On the evening of June 19th, the WBA Championship Challenger Match was held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In the days leading up to the match, the New York media kept a close eye on Richard, curious to see what tactics he would employ this time. But after more than ten days of observation, there wasn't a single hint.
He spent his days accompanying Bündchen, shopping, attending fashion shows, watching movies, and visiting art exhibitions. The rest of the time, he stayed at the gym.
This behavior was unusual. Even when facing Roy Jones, the top contender in the light heavyweight division, he hadn't been this focused. Yet this time, he seemed to be taking things very seriously.
Because of Richard's apparent seriousness, the media began to elevate their assessment of veteran Glen Johnson, suggesting he might have the skills to challenge Richard for the title.
On the day of the match, the New York Today News called it a "match with no surprises." Up until now, the "tactical master" Richard hadn't shown any of his strategies, and veteran Glen Johnson might have a chance at a "fair fight," perhaps even to take Richard's championship belt.
Thanks to the media and promotion company's hype, over 16,000 spectators attended the match, creating an electric atmosphere.
"Richard, you've got some serious fans," Mayweather remarked, peering out at the lively scene from the arena's locker room.
"Your popularity isn't too shabby either," Richard replied with a smile. In the past six months, Mayweather had defended his title three times, bringing his record to 19 wins in 19 fights, with two lightweight championship belts hanging from his waist. He was performing strongly.
In the June issue of Boxing Fan magazine, Tyson, Holyfield, and Lewis remained the three most influential and commercially successful boxers. Richard was ranked fourth, while Mayweather was eighteenth—both were doing well.
"Richard, there's a rumor going around that you sparred with Holyfield in private, and after three rounds, neither of you came out on top. Is that true?" Mayweather asked.
The staff in the locker room perked up at this question, eager to hear the answer.
Richard smiled slightly. "On the surface, it's true, but in reality, neither of us went all out. If it had been a real fight, the outcome wouldn't be so certain."
"Oh, so you think you can beat Holyfield?" Mayweather asked, surprised.
"I've got a shot," Richard replied.
"So when will you start fighting in the heavyweight division?" Mayweather pressed.
"Give it another two years. I've only been in the game for two years—I need to refine my skills," Richard said, raising his fists and quickly throwing a couple of punches.
"If you stay in this division, Roy Jones and the others are going to be disappointed. With your strength, as long as you stay put, they'll have no chance," Mayweather said, grinning.
"You're the same. As long as you stay where you are, the other lightweight fighters will be equally hopeless," Richard replied.
"Haha, that's true. We're both the kind of people who make others despair," Mayweather said, laughing.
"Exactly," Richard agreed, bumping fists with him.
As the match was about to begin, Richard extended his hands for the staff to wrap thick bandages around them and then put on a pair of snow-white gloves, which he found to be a very sexy color.
"Richard, good luck!" the coaches, assistants, and doctors on his team cheered.
"Thanks!" Richard waved his fists and strode out into the arena, greeted by thunderous applause. The crowd shouted various nicknames: "The Most Handsome Champion," "Boxing Prince," "The Bronx King," "Tactical Master," "The Undefeated God," and… "Eunuch Champion?"
"Huh?" Richard frowned at the last nickname and glanced toward the audience. Who was asking for a beating?
"It was Paul who told me to shout it!" In the crowd, surrounded by Susan, Charles, and Old Johnson, Robert raised his hands and laughed.
Richard shook his head and calmly walked to the ring.
His opponent was a black man, even darker than Paul, with long limbs and a lean physique—a clear indication of someone who could put up a fight.
"No hitting the back of the head, no hitting below the belt, no biting, no headbutting... When I say stop, you must stop. Got it?"
"Got it!" both fighters responded after the referee announced the rules, and the match began.
Right from the start, his opponent fought very cautiously, keeping his hands up to protect his head, defending tightly as if he was terrified of Richard's heavy punches.
