CELEBRITY BOXING AFTER DARK: CINCO DE MAYO
(Written by Girls Friday/Results by Lookout!)
(Free Agent vs Free Agent)
Intro:
The opening bout of this special Cinco De Mayo card sees Texan Michelle Rodriguez fight the unbeaten New Yorker Julia Stiles in the Arena Mexico in Mexico city.
Michelle is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, she's 38 years old, 5'5 and holds a record of 9 wins with 8 by knockout and 9 defeats.
The unbeaten Julia meanwhile is of English, Irish and Italian descent, the 36 year old is 5'8 and holds a record of 5 wins, 4 by knockout and 0 losses of course.
This fight came about in Melbourne as talks that both girls wanted to fight and at the last FNL event the girls met nose to nose after Michelle had won her fight against Jordana Brewster, Julia herself had beaten Jolene Blalock.
Both girls ended up fighting to a roar from the crowd to the canvas, security having to get into the ring to pull the girls apart.
After a two months build up, the fight was arranged to take place as the undercard to Eva Longoria fighting Gina Rodriguez main event.
Both had attacked each other over social media and interviews when they were not training, leading to intrigue how the first time they met face to face would go.
So in the press event, the journalists on hand were watching closely, as the girls come out, they rushed each other and managed to get their hands into each others hair before security got between them.
Sighs were heard as the spitting and snarling are pulled over to opposite sides of the press room, after they are judged to have calmed down enough, they are brought over to their tables to speak.
First up is Michelle, as expected her response isn't friendly "you f***ing bytch! I have wanted to get my hands on your for years you snotty c***!"
Julia smirking as she shouts back "bulls***! I've heard people say that but when I've told them to put up, they shut"
"Yeah well I'm here to put you down!" Roars Michelle back in reply, trying to break through the two big men who are holding her back from getting to Julia.
Who calmly picks up the jug of water on the table and throws it over the direction of Michelle, splashing some water onto the dress of Rodriguez and over the guards.
Saying "hope that cools you down w****!" Before strutting off to the back to leave Michelle almost growling as another guard has to rush over to stop the Texan getting at her opponent, before being dragged off stage to the back.
Fight night, out comes Michelle Rodriguez first to a loud cheer, her coach by her side as she has that focused look on her face already that has made her such a feared fighter.
On her way down to the ring, she is wearing a red sports bra, matching trunks, shoes and gloves.
Climbing into the ring, she raises her right arm and nods to the crowd as she heads to her corner, the crowd waiting to see her take this cocky American down.
Out comes Julia to loud boos from the crowd, only a small group of cheers can be heard as the blonde simple smirks and heads down to the ring.
She is wearing a white sports bra, white trunks with "Stiles" in gold letters on her waistband, white gloves and shoes finish her look.
As she climbs into the ring, Michelle looks ready to charge her, being held back by her coach and Julia smiles and says "you'll not be so eager at the bell bytch" before she heads to her corner.
The referee heads to both corners, knowing he can't bring these two together because they will go for each other.
He goes through the rules and tells the fighters to keep this clean and more importantly a boxing match, he will disqualify them if they disobey him.
Happy that both fighters have agreed, he heads back to the ring centre and signals for the bell to be rung to start 10 rounds of bantamweight action.
Round 1:
Off they go quickly, heading to the ring centre and it looks like they are going to go straight for each other till Julia shows her footwork off, dodging around a charging Michelle and landing her jab early on.
Julia using her reach advantage early to move and land some good long range punches around the guard of Rodriguez.
Michelle coming forwards constantly as usually, the Mexican crowd cheering her on, but she just can't get to the inside as Julia is controlling the action.
A left and right cross turns Michelle's head side to side, Michelle covering up more tightly as Julia smirks, keeping her pinned behind the guard with her punches.
But Michelle times her move, parrying a right and moving forwards quickly to force the first tight exchange between the two fighters.
Brawling in tight, the crowd are loving this as they cheer the fighters on, Michelle in her element as she starts pressing Julia backwards with rights and lefts to her face.
Julia uses her head and lands a double jab to keep Michelle back, giving her breathing room to move around her opponent.
The action slows down with not long left in the round as Julia keeps Michelle back with her long range punches.
The bell rings with Michelle looking like she wants to continue, Julia jogging back to her corner as she looks supremely confident, grinning to her coach as they talk about the next round.
Round 2:
Michelle looking to hunt down Julia much quicker this time, the problem is Julia isn't interested in letting her get anywhere near her.
