UNIFIED FLYWEIGHT TITLE

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Posted by simguy on 8/25/2001, 10:07 am

Before: You're Diane Lane. You're a world class fighter, consistently drawing high numbers, you've got a long term contract with HBO, but here's the thing: At sub110 you've got Liu and Dushku - at sub 120 virtual lightweights like Kiana, Charisma etc - you're stuck in limbo as the 'best of the rest'. "This is going to be my break-through fight," maintains a confident Di coming in, "I've seen everything Liu can do, I'm used to her power, I've got her moves cold. I don't want to be thought of as a rounds-horse anymore. I can be special if the night is right." Liu in black push up, leopard print boy cut trunks, slick ponytail, Diane in black sports bra, black bikini bottoms tied at the hips, hair back.

During R1: Liu testing the water early, using the ring, hands at her sides, jumping in occasionally to time Diane's reflexes. Di turning, hands up high, eyes wide - she's trying to dip that left shoulder and hook the tummy. Midway through, Liu makes a mockery of 6 weeks hard training for Diane with one punch - bounding to her left, suddenly stopping and jamming in a right hand from her thigh over Lane's guard - Di in big trouble, staggering around the ring, face in anguish - she can't believe she's hurt. Liu purring, bending in low southpaw to tap her right hand against Lane's tummy, moving her head at close range to make Diane miss with panicky side to side swipes - shutout Lucy Liu.

R2: Lucy struts to midring, sticks her chin out and bobs up and down as Lane swishes at air. Timing it all perfectly, Liu jumps in a crisp right hand from her knee to put Di on her heels, then slaps the left across Di's mouth to sit the challenger down not one minute in. Lane punching the canvas in frustration as she gets stiffly to her feet. Ugly potshotting the rest of the way as Liu will creep forward, gloves down, just moving her head and upperbody to get Lane punching, then picking her spots to bat away at Diane's face with licking counters from down low. Lane blinking, wobbly butt at the bell - Liu's reflexes and style are still presenting awful difficulties for the well prepared brunette.

R3: Di puts together some offense this round, jabbing to get Liu to commit defensively, then dipping to hook the ribs with meaty contact early. Liu takes over at the midpoint with a bounding counterclockwise path, using come-along hooks to prep Di for slashing right hands. Down the stretch, Lucy squeezes a right in between Di's mitts to put Lane wobbly butt once again. Liu grinning, refusing to punch as Diane struggles to keep her balance - "Not yet!" Liu taunts.

R4: Di's face lumpy and shiny from the brazen impact of Lucy's gloves, but Lane's still got her faculties together, comes out with an organized, high defense and gets to work on her gameplan this round. Jabs don't connect, but they do get Lucy thinking defense first and Lane is able to hook off the jab with some success to the ribcage. Liu backing up, sweeping one side to the other with guady roundhouses, but Di's blocking most of the damage. Lane finally pinning Lucy to the ropes in the final minute - ignoring the Asian's hard-to-hit head and focusing on the tight little midriff with both guns blazing.

R5: Lucy having fun in there - she'll put a hand on the top rope to suddenly change direction, gloves are constantly dangling at her sides, she'll be falling backwards and manage to clout Di upside the head, or she'll score with a heavy counter after inducing Lane to miss half a dozen chopping shots. Lane stubborn, but so orthodox - she's an easy read for Lucy and midway through, Liu fits a leaping left uppercut between the mitts to once again send Diane reeling. Lane a tragic mess of arms and legs as she stumbles to the ropes all glassy eyed - once again Lucy refuses to finish - walking insolently in with her arms down, pressing her torso up against Lane's side and laying in to make soft cooing noises as Di covers up instinctively. Boos from the hard core fight fans - cheers from Lucy's minions who lap up this kind of thing in her fights.

R6: Di patiently going to that midriff with hooks - Liu now wincing and pivoting away rather than taking the shots as Lane's persistence starts to pay off. Lucy still the boss - Lane's not cutting off the ring and she's walking into Liu's right hand with disturbing regularity. Liu luring Di across the ring, bending at the waist, making Lane miss, then suddenly jumping in with single shot bombs that draw oohs and aahs from ringsiders. Down the stretch, yet another perfectly placed punch - this time a jamming right just outside Lane's left mitt finds jaw - Di does the funky chicken again as her legs wobbly but won't give way entirely.



R7: Di has her best round and that's worrisome to Liu's corner as Lane should be packing her bags at this point. Veteran brunette hooking off the jab, getting to Liu's ribcage with consistency and now working the left side with curling right hands as well. Liu standing up straighter, gloves cupping her face - takes more and harder shots this round than she has all fight long.

R8: Di continues to outwork Lucy. Liu with her gloves at her temples, now just standing in front of Lane, deliberately letting the brunette get off, but not pulling the trigger on counters as she was earlier. Lane just meat and potatoes: left/right on the waist, tough shoulder butt to get Lucy going back ward, put something up top, usually a clubbing right hand. Liu beaten around the ring, answering back sporadically, but it's all toe to toe stuff and Lane's looking good.

R9: Liu back to lateral movement and Lane can't compete. When Lucy uses the whole package, it's tough for Di to find her spots - Lane still gets off, but Lucy's not sticking around for the 3rd and 4th body shot. Significantly however - Lane is walking through Liu's well timed counters - Lucy thinking 'bail' first rather than 'hurt' at this point.

R10: Liu starts face, using the counterclockwise circling to set up right hands from her lap, but Di keeps on coming. Lane hammers her way into Lucy's trunkline at the minute mark and never looks back - Liu looks shopworn for the first time, reaching in to clinch - Di keeps moving her arms, worrying away at the torso between and around Liu's extended limbs. Liu beaten into step by step retreat - final minute sees her on the ropes, mouth breathing hard, just trying to position Lane's head with her mitts and block downstairs with her elbows. Di working furiously against the clock - she's plunging in overhand punches to the chest and sternum, chopping and hacking away, beating down Liu's clinch and FINALLY, hooks to the chin start to swat Lucy's head to the side. LIU IS HURT! Liu staring in shock, stunned as Di pours it on! Sickening right hands over and over to the same short rib on the left side, CLANGING hooks on the chin - Liu out on her feet, pushing pathetically at Diane's shoulder to relieve the constant pressure, but she can't get the brunette to relent. Round ends to the sight of Di just going to town with crisp lefts and rights - Liu cringing after every body shot, or getting her head swivelled upstairs. Ref separates the brawlers at the bell - comes back UD10 for the winner and STILL flyweight champ - Lucy Liu.

After: Liu's face says it all - ref holds her left hand high as she grimaces, cradles her stomach with a protective right - Lane gave Lucy all she could handle down the stretch. Di badly puffed up, stands with taped hands on her hips, staring at the floor in deep disappointment. Lucy's chocolate rounds early just too much to overcome. Gutty performance from Lane, climbing off the canvas and wading through vicious artillery to create a tense final round for the champ.


Sim Guy

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