Aramaki wastes no time. He turns and walks straight to the neutral corner as the referee resumes the count.
Three!
Four!
Five!
Six!
Seven!
Cortez forces himself up before the next number can come.
The lead commentator exhales sharply, leaning forward in his seat. "He got up… but that was a fast count to beat. That knockdown clearly shook him."
The referee steps in immediately, stopping the count at eight, hands gripping Cortez's gloves as he studies his face.
"Are you okay?"
Cortez nods, drawing in a deep breath that doesn't quite fill his lungs the way it should.
"I'm fine. I can still go."
The second commentator keeps his eyes on Cortez, then lets out a small breath. "It wouldn't be a great look if this ends here… not even two minutes into the first round."
A faint chuckle slips into his voice as he adds, "The crowd definitely paid to see a bit more than that."
The referee watches him for another second, then steps back and gestures between them.
"Box!"
