Chapter 331: Loser's declaration
Maggie desired victory, yearned for it with all her heart. Truly.
Yet, life does not always heed one's wishes.
With a swift turn, she found herself knocked down.
This time, she couldn't rise.
She lost.
The agents in the audience felt some regret, for losing meant little money and no recognition for a newcomer like her.
As Maggie walked out of the arena, her face battered and bruised, her neighbor was still waiting by the door, puffing on a cigarette.
It seemed he had been waiting for her.
For some reason, Maggie suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She had held back tears for so long, but now, she started to sob softly.
But she held back the tears.
She didn't want anyone to see her cry.
In this world, there was no sympathy for losers.
Especially not for someone like her, who had achieved nothing in the first half of her life and didn't know what kind of failure the future held.
Yet she whispered, "I really wanted to win. If only I could have won."
Her voice quivered, and in that moment, she was incredibly vulnerable.
The man comforted her, "You will win. You will."
She had lost, but she hadn't given up, and she hadn't run away.
The man admired her greatly.
In this cold society, the only person she could rely on was herself.
The next day, Maggie returned to the boxing gym.
Losing the match weighed heavily on Frankie as well.
He thought about his conservatism that had wasted Willie's time and his own weakness. He was afraid to take charge of Maggie's business.
Eddie blamed him again.
He stubbornly retorted as always.
Maggie resumed her training.
Wrapping her hands with bandages and putting on her gloves, she began to hit the heavy bag.
In the silence, Frankie approached.
He wanted to console her but didn't know how to begin.
It was Maggie who spoke first, "Are you still willing to train me?"
"Of course."
"Thank you."
Frankie felt a lump in his throat and suddenly said, "I'll keep training you. I won't hand you over to anyone else."
...
The plot had only unfolded halfway, and the two of them were already brought closer together.
In terms of storytelling, it was truly exquisite.
It seemed that every movie directed by Lyman had this kind of finesse.
As Quentin watched the big screen, he didn't know what to say.
Several characters had been masterfully developed.
The actors' performances were exceptional, but what truly stood out were the subtle details.
Hilary Swank, in particular, was a delightful surprise.
While it was no surprise that seasoned actors like Eastwood and Freeman performed exceptionally, Hilary held her own against both of them.
...
Maggie looked at Frankie with deep seriousness and nodded firmly.
The training began.
...
The audience could also feel the background music gradually intensifying.
In the spacious boxing gym, Maggie listened to Frankie's instructions and started to practice explosive punching.
Accompanied by the pounding drums and electronic music, the audience, who had been subdued by the storyline, suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. The blood in their veins ignited from this very moment.
Maggie's fists flew rapidly.
Her punches landed relentlessly on the mitts Frankie held up.
"Faster, faster, faster, with more power. It's not enough yet," Frankie watched Maggie and gave continuous instructions.
"Stabilize your lower body, and generate power from your waist and shoulders simultaneously. Use the momentum from your waist, don't rely solely on your arms. Pay attention to the coordination of your muscles."
...
"What do you do when someone grabs you? When you're held, it's hard to hit vital spots with your fists. At that moment, try to target your opponent's abdomen. Don't attempt to pull away; once you do, your opponent will seize the opportunity."
...
"Count as you go, report your numbers as you exercise, two hundred in a set."
"7, 8, 9... 101, 102, 103..."
With hands protecting her head, knees tucked up towards her abdomen, when the muscles in her core began to ache, Maggie would immediately jump up and take the jump rope, doing another two hundred repetitions. Then it was back to the speed bag, practicing evasive maneuvers, continuing until she was utterly exhausted.
Every day, Frankie would arrange for sparring partners to come from outside for real combat training.
Days passed, and a month later, Maggie had another match.
This time, Frankie accompanied her.
He fitted a mouthguard into her mouth and reminded her not to let her guard down and to protect herself.
They touched their fists together and then immediately separated.
Once in the ring, Maggie seemed to activate her "cheat mode".
Though she was older and had average stamina, her explosive power was strong. Frankie focused on improving her punching power and speed.
In just the first round, Maggie skillfully evaded her opponent's punches, and before the opponent could react, she landed a combination on their chin.
The opponent fell hard, and blood inevitably flowed.
But Maggie didn't even look at her opponent again. In the ring, there was only one winner.
She stretched out her arms, savoring the cheers from the crowd.
She loved the feeling of being acknowledged by others.
Soon, in the lightweight division, Maggie couldn't find any opponents.
Taking a risk, Frankie moved her up to the junior welterweight division.
Though she occasionally got injured, once Maggie adapted to the rhythm of the junior welterweight division, she found her way to defeat her opponents quickly.
She went on a winning streak, and in no time, she gained some fame in the world of boxing.
The United States had a thriving combat culture, and the promotion of matches was intense. Many people who enjoyed the spectacle and the direct release of violence didn't mind spending money to experience it.
Watching two boxers fighting each other, blood spilling in the ring, was quite exhilarating. It was a form of catharsis.
So, with fame came higher earnings for the boxers. Even just a portion of the ticket sales meant a substantial sum for Maggie, who was still struggling.
With her newfound wealth, her first thought was of her family.
She discreetly purchased a set of properties, hoping to surprise her mother and younger sister.
But they didn't appreciate it. Due to the welfare regulations in the United States, owning property meant they would lose their government assistance.
Her mother questioned why Maggie couldn't simply give them cash, why she had to be so foolish.
Maggie felt a pang of sadness.
She confided in Frankie, but even he couldn't resolve his own family issues. His relationship with his biological daughter was extremely strained, and he didn't know how to improve Maggie's relationship with her family.
He could only silently care for Maggie even more.
Among the junior welterweight boxers, there was one known as "Blue Bear", a fighter named Billie Osterman.
She was notorious for her dirty and ruthless fighting style.
Frankie believed Maggie would be at a disadvantage against this type of fighter.
So, he arranged for Maggie to compete in Europe first to gain experience.
Her first opponent was the champion from England, and before the match, Frankie had a robe custom-made for Maggie.
On it, there was embroidered: Mo cuishle.
Frankie said it was in Gaelic but didn't reveal its meaning to Maggie.
Maggie entered the ring wearing the robe. Although there were some ups and downs, she ultimately emerged victorious.
Before long, "Mo cuishle" became synonymous with Maggie in the entire European boxing scene.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shallowman
Shallowman The author turned the movie into a weird Frankenstein where he sometimes keeps it consistent with the original script but then weirdly sums up some of the transitional scenes taking artistic liberties. This way I can't find the corresponding parts from the real script to copy over, so some scenes and dialogues look a bit jarring in this version of the movie, and I just have to roll with it I guess. You might not have noticed, but this also happened with "3 Idiots" and "Buried", but to a much lesser extent lol
"The Blue Bear" - "Ran Xiong"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone