As the bloodied and defeated Thunder was dragged to a gurney and raised up from the pit�s floor to the bleachers, two new fighters entered from either side of the arena.

Entering on the left was a muscular young black man, his brown skin contrasting with the pure white of a muscle T-shirt that strained to contain his muscular pecs. His loose-fitting workout pants were a shining yellow with green stripes on either side and he wore no shoes. The high cheek bones of his proud face were framed by thick dreadlocks reaching down to his nipples and muscled back, giving him the appearance of a young lion.

He walked steadily with a cat-like grace, ignoring the cheers and whispers of the crowd as he passed.

Entering on the right was a smirking young Latino, his baggy pants sagging around his hips, revealing the top of his white underwear. His baseball cap was pulled down tight over his black hair cut razor-short on the sides and back and with long bangs in front that touched his upper lip. As he walked quickly down the aisle, he slapped high-fives and shook hands, the motion causing his unbuttoned shirt to flap open and back, revealing the wall of muscle that was his stomach and a tattoo of an Aztec eagle on his glistening tanned chest. The two fighters descended the ladders and leapt down onto the fight pit�s floor, turning to face each other.

From the center of the pit, Weasel shouted out, "For the third qualifying bout to determine the Gladiator�s Club bare knuckles champion, we have in yellow, from the brutal back alleys of Jamaica, weighing in at 210 pounds and coming off of four undisputed pit victories, 21-year-old Panther!"

His eyes locked on his enemy, Panther reached back and pulled his muscle T- shirt up and off, revealing sculpted chest muscles and a rippling stomach tattooed with the image of a leaping panther. The young gladiator dropped the shirt and stood frozen, his face emotionless. The Latino snorted loudly and shook his head, raising his smirking face to the crowd which hooted and laughed in return.

"His enemy, in the black speedos, a merciless gangland fistfighter and two- time Gladiator Club victor weighing in at 200 pounds, 18-year-old �Rooster� Ramon!"

Ramon whipped off his shirt and raised his fists, pumping them in the air and making a lasso motion with the shirt. The crowd cheered as he strutted in a circle. As he circled back, his eyes locked with Panther�s. Ramon lowered his muscled arms and undid a cinch on his baggy pants, causing them to fall to the ground. Still grinning, he outstretched his arm and pointed at the glaring Panther, then lowered the arm until his hand grabbed the ample bulge in his underwear and nodded. The crowd laughed and cheered.

Weasel checked each fighter for weapons, instructed the fighters to stand with their backs to the pit�s wall and, grabbing their shirts and Ramon�s cap, scrambled up the rope ladder which was pulled up behind him.

"Fighters!" he shouted. "Combat will continue until only one of you can climb out! Now get ready... Fight!"

The crowd screamed out its approval as Ramon, fists raised, began to cautiously circle Panther, who stood motionless, his arms at his side, but his eyes following his enemy�s each move. Ramon edged closer, his right fist thrust ahead of the left. Sweat trickled down the muscles of his legs as they tensed and untensed preparing for a quick retreat, but still Panther stood frozen, his eyes locked on Ramon�s.

Ramon�s upper body bobbed slightly from side to side as he neared dangerously close to Panther. Ramon edged to within three feet of Panther and in a flash, Ramon�s right fist shot out. Panther instantly snapped his head back and to the side, Ramon�s taped fist missing Panther�s nose by an inch.

As the force of the missed punch twisted Ramon�s upper body and face to the left, Panther leapt forward as he threw his full 210 pounds behind his left fist, brutally smashing Ramon in the right eye, snapping the latino�s head back and sending him crashing to the pit floor on his left side.

As the crowd exploded into a deafening scream, Panther took two steps forward and in a fluid, single movement, leaned down and grabbed Ramon by the hair with his left hand, savagely yanking the moaning warrior�s head up to his waist level, and fired off a solid right punch to the mouth.

The crowd again screamed its approval as Ramon crashed onto the pit�s floor on his back. Panther took a step toward his downed foe, but Ramon, with a pained grunt, rolled to his left and leapt to his feet, swaying slightly and shaking off the pain, fists raised as blood began trickling down his chin from his smashed lips and mouth.

Panther hesitated for a moment, then, his face an emotionless mask, raised his fists and moved steadily forward, causing Ramon to take uncertain steps backward. The crowd grew quiet as the two muscled young bodies drew dangerously closer at the center of the pit.

As Panther advanced, Ramon stopped his retreat, shifted his weight to his left leg and pivoted back, sending his right foot out in a roundhouse kick toward Panther�s head. Panther instantly crouched, his muscles tensing as Ramon�s foot sliced the air inches from the top of his head.

