In no time, Miguel's victory was announced, followed by Robby's, and finally, Ryan's withdrawal due to injuries.
This outcome was expected. After all, in a tournament as long as this one, where competitors fight for weeks to reach this stage, it was almost certain that there would be injuries along the way.
"Your opponent is Miguel. Isn't that incredible?"
Max wasn't thrilled about facing a teammate. After all, it would reduce their chances to just one if he ended up being the last competitor from their martial arts school in the tournament.
Luckily, Jack's fight was moved up since he was the only one who hadn't participated to reach the semifinals.
"Miguel wants to fight Robby..."
Devon, standing nearby, whispered, "First of all, does anyone here believe Jack won't make it to the final knowing that Robby is injured? Even without that advantage, it would be almost impossible to see Jack losing to opponents who don't have more than ten years of combat experience."
"Yeah, to be honest, we don't expect that."
Bert, sporting a black eye, approached and said, "I have insider information on who Robby's opponent will be. You all should see this."
But at that moment, Max was called for an interview, so he had to leave the group immediately.
"Max, congratulations on winning your recent match and reaching the semifinals. What do you think about your opponent Joey's performance in that fight?"
Near the combat arena, a reporter from the Cuban Sports Television Channel asked him in a post-match interview.
"Joey? He responded to a fast-paced fight, kept up well, and performed excellently in all aspects. If he weren't in this tournament, I think he'd have made it to the finals for sure," Max said as he wiped his sweat with a towel.
"It's a shame to see several of your teammates eliminated from this tournament. Are you sure you can fight one of your own seriously?"
"Yes, I never lack confidence when it comes to fighting," Max said confidently, clenching his fists.
"Good to hear. Many have mentioned that the Cobras' downfall began as soon as they reached the quarterfinals. Some are complaining that the administration is doing everything possible to ensure members of your martial arts school are defeated. Do you share those complaints?" The reporter from American Express handed him the microphone and asked loudly.
Max smiled slightly. "As the hosts of this tournament, we knew people might speculate that we were manipulating the event. I'm glad those rumors haven't reached the public. As for your question, I think things have turned out this way simply because that's how individual tournaments work. We were prepared to face each other as teammates, so we have no complaints."
Finishing his interview, Max raised his fist and left the area, escorted by security team members who led him to the locker room to prepare.
The semifinal matches would begin in ten minutes—much sooner than expected—so he needed time to rest.
He didn't like to get ahead of himself, but knowing that Miguel would likely lose against him, he had to study Jack as advised by the others.
"This one is different from the rest."
Since Jack was preparing for professional fights, he was vastly superior in strength, physique, and fighting ability. The data so far showed that he had never been knocked down in a match.
This would be a much tougher opponent.
"Max, I want to tell you that if Robby can't make it to the final, I'll announce my withdrawal," Miguel entered the locker room to share this information with a focused Max.
"Weren't you excited to fight me?" Max asked with some doubt.
"It's not that..."
"I know you want to face Robby; it's your personal wish. His fight is before ours, so you'll get to see how he performs."
Max wasn't just obligated to participate in amateur competitions. First and foremost, he wanted to build achievements and expand his reputation. At the same time, he wanted to gain more experience in competition and refine his skills.
You gain more experience by fighting tough opponents.
So he would fight each one, no matter how strong they were.
"But if you win, Robby, I might consider withdrawing from the tournament so that you can be the one to defeat Jack in the final." Max was simply analyzing possibilities, though everyone here knew there was no chance Jack would lose.
"Thanks, Max." After bidding Miguel farewell, Max turned on the video recorder, watched footage of Robby's opponent's fighting style, and used a pen to list the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, trying to find weak spots.
Every fighter has weaknesses, like Joey and Ryan, whose flaws lie in confidence and their ability to withstand blows.
Compared to Max, Jack wasn't tall, and his arms were slightly shorter. This was a disadvantage when competing against Max.
There was also Hawk, who had just been defeated. His injuries on both ribs were his weak spots.
Max didn't need to study much—just enough to find his opponent's limits.
"Max, Jack just advanced to the finals," Bert brought him some rather unexpected news.