Things are really looking up.

….a pugilist with an authentic desire to win cannot be knocked out if he sees the punch coming, for then he suffers no lack of communication.  The blow may hurt but cannot wipe him out.  In contrast, a five-punch combination in which every blow lands is certain to stampede any opponent into unconsciousness.  No matter how light the blows, a jackpot has been struck.  The sudden overloading of the victim’s message center is bound to produce the inrush of confusion known as a coma.

— Normal Mailer in “The Fight” (1975)