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25 September 2015 Amanda Righetti vs Natasha Henstridge

Page history last edited by Vassago 8 years, 3 months ago

OFFICIAL SSB PPV

Posted by Lookout! Boxing on September 25, 2015, 5:05 pm

AMANDA RIGHETTI VS NATASHA HENSTRIDGE
(Words: Bonzo / Results: Lookout!)

Before: Righetti/Henstridge a small classic at welterweight: their finale bout in the welterweight tourney some years ago was a legendary grinder of a fight, decided for the younger redhead only by a hair’s breadth; their subsequent bout saw Righetti getting dismissed in brutal fashion by a mauling early KO; the controversial rematch saw a routine TKO revenge win by the redhead. After revisiting former gym rival Berkley in June, Righetti now turns to another old rival plagued by inactivity. Henstridge’s weight gain throughout the last couple of years well-documented and publicized – early pictures of her as the fight nears prove her to be as fit as she can be, though: Henstridge reportedly engaged on a months-long, grueling fitness course for this bout. She’s not turned into a lean and wiry little thing, of course, but she elicits respect when she steps out into the Hawaii beach venue in her blue bikini, showing heft but proving a lot more toned than expected – Nat clearly viewing tonight’s bout as her ticket for a return to the top. Natasha explains her motivation: “My KO win over Amanda when she was on top of the world was one of my biggest wins ever, apart from title fights, and I threw it all away with a rematch that should have never happened.” She apparently blames that decision for her subsequent inactivity – she wants to take revenge now. “I wrote the book on kicking Amanda’s ass – I’m one of the few women around here who can bully her, make her take weight and feel small, and I’ve got the power to finish.” Righetti up for the challenge, acknowledges Henstridge’s credentials: “She hasn’t fought in four years, but I don’t expect a rusty Natasha tonight. She’s one of the most experienced welters around and I expect her to be as dangerous as ever.”

Fight: R1: Henstridge starts out aggressively, eager to prove agile and fast, trying to dominate the space with high-volume jabs – really throwing herself into these punches. She crowds Amanda this way: head kept low, but broadly covering the ring and driving Righetti backwards into a cautious defense. Amanda clearly rattled by the heft, perhaps unused to the thick pressure exerted by the bigger woman. Righetti all tight ‘n tucked away in the corner as Nat spreads out her brawn – measuring jabs in smooth, harmonic fashion onto buckling redhead. Henstridge taking turns attacking Amanda’s torso, arms, breasts: Righetti struggles to counter, for now kept in check by the sheer aggression and startling quickness by her blonde foe. Late in the round, Henstridge wades in closer to the body, intermitting jabs with more frequent rights to the bod: Righetti seriously joggling-around in her knees by the body-punishing, desperately moving her head around in quick contortions to evade the swingers, wincing at the stomach churn. What a start for Henstridge: she overwhelms her redhead foe, treating her shabby like some under-sized lightweight. Natasha actually pumping her fists on her way to corner after bell, energizing the crowd to signal that they’ll actually be seeing a competitive slugfest tonight.

R2: Henstridge continues her strategy, trying to dismantle Righetti early. Amanda now forced to adjust: can’t allow Nat to just blow her around the ring, has to stand her ground more firmly. Henstridge tackling Righetti mid-ring, her thick rights just grazing Amanda’s hairline before redhead falls into sweat-soaked clinches – big girls’ buttocks shivering, shifting bodies into each other, pumping fists into tummies, as each square centimeter is defended vigorously. Redhead defines her punches more precisely now, smartly letting Henny fire off bursts of blows that don’t get through her defense before shocking Nat with a clean left on mouth and a violent right into solar plexus. Henstridge’s still doing enormous body damage throughout round, but Amanda’s risks pay off: precise counters allow her to fight Nats to a thudding standstill as redhead body proves itself as up to the challenge. Henstridge no longer penetrating as effectively, as Righetti’s well-placed counters are enough to steal the round.

R3: Girls take a break: Henstridge on the initiative early, but occasionally taking the foot off the gas pedal, as girls do a lot of clinching – rhythms more irregular, interrupted, broken – without one woman gaining the upper hand. Righetti a little more active, quicker on her feet – some risky sweeping right hands late in the round fetch her a small edge on the scorecards.

R4: Righetti starting to fall more or less into settled rhythm: no longer daunted by Henstridge’s beef, as her strong jabs pick up Nat’s face, her leggy footwork allows her to circumvent Natasha’s aggression – for the first time making Henstridge look old tonight. Natasha looking to break that beat early, countering Amanda with a series of swooping overhead rights as Righetti adjusts position clockwise – redhead’s unobtrusive jabs grasp at air, as Henstridge catches her girl repeatedly on upper left temple. Righetti’s head snaps forward – right into Natasha’s trap jabs sweeping large onto Amanda’s chin – BOOM, BOOM, BOOM – as redhead stumbles backwards on baby-steps struggling to respond properly. Amanda’s face distorted in pain, unable to hold Nat at bay. Blonde turns explosive now, yanks rights from center of her body onwards to redhead shoulder blades, as Righetti mumbles in distress on impact. Henstridge strong-footed: violently rag-dolling her foe while Amanda’s trembling legs and knees soak up the leather from Henny’s booming punches. Redhead begging for clinches, holding on to Nat’s arms and shoulders, while blonde’s jostling for position – Henstridge really punishes redhead opponent this round, she’s not getting through for a dangerous hit again, but stays big and badass until the bell.

