The announcer said I was the winner by knockout and the referee raised my right arm and I nearly passed out from the pain.
I showered up after the fight and
Dominic K. Alexander, Kahlen Aymes, Daryl Banner, C.C. Brown, Chelsea Camaron, Karina Halle, Lisa M. Harley, Nicole Jacquelyn, Sophie Monroe, Amber Lynn Natusch