MAXIM/PARAMOUNT FLYWEIGHT UNIFICATION BOUT

Posted by simguy on 5/31/2002, 7:06 am

(Thanks for FightFan for this repost)

Before: Lucy looking to unify - Claire bucking the recent Krusher lock-out trend by accepting the Asian Hammer's challenge. "Everbody's so shocked," says Claire, "why wouldn't I take this fight? All the pressure is on Lucy - she's the legendary flyweight. But strip her down and Lucy Liu is a puncher - that's it - all the rest of it is smoke and mirrors. When you get right down to it, Lucy Liu is a deeply flawed fighter - she's going to have problems with a good technical boxer like me. I've beaten Kelly Packard, I've hammered Li'l Kim - I'm going to be very competitive against Lucy Liu." Liu agreeing with Danes' self assessment...to a point: "Claire is much improved, I mean, when she started I wasn't even considering her as a sparring partner. Now, she's a legitimate title holder and she may have ruined Little Kim. She's smart, versatile, but at the end of the day great fighters beat good fighters. These belts are mine - Claire's waist was never meant to wear gold." Danes in black bikini, Lucy in low ponytail, black push up, leopard print boy cut trunks.

During R1: Danes sends the message early: I'm here to win. Claire making Lucy come forward, forcing Asian to make the fight - it's a completely different look than the all out aggression used to batter Li'l Kim. Claire keeping the pesky jab on Liu, touching her on the way in, fading and pivoting off to either side, surprising Lucy with snapping left/rights across the belly. Liu not looking comfortable, can't get into position to launch herself at Danes - Claire's unpredictable rhythms just enough to keep the brunette off balance. Shutout Danes.

R2: Liu making adjustments - she's feinting Danes, then leaping in, leaping out, bending low with her hands down as Claire misses over the top. Danes punching more for control than pain - flickering jabs, poking straight rights - the real work is being down in Spadafora-like bursts to Liu's belly whenever the Asian straightens up. Lucy takes the round with effective aggression - Danes still working her gameplan.

R3: Lucy not as effective coming forward as she is when she can walk a girl onto her punches. Liu trying to lunge but constantly getting pre-empted - there's always a pesky mitt in her face or chest, Danes never standing in one place for long, always fading back or sidestepping with a hand at Lucy's elbow. Liu just can't draw a bead and meanwhile - punches are piling up in her belly as Claire just continues to polish and shine.

R4: Shutout Danes. Claire really doing a nice job on both Lucy and Liu's braintrust - Asian coming forward uncertainly, hands low, jumping at the wrong times as Claire makes all the right reads. Danes picking her spots to step in and snick-snack at that gut, then pivot away around that lead foot. Lucy looking flustered at the bell - she's unhurt, but getting herself bamboozled through 4.

R5: Danes continues to work that Spaddy magic. Little scraping jabs, turning either Lucy flank, stamping in the straight right hand, then ducking, pivoting, dragging that lead foot as she stands maddeningly close to Liu, but always unattainable. Down the stretch, Claire touching belly with her jab, steps to the right, thinks she's out of reach when Liu snaps a little hook off her thigh - DANES GOES DOWN! Claire swatted on the temple, never sees the punch - she takes a jangly 8 as Lucy draws even on the cards with essentially one blow.

R6: Danes still elusive, but putting enough on Lucy to win points - Asian now coming forward brazen, stepping confidently and getting off with supple, low slung shots from her thighs. Final minute, flat footed stalking pressure has Claire cornered - blonde tries to slug her way out - Liu stepping back into a southpaw stance, then ROCKETING forward into the crazy Hamed lead right uppercut and DANES GOES DOWN! Claire caught by the circus angle, dropped to her backside - she gets up in good shape but when Liu catches her flush, Claire's getting dropped.

R7: A very wary Claire Danes backing away, turning nicely, but again not taking enough risk to keep Liu off the score cards. Lucy unable to find Dane's chin again, but she's skidding haymakers off blonde shoulders and body with pleasing spank, driving Claire to the corners and menacing Danes throughout.

R8: Claire fading to the ropes, times a Lucy rush and JOLTS the brunette a chopping right hand out of a high guard and LUCY DROPS TO A KNEE! Liu up quickly, but scorched on that left cheek, she takes 8 and ON COMES DANES! Claire jabbing Liu up against the ropes then slashing right hands at that midriff, leaning onto her right foot to pull the hook up top and landing with plenty of forearm on followthrough. Danes taking liberties with Liu finally buckling - blonde's elbows smash and crack against Lucy's biceps as blonde clobbers away on a covered up brunette. Down the stretch, Liu bobbing side to side, twists into a tight left hook to Claire's trunks, shunting the blonde's hips back and leaving her stooped forward in pain. Ref jumps in to admonish both girls to keep it clean - hard glares all around.

R9: Liu stepping to her right, swatting little come-along hooks under Claire's chin - then leaping in close, stuffing her left mitt hard between Danes legs to crowd the wounded blonde to the ropes. Lucy getting large - shouldering up, banging away on the blonde's slender ribcage with both hands, shaking Claire as she covers up, then buckling the blonde with another outrageous low left hook. Ref steps in to give Claire a sobbing breather - Danes trembling as Lucy takes a little working woman's justice. All Lucy Liu the rest of the way as Claire melts around the ring purely defensive - Liu just missing that chin with diving haymakers without fear of repraisal.

R10: Danes scraping her jab at Liu's face, pivoting to the right, then swatting over the top a looping right on the ear, bending low and LICKING that left hand against Lucy's trunks! Liu buckling - ref jumps in - stern warnings all around as this fight totters on the edge of chaos. Rest of the way is decent boxing - Claire jabbing, fading back, luring Liu forward - Lucy loading up, trying to jump in off either Danes shoulder with mixed results. At the bell - it's going to be close. Long delay before the winner is announced - Lucy Liu by a single point.

After: Danes getting her gloves removed - she's smiling, knows she gave Liu hell tonight in a losing cause. Most expected the blonde to be carried out on a stretcher but Danes proving she belongs with every stubborn performance. Liu looking relieved - she's scuffed up, belly's been worked over - Danes providing a legitimate test. "Hey, I'm disappointed, sure," says Claire, "but I think this fight more than any other shows I'm a fixture at sub110. I bounced Lucy off the canvas, tore her up on the inside - I got a lot done in my first look at her. If you're a big banger - I'll box your ears off. If you're a cutey, I'll beat you up. I'm not going anywhere - I'll be back." Lucy holding up 2 fingers in victory - 2 pieces of the prize are hers - unification beckoning as only fortress Ledoyen remains untaken.



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