The atmosphere inside the arena continues swelling with anticipation as the final instructions are delivered inside the ring.
Bright white lights pour down across the canvas from every direction overhead while thousands of spectators keep roaring throughout the building, phones raised everywhere around the lower bowl seats to capture the moment before the opening bell.
In the red corner, Elliot Graves stands tall with both gloves resting calmly near his chest. His expression remains composed, but there is an unusual sharpness sitting behind his eyes tonight, a tension that rarely appears this early before a fight.
Across from him, Shimamura Suzuki waits inside the blue corner. Unlike the crowd surrounding him, Shimamura himself looks almost detached from the scale of the event. His shoulders rise and fall slowly beneath the arena lights while his half-lidded gaze drifts lazily toward center ring.
