Oswald "Bretwalda" Innsworth! And in the red corner, with 57 fights, 20 wins and 37 losses, 12 of those wins by knockout, Jimmy "Mercury" Mercutio!
A smattering of applause for your opponent. You can't help but smile at his win/loss record. Your coach, *insert name here* was right. Nothing but a stepping stone for you. Now whether or not you can crack this particular stone is up to you.
The expected follows. Meet in the centre of the ring, the referee gives his instructions. You don't pay much attention. Instead, you are:
A. Staring your opponent down, making him feel the inevitability of the knockout that is to come.
B. Giving a friendly smile, exuding utter confidence and showing your opponent that they stand no chance, this is just business.
C. Looking down into your opponent's chest, mentally psyching yourself up by refusing to even acknowledge the opponent in front of you as a fellow human with a face.
You touch gloves, and head back into your corners.
Waiting till the bell sounds, you think on:
A. The considerable research your team's done on your opponent, giving you a better understanding of his strengths/weaknesses [ provides intel on opponent's fighting style, habits, weaknesses ]
B. Your frenzied training, in preparation for your debut. You're in better shape now than you've ever been as an amateur, best shape of your life. [ Bonus to conditioning/stamina for the duration of this fight. ]
C. The reward waiting on you from your backers should you win this fight in an exciting fashion. [Bonus to money gained, in the event of a knockout]
Just a few more seconds now...
DING-DING! ROUND 1:
A. You rush out at your opponent, fists swinging. The sooner you knock this bum out, the better.
B. You patiently move forward, pressuring him to the ropes with the threat of your power, waiting for the best opportunity to go in for the kill.
C. You move defensively, your arms in a solid guard, waiting to see what your opponent does first.
D. You walk forward leisurely, with your hands lowered, confident in your ability to avoid the punch. This also puts you in the prime position to counter your opponent once he mistakes your open guard for defencelessness.
E. Something else.