Post by Lookout! Boxing on Nov 25, 2016 at 4:36pm

Dani Thorne vs Jennifer Lawrence @ catchweight (result:Lookout/words:simgrrl)

Dani Thorne, 23yo, 5'8”, 127# vs Jennifer Lawrence, 26yo, 5'8”, 130#        

Before: In Lawrence, 23 yo Dani's facing not only a rising superstar in the boxing ring, but also in the Hollywood's film community. She's got an Oscar, been nominated for a second and has critical acclaim about 'chest high' (speaking of JMDD). But this fight isn't under JMDD rules... one reason may be because Dani Thorne has yet to pass the requisite physical to be “qualified” by the powers that be!

Dani's seen J-Law in action and admits, “I was impressed. She can fight and isn't afraid to take on bigger opponents, I mean juggs and all! I'm just getting my feet wet in celebrity boxing, so it's not surprising odds-makers have her favored. I didn't sign a contract expecting to win; I'm here for the experience. A year, or two, I'll be looking to take her down, but tonight's about getting my feet wet and going rounds with a woman already being talked about as the next 'Golden Goddess'. That's heady stuff for anyone!”

Lawrence laughs at talk of the “next Goddess, or any Goddess.” She's heard it when she and Theron co-starred in 'Burning Plain' and again when she got her first Oscar nom; then again when she got her second. “There's only one 'Golden Goddess' and it's not me,” she said. “Oh, I guess once I've won another three hundred, or more, fights... somebody may try to make a case for it, but at the rate I'm going, my hair will be gray and some wag will call me 'the Gray Goddess'... which, I guess in the pantheon of Goddessdom, isn't really all that bad as long as you're some color, right?!”

Asked about Dani Thorne, Jen shrugged. “If I told you I know anything about her, I'd be lying. She's had... what? One fight? Two? There's nothing to see... yet. I took the fight because Blake (Lively) went up to the Thorne girls camp last winter and came back with glowing reports about them. I hit a bump in my last fight and could use an easy fight, so I figured why not give the kid some rounds and show her a thing or two. It'll be a good workout for me, and hopefully some experience for her.”

Not much, physically, to choose between the two, although the experience is all Lawrence's! Thorne is 2-0 and ranked #88 (at bantam) while Jen Lawrence is 22-11-1 and ranked #21 at lightweight by Boxing online and #11 in JMDD. But that just touches the surface of how much more experienced Lawrence is, because both of Thorne's fights were with third rate British fighters while J-Law has faced most of the top women in celebrity boxing in her brief FCBA career.

Attire: Lawrence in a sheer white bra-pantie ensemble, white hold-up stockings and white ballet slipper-like workout shoes. Dani, the same white satin bikini she wore when she out punched and outclassed poor Lisa Maffia in her last fight (and then made her kiss her feet. What's with the Thorne's and feet, anyway?)    

Rihanna & Gemma Atkinson in Dani's corner w/Remy; Jeri Ryan & Elizabeth Olsen with J-Law.

During R1: Dani charging out of her corner, taking the fight to Lawrence! Say what you will about the Thorne sisters, but they open with a bang and bantam Dani Thorne not afraid to stick her nose in and trade with a lightweight with far more experience than her... and a top ranking besides!
For the first minute, Thorne pretty much has her way as Lawrence stays cautiously defensive, feeling out an unknown opponent and letting Dani show her what she has. Once she's had a good look at Dani's offensive arsenal, J-Law starts to open up, showing some of what she's brought to the ring.
Last two minutes of the round go as expected; Lawrence putting on a clinic for the youngster; snapping Dani's head with the jab; sticking the right under her left elbow again and again. Dani rocked several times by the right when Thorne's left drifts a bit low... but J-Law's giving her plenty of reasons why she needs to keep it up and in the closing seconds, Dani appears to be making an adjustment. There's nothing like being hit in the face - or the ribs - to make you appreciate the value of a good defense! J-Law takes the points, but Dani kept it close.

