Posted by simguy on 7/16/2004, 7:44 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: "I'm just not intimidated by Claire," says Kris Kreuk with a shrug and a winsome smile. "I see her punches well, I anticipate her well and I enjoy fighting her - what can I say?" Danes pursing her lips and looking non-plussed as Kreuk answers questions - well known that Claire takes a good deal of Dushku-based ribbing in the gym during training for Kreuk fights - it's a hot button and HISC stablemates aren't shy about pushing it like rats in a cocaine-pellet experiment. "Kristin Kreuk and I are not rivals," Danes maintains, in a sharper-than-usual tone. "She's not on my level and she knows it. This whole thing between us has been blown way out of proportion - I've never seen so much gossip surrounding what is essentially a tune up fight for me." Claire in red bra style bikini, Kris in slick low ponytail, pale blue bikini top, navy soft felt boy cut trunks. Stare down: Kris with a little half smirk, brazenly meeting Claire's gaze - Danes tight-lipped at the blatant disrespect from a non-Yale educated, WB bimbo.

During R1,2,3: Negotiating rounds. Claire with chin tucked behind left shoulder, left hand tight across her belly, right under her chin, wheeling and pivoting footwork. Kris sliding and hopping to either side, palms up and out - she'll playfully bat down with open hands as she circles, flinching and bopping out of range. Danes lured into being the aggressor, but occasionally missing up top, chagrined to feel Kristin's tapping right/left on her stomach in receipt. Kris leading on occasion, using the jab to spruce Danes up, freeze her, pre-empt her - Kris then pinging the straight right to the face with quick, feather-fisted delivery. Danes unhurt - Kris purloining belly and tit with nibbling combinations, but after 3, Kreuk's somehow won the second and third heats to take the lead.

R4,5,6: Danes' frustration deepens - she's off rhythm, hesitant, getting caught mid-decision - Kris really worming her way in between blonde ears tonight. Kreuk shutting Danes out with spirited boxing in the fourth - jabbing to Claire's tummy, sidestepping her with cheeky pushes at the hip or back, cuffing and brushing her uptop with breezy combinations. In the fifth - both girls warned for tossing elbows, but again, Kreuk gets the better of sharp practice, neatly opening a razor thin cut at the hairline and taunting her foe with dancing eyes and that impish smirk. In the sixth - Danes pressing uncharacteristically, leaves herself open and Kreuk tears up that gut with tidy right/left combinations - little mitts sticking and skidding on tight blonde belly meat. Kreuk making eye contact as girls pass at the bell after six - taunting glance lands like extra punches - Claire frowning, shaking her head with muttered curses as Kreuk breaks out big on the cards.

R7: Claire turns southpaw, turns puncher, and claps the smile off Kristin's lips big time this round. First minute - Danes sliding in close, weaving the Kreuk jab, stamping the lead left hand flat against Kris' toned abs, turning to pull the right hook across cheek up top and KREUK SCOOTS TO HER BACKSIDE! Kris not handling the southpaw look well, doesn't see the unorthodox right hook, takes her 8 a little flustered. Danes back on brisk - poking lead left up the middle, gets it one more time, ducking down low to evade the receipts, up out of the crouch with that clanging right hook. Kreuk stumbling to her right - wrong way against a lefty - Claire with her lead foot outside Kristin's starts to dictate. End of second minute, Claire with sinuous torso movement feints Kris, freezing her - Danes suddenly leans in with a muscular, short lead left hand on the left side of Kristin's face to PUT KREUK DOWN AGAIN! Groan from the crowd as wheels fall off Kreuk's Tonka - she's up at 8, fighting down tears as Danes paces hungrily in neutral corner. Final minute a lathering beatdown Claire to Kris at the ropes - Kreuk cringing, dukes up at her temples, elbows in - she's just twisting and bending with the punishment, soaking it up to the bell. Danes pressing her forehead and nose against Kreuk's after the bell, standing right there until ref tugs 'em apart.

R8: Kris bucking up a bit, getting her feet under her and using the ring, but Danes has wrenched momentum away from her lovely brunette opponent. Claire staying southpaw - she's able to stalk and lead from this stance in a way she couldn't as a righty - Kreuk unable to counter as effectively and getting rung up by that sneaky right hook out of the crouch. Danes placing her shots - straight thrusting left hands body and teeth, clanging right hooks, bending supple at the waist and keeping Kreuk's connects well below average. Easy boxing round for Claire - swagger's returned to the blonde's step - Kreuk's turn to grumble and complain in her corner.

R9: Kris turns brawler - attempting to fight the boxer with some success. Kreuk not stronger than Claire, but sudden squalls of fury have blonde backing into the ropes and taking punches against her hips and flanks as Kreuk slugs in spots. Kris also clinching, headlocking shamelessly, never releasing until ref actually pulls on her slender arm - book on Danes is you get sweaty with her, she wilts. Claire reacting huffy, complaining to the ref about the holding and Kreuk's liberal elbow work inside. At the bell, Danes chides herself for allowing herself to be distracted and Kreuk deposits that cheap, late flyweight elbow to the pit of Claire's tummy! Danes crying out, momentarily weak-kneed from the spear - Kris skipping away with a mischievous grin, all proud of herself for doing business on the former champ.

R10: Claire stone-faced, biting down hard on her mouthpiece - she gets after Kreuk with up-tempo combination punching and doesn't let up until the final bell. Kris overwhelmed, frequently stumbling backward in her haste to create space - Danes raising her game to a different level this round. Nice hammer-drop right jab, busting through Kreuk's guard, slinging left hands thick across the waist and clouting right hooks behind the ear - Claire just walking Kreuk down and cleaning her up - Kris gritting her teeth and running like a shameless hussy this round. Claire takes the 10th via clear shutout, and struts hands held high at the bell, but cards are a long time coming back. When they do, Claire looks like she's just been slapped across the face: DRAW!

After: Kreuk squealing, pumping her fist, smiling, air-kissing cheeks - Danes furious, tossing her gloves down, visibly disappointed in herself. "I can't believe this," Claire blurts in postfight. "I bounce this chick off the canvas twice, I kick her ass pillar to post in the 10th, I land ALL the hard punches, I control the ring and they call it a draw? Is Kreuk really that good looking? I mean, what does she have on these guys? It's sickening." Kreuk's nuisance strategy, guerilla tactics and knack of timing Danes built a nice lead on the cards - Claire switching lefty just a round or two too late to solve her brunette nemesis.



Sim Guy

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