Before Ramon�s foot could touch ground, Panther�s muscled legs launched him up and forward, the top of his head savagely smashing into the right side of Ramon�s face and the already reddened and swelling right eye, opening a long gash. The force of the blow sent Ramon airborne momentarily before slamming him down on his back.

As the crowd exploded in cheers, Panther again walked steadily toward his downed enemy. Reaching down, Panther grabbed a handful of the injured fighter�s hair and began dragging Ramon�s limp form toward the fight pit�s far wall. When he reached the wall, Panther bent down and, facing Ramon, locked his arms around Ramon�s muscled chest and back and dragged him up into a standing position with Ramon�s back to the pit wall.

The crowd grew quiet as Panther pinned Ramon�s back to the wall by pressing the flat of his arm under Ramon�s chin. Ramon began to stir, weakly shaking his head as blood from the gash trickled down his face and spattered on his chest. Panther raised his right hand and slapped Ramon�s left cheek hard. The shock of the slap forced Ramon back to conciousness, but his undamaged eye began to close again and his head began to waver under Panther�s arm.

Panther drew his right arm across his chest and, chest muscles flexing, slapped the bloodied side of Ramon�s face hard with the back of his hand. Instinctively, Ramon�s back arched away from the wall as every muscle in his body tensed from the explosion of pain as his scream drowned out even that of the crowd. In a moment, Ramon was silent, his back flat against the pit wall, his eyes locked with that of Panther�s and his breathing pained.

Panther now slowly raised his right arm, balling his right hand into a fist and bringing it to rest near his own shoulder in the classic body builder�s pose. The muscles in his right arm drew together in a hardened bulge as he tensed the arm. As he tightened his chest muscles, his pecs lifted and solidified into hardened mounds of flesh.

A questioning look entered Ramon�s face. In a flash, Panther snapped his right fist far back then launched it forward and down, smashing deep into the tanned flesh of Ramon�s stomach.

As the crowd erupted, Ramon let out a pained grunt and began to double over in pain, but Panther�s left arm slammed his head and neck against the pit�s wall. Ramon grimaced, eyes shut tight, as he tried to shake off the pain.

Panther now slowly drew his right leg up and lightly pressed his knee into the reddened, washboard muscles of Ramon�s abs. As the flesh of Panther�s knee slowly pressed against Ramon�s stomach, the startled fighter opened his eyes and peered downward, then slowly raised his eyes to that of his enemy�s with a fearful, knowing look.

Eyes locked, Panther waited a moment, then nodded once to confirm his enemy�s fears.

In a flash, Panther�s right leg moved back then forward, his knee brutally smashing into Ramon�s rippled abs. Ramon let out a pained yelp as the crowd cheered, some shouting out, "One!"

Panther tensed his leg muscles and again drew his knee back, then sent it smashing up deep into Ramon�s stomach.

"Two!" A grimacing Ramon coughed and gagged from the pain.

"Three!�

"FOUR!" Ramon let out a guttural cry of pain.

"FIVE!" Then, in a blur of motion,

"SIX-SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE!!" Panther instantly twisted his torso to the right and put his weight into his left elbow as he twisted back and smashed it deep into Ramon�s brutalized abs.

"TEN!!"

Ramon crashed down limply into a sitting position, his back against the pit wall and his eyes shut tight from the searing pain from his brutalized gut. He slowly slid down and to the right, curling into a ball on the pit floor as he held his aching mid- section and gasped for air.

The crowd�s roar grew deafening. Panther stood motionless, dripping with sweat as the glistening black muscles of his body tensed and relaxed as he slowly tilted his head down to look at the writhing fighter at his feet.

Pained gasps came from Ramon�s downed form. Panther placed his right foot on Ramon�s muscled chest and roughly pinned the writhing young fighter flat on his back. Panther then lightly kicked Ramon�s legs apart until the Latino�s legs were spread open.

As Ramon began struggling up on his elbows, pain shot through his reddened abs causing a yelp to escape his bloodied lips. Ramon looked up through sweat- soaked hair matted to his bloody face to see Panther pointing down to the muscular Latino�s ample bulge.

As the muscles in Ramon�s body tensed in an effort to roll away from his foe, Panther drew his right leg far back and in a flash, smashed his bare foot deep into Ramon�s testicles.

As the crowd exploded into a deafening scream, Ramon�s body arched in a spasm of blinding pain, only the back of his head and his feet touching the ground, his bloodied face contorted into a silent scream.

In an instant, the defeated gladiator crumpled, unconcious, to the floor.

As the audience continued its frenzied screaming, Panther reached down and savagely ripped the underwear off the Latino�s smashed testicles and raised them into the air in his clenched fist. The crowd shouted its approval as he slowly circled the pit with his souvenir from his defeated enemy.

Panther slowly lowered his fist and, with a defiant punch to his own chest, walked toward the lowering rope ladder.