VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

Almost a month has passed since Hugo Ramirez’s arrest in Puerto Rico. His attorneys continue fighting Japan’s extradition request, but with each passing day, the chances of keeping him on American soil appear slimmer.

Now, Ramirez sits inside a small consultation room within the federal detention center. The room is little more than bare concrete walls, a steel table bolted to the floor, and two chairs facing one another.

A federal officer stands silently beside the closed door, watching over the meeting without saying a word.

Ramirez leans forward until his face is only inches from his attorney’s.

”What about his family?” he whispers.

The attorney immediately understands who he means. ”They’re still under FBI protection.”

Ramirez’s jaw clenches. ”Damn it.”

”The two men you sent to Tokyo will certainly testify against you,” the attorney adds.

Ramirez’s hand rises instinctively, almost slamming the steel table before he catches himself at the last second.

His fingers curl into a tight fist instead, knuckles whitening from the pressure. It feels as though everyone is turning against him.

”Even Patrick Doyle,” he mutters bitterly. ”I never thought he’d stand in court just to help bury me.”

”What choice does he have?” the attorney replies calmly. ”His reputation was damaged by something you orchestrated. Cooperating with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police is the only realistic way for him to clear his name.”

Ramirez leans back in his chair, dragging both hands through his thinning, unkempt hair. His fingers remain there for a moment, rubbing slowly against his scalp as though trying to squeeze a solution out of it. His breathing grows heavier with every passing second.

His attorney watches him in silence before finally speaking. ”Hugo... the best thing you can do now is show good faith. Stop fighting every step of this process. Cooperate with the extradition. The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can start limiting the damage.”

For a brief moment, Ramirez simply stares at him before his expression darkens. ”I pay you to get me out of here, damn it.”

The attorney’s tone remains calm. ”You have almost nothing left to beat this case. The two men in Tokyo have already confessed. Investigators have their phone records, your messages, and call logs. They voluntarily turned over the bank transfers you sent to cover their airfare, accommodations, and living expenses while they were in Japan.”

Each sentence lands like another weight on the steel table between them.

Ramirez’s eyes narrow. ”...What about my office?”

”For now,” the attorney replies, ”you’re fortunate. The investigators haven’t found anything inside your company that directly expands the case beyond what’s already in front of them.”

He folds his hands together. ”But the longer you drag this out... the greater the chance the FBI starts digging deeper.”

The attorney briefly glances toward the federal officer standing by the door before leaning closer across the table.

”Listen to me.” His voice drops almost to a whisper. ”Those two men are dragging you into this for a reason. They’re reinforcing their own defense.”

He lets the words settle for a moment before continuing. ”They’re admitting they were sent to sabotage Takeda... not to kill him. If you cooperate and support that version of events, we have a much better chance of keeping the most serious charges off the table.”

The attorney holds Ramirez’s gaze. ”Hell... if everything goes our way, I’m confident I can get you out in less than five years.”

Ramirez stares at his attorney as though he has just been insulted. ”You talk as if spending five years in prison is some kind of bargain. I didn’t hire you to negotiate how long I rot behind bars. I hired you to get me out.”

The attorney’s jaw tightens. For the first time since the meeting begins, a trace of frustration slips into his otherwise measured expression.

”You have only two choices now.” He sits back, his eyes never leaving Ramirez’s. ”You listen to me, and I’ll do everything I can to get you the lightest sentence possible. Or you hire another lawyer. But think carefully before you make that decision.”

Silence settles between them before he continues. ”The longer you fight a battle you can’t win, the more time you give the FBI to dig deeper into your finances, your communications, and every person connected to you. And while all of that is happening, you’ll still be sitting in federal detention waiting for extradition.”

He lets that reality sink in before delivering the final point. ”That delay doesn’t help you, Hugo. It only makes prosecutors less willing to negotiate and gives them more opportunities to build an even stronger case. Right now, time is your enemy… not Japan.”

Ramirez sits motionless, his jaw working as he stares at the gray metal table between them. His fingers drum against the surface, slower now, as though trying to force his thoughts into order.

Then a sharp knock breaks the silence. The correctional officer standing by the door glances toward the small observation window before unlocking it.

Another federal officer steps inside. ”You have a visitor.”

Ramirez immediately looks up. ”A visitor?”

The officer nods once. ”Your attorney cleared it.”

The attorney glances toward the door as it opens.

A man in his early forties steps inside, dressed in an ordinary charcoal suit that does little to distinguish him from any other visitor. He carries no briefcase, no badge, nothing that immediately explains why he is here.

Hugo Ramirez studies him for a moment, his brow slowly furrowing. ”Who the hell are you?”