R5: Righetti clearly not recovered from the chastisement yet, leggy footwork all gone from proud redhead as Henstridges lays siege. Pretty shocking sight for Amanda fans: their girl’s being trapped, stepped-into with authority, jerked around the ring – not looking able to cope with Nat’s weight advantage and vigorous middle-weight punching. Amanda’s taking punishment not seen since the Paula Patton upset here, ends up being thrashed in the corner, arms all rickety in high defense, legs on emergency generator, as Natasha scores jabs to torso/face and rights clawing at Amanda’s defense. Righetti outpowered, seemingly helpless as Nat has her all flopping and flattering, relegated to feeble and weak alibi counters: pundits cannot remember Righetti throwing so little punches in any given round in recent memory. Amanda wanders back to corner miserably at bell, while Nat’s glowing in bad-assery.

R6: Henstridge no spring chicken any more – dishing out punishment takes up energy, too, after all – so blonde’s starting to economize a bit, apparently no longer able to keep up the all-round-long siege on thick but agile legs. Natasha still leading off strong, winning the early mid-ring confrontation body-to-body, driving home rights to tummy, repressing Amanda backwards into ropes. Righetti clearly relieved by the following respite, though, as blonde proves incapable of entrapping Rigs there – Amanda finally throwing some jabs out of the woodwork, as shabbily-treated legs still perform their job. Redhead timid in coming out of the corner, cautioned by Henstridge’s performance tonight, but blonde now clearly slower than before, gasping noisily as big girls sink into each other with similarly beastly tummy-busters. Henstridge’s conditioning exposed for the first time: she’s moaning for air as her jabs turn more erratic/wild – Righetti finally winning one of those torso-rubbing battles of attrition now, driving Nat back inch by inch before settling into rotating jabs picking up strength along the way. Works like a placebo: Righetti’s legwork emerges, now SHE is cutting off the ring imperiously, denting the Henstridge beef with cool mix-ups of jabs and body rights. Blonde suddenly seeming drained: she’s huffing and puffing in retreat, thrown into disarray by Amanda’s comeback. Redhead more comfortable – she’s all gut-hunting now, sensing Henny weakening, straining those abs. Last minute a one-way street: blonde edgy, out of kilter – big Nat tottering in the wake of Amanda’s blistering jabs, just throwing long counters to hold redhead off, but no longer dictating anything.

R7: Righetti in a rush, hurrying close from the start, seemingly skipping the part where she generates systematic control over her foe – not taking any chances against imposing blonde tonight. Henstridge startled, setting right side onto redhead while pumping sharp, quick jabs from the other side to detain the pressure. Amanda relentless in pursuit, though: bruising, chopping up Henstridge’s defenses – she grittily wades through Nat’s sizable counters, working hard to get close and cage her blonde. Nat disintegrating a bit, now too slow to effectively counteract her nimbler foe: footwork running flat as big blonde turns sluggish, stumbling on the spot near the ropes. Righetti catching her blonde time and time again: left hooks picking up drowsy face, working side-arm rights into paunch, jolting short left uppercuts to prepare a blasting right cracking against Nat’s left cheek that has the blonde staggering backwards into ropes in pain. Final minute sets in: redhead increasingly free to work, punching yet more chinks into Natasha’s body armour, as blonde no longer exudes any confidence, moping under Amanda’s pressure. Henstridge’s still firing shots, but not creating any danger – it’s all Amanda now. Righetti whacks a series of left hooks into upper stomach – now a most effective weapon – as Natasha’s eyes are dimming, her hair’s all disheveled: she’s vainly shifting her body to dodge the punishment, but Righetti still catches her upright with a short hook on her mouth. Nat’s hands drop, she’s mumbling in confused pain, rocked into ropes, head loosened: Amanda preps her with two chinny jabs, takes her girl to the woodshed with another series of thick tummy-busting rights, then moves in jab-jabbing on right cheek to BOMB HER OUT WITH A CHOPPING RIGHT that ends Henstridge’s night in disastrous fashion! Blonde’s lolling body contorts into a corkscrewing collapse, onto her knees at first, before pitching forward to the ground, prostrate. Natasha’s wide back glistening with sweat, mouth open, motionless – that’s a KO7 Amanda Righetti!

After: Henstridge well-tended after her loss: bitterly disappointed at not being able to work out a surprisingly competitive performance into a victory. Righetti rattled from the battle – showing signs of the places big Nat has taken her tonight, but pleased with her overall strategy: „Henstridge still poses enormous difficulties, physically. She’s added weight that might slow her down at one point, as it did today, but also enables her to exert crushing pressure when she gets that full body behind her punches. But I knew that if I defended myself well enough during her attacks, I’d get my chance eventually. You just have to be smart enough not go into a slugfest with Natasha too early.” Fight proves Henstridge still belongs to that only-at-welterweight breed of an ageing boxer able to churn out entertaining fights and compete for wins against younger rivals, while Righetti displays patience and stamina she’ll need against the division’s top class, with a proven Righetti-buster as champ and Kajlich making noise as a new badass in town.