The Unstoppable Tony Winters Read online

  It was Denny that worked out what was happening first. The guy smiled about it and rubbed at his short blond hair. It was light, but kind of brown at the same time.

  “He wasn’t asking if you’d stolen it, Tony. He was saying that there’s an age limit to get one. Sixteen, right?”

  Raul had said that, but Anthony wasn’t really certain he hadn’t been trying to claim that Anthony had done something wrong to get it. Theft, or possibly lying about his age. He’d never been asked, so hadn’t bothered with it.

  He shrugged then.

  “No problem. If there was a mistake, I can give it back. The belt is pretty much just there to hold the gi closed anyway.” Part of him wanted to throw the thing at Raul, but the man smiled and shook his head.

  “I think no, Tony? You would not hold that now, if it were not yours. We all know that. Still, you are young for it, so must be prepared to fight, if challenged over it. Tomorrow, you and I shall do so? Then none will doubt you on it.”

  He nodded, but didn’t act put out. Anthony had already showered and changed into sweats and while everyone else was in real people clothing, making him feel a bit out of place, Tony wouldn’t let that stop him from being with his friends. If he were invited. There was a place there however and Jen got up, smiling a bit.

  “I’ll get the food.” It was a bit fancy for them. Normally they had something like rice, vegetables, salad and plain meat. This time, for some reason, they had seasoned rice. It was special. Some of the people didn’t take very much, but most of them had regular portions. There was salad dressing, but Jen liked to put nearly straight vinegar on hers, so Anthony skipped it and ate his without anything. It wasn’t great that way, but the food was free, so he wasn’t going to whine about it.

  It was a good place and everyone was nice. For the most part.

  Even feeling a bit put out by Raul over the stupid belt Anthony knew that the man was saying something different than it felt like. Probably that there were rules and that Tony had stepped past them somehow. While he couldn’t see it as being that important, the other man still might.

  Still, he thought about what Tony, the world’s best boy, would do, then smiled and listened to what was being said. This kind of meet up was unusual after all. Really, it had the feeling of a meeting, instead of anything else. Like it was important.

  It wasn’t until after they all ate that Rick pushed his plate back and then grinned at them.

  “So… We’ve had a few fight offers coming in and we need to strategize. More than a few. Honestly, I’ve never seen this kind of thing before. You’d think we’d invented fighting or something.” He looked over at Jen then and seemed very happy.

  “You and Denny have fights coming up, so we should put off the one that you’ve gotten, Jen. The times are just too close. Denny, yours was an offer to fight Unbar? Fifth ranked in your division, MMA. That’s big, but they couldn’t have known that you have a title match-up coming on the boxing side. Or, they could, but I wouldn’t have expected them to. The question is, can you win that fight and be ready for an MMA match a month later? That doesn’t allow for rest really, so think about it before you just say yes.”

  Tony got that one. He’d been working hard, but Jen had taken him aside and suggested that he learn about actual training before he hurt himself. For a runner he wasn’t doing too badly, but for a fighter, a thing he wasn’t really, he might be pushing a little too hard. That meant he needed to lay off for a bit, soon. At least a week of lighter training.

  Denny looked down and then nodded slowly.

  “That’s a quick turnaround. Not impossible, but hard. Especially going into a match like that. On the other hand, if I say no, when do I get another chance like that? Most people at that level are kind of chasing a belt, not willing to work with people several dozen rankings down. Really, what’s the deal there? Why even bring that one up? Does he need a payday?”

  Everyone there seemed to know what that meant and when he thought about it for a moment, Anthony kind of did too. Things came up and sometimes you needed money for things. Rent, or to buy drugs. It might not be that last one, for a professional fighter. Then, it had happened in the past. Gambling debts came to mind though, for some reason.

  Rick smiled suddenly.

  “Almost certainly. The man wastes money like it’s worthless. That aside, he’s a tough opponent and flashy enough that he figures he can get this televised. As far as a fight goes… My only real concern would be that turn around between fights. He’s as good as you on the ground, but you have standing over him, rankings be damned and MMA has been moving to keep people on their feet after the new rule changes, which works in your favor. It’s up to you.”

  Denny seemed to be thinking for a long while, then slowly started to nod.

  “I… Yes? Let’s do it. I can’t let things pass me by, right?”

  Several of the others nodded, including Jenny, who smiled, her face seeming proud for a few moments. She stopped that before Denny looked over at her, but it was still in her body language.

  That decided, Rick went to get some papers and then started to fill them out at the table. There were plates and things in the way, so Tony got up and took care of that part, listening to the others talking, since that wasn’t the only offer on the table at the moment.

  After a bit, as Anthony got all the plates scraped and saved the remaining salad, in case anyone was going to need a snack later, Rick looked up and clapped once.