R2: Again, Dani aggressive off the jump; stuffing her left in Lawrence's cleavage, then bringing the right low and hard between the belly button and the elastic of her panties! Big WOOF J-Law who folds into Dani's waiting arms for the jack and stack by Thorne who props Jen on the ropes and goes to work that midsection over like an experienced fighter!
Plenty of tying up and clinching by Lawrence early, Thorne's inexperience showing; can't shed J-Law before Jen gets her wind back. J-Law fighting her way off the ropes behind a straight right hand that she flick in over Dani's pawing left. Thorne's head buffeted by the right, then rocked by the hook as she's beaten backward across the ring, losing all the ground she'd gained and then some.
Unlike Thorne, once Lawrence has the youngster in trouble, she doesn't take her foot off the gas and the next minute and a half is Dani Thorne getting a lesson in how to break down a fighter when you have her on the ropes! Thorne's knees buckle several times, but the girl shows her grit, hanging in and taking her punishment; clinching when she can, grappling when she can't clinch, fighting back in modest spurts of resistance before Lawrence's weight of shot puts down the rebellion. At the bell, it's J-Law (wide), but Thorne didn't embarrass herself or her family.

R3:  Gemma Atkinson on a knee in front of Dani talking tactics, Rihanna working on Dani's left eyebrow where there's a small cut. Remy chatting up a brunette in the front row, gets her number and returns to see if there's anything he can do. There isn't! Ryan pouring water over her own and Lawrence's sheer bras (putting out the 'big guns' for the paparazzi...or just something to do?)
Thorne's nothing if not stubborn, coming off her stool on the attack again this round, jumping all over Lawrence early to take the initiative. Jen, like most, not as effective backing up, lets Dani steal her thunder in the early going. At one point, Dani lands a sweeping left hook to J-Law's right breast and a spray of water goes flying, splattering several women in the front row - most of whom seem to blame Jeri Ryan and let her know it!
Midway, Lawrence at last gets going again and they battle back and forth with a series of crowd-pleasing exchanges, each having her moments at the others expense! Jen reopens the small cut over Thorne's left eye; J-Law once more getting her right in over Dani's left when she leaves it out there a beat too long! Some blood flows, but it's off the eye and not an issue...so far.
Thorne clatters back on her heels to the ropes where Lawrence sets up in her face and punishes her body for the final forty or so seconds of the round with little interference from Thorne who seems content to crouch at the ropes hope Lawrence punches herself out beating her tight young abs to the bell. Surprisingly, because the judges apparently felt Dani's first sixty seconds were better than Lawrence's last forty seconds, Dani ekes out the round on points, close.

R4: Still anybody's fight after three. Folks ringside murmuring Thorne's hung around longer than expected. Opinions vary whether it's because she's better than advertised, or just that Lawrence isn't all that invested and is treating it more like a workout than a fight.
No question, however, that Thorne is serious about it; she's off her stool and charging after J-Law before the echo of the bell fades. Big right hand misses as J-Law sees it coming and  leans away at the last second, then cracks Dani with a counter right hand of her own, putting the kid in trouble right from the get-go! Lawrence pumps a second right that takes Dani on the forehead, possibly going to work on the cut a bit? A left hook shakes Thorne who's looking a bit hurt as J-Law gathers her up and takes her to the ropes, then bellies up with her and pounds away to the flanks with both hands.
Dani clinching, tying up J-Law's right hand, but can't corral the left and Jen keeps popping Thorne upside the head with it as they grapple ugly along the ropes. Referee keeps slapping Dani's hand down and she puts it right back on Lawrence's right bicep, refusing to let her get it free to punch with. As long as they keep moving and hitting one another, with whichever hand, the referee leaves 'em alone and the crowd seems to approve.
After almost a minute of close-in work, J-Law finally wrestles free and backs off, allowing Dani to finally get her back off the ropes and they spar at distance, Lawrence again scoring almost at will with the right hand whenever Dani forgets to keep pumping the jab in Jen's face! Dani's cheeks taking on a ruddy glow from Lawrence's leather, but Thorne's sturdy for a putative bantam, having hit the scales at a very lightweight like 127 for this fight, only three pounds less than Lawrence. And Thorne is not a 'soft' 127 either, her body is tight and cut. Hard to imagine her staying at bantam for long without it giving her problems making weight.
Lawrence putting on a show for the scorekeepers in the last minute of the round, upping her tempo and stringing together several combinations. Thorne can't keep up but with her quickness afoot she can run to avoid being hurt more than she already has, but she's not totally avoiding combat. She's loping away, turning to trade several times, then scooting back again. Lawrence is having to work to bring her to hand, and when she does, the exchanges are crowd-pleasing, though most go Lawrence's way. Early problems leave Dani in a hole she can't get out of as J-Law  wins the points (wide).

