MAXIM LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on Friday, 04-Feb-2000 21:03:12

Before: Night of rematches continues as Luner takes on huge underdog Fishel. Jami not wanting to disrespect her foe, but flat asserts Dani lacks world class talent, and really doesn’t belong in the same ring with her. For Luner, the fight is a contractual obligation, for Fishel, a burning debt to repaid. Luner in black bra and panties, Fishel in teal push up, grey aerobics bottoms.

During R1: Luner with a statement round shuts Dani out and beat her ragged with a sustained brilliant offensive reminiscent of Diego Corrales at his best. Luner with her hands low, cuts into Dani with little 2 and 3 punch combinations, neatly pivoting off the hook to turn Fishel midring. The short ring hands from the hip find Fishel’s face with blistering heat, and Dani is lumped up badly within the first few moments of the round. Wall to wall power and precision from Luner has Dani staggering back repeatedly from crisp, clean connects, and Fishel’s corner breaks out the smelling salts for their warrior as she stumbles home at the break.

R2: Stop the presses, Dani sucks it up, and manages to take this fight to Jami’s hips, clnching around Luner’s waist, levering the taller girl off balance, and blasting away with meaty lefts and rights to that impressive abdominal region, Luner resorting to Ali-esque clinching, clips at Dani with nuisance uppercuts and swatting hooks, but Fishel gets on board with good old fashioned work ethic this round.

R3: Jami back in control—legs, jab the primary weapons, but the cobra right hand not far behind. Fishel bobbing, but unable to get underneath Luner, who circles, and steers Dani with the educated left hand.

R4: Dani crouching low, explodes upwards to clap Jami’s jawline with crazy right hands, backing red up, and drawing her into a slugfest. Dani gambling, leaping into wide lefts and rights, and the taller girl catches, even as she slashes away with her more compact combinations on Fishel’s face. Down the stretch, girls trading back and forth, and Dani leaps out of her socks to crack Luner a hard overhand right on the cheek. Luner swept to her buttocks, looks shocked, and gets up quickly as Dani nods with the big grin.

R5: Dani pounds her way inside as Luner pitty pats the jab, then looks to clinch. Fishel with her face on Luner’s body, twisting into vicious lefts and rights, finds thigh, hip, and belly as she works with maniacal intensity. Luner on the ropes, seems satisfied to clinch, cover up, and sacrifice body to avoid anymore chin music in a give-away 5^th.

R6: Luner with the shutout—when she moves, it’s too easy. Dropping the backhanded jab, Luner can pop and step around Dani dropping out that little right hand from the hip to find Fishel’s eye or mouth with heartless accuracy. Dani pivoting, is helpless to do anything but surge forward and try to get lucky.

R7: Fishel answers with a shutout! Luner confounds her corner by lolling on the ropes, covering up for long stretches as Dani pounds away with withering hooks and straight right hands to the stomach. Dani able to loop wide shots to Jami’s jaw, cranks the redhead’s face side to side with savage, cracking blows, and Luner goes wobbly butt. Jami not punching, standing right in front of Dani and soaks up a needless mauling as Fishel piles on.

R8: Jami gets the riot act from her corner, but goes straight back to the ropes, covering up, leaning back, taking needless punishment to her ribs and waist as Fishel thrives unmolested. Dani worked out of the crouch, straightening to drag heavy hooks and wide right hands into her opponent, and Luner just looks lethargic, rarely daring to punch, or lift her head from behind her mitts,

R9: Jami back on her bicycle, drops the jab onto Dani’s face and once more makes the fight look easy. Fishel stomping after Jami, but when Luner wants to box, she can’t be threatened. Luner hooking hard to Dani’s ear and eye, reverses field and walks Fishel into some punishing straight right hands on the face at the bell.

R10: Luner off her stool, and Dani is ON her, raking big Red’s body with wide, wild hooks and clubbing right hands. Fishel’s face obscured with hair—pushes Jami back and lunges into her body attack with every inch of calf , hamstring and buttock on her compact frame. Luner bouncing off her corner ropes, takes a lot of shots on the elbows, but once again isn’t busy enough in return. By the final minute, Luner has spun free, and is retreating in good order, picking Dani up with left hook on top of the head, and chopping a little right hand from the elbow onto Dani’s face. Action round ends at center ring with Fishel coming on again, and the girls separated by the referee. After a very long delay, the decision comes back unanimous in favour of Dani Fishel, leaving Jami Luner shellshocked with disbelief.

After: Luner bitter in defeat, blames politics, crooked judges—everything but herself for this unbelievable upset. Dani flat-out out-hustled her more talented, bigger, quicker foe, and beat her down over the distance. Luner fighting in spots, let down badly in this fight, dazzling when she wanted to, but spending too much time inert as Fishel worked for points. Crowd roars for several minutes after the decision is announced as Dani produces arguably her finest moment in the ring.

(Sim Guy note: I have to say here that this is the most unbelievable upset I’ve ever run on then is board. The thing is—Dani didn’t even have a puncher’s chance I this one—not like Williams vs Gellar—Luner can take a shot. For Dani to beat Luner for a decision, I have to spin it as Jami just playing it too cool and getting outworked ala James Toney. Jami’s the better boxer, bigger girl, stronger girl, fitter girl, faster girl, and is plenty hard nosed—but Dani has that drive apparently, that separates her from the merely talented. Great fight to play.)

Reposted by Archer 1/2/10.