  “Nick! We have not one, but two offers for you right now. Henry Larris and Rory Bowman, both solid fighters. Really, we can pretty much flip a coin here. Either one will be a real fight, but nothing you can’t handle. They’re both high enough up the rankings to be interesting and as boring as watching paint dry.” The man stroked his beard then, seeming mischievous. “Honestly, we need to find some controversy for you, or a gimmick. Something to catch attention. You’re good that way in the ring, but outside of it…”

  Anthony hadn’t really thought about that part of things before. Nick was a decent fighter, with a lot of technical ground skills and a pretty decent standing game. He needed more practice on that, but that was most people, which was why everyone trained all the time for fights. The thing there was that MMA, even more than boxing, was all about the show. The money came from getting tickets and events sold. That meant causing enough stir in the press that people knew it was happening.

  When Ashley had fought Fox Rends, about three weeks before, it had been on cable. Not the cheap channels either. That wasn’t due to Ashley, however. She was a great fighter and higher in the women’s rankings than Anthony had known at the time, but she’d been the only one willing to fight Fox, since she used to be a man and had broken up the last woman that had been in the cage with her pretty badly.

  So Ash had grabbed a ticket to the big time. Then she’d won, which meant she was sort of a big deal for the time being as well. Plus, it had boosted her rankings a lot, since Fox had been the tenth placed woman in their organization. Beating her didn’t meant that Ashley took her place, but it did give her a large boost that way.

  The thing was, all of the people there were a bit mundane. They worked really hard, won their fights and didn’t cause many problems in the world. They were even polite, most of the time. There was room for that, since they weren’t part of professional wrestling, but most fighters did something to set themselves apart. Eccentric piercings, weird haircuts and tattoos were all popular.

  Nick just laughed.

  “I could come out as gay? I’m not sure if that would help much.”

  There was a strange reaction from the people at the table then. Rick looked shocked about the idea. Raul smiled and nodded, but only a tiny bit and Nick made a snorting sound.

  Anthony spoke, his voice even.

  “Wouldn’t it though? I mean, you’d have to show your HIV tests, so everyone would know you were clean first, but other than that, who would care?”

  For some reason, no one l
aughed. Except Raul. He thought it was both funny and sensible at the same time.

  Chapter two

  It was interesting after that. Mainly due to how Rick and Jen were acting. Both seemed like their kid had just come out to them, telling about his new boyfriend over the holiday meal. On a television programmed. It was strained enough that everyone was going quiet and Denny was looking down at the table, as if ashamed of himself.

  Anthony didn’t get it. Some people liked men. It was just a thing. In fact, he was fairly certain that at least two of the others there did to. One of them was Jenny. So, like he always did, at least over the last three months or so, he tried to figure out what his little act, Tony would do or say.

  This time nothing came at all. He just didn’t know.

  Instead of saying nothing, he came back to the table and sat down.

  “All right, so were going with that one? How do we do it? Have you come out with a feather boa on? Or… That’s not the same thing, right? The dressing up in women’s clothing one… Do you have a boyfriend? We could have him run out holding your hand before fights?” He was trying to be light hearted and if not practical, at least get things going that way.

  Raul laughed then and looked uneasy.

  “Well… I’ve been dating him.”

  Rick actually turned red, complete with a throbbing head vein. Ashley went two shades whiter and Jen had wide eyes. Nick looked like he was starting get a bit pissed off himself and Denny smiled.

  “Oooooh! Scandal there then. Raul getting Nick all up on the casting couch. Except that isn’t really going to play if your dating now. I had wondered why you’d agreed to train him though, Raul. He’s good, but there are five other guys at our own club that are in the same range as far as skills.”

  Rick was starting to hyperventilate for some reason, if softly. He hadn’t spoken however, so Tony nodded.

  “Fine, Nick. Pick a fight and we’ll go with the coming out thing for you. I bet we can play that for a lot of press, to be honest. Wasn’t there a big deal about a football player that came out last year? I’ve never even seen a football game and I heard about that.” Which was true. Both about the game and that it was a big deal. It wasn’t like he watched the news or even had internet access back then.

  Oddly enough Denny backed him up.

  “That could actually work. Plus, people just don’t care about that kind of stuff as much as they used to. I bet only one of the two offers is rescinded for instance. Twenty years ago it would end your career. Now? I bet eight out of ten fighters don’t even care. I wouldn’t even consider it if it were my fight.” There was an artless shrug and a glance at Anthony.

  He kept pretending that they were making the real plan on that part of things.

  “We need to actually plan this out. Who do we contact on this? Not just sports people. This is a big news item. Right? I mean, regular news will want to be in on this, which is great for exposure. How do we set that up. Rick?” He kind of expected the man to start screaming and kick them all out of his house, but after a bit he just shook his head and sighed.

  “Different times. When I was a boy… Anyway, let me have a few days? We can set up a press conference and then see if anyone wants their fights? I… Really, I bet that neither man has an issue. A fight is a fight. Good plan, Tony. Is that what you want Nick? I mean… Well, I was about to go all dad on you there and ask if you might not want a nice closet to hide in… What will your parents say? Or, does that matter to you?” He was just asking, not implying anything, but Nick looked happier suddenly.

  “We don’t talk. Not over the queer thing either. They know and don’t care about that. We just have different views on the world.” That was enough, apparently, because he looked up then and squared his shoulders.

  Tony reached out and patted him on the back. Finishing it with a few hearty slaps. Ashley looked over at him then, her face kind of funny. He got the idea, but pretended not to.

