Chapter 1

Jack Finnegan was feeling good tonight, his defence was holding up well and he was attacking as often as possible. His opponent was a higher ranked, better credentialed, more seasoned fighter. Every expert had predicted Jack would be catching z's by the 6th round.

Well it was nearly the end of the 8th round and he felt he was ahead on points. The bell went and Jack raced back to his corner. Jack didn't bother sitting down as he wanted to let his opponent know he was still as strong as a lion.

His trainer slapped him on the face. He only put up with that because his trainer happened to be his father.

"Jack listen to me, stop fucking around and concentrate. Remember what I said stick and move, stick and move. Don't go looking for the knockout because you're leaving yourself wide open"

"I can take him Dad"

"Stick to the plan Jack, no funny business. We need this win; this will propel us up the rankings and open up the big money fights"

Jack was momentary distracted, time stopped ... his Dad was screaming at him and the crowd was roaring but Jack was looking at a beautiful red headed vision. The visions name was Cathy Reilly and she was on the arm of another man.

Jack was pulled back to the present as the bell rang for the 9th round. The last thing his Dad said was

"Jesus Jack forget Cathy and get your head back in the fight"

The fight went the full distance. Jack was declared the winner in front of his home crowd. His Dad was jumping around like he had just won the lottery. Jack was glad to see his Dad happy because he hadn't seen him smile for a long time. His Mum's death last year had really sucked the life out of his dad.

Flashing back he had briefly thought of Cathy during the fight but that was soon forgotten as a microphone was shoved in front of him. Jack said all the right things. He thanked his support team, the crowd and his opponent John 'Killer' Cobb for a good fight. Jack headed back to the locker room for his shower and icing of his hands.

As Jack stood under the shower he couldn't believe the gall of that prick bringing Cathy to the fight tonight. He was sure he had done that on purpose to distract him and make him lose focus. The bastard would stop at nothing to keep sticking it to him. Cathy Reilly was Jack's high school sweetheart, the love of his life at one time, but now his ex-fiancée.

They broke up around the time of his Mum's death. Cathy then went straight into the arms of that prick. Actually the prick had the name Billy Finnegan. Billy Finnegan was a Sports Agent and Jack's older brother. Jack's thought process was interrupted with Gary calling out to him.

"Jack what the hell are you doing in the shower. Get out here so I can check your hands."

"Dad they are fine, you worry too much. Cobb's head will be sorer than my hands" Jack laughed

"Jack don't be a smart ass, we were lucky at times tonight. We have a lot to work on in the Gym Now let's see those hands"

Jack had suffered a break in his right hand in a previous fight and Gary wanted to make sure there was no re-occurrence of the injury.

"They appear fine, so ice them down now son."

"On it now Pop"

He left Jack to ice his hands and change into his street clothes. Gary then went about gathering all the boxing gear.

There was a loud knock at the door. Gary Finnegan opened the door to see his son Billy and Cathy Reilly standing outside.

"Hey Dad, we just wanted to come by and congratulate you and Jack on the win tonight. You really gave it to my client"

"Thanks Billy. Listen it's probably not the best time right now. I need to check Jack over, so why don't you and Cathy come over Sunday for lunch at the house"

"Sure Dad no problem, I'll see you then"

Cathy just nodded her head and slowly walked off with Billy. They both went back towards the arena. Gary hated being in the middle of this war between his two sons. He loved both his sons but they were both stubborn little bastards.

Gary secretly blamed Cathy Reilly for the problems in his household but he held his tongue. For the life of him he couldn't understand why Cathy ran straight into Billy's arms when Jack broke off their engagement. Oh to be young and foolish again he thought.

Jack had heard the exchange at the door and thought it might be a good idea to head to the beach this weekend for some R&R. He would be damned if he was going to spend Sunday with his brother and ex-fiancée. With that thought Jack began to slowly pack up his gear and went to speak with his Dad.

"Dad ... I think you were right about the fight. I need to rethink my ring strategy and get some R&R"

"Well son I guess that isn't such a bad idea. Where were you thinking of going?"

"I thought I'd talk to Uncle Matt and see if I could use his beach house for a few days."