The man takes the empty chair across the table. ”My name isn’t important. Mr. Vaughan asked me to deliver a message.”

Ramirez’s eyes narrow. ”Vaughan didn’t come himself?”

”No.”

”Since when does he send strangers?”

The messenger remains unfazed. ”Given the circumstances... he believes that’s the wiser approach.”

”Make it brief,” the attorney says.

The messenger gives a small nod. ”Mr. Vaughan asked me to inform you of the latest development regarding Ryoma Takeda and Miguel Cabello. The first round of negotiations has collapsed. Neither side is willing to compromise, so the fight will proceed to a purse bid.”

He pauses only briefly before continuing. ”Mr. Vaughan and several other interested parties intend to participate together. Their objective remains unchanged. They will do everything possible to bring the fight to Las Vegas.”

Ramirez listens without interrupting, his expression gradually easing for the first time since the meeting begins.

”However,” the messenger adds, ”there is one development Mr. Vaughan thought you should know. Jackson Rhodes has declined to join the bid. He has chosen to distance himself from the process.”

Ramirez slowly leans back in his chair, his fingers drumming once against the table. ”Jackson...? So he finally decided to grow a conscience.”

The messenger offers no opinion. ”That is all I was instructed to deliver.”

Without another word, he rises from his chair. The correctional officer opens the door for him, and both the attorney and Ramirez watch in silence as the messenger disappears into the corridor. Only after the door clicks shut does the attorney slowly turn back toward his client.

”That damn Jackson...” Ramirez grumbles, his jaw tightening. ”Now that everything’s gone to hell, he’s trying to wash his hands of it.”

The attorney studies him for a moment before speaking in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. ”Or perhaps he simply understands his position now. Your associates know this investigation isn’t stopping with your arrest. They’re being careful about who they stand beside.”

He lets the words settle before continuing. ”That’s exactly why I’ve been telling you not to make this any more difficult than it already is.”

***

At nearly the same time, the WBO releases an official statement addressing the status of the long-awaited world title fight between Miguel Cabello and Ryoma Takeda.

World Boxing Organization (WBO)

Official Statement

June 11, 2018

Following the expiration of the negotiation period between the camps of WBO Featherweight World Champion Miguel Cabello and Mandatory Challenger Ryoma Takeda, and after being notified that no agreement has been reached, the World Boxing Organization hereby orders a purse bid pursuant to the applicable Championship Regulations.

In light of the exceptional circumstances surrounding this championship contest, the purse bid will be conducted under enhanced security measures at a neutral venue.

The purse bid is scheduled to take place on June 22, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (BST) at the WBO European Office, London, England.

All promoters wishing to participate must comply with the WBO Championship Regulations, including the submission of the required financial guarantee prior to the commencement of the bidding process.

The World Boxing Organization remains committed to preserving the integrity, fairness, and safety of all championship contests under its jurisdiction.

***

Meanwhile, at his next extradition hearing, Hugo Ramirez finally abandons the strategy that has kept the proceedings dragging on for the past few weeks.

He acknowledges his role in financing and directing the scheme, while maintaining that the objective was never to have Ryoma Takeda killed, but merely to leave him injured and unable to compete.

What remains is for the American authorities to complete the necessary procedures before transferring Ramirez into Japanese custody, where the criminal case itself will begin.

Still dressed in his detention uniform with his wrists secured in handcuffs, Ramirez is escorted out of the federal courthouse by two U.S. Marshals.

The moment he steps through the courthouse doors, a wall of flashing cameras erupts before him.

”Mr. Ramirez! Do you regret what happened in Tokyo?”

”Do you have anything to say to Ryoma Takeda?”

”Do you regret targeting him?”

”Mr. Ramirez! Were you afraid of Ryoma Takeda’s success?”

”Do you still believe he doesn’t deserve to become the face of boxing?”

The questions fly relentlessly from every direction as reporters push against the security barriers, microphones stretching toward him.

Ramirez keeps walking, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles along his face twitch beneath the constant flashes.

Then another voice rises above the crowd. ”Mr. Ramirez! The WBO has officially ordered a purse bid! Ryoma Takeda is still one fight away from the world title! How does it feel knowing everything you’ve done was for nothing?”

For the briefest moment, Ramirez slows. His hands curl into fists against the restraints.

Without turning his head, he mutters through clenched teeth, ”Ask me again... after he’s dead.”

One of the marshals immediately nudges him forward.

”Keep moving.”

The cameras continue flashing as Ramirez disappears into the waiting transport vehicle, the heavy steel door slamming shut behind him.