Kendra nodded in agreement, not pressing the conversation further and turning her attention back to the TV. At first the momentum of the match swung like a pendulum, shifting back and forth between the two men. Hilo Keliʻi was surprisingly quick for someone his size and more than once early on Carlo was bowled over or caught in a tight grapple because he underestimated his opponent’s speed.

Weathering through his mistakes, Carlo adjusted. He quickly realized his best strategy was to stay just out of reach and rely on counter-offense rather than throwing himself headfirst at what Dan Rich had aptly called a “moving brick wall.” As fast as Hilo could be Carlo was still faster, and once he settled into a solid rhythm he began gaining ground.

Carlo chipped away at Hilo, circling just outside his reach, staying light on his feet and letting the bigger man come forward before answering with sharp kicks to the thigh and knee. The first few barely drew a reaction, but Carlo kept targeting the same spots on the legs until Hilo’s explosive bursts started to slow. Gradually the match shifted in Carlo’s favor, the GM’s son following up his kicks with a variety of punches and chops to Hilo’s head and torso. Hilo, however, devised a countermeasure of his own when he felt the tide turning.

Hilo forced the fight into close quarters. The moment Carlo stepped in too deep with a punch attempt the brutish grappler grabbed and dragged him down to the mat, immediately trying to finish the match with a Coquina Clutch. Carlo barely escaped the submission hold by slipping an arm inside Hilo’s grip and twisting free. Moments later, Hilo pulled him down again and reapplied the choke, but Carlo managed to reach the ropes to force a break. The third attempt nearly ended the match. After a hard sidewalk slam, Hilo again locked in the Coquina Clutch. Carlo’s face flushed deep red as the air was squeezed from his lungs. Somehow, through sheer stubborn will, Carlo wrenched himself loose. He rolled away gasping for breath as the arena erupted, the fans now all firmly behind the young Deguara.