"Ok son sounds like a plan. I'll ring Matt and let him know you need the beach house. Leave it to me"

"Thanks Pop, I'd like to go tomorrow morning if possible."

With that Gary went off to make the call to Matt.

Jack loved having generous sponsors and was very happy that his 'Uncle' Matt McEwan, owner of a business called 'Fire Power Sports' was always ready and willing to help Jack with anything and everything. Matt McEwan was also his Dad's business partner/best friend who hopefully wasn't using his beach cabin in Finbar this weekend.

Jack knocked on the door and his 'Aunty' Vera opened the door.

"Well, well, well the champ is here"

"Hi Aunty Vera how you going?"

"I'm just fine my darling. Great fight last night!"

"Thanks, I could have done better but I got the win and this will open doors to the big fights."

"Well I'll be there cheering you on but no doubt you need to wind down from last night's fight."

"Yeah I sure do"

"Well darling here are the keys to the cabin. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Matt said the place should have plenty of food"

"Thanks Aunty Vera. Say hello to Uncle Matt for me."

Jack had told Gary he was going to disappear for the weekend for a bit of R&R. Gary knew the real reason was that Jack was avoiding the pain of seeing Billy and Cathy together. Gary reasoned the boy did deserve a break for a few days after his fine performance against 'Killer' Cobb. Somehow he had to resolve this stupid feud between his boys. Sunday would give him the chance to speak with Billy and Cathy if necessary.

Billy and Cathy had just finished making love. Billy had a huge smile on his face. Was it satisfaction from sex or did he have some plan cooking in that head of his? Cathy wondered for the umpteenth time what the hell she was doing. Well she would find out why Billy seemed extra happy. It was funny considering his major client just got beaten by his brother.

"Billy is everything okay?"

"Sure it is sweetheart, why would you think otherwise?"

"Well your fighter did get beaten last night"

"Oh well honey you win some, you lose some. Jacky boy should remember that."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Nothing Cathy. Just that in boxing a man's fortunes can change at any given time."

With that Billy gave her a kiss, turned over and went to sleep. Cathy couldn't sleep as she had too much on her mind. Well really one thing on her mind apart from Billy's cryptic answers was Jack. As usual Jack looked magnificent in the middle of that ring.

Cathy had to admit though, she still hated watching him fight for fear of him getting badly hurt. Cathy silently shed some tears wondering how something that was so right for such a long time had now turned into a bad nightmare.

Jack had just left Matt McEwan's house with the keys to the beach house in his hands. It was only 7am Saturday morning and he had a long drive ahead of him. Beside him in his truck was his faithful dog, a Border Collie called Bidgee. He still laughed about his dog's name.

He wasn't the one who named his dog. Jack had been given Bidgee by an old sparring partner a couple of years ago. The man who had given him the Border Collie was Neil Luff. Neil was born in New Zealand but spent his teens in Australia. Neil was glad for the move as it was a more competitive fight arena in Australia.

The dog got named after the 'Murrumbidgee River' in Australia. This was the river that Neil had fished and swam in when he was a young man. Neil had got the dog as a training partner when he did road work. He gave Jack the dog before leaving Australia. Neil had run into some visa problems in Australia and was sent back to New Zealand.

As Jack drove towards the beach house he went over the fight. Jack was secretly very pleased as he knew doors would now be opening for him at the tender age of 23 years. Jack was looking at a promising career as long as he kept his focus more completely centred on boxing.

Jack arrived at the beach house around 10 am. Bidgee jumped out of the truck and ran barking at some birds that had landed near the house. Jack quickly unloaded the truck. As he had been told by Vera, Matt had left the house well stocked with food and booze. Jack went out back and switched the heater on for the spa so it would be ready to get into later in the day.

Jack decided to take Bidgee for a walk and a swim in the ocean. He quickly got changed, grabbed a beach towel and called Bidgee. She was the only female Jack trusted now, with his mother no longer around and his ex-fiancée, just that, his ex. The ocean was warm and inviting. Jack felt thoroughly refreshed as he swam in the water for about 15 minutes and then got out and dried off.

