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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
Cus they're annoying everybody and they don't stop.
That's why.Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
I'm guessing this is already dead?Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
No, I've just been away.Comment
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Careers Advice
School wasn't quite over. Our school had this weird system, and all of the grade 12's had to go to the guidance counselor at school so that they could help us pick out a college for the careers we want to follow. As far as I was concerned, my college was at home because that's where I always train. I wasn't actually planning to go to college anymore. With how I won the Albertan Provincial Boxing Championship tournament, I was automatically put into the ranks of pro boxing.
Britney was staying in Calgary because the college she was going to was here. She was training to be a vets assistant. It's a decent pay, 1 year training, and she loves animals. It was a pretty smooth fit for her, and her meeting was done in about 10 minutes.
Mine took longer. My counselor, Mr. Buratti, kept telling me I couldn't put all my apples in 1 bucket, and rely on boxing.
"If you don't make it, what are you going to do with your life?" he told me.
"Well... if boxing doesn't work I can still go to college, and then I can start another career. Remember my family has practically 400,000 dollars in the bank. We can afford to send me to college in a few years if boxing doesn't work out.
We kept going back and forth, and he finally settled with my stubbornness. I didn't want to go to college with the door to a pro boxing career sitting wide open in front of me. Sure, the fights would be very challenging, but I wanted to be a pro boxer now. The idea finally settled in my mind after I started to out shine some of the elite in my province after just 3 years of training.
I spent the rest of the day at my house hanging out with Britney. We talked for a few hours, then things started to get physical and the party went into the bedroom.
*****
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP
The alarm clock woke me up. I looked at it and saw that it was 10 am. I was still exhausted after last night. I got up, took a nice steaming show, shaved, put axe gel in my hair to give it some lift (get all the hold with out all the grime
) I was still 'recovering' from the tournament. School was still lingering in the form of prom, which had been postponed because all of the supplies came in late because fed ex messed up and sent all our prom stuff to a pre-school in Edmonton (no idea what happened).
Me and my friends were getting tuxedos. 6 of us ( Callum, Garret, Zed, Diego, and Kyle were my friends) were all getting them at Moores. Mine was a small, since I was only 5 foot 9.
With prom tomorrow night, I guess boxing was taking a back seat for a few days.Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
I day before prom Britney left from my house and went back to her parents, leaving me all alone in the big house. I decided since my parents were gone, my place could be the sight of the after party of the prom. There was never really a big celebration for my victory over Brian. He basically left town after I beat him and Rebecca broke up with him for the second time.
I want to bed at 1:00. I was really getting into Fable 1, since I bought an original xbox. It's way better than Fable 2. I woke up at 4:00 the next day, and I was ready for a long night of partying after prom. The party would only end when every single last person left.
I called my friends over, and we were all going over to prom in a big limo I rented for my friends and our dates. We got our tuxedos on, and were prepared to have the night of our lives. I couldn't wait to get the moves on with Britney in the dance floor.
Kyle got us all hooked up with the drinks, which I set up at the mini bar, which Callum would be running during the after party. We jumped into the limo and picked up our dates. Rebecca got a last minute date with the goalie of my school, hockey team, he also happened to be my cousin, Jason Lemieux. The limo was packed, but we still needed to pick up my girl, Britney.
The Limo parked in front of her house and I went up to her front door. When she opened it all I could manage was a "wow"
She had a great red dress, and he hair was just amazing. I took her hand and put a flower wristband around it, and I walked her over to the limo. I don't mean to be mean to the other girls there, who were all looking stunning, but Britney clearly stole the show.
We all walked up to the prom through the usual walkway in pairs. Inside the prom was amazing, and we had a live band that sang a large variety of songs. I got my slow dance with Britney (which ended in a 30 second long kiss), I got my fun, fast dance, and then we sat down. When people started leaving, I told all the people where the good after party was, and then another 30 minutes later my house was packed.
