And indeed, once the second round begins, the entire rhythm of the fight changes. Roy starts pressing forward immediately, not recklessly, but with constant pressure that never seems to pause.
Step after step, he stalks Mercer around the ring with the same suffocating patience that made him feared across two divisions, gradually reducing space without wasting movement.
And the moment he reaches the exact distance he wants, he suddenly explodes forward with that Phantom Jab.
The left snaps out so abruptly that Mercer tilts his head left almost entirely on reflex rather than from clearly reading the punch, yet the glove still clips the skin near his temple.
Tic!
Before Mercer can fully reset, Roy is already close enough to begin attacking.
Left hook. Right hook. Left hook.
