Unified Lightweight Title

Posted by simguy on 7/10/2003, 7:33 am

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: Girls size up the comp - Bell on Diaz: "Whew - where to begin? Cameron's the class of the division - no doubt about it - I'd pay to see her shadow box. Offensively, we've never seen a fighter wired like her - she's just a master boxer. She's got that mega star pride which makes her tough to stop, I mean, when Cam goes down, she thinks she's way too big a star to stay down and that pulls her up. And she really knows how to use her celebrity - she had poor Brittany so rattled psychologically, little Daniel just fought scared all night long - it's like extra punches in there. On top of everything else, she's setting down on her shots now - I never thought she'd take Brittany out, but she was CRACKING that kid! But you know, there's things I can do with Cam. People joke about my age and experience, but that's a big help against the superstars - the celebrity doesn't dazzle me the way it does a Brittany Daniel. Cam moves better than Theron, but the principle is the same - take her legs out of the fight, hammer that body and break her heart. I'll go to the chin as she breaks down and we'll see how it goes. Diaz is a great, great fighter, but we've got a plan in place, we've executed it before and we know it works." Diaz on Bell: "Says all the right things don't she? She always tries to soften a girl up with that 'oh gosh, you're SO good' crap, but this is the FCBA Lightweight Title Championship we're talking about - everybody's good baby. We can be friends after the fight, IF you behave yourself. Everyone knows Cat's all butter in prefight and vinegar in the ring - I'm not playing. She's a rough old cougar, I'll give her that, but she's in with the original lion tamer this time. UD10 Diaz!" Diaz in BI battle dress, Cat in dark tinted leopard print bra style bikini (FHM).

During R1: Cat feet wide, hands up high, palms out, chin tucked - she's batting at incoming, parrying, sliding little half-steps out, then inching forward. Diaz showing leg - gliding left or right, hands low, but she's safe outside. Cam shooting an up-jab off her hip, stepping off it, darting a little slashing right up the middle, just trying to break down Cat's defenses with movement and quicks. Bell shooting her jab between Diaz breasts, trying to stabilize her. Tactical stuff - Diaz getting her distance, rhythm, in control - Cat patiently looking to get closer, measuring what's in front of her.

R2: Diaz hands down, stepping to her right, using nice feints to get Bell flinching and Cam drops a sizzling right hand over Bell's left. Cat stumbling, covering up - Diaz quick to her right, blisters a series of batting lefts at the chest and face of her girl - Bell staggering backwards under fire, gets caught a leaping right on the chin that sends her reeling to the ropes. Diaz slashing in, letting her hands go - taut waist twisting as she generates lanky power on rising hooks, chopping right hands, tearing away at Cat's besieged defences and jawlines. Bell weathers the torrent, clinches, walks Diaz to mid ring for a break, but blood from Cat's nose has Cameron's eyes dancing. Rest of the round is classy Cam outside, dabbing her jab at Cat's eyes, dancing, finding place to stop and slide in the right on the mouth - Bell blocking a lot of shots, but occasionally getting caught clean enough to draw impressed hoots from the crowd. Shutout Diaz. 

R4: Diaz with another boxing first minute - but face concerned, legs a little too hasty - Cat got to her last round. Bell tracks her down after 60 seconds, jabbing to chest, cutting off the ring, gets in range to swing righty at the waist, come back the hook up top - Diaz shook up, backed to the ropes once again. Bell systematic - jabbing to close, banging hard to flanks and midriff, palming and propping, really ruff with Cam in close. Cat working hard, pushing and jostling, riding her left hand/forearm on Diaz, positioning, then SAWING the right uppercut up and down! 1,2,3 short serious shots, Cam all ragdolled and DIAZ GOES DOWN! Diaz on her haunches, falling into Cat's legs - Bell hops back to let a startled champ spread out to all fours. There's that pride: Cam beats the count, wobbly butt at the ropes - she lays back and waves Cat in! Diaz setting up rope-a-dope, hands at her temples, stooped forward, all loose and supple, looking to lean forward, lean into the ropes to slip and blunt punches. Cat climbs aboard, ignoring the head: she's wants that wiry, toned, firm little midsection.

