Since they were late, Mario had no time to prepare in the locker rooms. Jolene told him that he had to go right on stage. Peach and Luigi took seats behind him with the rest of the audience. "You go, Mario!" Peach shouted.

"WELL," Grubba yelled into the mike, "It looks like our competetor, MARIO, has finally ARRIVED."

Mario looked across the ring at Rawk Hawk. Mario looked into his eyes. His eyes said, "You're going to die, mustache man." Then, Mario looked into Rawk Hawk's muscles. They said, "We're gonna crush you." Mario swallowed his fear. Then it tried to come up again, but Mario swallowed it again. It left an awful taste in his mouth.

Mario looked back at Peach and Luigi. He mouthed the words, "I don't want to fight," but Peach and Luigi didn't seem to notice.

"Let's BRAAAAAAAAAAAAWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" Grubba yelled.

Rawk Hawk flew up into the air.

"Don't dive!" Mario yelled.

Rawk Hawk looked puzzled, but then dove right through the air toward Mario. Mario managed to jump right out of the way.

"You told me that you hate me." Rawk Hawk shouted. "Well, I hate you!"

Mario gasped. Nobody, except for Bowser of course, had ever said he hated Mario. Mario's heart collapsed. Then it grew fiery and Mario could feel in his mustache that he certainly was angry.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Mario ran shouting at Rawk Hawk, fists flailing.

"What, suddenly you think you're going to win?" Rawk Hawk shouted back. He flapped his wings and hovered several feet up in the air.

"Yes!" shouted Mario. He jumped up high and grabbed one of Rawk Hawk's tail feathers, and gave a nice, hard tug on the way down.

"YEEEEEEEEOWCH!" Rawk Hawk shouted. He landed. While Rawk Hawk twisted around to rub his sore rear end, Mario jumped and kicked Rawk Hawk right in the chest. Rawk Hawk fell over onto his back, shouting in pain. Mario could hear that the crowd was quietly gasping. Mario jumped over Rawk Hawk, and hip-dropped right on top. Mario got up and everyone in the audience, including Grubba and Jolene, watched Rawk Hawk.

Rawk Hawk didn't get up. He lay on the floor, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched tight. "I lose."

Mario won! Grubba excitedly announced this to the audience. "We have a NEW CHAMPION! That winner's name is MARIO! MARIO is our NEW CHAMPION!"

"Yippee!" Mario said.

"Here," Rawk Hawk said, struggling to take off his champion's belt. "Take this. You've earned it, man."

Mario took the champion's belt and held it high above his head. Luigi and Peach ran down into the arena. Luigi gave Mario a big hug, and Peach gave him a big kiss. Mario liked the kiss much more. It was the highlight of the trip.


There's one final chapter on the way.