Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 285: Fist on Flesh

Renly twisted and pinned Vin's right arm, forcefully pressing him onto the abandoned car hood. Yet, he could feel the immense strength in Vin's arm, as if he were trying to restrain a raging bull. The sheer power was almost overwhelming, forcing Renly to press down harder, locking Vin's arm while forming a tight fist with his right hand. Gradually, he began to push Vin's back down, leaning his entire upper body into the effort, muscles taut to the breaking point.

Vin gritted his teeth, sharp pain shooting through his wrist, almost causing him to bite through his own teeth. His shoulder felt as if it were being torn apart, and the twist in his right arm rendered his entire right side powerless. Yet, he did not back down, using his left hand to brace against the car hood, leveraging his core strength to slowly push himself up.

In a contest of raw power, Vin had never feared anyone.

Both men's muscles began to tremble slightly, but Renly's dominance was gradually being overpowered by Vin. Renly's advantage was being chipped away until he was finally dislodged. His footing slipped, causing him to lose his balance, and Vin took the opportunity to ram into him, sending Renly flying backward.

The massive force threw Renly into the rear door of a nearby Jeep, hitting it with a dull thud. His entire back began to numb from the impact, and a searing pain spread through his muscles like an axe. Before he could react, Vin's left elbow, accompanied by a gust of wind, came crashing down.

Renly's pupils contracted as he tried to raise his hands, but Vin's grip on his fingers was too tight. With a "whoosh," Vin's solid elbow slammed into Renly's face, landing just below the cheekbone. The tearing pain caused Renly to grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing in focus as he moved forward, closing the space between them to the limit before ramming his shoulder into Vin's.

However, both men had a solid stance, and the impact of their shoulders colliding produced a dull thud, with neither willing to yield.

Nearby, Justin Lin, Paul Walker, Gal Gadot, and others watched, holding their breath as their hearts nearly stopped. Renly and Vin were filming a scene where Hobbs and Dominic face off, their only direct confrontation in the movie. The scene was stripped of any flashy moves or weapons, returning to a raw, primal fight—just fist against fist.

Originally, this scene was designed to be a showdown between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Although the "Fast & Furious" series had never focused on fight scenes—car chases being the main attraction—the clash of these muscle-bound giants was highly anticipated.

After Renly was cast, Justin considered cutting the scene, partly fearing that Renly wouldn't hold up in the fight and partly worrying that the fight scene might not be impressive. More importantly, Justin was concerned about Vin's potential retaliation.

Vin had already shown hostility toward Renly on set. After the "Buried" screening incident, though things seemed calm on the surface, tension simmered beneath. Now, filming a fight scene between Vin and Renly, especially with real physical confrontation, raised concerns that Vin might deliberately hit Renly harder or accidentally injure him.

But thinking it over, in "Fast Five," Hobbs's role was to oppose Dominic and Brian. Without a physical showdown, the film would lose its impact.

So, after consulting the fight choreographer and Renly himself, Justin decided to keep the scene, though with some adjustments to minimize the risk of accidents while still capturing the intense adrenaline rush.

But plans only exist in the mind. Once filming began, the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

Typically, fight scenes are choreographed to minimize force, staying within a safe range. Vin, an experienced action star, was no stranger to controlling his strength, rhythm, and impact.

But now, both men were clearly exerting full force, their intense confrontation almost sparking in the air. The muffled sound of fists meeting muscle echoed with a painful groan, as if bones could snap at any moment. Yet neither seemed inclined to ease up, their bloodshot eyes sending chills down the spine.

Vin raised his massive left fist and swung it toward Renly's cheek. Still reeling from the previous blow, Renly barely managed to lift his right hand to block, but he took the punch directly, numbing his arm as waves of pain rippled through it, leaving his right shoulder almost numb.

But Renly had no time to worry about his shoulder. His reaction was half a beat slow, knowing he couldn't dodge in time, so he gritted his teeth and braced for the impact. Simultaneously, he adjusted his balance, driving his knee toward Vin's abdomen, not caring if the blow landed or not. He then aimed his left elbow at Vin's chin.

In that split second, Vin hadn't expected Renly to take his punch head-on. The solid impact made Vin's blood boil, but before he could capitalize on his advantage, he felt a powerful blow from below, forcing his muscles to tense up in reflex, narrowly avoiding Renly's knee.

Before he could react further, a sharp pain hit his chin, as Renly's elbow connected with a force that nearly toppled him, his jaw joints cracking audibly. It felt like his teeth were shattering, and even his brain shook violently, causing him to stagger backward.

After several steps, Vin barely managed to steady himself, his head spinning, but his blood still surged, adrenaline flooding his system. The sharp pain spread throughout his body, his tightly clenched jaw barely holding together. The excruciating pain made him wince in disbelief, his fists clenched as he teetered on the edge of an explosion.

But Renly was undeterred. He lowered his center of gravity, stabilized his stance, and raised his fists, ready for the next round.

Vin ground his teeth and, without hesitation, charged forward. Renly, too, planted his feet firmly and rushed at him, raising his fist to strike Vin, only for Vin to duck and evade the blow.

Renly noticed Vin's shoulder coming in, so he redirected his missed punch, driving it into Vin's back without holding back, focusing all his strength in his fist. The punch landed with a dull thud, almost as if Vin's spine had been shattered.

But Vin gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound. He kept pushing forward like a bull, ramming Renly into the chain-link fence, all the while pounding Renly's waist with his left fist—a part of the body known for its intense pain sensitivity.

Renly felt like an eighteen-wheeler had run over him. The pain in his abdomen spread through every vein in his body. He could barely muster the strength to fight back, and then his back screamed in pain as his organs seemed to churn within him, the agony piercing his insides like a drill.

With every ounce of strength left, Renly drove his elbow down, followed by a knee strike. The first hit only met resistance—probably Vin's abs—but the second found its mark, connecting with Vin's soft ribs, unleashing the full power of his lower body, hitting once, twice.

One used his fists, the other his knees. Both were enduring excruciating pain, their bodies suffering under the relentless assault. But in the end, Vin's body curled inward, unable to draw strength from his waist, leaving him at a disadvantage as his force waned slightly.

Renly quickly seized the opportunity, grabbing Vin's left arm and twisting it outward with such force that Vin's entire upper body twisted, as if about to be torn in two.

The pain caused Vin to let out a scream, using the last of his strength to ram Renly twice more with his shoulder, then drive him toward a nearby wall. Renly's entire body jolted with the impact, each strike sending tremors through his chest and causing his lungs to seize up, a wave of nausea rising as he fought back the urge to vomit. With all his might, he twisted Vin's arm.

Crack.

The sharp sound made it seem like Renly had broken Vin's arm, but unfortunately, he hadn't.

Despite this, the excruciating pain forced Vin to release his grip. Renly immediately pushed Vin toward the wall, smashing into the shelving unit nearby, which shattered on impact.

But Renly lost his balance, and Vin, suppressing the pain, shoved him away while hooking Renly's right ankle with his left foot, causing Renly to stumble and fall to the ground.

Through the haze of pain, Renly caught a glimpse of Vin's bloodshot eyes, filled with murderous intent, sending a shiver down his spine. His survival instinct kicked in, and he lifted his legs, using his core to spring back to his feet, ready for another round.