After growing up with a violent alcoholic father and recently getting attacked by some low-life thugs, Rebecca McCrary decides to not take any more abuse from anyone and becomes a professional boxer. The problem is – she's terrible! She lost eight fights in a row, each one by early knockout. Just as she's in the process of hanging up her boxing gloves for a career in modeling, her nerdy cousin comes up with the bright idea of inserting a supernatural amount of testosterone into the breast implants Rebecca planned on getting for her modeling career. The operation was a success, and Rebecca is a changed woman in the ring, easily crippling her opponents and knocking them out cold real fast and easy. She becomes known as “The Malo Smasher,” and is also nicknamed a “female Tyson.”
Things are going great for the young contender. Her lead trainer is a legend – an old rotund man named Alfred who was nicknamed “Turtle Face” by Muhammad Ali because of his droopy facial expressions. With her charisma and ability to end fights within seconds, Rebecca becomes a sports media sensation not seen since the days of a young Mike Tyson and recent phenomenons like Ronda Rousey.
Although Rebecca has “the power of the punch,” she serves as the protagonist and antagonist of the story all at once. She suffered lot of abuse in her past and just wants to succeed in life. Because of this we root for her and want her to succeed. But at the same time, she is cheating and severely hurting others to get ahead. Rebecca doesn't just knock her opponents cold – she cripples them! One opponent ends up being a fatality. Rebecca punches so hard that a blow to the chin could knock your brain loose in your skull.
Although she harbors a soft spot and at times feels guilty for her new gift, she has a cocky, nasty attitude that most people can't stomach. In fact, Rebecca narrowly survives an assassination attempt early in the story - that's how despised she is.
The story takes a dramatic turn when the ghost of an opponent Rebecca killed in the ring decides to pay her a visit – during her big fight for the women's championship!
BaCkGrOuNd
If you've been following my career then you're aware that I am a boxing fan. I've even interviewed Larry Holmes, Shannon Briggs, James "Quick" Tillis and Marvis Frazier.
Naturally, I decided to include a boxing story in my anthology. However, I wanted to flip things a bit. I wanted a woman boxer to be the central character. My favorite female boxer of all time is Ann Wolfe, known for her explosive punch. Watch the clip below - easily the most brutal knockout in the history of women's boxing.
The women's champion in the story is Jacqueline O'Neal. She's an experienced and well-rounded fighter. Unlike McCrary, Jacqueline is the "good girl." She may be wholesome, but she lacks Rebecca's charisma. Put an experienced counter-puncher like her in the ring with a slugger like Rebecca and you've got the recipe for a great fight.
I wrote the first draft of this story back in late 2014. I wrote two other versions of the story and wound up using the best of all three to round out the story that you'll read in the book. Like The Magician and The Beast, I took a lot of time with this one and did several re-writes because I wanted it to be perfect.
If you like boxing, or if you're a fan of ghost stories or intense dramas, Power Of The Punch will be one of your favorites in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr.
Other tales in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr Include...
“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods.
“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician.
“Giggling In The Dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement..
“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price...
“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last.
“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he?
“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine...
“Mail-Order Bride.” – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice.
“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think.
"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick.
“The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night.