"He's gone soft, a fop more mindful of fancy duds then 'is fists!" The huge brute of a man had crowed in the city's many grog pits and drinking dens. When word of this had reached Breaker upon his return he dumped his travel bag at home and went in search of the self proclaimed 'champion of Old Rose'.
When Breaker had entered the tavern where Hartigan was holding court the place went deathly quiet and the drunk hangers on and toadies melted into the corners.
Hartigan however had more stones than that and merely lent his back against the bar and toasted Breaker with his pint.
Breaker walked up and grinned broadly, the man was a good head taller and a fair bit wider than Breaker himself, with a thick bush of red beard jutting from his slab of a face.
That night the challenge had been made, and accepted, that had been two nights ago.
Hartigan was strong and skilled and hit like a runaway wagon full of bricks. It had been awhile since Breaker had faced such a foe and his veins sang with the joy of it.
Another furious exchange of blows and then the two parted and circled, watching for weakness or an opening. Hartigan's face was impassive while Breaker grinned, his gold tooth glinting.
The two men charged almost as one and Breaker ducked a swooping haymaker that would have taken his head off and let loose a barrage of body blows to the big red heads barrel of a trunk as he came up.
However a straight left from Hartigan hit Breaker square in the mouth, Breaker reeled back. But he went back on the attack, his grin though now bloody was still in place as he fainted with his right then threw a jab that smashed into the bigger man's solar plexus.
The strike normally sent opponents crashing to the dirt struggling for air, but Hartigan merely staggered a few steps back. Unperturbed, Breaker went after him, raining more blows upon his foe. Though winded, Hartigan still managed to block or ward off a good number of the blows.
Then it was Breaker's turn to go on the defensive as Hartigan countered with a left hook which Breaker barely blocked.
This was getting desperate Breaker thought as he weather a serious pounding, the blows numbing his arms as he guarded.
It was time to get serious, the glint in Breaker's mad dark eyes should have warned Hartigan, but it went un noticed.