One’s a little Mexican guy, he looks fast and he’s pretty ripped. The other guy is a big meaty white guy. He’s not cut up, he just looks beefy. They each put on a little show to try and garner some support from the crowd. There’s some pretty strident cheers for the white guy and judging by his supporters he and they could be cops. “Fucking great.” I call over one of the hustlers. They’re giving 5 to 1 odds on the Mexican guy so I put down 10 bucks on him. I don’t condone the fighting but a little extra cash never hurt and besides fuck that cop.
The ring girl comes out and my jaw drops as I recognize Evie. She struts around the ring to a chorus of catcalls and whistles, a smile on her face. Then they ring the bell and the fight starts to a roaring crowd. The little guy is giving a good showing and the cops in the crowd aren’t very happy. The reporter is scribbling away, much more interested in the crowd than the fight. I spy Jackson by a side door talking with someone. The cop clips the Mexican guy in the head and while he’s momentarily stunned picks him up and throws him down. Booing erupts from the crowd but the ref doesn’t do anything. It’s little more than a street fight after all. The little guy gets back up and squares himself up. A minute later it’s all over. A few quick jabs and the cop goes down in a heap.
Sharleen rips up her ticket in a huff. Like I said, it’s not good business. For a minute I think there might be a riot but the little guy is ushered back down the hall while the cop is dragged away. Evie spits on the cops as they take him out. Now I’ve got no love for the boys in blue, Brian notwithstanding, but that seems like a bit much. Especially for Evie but now’s not the time for it. I chat up the reporter some more. His name’s Paul Blanker and he works for the New York Gazette.
The next fight on the card is Matty. He banters with the crowd, seemingly right at home. Evie is all smiles as she again struts around the ring. Matty points at a few guys catcalling and says, “Don’t forget that’s my girl.” Evie laughs, the crowd laughs. Seems as if Matt is not only a regular but he’s a favorite. Could be quite a few guys that work at Sullivan’s are here tonight. His opponent, Grace Peterson, seems like a pretty even match so I don’t bet on this round. I’m up 50 bucks. Why risk it? As it turns out Matt makes pretty quick work of the guy. Much to the delight of the crowd.
Vinny must be having a bad night as he screams out, “This is Bullshit!” I’m not sure what’s worse, losing two in a row or having lost by betting on a cop. I suppose there’s some sort of karmic balance there. Matt helps Grace out of the ring. While they’re exiting I see Billioti point at someone in the crowd and then at Matt. I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. A big meaty guy with a short flattop, black hair and a mole on his face starts moving across the room. Not much I can do about it now.
Sharleen seems to have won this round and heads to the window to cash out. I follow suit thinking maybe to catch her in conversation. As she turns from the window she recognizes me and immediately gets defensive. She asks if I’m spying on her. I tell her that I’m just here for the fight. We go round and round for a few minutes before she drops something. She walks away as I bend down to retrieve the item. It’s the lighter. That comes as a shock but here and now is not the time to look into it. There’s too many eyes. I pick up drinks for me and my new friend Paul and settle in for Bill’s fight.
They introduce the challenger Monte “The Mountain” Garrison. He’s a huge bald guy, covered in tattoos. As Bill enters he keeps his eyes averted down and away from Jackson who in turn points at his eyes and then at Bill. DeLuca leans over to whisper at Billioti who nods in the affirmative. I don’t like that. Not at all.
The bell rings and the big guy moves in, giving Bill a few shots. Bill backs up and just puts his arms down by his sides. I’m confused, maybe something has happened that he didn’t tell me about? He can’t want to go out like this. The Mountain, needing no other invitation, moves in and begins reigning blows into Bill who staggers back. The crowd is going crazy and The Mountain plays it up. When he squares back up to Bill he’s surprised by a heavy left that catches him in the ribs. Another solid jab with his right and The Mountain goes down.
Bill puts out a hand to help The Mountain up but he pushes Bill away. Bill then proceeds to pummel The Mountain until he’s nothing but a molehill.