After a run on the beach Jack and Bidgee made their way back to the beach house. Jack fed and watered his dog and left her on the enclosed deck to sleep. He had a quick shower to rinse off the salt water and sand and then changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Being around 1pm Jack put together a light meal and ate.

With that done Jack grabbed a light beer. Jack knew he shouldn't have been drinking but he felt he deserved a few. Anyway his next fight was yet to be decided so it wouldn't hurt his body too much.

Jack sat down outside on the deck and watched the ocean. Feeling totally relaxed after his first beer he decided to have a second. Sitting outside and watching the waves, his mind betrayed him and he started to reflect on his sometimes painful past...

Jack had a good childhood overall. He grew up in a rough neighbourhood in Mayson New South Wales where you had to be on the lookout for trouble at all times. His family were just getting by but the household was full of love. His Dad Gary was a cop.

Gary Finnegan was a man who could have made detective but he loved being in uniform and patrolling the streets with his partner Matt McEwan. Jack's Mum Lisa worked a register at the local grocery store part time. Lisa was a loving Mother who ensured she was home in the afternoons to be with her children when they returned from school.

Billy was Jack's older brother by 4 years and they were as close as two brothers could be. Billy looked out for Jack and vice versa. Gary started teaching both boys to box at a pretty young age. Gary had been a pretty decent amateur boxer growing up but he turned out to be an even better trainer and was always in high demand.

Gary helped run a boxing program in the neighbourhood out of 'Harry's Gym'. The gym was owned by an ex fighter called Harry Weaver. In reality without the help of Gary Finnegan and Matt McEwan running the boxing classes the gym would have closed its doors long ago.

Harry Weaver was once upon a time a contender for the Middle Weight crown. Now he was a bitter drunk who spent more time propping up a bar than running a gym. Fortunately Gary and Matt each had a set of keys so the gym was always opened in the evenings for classes.

Billy showed little promise as a fighter and only went through the motions to appease his Dad. Whilst enjoying the gym environment Billy was more book smart. He watched the managers who came around the gym to look at promising fighters and knew that was where the smart money was.

Jack was a different kettle of fish. Gary knew straight away he had a champion in the making. Jack was a tireless trainer, quick to learn, had a strong right hand and was fearless. He looked at home in the ring and everyone could see it.

Lisa wasn't thrilled with Jack's love affair with boxing but she trusted her husband completely. Lisa knew Gary wouldn't endanger Jack at such a young age sparing against boxers outside his ability or range of skills. Lisa was much happier that Billy seemed to have more interest in books than boxing.

Gary had to keep a tight rein on Jack as he was headstrong and chomping at the bit to start competing. Gary wanted to develop Jack a bit more prior to starting his amateur boxing career. It got more difficult for Jack as Billy was already competing in tournaments as a 12 year old. 8 year old Jack loved to watch his older brother box and his Dad even let him work the corner. Jack would always copy ring jargon to throw in his advice to Billy when working the corner.

"Knock him out Billy, Knock him out" Jack would always say each round. Billy would always reply with

"Anything for you little brother."

Billy won more fights than he lost but not by much. Gary knew Billy wasn't going to set the world on fire but Jack had something. It seemed he was born to box.

The schedule Jack maintained was set in stone when he was 8 years old. Get up, go to school, come home, homework, boxing, dinner and bed. On weekends Jack and Billy would workout on Saturdays and have Sundays off. Although there was a 4 year age gap the Brothers still did a lot together. Due to their rigid schedules they had no time to get into trouble.

Things continued that way for many years. At the age of 10 Jack began his amateur career and he won most of the time. The brothers were still very tight and looked out for each other. Things changed when Jack was 12 & Billy was 16. It came in the form of 12 year old Cathy Reilly and Billy's decision to quit competitive boxing.

By 16 Billy had enough of being in the ring and so he quit. Gary wasn't pleased but Lisa was delighted. Jack could actually recall some of the conversation the day Billy quit. It all happened at the Gym. Jack had been working out for 30 minutes and Billy had suddenly appeared in his school clothes. Gary was helping Jack with a combination when Billy appeared.

"Jesus Billy where the hell have you been! You'll be doing extra fitness work now" Gary proclaimed

"Dad I need to speak with you"

"After training we'll talk. Now get changed"

"No Dad I need to speak with you now!"

