The Below the Belt "sponsor", Warwick DeSanta, Police Chief of Asphyxiation Point, was thrilled with the turn out. According to DeSanta, the gym will be beneficial to many of the locals. He hopes to acquire more staff in the future which would result in additional offerings being provided at the facility, as quoted, "So there can be activity even when there ain't matches on. So like, you know offer coaching' to folks, work with young offenders for some positive outcomes, self defense. You know, and there's general weight lifting and gym equipment down there free to use for everyone."
The entrance of the underground facility was adorned with a banner and festive twinkle lights, in attempt to give the visitors a warm, inviting welcome. A boxing ring was located in the center of the room with two sets of bleacher-style seating flanking opposite sides. Overall, the facility was seemed orderly and clean, and as DeSanta mentioned, there were various exercise implements neatly arranged along the walls. Though the overhead lighting was particularly dim, there was ample illumination from a large window at the far end of the building.
Before the main event, Kat Zeye was introduced by the event's announcer, APPD Dispatcher Hernandoez. Zeye, Captain of the Asphyxiation Point Fire Department, provided an informative class on CPR free of charge. Most of the participants who had questions regarding the technique were given clear and definitive answers to cover any apprehension or curiosities that they might have.
The motivation for holding this class before the event may have been sparked by concern over the impending fights and possible lack of properly trained medical staff. According to Zeye, "The most concerning boxing injury is a head impact resulting in a potential brain injury. The punch impact shakes the brain within the skull and causes the brain to act abnormally for a brief period of time."
Typically, a sporting event takes precaution by providing EMTs to supervise in case of emergency. However, other than a few fire department staff members who attended the event off duty, the only other qualified individual seemed to be the instructor herself. The extent of Zeye's medical knowledge is unknown.
Once the class was dismissed, the stands begin to quickly fill and shortly afterward, the first fighters, Emelya Aheka Ra'Tori and Kıᴍвʌ Rossini were announced. The two women gave a strong and aggressive showing, not leaving any doubts as to their ferocity. They matched one another blow for blow and gave quite an impressive exhibition match. The match was won by a knockout from Ms Rossini.
The second set of fighters were Bruno Caffarelli and AP Times' very own, Pen Dragon. Things got heated in the stands when Dragon's wife, Jadey Dragon, verbally confronted Asphyxiation local, Poe, after a drifter, known as Dany Grayman, instigated a physical altercation, following an expression of disdain toward Pen that was executed by Poe. Grayman and Poe were quickly separated by off duty police officer, Jay Biafra. His method of attending to the situation by 'spanking' Poe, was met with few expressions of disapproval, but shockingly most spectators seemed unimpressed. Despite the distraction that had taken place in the stands, the two fighters in the ring continued to throw their blows and the opponent, Caffarelli, was bested by Mr. Dragon. Pen celebrated his victory by embracing his wife, Jadey and simultaneously the tension in the stands had been extinguished. The crowd began filing out as Sergent Biafra responded to an open request by another man to engage in a friendly spar for their own entertainment. The outcome of that particular fight is unknown.
According to Warwick, the gym was meant to provide a place where individuals could safely engage in physical activity with proper safety precautions being enforced. "Lotta folks around here got some pent up aggression," states Warwick, "Thought it might be an idea to let them expel it with padded gloves so no one gets seriously hurt."
Considering the brawl that occurred in the stands, it is unclear as to whether or not these type of events will inevitably fuel the aggressive tendencies of AP's residents. When questioned on the possibility of future fighting events, Warwick remained hopeful. "It went really well. Good turn out and all. Folks seemed pretty excited about it. Had a few folks show interest in getting' involved in future so yeah, I think we'll definitely be doing it again."
Though, each of the fighters involved had suffered several obvious injuries, including, but not limited to, bruising and swelling, they were responsible for seeking medical attention at their own discretion outside of the facility. No report has been made on whether or not the participants sought for medical treatment upon departing.
Reported by Peter Pan