R5: Stubborn Thorne sibling refuses to go away, off her stool to get right in Lawrence's face again this round. Round opens as the fourth, big right hand (miss) from Dani, but she slips J-Law's counter and both girls bang away at the others body. Unlike earlier when both displayed good movement and solid tactical sense, this round could have been contested in a phone booth (remember those?). Each proud fighter staking out her own section of turf mid-ring, then defending it tooth and nail for much of the three minutes. Little here for the highlight film; a lot of holding and hitting, clinching and cuffing, scuffling and socking, alliteration and altercation! Some head bumping (accidental both ways) as the two are rarely more than an arms length apart. At the bell, Lawrence still with a lead, but it's far from a comfortable one as Thorne's put up a stout battle so far. Dani wins points (close) but this stubborn Thorne sibling, simply refuses to go away. (PPV broadcast has it 58-53 J-Law, for what it's worth).

R7: Both corners animated between rounds. Rihanna/Atkinson pumping up Thorne, telling her “turn up the heat; she can be had.” Ryan's counseling Jen, “she's leaving openings, dammit; use 'em!”
Once more Thorne rampaging out of her corner, subjecting Lawrence to a furious, all-out attack! Left hooks and right crosses in combination force J-Law into a slow, grudging, retreat. While J-Law back steps in good order, Thorne takes advantage to close the score with Lawrence spending most of the first minute ducking and blocking without punching of her own. Good, solid, workman-like approach by Thorne uses offense as defense, keeping Lawrence's under wraps as she struggles to defend herself!
Dani working Jen's body, pounding abs with hooks and inside right hands. Occasional uppercuts scuff up her perky puppies or when they miss her hooters, reach her chin and put a wobble in her sturdy thighs! Thorne's most successful sustained offense of the fight so far drives Lawrence back onto the ropes. Dani, forehead under J-Law's chin, pounds her body with both hands as J-Law clinches high and hangs on!
Late midway, a seemingly harmless J-Law uppercut turns it around! The quick, short, snapping punch up between their tightly compacted bodies, catches Dani flush on the jaw and sends ripples through her body. Thorne stops punching and holds on and Lawrence, feeling the tension go out of Dani, pushes her back and turns into a short left hook to the side of Thorne's suddenly exposed head. The crushing blow short-circuits Thorne's mind; her knees unhinge and she starts to sit back just as Lawrence flashes the right that puts Dani Thorne down, and stretched flat on her back. Not moving! Dani's 'desperation' attack weathered, J-Law's KO in minute two wins her a KO7!

After: Lawrence stands over Dani's prostrate body, looking down on the wreckage of the proud young fighter. As often happens, Jen is awed, and a bit afraid, by what her fist has done to a young woman who, like herself, was competing without rancor or hard feelings. Then she turns away, pushing the thoughts out of her mind (for who could do this 'sport' if they weren't able to compartmentalize!)
The referee, having seen Thorne hit, immediately waved off any thought of counting and instead called Dani's trainer and corner woman to her aid. Lawrence deliberately didn't turn to watch, instead talking to Ryan as her gloves were cut off.
Only when Thorne was awake, and sitting up, did Jen look her way, and still she didn't approach her until Dani was upright between Rihanna and Gemma. J-Law gave Dani a hug and a pat on the butt, then left her in the care of her minders and went off to face the press.

“Girl fought a good fight,” Jen told the media in the press room. “Showed me a lot; she's got promise. They probably had her in a bit over her head tonight, but she did well and has nothing to feel bad about. I like her moving forward, especially at bantam. She's still a bit raw to be in with bigger lightweights, but she's what.... 23? A couple of years with the right management and training, and I can see her making a move to light. She showed me she's capable of competing, that's for sure.”

Asked her plans, Jen gave the usual non-committal reply, “... see what my management says” and then added, “There've been some feelers about JMDD... and by 'feelers' I mean phone calls, not groping,” she joked. “That's something everyone seems to be exploring now, and while I don't feel like I'm 'highly qualified' in the 'J' department, I can certainly handle the 'MD' part.”

Dani showed up just as Lawrence was leaving and they shared a hug and a brief, whispered, exchange. Dani declined to reveal what Jen had said, only that she had complimented her in the ring on her fight. “I'm strictly a bantam,” she said. “This thing against the Academy tonight was as a favor to Bella who really, really, wanted to get in the ring with Blake Lively. We all got to enjoy Blake during her visit to our training facility last winter and she and Bella kind of bonded. They both think this was good experience for us all and while I'm disappointed I didn't win - or at least do better - facing a fighter the quality of Jennifer Lawrence will be good for me going forward; that's my take-away.”