"Listen Boy for the last time get changed and we'll talk later"

"No Dad"

"What do you mean no!"

You could hear a pin drop in the gym as all eyes turned to the Finnegan clan.

"Dad I didn't want to do it this way but you leave me with no choice. I'm not boxing anymore. You have Jack ... you don't need me."

"Son be reasonable..."

"Dad please I thought about this long and hard and I'm out. I'll see you at home."

The house was very icy for a long time and you could cut the tension with a knife. Gary then poured all his efforts into Jack. If Billy was upset he didn't say.

So Billy drifted away and was only interested in his school work and hanging out with his friends. Jack was upset with the decision of his older brother. Jack felt he lost his best training partner and confidant. Jack didn't have too much time to mourn the loss of his brother from boxing. Soon he was distracted by a cute little red headed girl called Cathy Reilly.

Cathy Reilly was new to the neighbourhood. Her family had fallen on hard times as her father had been injured in a car accident and could no longer work. Cathy's mother Lyn was now the main breadwinner and her Mum had to work 2 jobs to ensure they survived.

Jack was instantly smitten. Whilst he was fearless in a boxing ring he was completely out of his depth talking to the female species. Life kept on keeping on and Jack only admired Cathy from afar. Things began to change near Jack's 13th Birthday. Gary decided to quit the force which had come about from being involved in a near fatal shooting. Then Gary was given an intriguing offer by Matt McEwan his former partner.

Matt had retired from the force and had opened a store called 'Firepower Sports' and it was exceedingly successful. The store was doing so well in fact that Matt wanted to open another store on the other side of the city. Matt asked Gary if he would run it for him. The offer was too good to refuse so Gary agreed.

Billy being nearly 17 at the time wanted a car so he landed a part time job working with Gary. Gary had begun searching for an Assistant Manager who could run the store in his absence when he had other commitments. Gary found his Assistant Manager when Lyn Reilly came for an interview.

Naturally once Lyn began work both Gary and Billy came to know her well. They both found out Lyn had moved into the neighbourhood in the last year because of her husband's condition. Gary and Lyn soon became firm friends and with the money Lyn now made she was able to quit her second job.

The families soon became friends and often had cookouts on the weekends. Jack was delighted as he now had a venue to speak with Cathy outside of school. With all the time the Reilly and Finnegan families spent together it was only a matter of time before a friendship blossomed between Jack and Cathy. Jack still maintained his strict regime but whereas years before Billy & Jack would spend all their spare time together it was now Jack and Cathy.

By the time Jack had reached 14 he was starting to really make a name for himself in amateur boxing circles. Billy at 18 decided to work full time at 'Firepower Sports' while attending night school to gain his business degree. Around that time Harry Weaver passed away, years of drinking had finally taken its toll. Harry had no family to speak of so it was a very small funeral. The shock came later that week when Gary and Matt found out they were the new owners of 'Harry's Gym'. As per the instruction in Harry's will they now owned it lock, stock and barrel.

Gary and Matt made the decision to refit the gym out with new equipment and started attracting more legitimate trainers and boxers. Gary and Matt put their business heads together and in a short time the gym was doing a pretty good trade. Billy was then asked to run the Gym during the day and the nights when available. All in all life was going pretty well for the Finnegan family.

Jack in the meantime was winning titles and travelling to various events. As Gary had a flexible schedule the father and son team went to events together throughout the country. The thing Gary was most pleased about was the attitude Jack displayed when he lost. Jack took the loss on his chin and went back to the drawing board to find out what went wrong. The boy was learning and honing his craft. There were some bad losses but he kept on fighting.

Love was blossoming between Jack and Cathy but it was a near tragic event that pushed them together and brought those suppressed feelings to the forefront. The neighbourhood was changing for the better but there were still bad elements about.

The worst element was a local neighbourhood gang called the "Westies". The Westies were a mix of hoods, thieves and general riff raff. The gang ranged in ages from 13 to 22 years of age and most of them were on the track for a life time spent in and out of the correctional system.

Jack had got out of school late as he had been pulled up by his English Teacher to discuss the paper he had submitted. Jack and Cathy generally walked to and from school together. The unwritten rule was that after school they would wait up to 15 minutes for the other and after that time lapsed the person waiting would start walking home.

