MAXIM/REEBOK BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE UNIFICATION BOUT

Posted by Simguy on Monday, 15-May-2000 21:39:24

Before: With the TE locker room looking like a MASH unit, Cat Bell and Terry Farrell lying in various states of disrepair and Syren woozy—it’s up to Dani to vindicate the gym against former friend Shania Twain. Twain with the career edge against Dani—she’s faster, technically superior, but Fishel with the Fleet Center crowd and the biggest heart in boxing going for her. Wild applause for Dani in teal sports bra, grey cotton stretch shorts, outraged boos for Twain in ponytail, red sports bra, red jogging shorts.

During R1: Twain starts fast, nimbly darting in and out, fists pecking out staccato combinations of a scraping double jab, but Fishel hooking feverishly takes over by the middle minute. Round to Dani who hounds Twain to the ropes and rakes her ribcage with vicious double hooks, keeping the right hand taped to her cheek and showing good upperbody movement as she punches.

R2: twain continues to double up on the jab, needling away at Dani’s mouth, slinging in a hard right hand, then dancing away with a ferret gleam in those dark eyes. Fishel less able to cut off the ring, Shania stabbing away Dani’s eyes, investing for the later rounds.

R3: Dani returns serve, pounding Twain with short strokes to the waist and sucking some of the bounce out of those legs. Twain covering up with a tell tale grimace, rolling her torso with Dani’s two fisted attack, but Fishel  coming forward, bullies her girl against the ropes, keeping Twain sliding from turnbuckle. Fishel with an open stance, feet wide aprt, is hooking like a madwoman to Twain’s ribs, forcing Shania to clinch for survival.

R4: Shania answering Dani’s shutout with a circling , potshotting shutout of her own. The jab a constant worry against Dani’s face—she bobs and weaves but can’t mount any offense past Shania’s cute left hand. Twain beginning to bounce 3 punch combinations off Dani’s head, ignoring the body in search of cuts and in the final minute, a biting left hook opens a small slit over Fishel’s right eye. Girls go chest to chest after the bell, prompting referee intervention.

R5: Twain beginning outclass her rival, takes half steps back to draw Dani out and hammers her mercilessly with stunning lead right hands. Fishel walking in is hurt, stumbling sideways with a pained expression, and Twain steps with her, moving side to side then whipping the wide left or right against Dani’s head, Fishel on the ropes, gets chopped up as Shania sneaks in and out, gets off and disappears. Cut widens over Dani’s right eye as Shania finishes her combinations with sharp hooks to the youngster’s brow.

R6: Dani rights the ship, holding her hands at her cheeks, bobbing under Shania’s jab and RIPPING the hook to Twain’s ribs, nearly chopping the singer in half this round. Twain gurgling in pain after soaking up a minute of Fishel’s pressure, fades to the ropes as her legs begin to give way. Dani with patented swarming attack goes to town, bludgeoning anything Shania—arms, body, top of the head as Twain desperately bibs and weaves. Twain putting a shoulder into Dani’s lap, succeeds in edging the youngster off at times, but Dani with that peek-a-boo look, bobs her way back in, heaving hooks by the boatload. Dani with a savage nod at the bell, pumps her fist as the crowd goes wild.

R7: Shania starting to wilt, opening quickly, but fading as Fishel crowds her, constantly moving her head and banging the ribcage with those short powerful hooks. All Dani down the stretch as Twain lays in, chopping brilliant shoe shine scrubs across Dani’s face and chest, but failing to discourage the eager Fishel. Dani constantly coming forward, and she mixed in the right hand for the first time, clubbing at Twain’s left side, opening up the chin for that vicious hook. Twain beginning to field left hands off her chin, looks shaky at the bell.

R8: Hammer and tongs as both girls lean onto their toes and bang for all they’re worth. Back and forth, Shania getting off with crisp combinations upstairs, but Dani hitting harder, laying her hooks up and down Twain’s right side and moving Shania around the ring. Down the stretch though, Twain re-discovers the fade, stepping back to walk Dani onto hard left hooks and short lead rights and Fishel begins to wobble. Twain with masterful pin point power punching savages Dani, and Fishel staggers past her to fall into the ropes. Big finishing moments for twain as she has Dani’s head on a swivel, putting her punches together together to stun Fishel at the bell.

R9: Fishel lumping, but she shakes it off and continues to walk Twain down applying immense pressure with her legs, Twain jabbing, circling away, runs out of ring, and the round ends with Dani bullying Shania into a corner. Twain grimacing and covering up as Fishel PULLS hooks into the singers bruised ribs. Dani starting to pound side to side, compact torso twisting violently to jerk her punches into Twain’s  battered midsection. Both girls continue slugging after the bell as the ref jumps in.

R10: Bitter give and take continues as twain lands more frequently. Dani heavier, primarily to the waistline. Slowly, Shania begins to exert her will, getting off first, disrupting Dani with the jab, and turning Fishel midring, Down the stretch, Twain keeps Fishel at arm’s length, bouncing her fists off Dani’s head, and dancing, almost running to the left as Fishel pivots. Dani frustrated, throws her hands in the air as twain runs out the clock—goes as a draw to the disappointment of the knockout-oriented Fleet Center faithful.

After: one of the more competitive bouts between the two—both girls executing their respective fight plans beautifully. High contact, high tempo, very few stoppages of flow, but nothing settled as neither girl can exert her will this time.

Reposted by Archer 1/18/10.