Richard didn't go all out as he had in his matches against Roy Jones, where he'd unleashed powerful moves right from the beginning. This time, he decided to try a different approach.
In his previous matches, he had focused on power and speed, overwhelming his opponents with sheer force. But this time, he intended to ease up on the power and slow down his punches, making it a purely technical fight.
After taking a punch from Richard and realizing it wasn't as devastating as the rumors, his opponent began to relax. By the third round, he was even throwing punches more freely, going all out.
Richard deftly blocked and dodged, moving his feet nimbly while constantly attacking his opponent.
The fight was evenly matched, and the audience was thoroughly entertained.
By the tenth round, Glen Johnson was breathing heavily, his brow, cheekbones, and face visibly swollen, his steps becoming unsteady.
Richard, however, was still in good shape, only drenched in sweat.
As the tenth round was nearing its end, Johnson, desperate, launched a powerful strike aimed at Richard's side.
Richard swiftly sidestepped, causing Johnson's punch to miss and the man to tumble to the ground.
After getting up, they fought another round, with Richard easily knocking Johnson down twice more.
Seeing that Johnson could no longer fight, the referee stopped the match and declared Richard the winner, successfully defending his title and bringing his record to 16 wins in 16 matches, solidifying his position as the number one light heavyweight in the world.
"Mr. Brad, in your previous two fights with Roy Jones, you finished the match within three rounds. Why did this one go to the 11th round?" an HBO reporter asked as Richard stepped out of the ring. "Glenn Johnson and Roy Jones are two different types of fighters. Johnson has a very well-rounded skill set and a lot of experience, so it's difficult to win quickly. That's why I opted for a strategy of attrition, and it paid off," Richard said to the camera while wiping away sweat.
"Who do you think is the tougher fighter between the two?" the HBO reporter asked.
"They're both excellent fighters, and I really enjoy competing against them," Richard replied with a smile.
"Mr. Brad, not long ago, Roy Jones lost to Antonio Tarver and lost his IBF belt. What are your thoughts on that?" a reporter from New York Today News inquired.
"Boxing involves wins and losses. It's normal to lose a few times—nobody is immune to it. Ali, Tyson, Lewis... they've all lost. But as long as you keep going, remain unyielding, and stay determined, you'll eventually win again."
"Hmph, what a bunch of clichés," Roy Jones muttered as he turned off the TV and returned to the training room.
"Richard, I'm going to defeat you," the new IBF champion Antonio Tarver said, clenching his fists.
"He's getting better at putting on a show," Tyson remarked with a smirk.
"Haha, he's staying humble and positive—that's pretty good," Don King chuckled, cigar in hand.
"Mr. Brad, your fans are eagerly awaiting your next match. When will that be?" a reporter from The New York Post asked.
"I'm not sure at the moment; it depends on the company's arrangements. If we have a match scheduled, we'll announce it as soon as possible," Richard said, waving his fists before exiting the arena.
"Richard, with your strength, you should have been able to handle Glenn Johnson in three rounds. This time it took eleven. Was that part of your strategy?" his manager, Bob Ruett, asked as he approached.
Richard extended his fists for someone to remove his gloves. "In my last two fights against Roy Jones, I went pretty hard, which scared off a lot of potential challengers. So this time, I slowed things down a bit to give others some hope."
"Alright, I get it," Bob Ruett said with a smile. "The initial pay-per-view numbers are in—430,000 viewers tuned in to watch the match live. Among all the boxing matches this year, this ranks in the top fifteen. If the pay-per-view numbers stay strong like this, your fight purses won't drop below $4 million."
"But that's still a big gap compared to the top champions," Richard said, shaking his head.
"Don't worry. Fans and audiences take time to build up. Those top champions took over a decade to reach their current status, and you've managed to garner this much support in less than two years. That's already incredible. In another four or five years, your appearance fees won't be any lower than theirs."
"Of course!" Richard replied with a smile before heading off to shower and change. Afterward, he left Madison Square Garden.