People were watching all kinds of sports, my training gym was full of people getting the gear on and having fun little sparring sessions. I was in the thick of it, taking down a couple of drinks and partying like crazy. I spent about an hour with Britney in a secluded bedroom, and I came out feeling great. The party lasted until morning, and I pasted out in my bed when Kyle finally left after we had a good go at Fable.
It was the greatest night of my life.Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
After prom my parents had returned. The house still looked in tip top shape, so my parents couldn't complain. My fight against Jason Mcraw was 3 weeks away, so I was back into 15 hour day training sessions, with almost no time off. That would probably change once I had control of my destiny. More like 10 hour days and weekends off. I still needed my me time.
Jason Mcraw had an average reach. I had a short reach and relied on getting in close and doing lots of damage. I had lots of power and speed, which is a deadly combination if used correctly. We were also working on my foot speed and toughness. I needed to be ready for hard fights once they started to come. I wouldn't want to have maybe 5 fights, meet a better fighter and be dropped in the first or second round. That just couldn't happen, and I wouldn't let that happen.
So it was training, training and more training. Going to bed at 10:00 and waking up at 7:00. Running until I was sweating like crazy, then punching the heavy bag for a good 2 or 3 hours. Throwing combination after combination. Training was everything.
***
The fight was just a few days away now, and I needed to get my energy back. I finally got lots of free time to hang out with all of my friends, and especially my girl, Britney. I found time for everything I missed out on in the 2 and a half weeks of hard training. I was leaving in another day, with my father and my trainer, Ethan. We were heading to the Windy City Boxing Gym in Chicago.
I was determined to win this fight.Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
The fight was upon me. I was sitting in my dressing room, alone, listening to my ipod, getting pumped up for the fight at hand. I knew I could outfight Mcraw. I saw him training and he is slow, and his punches have no power. In the sparring sessions he was tired at the half way point of the first round, and I knew if I got in body punches he could be down and out by the 2nd or 3rd round. This fight would not go the distance. He would never make it that far. Hell, I bet I would be very tired by that far.
So please accept
What's Done is Done!
I heard my name over the music, and I headed out towards the ring. A small crowd of about 30 people were here in the gym. Hell, I bet only the major boxing fanatics would know there was a fight going on today. 2 nobodies in the world of pro boxing. But that would change very soon... people would learn to recognize the great name of Lemieux in the world of boxing.
The ref went over the rules very quickly again. We touched gloves, although Mcraw did it half heatedly, and we headed back to our corners, ready for the bell to ring.
DING DING
At the sound of the ding I charged towards Mcraw and started pounding him with punches. He couldn't react quickly and I got a lot of good punches in before he got his block up and slowed me down. I gave some quick hooks to the body, then went for an uppercut to the chin as he lowered his guard to his ribs. He managed to push me away, and he started to land his own punches. They were slow and didn't hit very hard. I dodged the fourth punch and gave a quick hook to the body before he could recover, and I stunned him. He staggered back and I pushed on the attack, but he recovered before the end of the round. When the final bell sounded, he headed back to his corner, although he looked exhausted.
"Good son, that's all you've got to do. Keep getting past his guard, and keep counter punching."
My corner crew gave me some water, and put some ice on my neck. They didn't need to make any repairs left since I didn't get hit by that many punches, and they hits weren't hard anyways. Hell, if I was lucky I could escape this fight with a few minor bruises.
DING DING
I charged Mcraw again, but he had his guard up from the start and my first combo was blocked. I gave a few hooks to the body, then went up to the face. I kept pounding him with punch after punch for about a minute before he staggered back. I pushed the attack even more, and I had him on the canvas.
"1, 2, 3 ,4 , 5"
He got back up at the five count and the fight recommenced. We still had about 2 minutes left in the round. I kept pounding him with punches, and he was failing to respond. How did he make it to the pros? I thought. I stunned him again, and I sent him down to the canvas for the second time this round. But this time he didn't get up. I had won the fight!