R5: Shutout Cameron Diaz - champ showing gutty superstar resilience, gets her legs back and works around the perimeter. Cam leggy, fading back from Cat's jab, but reversing field so quickly - she's getting that little darting counter right over top. Come-along hooks as Cam steps right, reverses field to drop the right. Pretty sidesteps - Cam with a pushing hand at the elbow or back to turn Bell, get her moving her feet. Not a lot of damage - Cam content to pretty Cat up, show the judges some flash - Bell unable to cut off the ring and put an end to show.

R6: More Diaz boxing - taking away Bell's opportunities. They fight when Diaz says they fight, they move when she doesn't want action - Cam's legs imposing themselves on this fight. Diaz flicking jab starting to mark Cat up around the eyes - right hands off the step to the right have the range on Cat's jaw - Diaz getting some solid looks as she polishes Cat up through 6.

R7: Shutout Cam Diaz. NOW she's mixing in the powerpunching - boxing to a spot, going flat footed and throwing HARD, rigid 3 punch combos, finishing up with her hook. Cat gritting her teeth, hands up at temples, wading through it, but when she gets close, Diaz gets around her, luring her to another spot. End of the round - Diaz with a shoulder shimmy freezes Cat, picks Bell up a little right uppercut, punches a thick straight left into the chest and cracks an overhand right that moves Bell to her right, hands tight at her head as she takes. Syren splashing water on Cat's face, reminding her of the plan - it's classic 'yer blowin' it kid' stuff from the TE trainer.

R8: Bell out with that rigid stick in the chest, then clinching - she's bodying up, muscling Diaz to the ropes, bogging this thing down. Pushing match instead of a boxing match and Bell's making the most of it, mauling Cam along the apron, touse-rubbing the pretty blonde's face, pushing her biceps back, occasionally loading up and batting downstairs. Diaz struggling for hand position, taking her turn with blatant jug mugging, trying to back Cat off with pumping salvos to rack, but brunette smothering keeps blonde on the ropes.

R9: Bell jabbing thick to the chest, driving Cam back, then bodying up - Cat all muscular and heavy as she reaches under Diaz arms, lets her feel the weight. Bell working out of the wrap, riding her left around Diaz shoulders, plundering her body the beefy right hand, smothering up to reset. Diaz in quicksand, writhing and pushing to free herself, but this thing's being fought out in her trunks. Bell claws her way to another ugly, sloppy round - drawing boos - crowd much prefering Diaz' showy, well articulated, extended punches to this stuff. 

R10: Too close to call - it's down to the tenth and final. Bell going through her check list: close behind the chest jab, drive Cam to the ropes; bang the body, get Cam stationary, covering up; body up to smother receipts, keep Cam's butt in the ropes, smother and molest her when not punching. Diaz whining, frustration evident, but midway through, Cat gets that sneaky hold n' hit right uppercut on the chin and shuts off blonde legs! Diaz sagging, slumping back into the ropes - Bell helps herself to face with a heartfelt, vigorous course of lefts and rights - Diaz just sitting there, getting her head bashed side to side. Blonde somehow reaching around brunette hips and stops the insanity, but Diaz is hurt, digging in to survive - Bell getting on top and working her hard. Bell gnawing on her girl out of the wrap, preventing Cam from going down, but also preventing Cam from doing anything else - Cat's shutout 10th gives her the fight. UD10 for the winner and NEW lightweight champ - Catherine 'Cat' Bell!

After: How many times have we seen Cat pull out a close fight late with savvy, determination and will? Diaz in battered shock - in control after 7, she drops the last three and watches as her title belts are handed over. "I give Syren a lot of credit tonight," says Cat, arm around her trainer, eyes worn from Cam's vindictive jab, "Diaz was taking me apart a little bit in the middle rounds and Syren steadied the ship. We got back to the body, I roughed her up a little along the ropes, you know, we did what we had to do. The thing with the flashy quick fighters is to keep it close so you don't have to take chances down the stretch. I didn't want to have to open up and try for a knockout - I just wanted to get my body on her and grind her down late and that's what happened." Diaz complaining about Cat's girth in postfight - "Look at her belly - look at her ass, those tits! There's no way she's a lightweight! I was pushing against her with all my strength and couldn't budge her! Inconceivable!"

Sim Guy
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