  “You know, the extra thwumps are so that Raul knows I’m not after his guy. That would just be rude, rubbing up on him at the table like that, now that we know.”

  That got a strained look from Jen, no response at all from his Uncle Rick and a rather pleased smile from Raul.

  “There is truth there, Tony! Now, we do this and I move to America? I think that perhaps, being such as I am, in my profession, that would not be popular in Brazil.”

  Ashley blinked, took a breath and then started shake, just a tiny bit. It wasn’t in anger, or fear of the gay catching. Anthony knew because she squeaked a bit then.

  “A win for us then! I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you to stay for weeks. I was planning to try and get you into bed myself, but this works too. Better, apparently.”

  Anthony clapped, copying what Rick had done earlier.

  “Super! Let’s set that up and get with both the other fighters. Let them know what’s going on, so they can have a way out quietly, if they don’t want to ride this one.” That suddenly sounded gay, but Tony didn’t even pause as he spoke. “Though, you might mention to them how big this will probably be. Whoever fights him first can get a lot of press off of this too, I bet.”

  Not that he knew that for certain, but it seemed almost like common sense. That probably meant he should shut up, or at least try to change the topic.

  “Rick… Was there anything else? Offers, I mean?”

  He stared directly into Tony’s eyes, the man looking lean and strong. Also like a fighter, which they’d never talked about. It was clear he trained a lot, but no one had talked about him getting a match, or even having had a career that way. Not everyone had to though, so it might just be that he wasn’t a fighter, or was a better trainer that way so had focused on that.

  If so, it was kind of working out for him. He had his own gym and owned a home. That probably didn’t mean rich, but Tony had grown up in some of the worst places that they allowed people to live in the U.S. The house they were in still seemed a bit like a palace to him at times. Almost every day.

  There was a startled look then and a smile.

  “Yes! That’s right. Ash, we have two offers for you as well. Three. One is a deal with Nike for sponsorship and an ad campaign. It’s for enough that you should consider it. The other two are the ones that we kind of expected. Kashonda DeMarco, who is a bit of a waste for you right now. I don’t even know what her people are thinking, to be honest. I’ve seen her fight and the woman isn’t even half as good as you are. Still, if you want to pad your record you could do that. It’s another fight. The other is, of course, Fox Rends.”

  No one was surprised on that last one. The woman had been beaten badly enough that there had to be a bit of ego bruising going on there. The big problem was that Ashley had clearly defeated the woman. Fox had been stronger, but her skills just weren’t up to the challenge. They could improve, but the thing there was that Fox, when she’d been male, had been a fighter back then as well. The style and skill set hadn’t really changed over the years. Including after being beaten. There were things that she could change up, that might let her beat Ash, but not inside three or four months, if Tony had that right.

  Not thinking about the idea that he didn’t know enough to really talk about anything at that table, he tapped it a few times.

  “The only way that’s going to be worth it, for either of them, is if it can be a big Pay-Per-View thing again.” He shut up then, since he was just thinking out loud and didn’t know enough to even realize how stupid he might be being.

  Jen nodded then however and seemed pleased by the words.

  “That’s a real point. Can it be set up do you think? We could shop the idea out and see first? Otherwise, I can’t see any reason for Ash to waste her time on either of these offers. Kashonda would be a good fight for Dani, if she wins her next one.”

  Anthony spoke instantly, his voice slightly firm.

  “When. When she wins.” He’d been working with her on that and even without the help she was gett
ing from Ashley on it, as well as Jen, she was better than the woman that she’d be facing off with. As it was, Tony had been sparring harder than the other woman could probably manage, for the last few weeks, using her basic style for it.

  The words got him waved at.

  “What I meant. So, we should be polite on that one and see if she can wait? Kashonda might need the fight.” Which was code for the idea that she might just be making offers to a lot of people in hopes that one would pick up, so she could pay her rent or school loans.

  That was how fighters made a living, unless they had other jobs. They fought and if they were good and lucky, won. Really, it was kind of a hard life, for most of them. The top one percent of that crowd was rich. The rest barely made enough to keep themselves fed most of the time.

  It was one of the reasons that Anthony needed to try and find something a bit more stable, for his own career. College was expensive, but he did have a little cash in the bank already, from the one pro-fight that he’d taken. It had helped that he’d won it, of course. To everyone’s shock, no doubt. Anthony really had been, at the time.

  Ashley, who was on the same side of the table, leaned forward and nodded.

  “Can we look into that? I think Jen is right, as far as that goes. Still, we can bill it as a grudge match or something dumb like that? You know, I can make fun of her little booty dance she does before fights. Then she can claim that I’m actually a man in drag and demand a medical test…”

  Everyone at least smiled on that and Rick made some notes. Then he looked up and pointed.

  “Now, Tony…”

  Denny leaned in then and started to nod.

  “How many? My guess is an even dozen.”

  Nick stuck his tongue out and patted Tony on the back, which got Rick to go slightly blank. As if the guy was suddenly going to hit on the kid next to him. It wasn’t happening and Rick should know that. After all, Raul was right there. It would be rude.