I rushed back to my corner, and my father and Ethan lifted me up on their shoulders, while the few spectators either cheered or booed depending on who they were cheering for.
I had won my first pro fight!
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Jobs
After I won my fight against Jason Mcraw I jumped 2 ranks in the overall standings for the Welterweight division. I felt great after winning, and this was just a minor fight. I wondered how good I would feel when I started winning fights against people that are actually going to be a somebody in the world of boxing. Most of the people I was facing were in boxing for 2 or 3 years now, and they hadn't shown any sign of advancing in the standings. Most of them had more losses than wins.
When I got back home I had a little victory party with my friends and Britney. We got into a bar since we had our I.D's now, and we had lots of drinks. But I wasn't our designated driver, so I shot down as many drinks as I wanted... until I threw up and we were forced to leave the bar. Britney drove us all home, but she didn't dare kiss me because I may throw up again at any moment, and I had bad breath from the alcohol.
****
I woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. I think I took down too many drinks... but all for a nice party for a sweet victory in the world of professional boxing, even if it was against a no name like me. But I was determined to make that change and fight some real opponents soon. Now those fights would be awesome, although I don't think I can afford to have a victory party like the one last night after every victory. That just wouldn't happen.
I needed about 2 to 3 weeks to recover from the minor bruising on my ribs and cheek bones. I was determined to use this time to have fun with my friends. We went to the local water park and had lots of fun. But I made a personal not in my mind to save a trip to Canada's Wonderland in Toronto sometime. A great water park, lots of rides, and the biggest and fastest roller coaster in Canada, the Behemoth.
Most of my friends were saving money to go to college 1 or 2 hours away. The only friend who was staying was Garrett, but there wasn't a lot of fun in that. However, my friends in Toronto were going to college in Toronto, and I was starting to think about moving over there to be with them. It wouldn't hurt training at all, unless I couldn't find a good trainer, but that was hardly a problem since I knew I could find a trainer there.
But that would cost money, and I still didn't have much. I needed a part time job, and the only one available was at
McDonalds
***
"So, Mr. Lemieux, why do you want a job here at McDonalds?"
That seemed a stupid question. "Well... it's the only job available and I need a job."
That was all they seemed to want to know. I filled in a form, and I would begin training the next day.Comment
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Re: From Loser to champ| Brandon Lemieux (FNR4)
My next fight was against a guy named Steve Davids. Word was he isn't much better than the last guy I fought, but I was still gonna train hard. My job at McDonalds didn't interfere with my training, since McDonalds was flexible and could always get somebody to fill in when I needed to train. I wasn't making that much extra money, but it was better than nothing, and I really needed to get my money. If I'm 18 I need to think about moving out. That wouldn't be a problem once my boxing career really took off, but I still didn't have the money, and I didn't wanna rely on my parents.
Now we were focusing on my hand speed. I was gonna start facing fighters who are fast, and I needed to be able to keep up with their speed. My training plan was to go for an even balance between power and speed, although eventually I would have to make a choice and decide which stat I would work on more, but for the time being an even balance seemed good.
I was getting more energy and could go longer without needing to take a drink. This would really help me once I started going in long fights. My hand speed was coming along very nicely and for the later half of my training before this fight I would be working on my power so I could be fast, but still able to finish the fight quickly.
I was getting somewhat lonely being stuck in Calgary, while all my friends pursued their dreams in college. I guess I would have to make more friends, and there were some high school seniors that I was getting to know at McDonalds. The only person really left was Britney, but a guy needed his bros. I liked hanging out with her, but it isn't just the same, and it can get lonely just being with your girlfriend.
I was spending more free time than normal at my house playing video games when I wasn't training or wasn't with my girlfriend. I was thinking about a small trip to go visit my friends in Colborne, a small city about an hour from Calgary, where Connor and Callum were going to college, but I couldn't spare the gas and my training didn't give me the time to go there.
I guess I would have to settle to being lonely at home for now.Comment
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