Julia landing a straight through the gloves of Michelle, stinging her face as she looks in real control, jabbing and using her right to bash open the guard of Rodriguez.
But Michelle ducks under a right and comes back with a right hook that catches Julia across her cheek, before she is in tight and sending a flurry of punched that press Stiles back.
Nearly onto the ropes go Julia, her face going from cocky to one in pain as Michelle pounds her back, "Rodriguez" being chanted around the arena as she looks ready to punch Julia through the ropes.
Julia having to clinch up, Michelle showing she can hurt her and now the blonde seems to fully realise what she has let herself in for.
Separated by the referee, Julia moves back to try and get back at range, but finds herself having to fight hard as Michelle keeps coming forwards.
The girls trading at midrange, lefts and rights snapping and turning heads as they seek to take control of the fight.
It's Michelle who is gaining traction and soon Julia has to cover up as she is getting caught by too many power punches.
Late in the round and a straight punch snaps the head of Julia back, but as Michelle tries to keep in close, she gets caught by an uppercut that blunts this attack.
The bell rings with Michelle raising her fists to the crowd, who in turn roar their support for her as Julia looks to be losing her relaxed look.
Both girls scowling across the ring at each other as they sit on their stools, already some marks appearing on both girls faces.
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Round 3:
Both girls meet near the ring center, Julia landing a left cross but misses a right over her opponent's head, giving Michelle an opening.
Landing an overhand right to knock Julia's head to the side and continues to press forwards to keep the pressure on.
Julia covering up as Michelle starts landing to the body, head down as she comes forwards, the blonde is finding it hard to fight back as Rodriguez is like a dog with a bone, not wanting to let her off the hook.
As she is nearly stuck on the ropes, Julia shoves Michelle away and then lands two straight punches to get some momentum.
The girls trading at midrange as they circle each other, Michelle looking for another chance to get in tight, finding it hard as Julia is starting to find holes in her defence.
But again Julia misses with a right as Michelle parries the punch and as she tries to move back to keep that space, the brunette fighter gets back in tight.
Both fighters trading hard punches, Michelle chewing away at the body of her opponent, continuing to force her back around the ring.
As the round is coming to an end, Michelle maybe too keenly tries to duck under a left, but Julia threw a feint, the real punch comes in the form of a right hook that catches Michelle to the top of her head.
Michelle shaken a little by that punch and Julia starts to shock some in the crowd by powering Rodriguez backwards.
The bell rings to end the round with Michelle nearly forced into a corner, the referee stepping between the fighters as they look keen to keep going.
A hard staredown occurs till the referee nudges each back to their corners, both fighters coaches trying to calm their fighter down enough to give them advice.
Round 4:
Julia looking to build on the end of the last round, looking totally focused as she gets up onto her toes and jabs away.
Michelle trying to slip to the inside of Julia's reach, but she gets caught with a right hook, then an uppercut, the crowd favourite stumbling back.
The Bourne actress going on the front foot, looking for an opening as her rival is stuck on the back foot, digging her fists into the face.
A particularly hard right busts the bottom lip of Michelle, who groans as she is knocked onto the ropes, Julia giving chase, looking for the knockout.
Michelle clinches up with Julia, both girls grappling the ropes, Michelle trying to show that she is far from finished.
The referee pries the girls apart, Julia back on the attack, Michelle seems to be stuck behind her guard, her attack nature has been shut down.
Julia starting to throw to the body of Michelle, trying to open that guard up as some cheers start to ring out for the American.
As the round is closing, Michelle takes a left hook that opens her up and two hard straight punches to her lips, snapping her head back.
Michelle forced onto the ropes again, blood dripping from her lips onto her jugs, just accepting the punishment it seems till the bell rings to end the round.
Julia looks to have her swagger back, nodding to her coach as she heads to her corner, while Michelle shoves herself off the ropes knowing that she has been dominated in this round.
Her coach working to clean up her lips and stop the bottom one bleeding, banging her gloves together, Michelle is raring to get her chance for revenge.
Round 5:
Julia continuing to control the action, keeping moving as Michelle hasn't changed her tactics, though she's moving her head more.
A left cross from Julia lands to the cheek of her rival, bringing a grunt from Michelle, but it doesn't dissuade the smaller girl from keep coming for her.
Soon Julia finds herself fighting in tight, both fighters landing hard shots, Michelle though is getting back to the body.
Michelle knocking Julia back, proof of her toughness after that terrible last round, now it's a gut check for Julia, one she is finding hard to overcome as the air is being driven from her body, leading her to being backed up.
