Michael Lyons

Michael’s story begins as a young drug dealer on the streets of Philadelphia.  A random man witnesses him intimidating others and offers him a way out, through ultimate fighting.  He accepts, and then the action cuts to years later when he is at the last fight at the end of an undefeated career.  The man who is now his manager insists he fight while his trainer insists he doesn’t because of a sore shoulder.  Michael then accidentally discovers that his manager owes the mob a favour and him losing that night was that favour.  Sela comes in, and drops her book, in which Michael reads the Lion and the Mouse.  In this modified story the mouse frees the lion from a cage in which he was to be sent to a zoo.  The lion doesn’t understand at first the concept of generosity, but then later does and becomes a benevolent leader.  Later still in his old years he sees the mouse again, this time being tormented by younger lions, and knowing that he will be injured and lose his title, the lion goes to save his friend.  The story then cuts back to modern day, where Michael realizes his manager has gotten him to where he is and that he would be dead without him.  He fights the fight to the point that he knows he would have won, then he loses.