POSTER BY BI PHOTO LABS

Posted by simguy on 7/3/2003, 8:06 pm.

UNIFIED FLYWEIGHT TITLE

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost including the BI Photo Labs poster)

Before: Special commentator Lucy Liu (black tank top, black jeans, gold hoop earings, slick ponytail) sizes up the comp. "Salma/Claire's a great fight - two contrasting styles, two hot fighters - and the winner really has to be considered the second best flyweight in the FCBA. Personally, of the two? I'd have more trouble with Claire - she's VERY hard to hit clean on the chin, very awkward to line up. Salma, for me - she's right there, she comes forward and she's scared of me - that's a huge edge for me against Hayek because she won't pressure me the way she does other girls. Danes doesn't have the fear factor going for her and I think that makes Salma a better fighter. She'll walk Claire down and won't even look at her chin - it'll be tummy, tits, and ribs all night long. Danes can win, but she needs some cooperation from Hayek - I don't see Claire standing up to an in-tune Salma for a full dime." Claire in black/white two toned bikini and boots, white gloves - Salma in BI battle attire.
During R1,2: Salma sharp early, smart pressure from the Latina has Danes on the defensive. Salma jabbing - not landing it much, but getting it out there, making Claire react, and scooting around the blonde's right flank, giving Danes angles rather than coming straight in. As predicted - Hayek going body for the most part - straight, stubby rights between the breasts, raking gancha hooks in the ribs and liver. Danes cute at the ropes, stepping left, spinning away right, keeping her back free and winding to midring - she's just not getting anything on the advancing brunette.

R3: Claire jabbing, wide stance allowing her to change distance by leaning onto the back foot, little shuffle to the right - she lines Salma up and gets a cracking hesitation right on the chin at the minute mark. Hayek doubleclutching, walking into the blow and making Claire into a puncher - Mighty Mex on her heels, trying to shake off the hurt. Danes over to offense - swat-hooking Latina on the ear, swivel-pivoting to the left, licking that hook tight and biting under the elbow. Danes wheeling and dealing, turning Hayek midring, really tearing up Latina gut to consolidate that chin shot. Shutout Danes - she backhands Salma's rump with a satisfied smirk as girls pass en route to corners - Hayek has to be restrained as she boils over at the insult.

R4: Salma Hayek tears into Claire Danes like a woman possessed...and Danes is trading with her on the inside! Claire all compact, hunched over with the shorter woman, rolling punches, blocking, then licking snick-snack to the breadbasket, or turning her shoulders to get clipping uppercuts on Hayek's chin. Salma a non-stop punching machine, beating Claire's arms, gouging at her ribs, doubling up hooks to the strenum. It's Hayek's fight and she takes the round - but Danes able to give just enough angle, be cute enough inside to survive and get her licks in.

R5: Hayek pounding away hooks to the body and rightside ribs - Claire covering, mincing to her left under pressure and Salma drops the short right hand. Head snap Claire - legs give a shimmy - she steps out, loping right, obviously shook up. Hayek cutting off the ring, jabbing, shooting straight rights to corral Danes in a corner, then driving in on her with heartless efficiency. Salma working like a little Duran in there - shoving Claire into the ropes, then hooking her body, ramming her head between Danes' gloves to ruff her up. Claire showing great composure in cramped quarters - she's beaten soundly in the flanks and stomach, but she's slipping the head shots, bouncing from one set of ropes to the other, tieing up when she has to.

R6: Slap n' slip from Claire Danes, showing great resilience after a rugged fifth. Claire the boss midring - at times using her height, slapping and clawing her jab, trying to walk Hayek into that slicing right. At other times - Danes stepping in to shoulder up, pivot off her girl, turning Hayek, stroking Latina gut that biting hook. Danes even ripping off some of those sleek 6 punche rolling bursts, slapping and poking at Salma as she covers up tight, riding out the storm. Hayek unhurt, but shutout - classic Claire.

R7: Danes using her jab, slidestepping back from Hayek, measuring her and BELTING her that sneaky, hesitation right off a shoulder feint. Hayek suddenly locked up, hurt behind her gloves - Danes right back on that body like a pro, giving it to Hayek in the belly. Salma backing up under fire - Latina butt touches ropes for the first time and CLAIRE GOES JUG! Supple rack attack from Danes - sexy shoulder shrug punches picking up Hayek's hooters - Salma hanging on for a break in shock. Claire pushing past the ref to press her attack - she's getting all big-girl - shouldering Salma into the ropes, hooking her tight to breadbasket, chopping the right to jaw in close. Hayek crossing her arms, starts pitching back - crowd roaring as raucous brawling breaks out at the ropes. Girls trade hooks on the jaw inside - Dane's legs don't like it and as she reaches to clinch - Hayek hacks a tidy right on the ear and DANES GOES DOWN! Claire face first in the ropes, bludgeoned to her knees - she's up quickly but she's veteran enough to know Hayek's just stolen the best Claire Danes round so far.

R8: Claire caught an earful in her corner - she got greedy, she paid for it - lesson learned. Sneaky, slap and slip Claire comes back, chin tucked behind the left shoulder, bent low, swivelling to her left to turn Hayek. Danes licking hooks to the waist, slapping hooks to the ear, but she's not setting down enough to hurt Hayek. Salma outboxed this round, but coming forward, whittling down the ring - she's got Claire spooked.

R9,10: Rounds one and two all over again - Hayek coming forward, but smart - moving her head, using her jab, cutting off the ring and hunting Claire down BEFORE punching. Danes making her moves, spinning Hayek, pushing her on the elbows or tugging her head to sidestep around, but blonde matador not doing anything to discourage the bull. Hayek landing a surprisingly high percentage of stubby straight rights to the face, then digging away hooks to body - she's catching Danes making too many defensive moves - pressure starting to swamp the cutes. By the final bell - Danes in survival mode - she goes the route, but lumped up under the left eye and roundly beaten by a rampaging champ at the end. UD10 Salma Hayek.

After: Danes wins rounds, hurts Salma, makes her look foolish at times, but it's a very strong defense from a champ who kept her emotions in check and fought a very disciplined, well executed fight tonight. Claire classy in defeat, running a taped hand through sweaty hair as she addresses the camera. "Wow. Salma came to fight tonight, no doubt about it. I tried to get under her skin and rattle her a little bit, but she didn't bite on much of it - she stayed on plan, went to my body. She cut the ring off about as well as anyone ever has on me and she's a very accurate puncher - I just couldn't get out of the way of that little right hand of hers down the stretch! I probably let her off the hook in the 7th - I had her hurt. If I'd have won that round, I probably roll her up the rest of the way. That hurts." Hayek equally complimentary - "Claire doesn't hit much - we knew that - but I honestly felt she couldn't stand up to my punching and she surprised me there! I was caving in her ribs and she just wouldn't go - I've made every other cutey in the division quit with that kind of attack. Liu wouldn't have finished this fight with me - put it that way. Claire's risen in my estimation - I didn't think of her as a truly elite flyweight until tonight."



Sim Guy

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