She tries shoving Rodriguez back, but instead she gets caught by a right hook that turns her head around.
Michelle pounds Julia with lefts and rights across her face and a cut can be seen under the left eye of the blonde, who is covering up as best she can.
But punches are still raining through and Julia has to clinch up, both fighters spit insults at each other.
The referee struggling to separate the fighters as they grapple with each other, both almost trip into the ropes and the referee puts his foot down; shouting at both to separate and he pulls them apart.
Reading the riot act to both, then orders the girls to continue, Julia landing a double jab and a right cross to slow down the advance of Michelle.
Late in the round, both fighters are hurting and it shows as the pace slows down, mostly single punches being exchanged.
Just before the bell though, Michelle slips under a right and lands an overhand right that turns Julia's legs to jelly, the bell rings before Michelle can act on it.
Michelle shouts at Julia "you are f***ed you bytch!" As she looks ready to keep going, the referee holding her back as Julia retreats to her corner to get patched up.
Both fighters are bloodied up, but neither looks ready to quit as they continue to stare at each other, though it's through half open eyes as they wince being treated by their coach.
Round 6:
Out come the fighters, Julia looks OK at first, landing a few jabs to the nose of Michelle, more blood runs from the nose of Rodriguez.
But a mistimed right hook by the blonde leaves her open and a right to the body by Michelle drives the air from a shocked Stiles.
Michelle lights up her rival with rights cruelly digging into the body, hurting Julia; who is covering up and retreating quickly as her opponent gives chase.
Clinching up, Julia hasn't got as tight a grip on Michelle as she'd like and it's leaving her open to several more short sharp punches to her right flank by Michelle's left fist.
The referee does his job and the action kicks off again as Julia lands a straight punch but misses the follow up left cross and she gets a left to her cheek.
Michelle isn't going to be denied this time it seems, pounding away at the arms of Julia, whose keeping her guard as tight as she can.
Being forced into a corner, Julia is forced to fight or the referee who is eyeing closely what is happening might have to step in.
The fighters slugging it out, Julia trying to get out of the corner but a right across that left eye, the cut looking worse as Michelle keeps her pinned in the corner.
The bell comes to save Julia, the damage to Julia's eye is getting bad, her eye is swollen and the blood under her left eye running down her cheek.
Michelle looking like a shark, her eyes lighting up as she sees what she has done to her rival, heading back to her corner with renewed confidence.
Julia on the other hand has the doctor in her corner, watching closely to see how the coach deals with the cut and the eye, warning both that if he doesn't like what he sees, then he'll stop the fight.
Round 7:
Julia is allowed to continue, some in the crowd are stunned, some have new respect for her even as they had booed her at the start of the night.
Doing her best to keep Michelle back, Julia is fighting on the back foot, jabbing more out of necessity then to attack as she tries to recover.
But a right from Michelle to the body shows she's far recovered, the smaller girl in close again as the action heats up.
Both girls desperate as they try to destroy each other, both fighters grimacing and groaning, the crowd up on their feet cheering both fighters on.
A right to the eye of Julia stops her punching as she cries out in pain, Michelle not giving her any chance to reset herself.
Instead landing another to that eye that is now shut and down goes Julia after a left hook seems to finish the job off.
The referee shoves Michelle back as she looks ready to jump on Julia, he quickly turns to check on the fallen fighter and finds she's knocked out cold, waving the fight off to a loud roar.
Winner: Michelle Rodriguez KO Round 7
After:
Michelle doesn't look much of a winner as she leans on the ropes, her face is battered and bloodied, but she's beaten her rival and Julia has lost her unbeaten record to put a cherry on top for the Texan.
The doctor and medics rush in to check Julia out, working to wake her up and after a few moments she sputters awake but is clearly not fit enough to get up.
A stretcher is brought in and Julia has to be taken out the ring on it to a respectful round of applause, though Michelle has a small grin on her lips as she watches her go.
Michelle getting cleaned up by her coach, happy to take the stinging pain now that she's won, chants of her name rings out around the arena.
After getting cleaned up, she pumps her right fist to the crowd, looking excited as she slowly does a lap of honour inside the ring.
Before she is helped by her coach out of the ring, Michelle told by organisers that she's invited to celebrate the holiday at a bar in Puebla.
No news on who Michelle will fight next, rumours of a rematch with Eliza Taylor, maybe one of the newer stars in the division, her options seem to have opened up.
For Julia, if this is the end of her FCBA career it will be sad as she has won some big fights, but not fighting regularly has hurt her career and now her unbeaten run is over, there may not be takers.
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