Jack figured he must have missed Cathy by maybe 5 minutes. Jack started to jog home in hopes of catching up to Cathy. As Jack ran passed an alley he spotted a group of about 5 boys milling around 2 people on the ground. It took Jack about 10 seconds to register that Cathy was one of the two on the ground.

Jack stopped instantly and went quietly into the alley. Cathy was struggling on the ground, her dress was ripped and her mouth was bleeding. She was screaming out for help. The Westies as part of their initiation would make a potential member commit a felony. Rape was a favourite choice. The boy on top of Cathy was talking non stop.

"You gonna love what I'm packing bitch"

"Get off me you bastard!"

"Listen you little red headed whore, you are gonna take it all"

"Baby I'm gonna fuck you so good. You're gonna bleed for a week"

"Hey boys once I'm finished we can all have a piece of this little slut"

Jack didn't think but acted. Jack said nothing as he needed the element of surprise. He began by blindsiding the first Westie he saw. Soon the remaining group forgot about Cathy and focused on Jack.

It was a vicious fight of 6 against 1. Jack used every weapon available in the alley as well as his fists. Jack had just finished punching the last member of the group when Cathy screamed out his name. Jack felt a sharp pain on top of his shoulder blade.

When Jack whirled around he found himself staring at a boy of about 16. The punk held a bloody knife in his hand. The punk started taunting Jack but made the fatal mistake of not being the aggressor.

Jack literally saw red; he hit the boy on his knife hand with a piece of lumber. This knocked the knife out of the punk's hand. Jack then used every pugilistic skill he knew and applied that on the face and body of his tormentor.

Jack finally stopped after he heard Cathy screaming his name over and over. The boy was unconscious and his body was badly broken up. Blood was still pouring out of the wound on top of Jack's shoulder. Cathy tore Jack's shirt off. She then applied pressure to the wound.

"Oh Jack please don't die. You saved me, you saved me!"

"It's ok Cathy; it'll be all right...

Are anymore of those punks around?"

"No Jack ... they are down in the alley and not moving"

"Well let's get outta here before more come or the cops turn up"

With that said they staggered to Jack's house.

Lisa had been getting worried as Jack was really late. Normal for most teenagers but not for Jack he took his boxing too seriously. There was a sudden pounding at the door. Lisa went to the door and found a pale Jack shirtless with what remained of his shirt held over an obvious wound. Cathy's dress was ripped and she had a swollen eye and a cut lip. Lisa raced Cathy and Jack straight to the hospital. At the hospital Cathy was treated for her wounds and Jack was admitted for surgery.

While waiting for Jack to come out of surgery a distressed Cathy explained the whole story to Lisa.

"They were trying to rape me Mrs Finnegan but Jack saved me he saved me" was all Cathy would say at the end. Repeating it like a mantra over and over again.

Lisa didn't hesitate to call the police about the assault and attempted rape.

The Police attended the hospital and interviewed Cathy. By that stage Gary, Billy and Lyn Reilly were at the hospital. Gary had a quick word with the detective and his partner. Both of them knew Gary Finnegan. The police soon had the suspects in custody. The boy that Jack had torn apart was in a serious but stable condition one floor above them.

Police would lay charges but advised there was the possibility of bail. That was soon forgotten when Doctor Evans appeared. Jack would be fine but wouldn't be able to box for at least 6 months. Jack would have to undergo rehabilitation but there was little doubt he would make a full recovery.

Cathy was beside herself and still in a state of shock. Billy drove Lyn and Cathy home. Gary and Lisa stayed by Jack's bedside. They were both very proud of their son and the man he was becoming. Jack did recover but he was frustrated as he wouldn't be able to touch a boxing bag, let alone put on gloves for at least 6 months.

The good news was that pressure had been applied and all 6 offenders plead guilty to assault and 1 of them to attempted rape. All the offenders would be going to be incarcerated for a lengthy period.

Cathy from then on became a fixture in the Finnegan's household. Jack was her hero and she knew she loved him like no other. Jack was going through rehabilitation and was becoming moody and irritable. Jack missed boxing! The only one who could pacify his moods was Cathy.

Then the unthinkable happened for Jack. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when Cathy came over. Cathy was determined to let Jack know how she felt. She went up to Jack's room and spoke her mind. She told Jack he was her hero and she loved him. Now Jack didn't know much about girls but he reckoned he knew love when he felt it and saw it. Jack then replied in kind. Jack would always remember those words Cathy spoke:

"Jack I love you. You are my hero; I promise I will always be your girl. No other man will touch me."

The next 6 months were the best period of his short life. Cathy made him forget about his troubles. Their young love went from strength to strength. Jack and Cathy became inseparable. Where one went the other was following.

Jack completed his rehab and soon was back boxing. Gary was amazed at Jack's recovery but he suddenly felt like he had a 'co-trainer' at the gym. As soon as Jack began training again, Cathy appeared and wanted to learn everything about boxing. Cathy seemed to be a great influence on Jack and he was training better than ever before. Gary was relieved as he had thought Cathy would become a negative influence in the gym.

With Cathy practically living at the gym it was only a matter of time before Billy became an influence. Cathy loved Jack but she had a lot of time for Billy and they soon became the best of friends despite the age difference. Gary did take note of this friendship but thought nothing more of it.

As the years flew bye things only improved for the Finnegan family. Billy completed his degree and then started looking into sports management. However it was an unlikely meeting at the Gym that started his career path. A young boxer named John Cobb was looking for representation. Billy believed he could help find him someone worthwhile. Billy had befriended a young upstart called Peter Johns who had started a company called IMG (International Management Group).

An appointment was made and Peter was very impressed with Billy Finnegan's aggressive style while negotiating a contract for John Cobb. John Cobb signed with IMG that day and so did Billy Finnegan when offered a job as Peter John's right hand man. Peter Johns demoted his protégé Scott Rankin to bring Billy into the fold. Billy Finnegan was now a Sports Agent.

With Billy becoming a Sports Agent the Gym needed a Manager. Gary and Matt decided to promote Lyn Reilly to Store Manager at 'Firepower Sports'. Gary then took over the management of the Gym. This meant Gary could dedicate even more time to Jack's training needs.

Jack was on top of the world. He was in love with a beautiful girl and his boxing was improving. Jack had won several junior titles in the middleweight division and had just won the National Golden Gloves Championship at light middleweight. He was a force to be reckoned with at 17 years old. Jack had the privilege of attending several national training camps. He mixed and sparred with elite boxers and got some fine tutelage from well known trainers.

He ran into Billy several times as well as Billy was on the lookout for talent. It was about that time that Billy made overtures for Jack to become part of the IMG family. Billy then got really serious in his pursuit. Jack resisted as he felt he didn't want any type of representation and thought agents were slimy creatures. Many times Jack had seen young amateur boxers sign with agents. The boxer was then forced into a pro career and was feed to the sharks often matched against the wrong type of opponents. No ... his Dad's representation was all he required.

It was at this point cracks in the brother's relationship began and they only got wider. Billy felt humiliated. How would it look to his boss and clients when he couldn't sign his own brother? So began the war of attrition and it was a take no prisoners approach. Cathy got dragged into the middle of the argument and surprisingly took Billy's side.

Cathy was impressed with Billy's exciting lifestyle which included the flash new car, city apartment and nice suits. Cathy logically assumed that Billy must know what he was doing and who better to represent her boyfriend than his own brother.

Billy had taken it a step too far recruiting Cathy as his messenger. Jack had a lot on his mind ... he was turning 18 and felt soon he had to decide on whether to go pro or not. Cathy applying pressure on signing with IMG made things worse. It all came to a head on Christmas Day and would have wider ramification years later. Billy knew it was only a matter of time before Jack went pro. Billy decided he would give it one last try at persuading Jack to join IMG. Christmas morning went well with the family opening presents and generally having a great time. Mid morning the McEwan and Reilly families came over for Christmas lunch. It was during lunch that the fireworks began. Billy seized his opportunity when Matt McEwan casually asked if Jack was considering going pro. Jack said he hadn't decided. Billy put his 2 cents worth in and started pushing his case.