REEBOK BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on 5/17/2002, 6:43 am.

Before: “Dani falls in five!” Alba’s familiar refrain--exuberant brunette loving the champion’s life and viewing Fishel as one more bauble in  what will no doubt be a gaudy string of shining defences. Dani’s seen it all before often dismissing Jessica with a curt, “Try and make it look like you’ve been here before. Oh, that’s right--you haven’t.” Physical match up the kind of thing that given Dani fits in the past--Alba willowy and mobile, but with enough whippy pop to get your respect--Fishel knows what she’s got to do divest Jessi of the belts. Dani in teal sports bra, grey stretch cotton boy cut trunks, Jessica in shades of blue tartan bra style bikini, navy gloves and ankle shoes.

During R1: Round lays it out for both women. Alba roaming the ring, gliding lateral movement setting up cuffing wide hooks, slashing right hands--pretty speed bagging of Dani’s face. Fishel bibbing, weaving, coming forward in her crouch. Midway through, Dani slips under the Alba jab, jumps out of a deep knee bends and LABELS Alba across the teeth a sweeping left hook, Jessica sent staggering away wide eyed to the ropes--Dani given a brief interval to Alba’s chest and bash away to the waist before the champ can clinch. Jessica restoring order with a limber, backhand jab and movement bordering on running as she bgets out of the round.

R2: Shut out Alba. Jessica much more disciplined, moving as she punches, constantly taking the fight to different parts of the canvas. Jessica doubling up on the jab whenever Dani gets low--Alba just trying to touch Fishel when she’s loading up, disrupting the ex-champ’s timing.

R3: Beautiful rope-work from Alba as she retreats to a corner, slipping Fishel punches by bouncing off adjacent strands, then spinning out to reverse position on Dani. Fishel having a hard time cutting off the ring on her nubile foe--meanwhile, Jessica’s slashing fists are starting to polish Dani up. Midway through, Alba with a nice wide hook. Chopping right hand has Dani frozen--Jessica gets her hips underneath a gorgeous left uppercut and DANI GOES DOWN! Fishel taking it on the button and dropping to one knee on reflex--gets up quickly--startled to have been dropped. Alba buoyed with new confidence starts circling Dani’s wagons, potshot ting, licking and swatting as the shorter girl turns, gloves at her lips, bobbing and weaving uncertainty.

R4: Jessica winning the minutes with her legs and reach--exactly s it was drawn up in camp. Dani moving her head well side to side as Alba keeps licking that uppercut--Fishel wary of the brunette’s unexpected pop. Dani sinking her hook into Jessica’s ribs on occasion, but Fishel can’t get to the chest with any consistency to really work.

R5: Alba almost nonchalant as she backhands the jab against Dani’s cheek, then BENDS into a scorching right had n on the eye that unhinges Fishel’s knees. Dani with squared up feet, gloves at her temples, stands in for a shellacking as Alba slathers on the hurt with long armed licks. Jessica dancing away with a grin after tearing it up--Fishel crossing her arms trying to walk her down, but it’s becoming target practice for Jessica. Round ends to the sight of Alba backing Dani straight up under a slashing series of rubbery lefts and rights--Fishel with her arms crossed in front of her face, overwhelmed at the bell if not hurt.

R6: Alba taking herself into the ropes and laying there all supple and loose, leaning to her right side as Dani digs in. Fishel having her best round in the absence of Alba movement--Jessica with the right hand at her cheek, rolling her left shoulder to slip and trying to clip Dani the check-hook on occasion Hard working round to Fishel--Alba’s corner isn’t wild about the rope-a-dope.

R7: Dani has a good first minute getting her face on Jessica’s chest and bludgeoning the ribcage with both mitts. Alba extending her palms to Dani’s shoulders gets separation, starts to open up the canvas again.--fight gets easier. Dani chasing Jessica all round the ring--Alba able to stop and run Fishel into punches almost at will--it’s pretty stuff from the champ. Down the stretch, Jessica retreats to the ropes, leans right to slap Dani’s jaw a hook, leans left to clap home the right hand and hops away as FISHEL GOES DOWN! Dani stumbling to her hands and knees, face first in the ropes--Alba all smiles as she saunters to neutral corner.

R8: Alba premature in her celebration--gets tackled off her stool and pile onto the turnbuckles as Dani’s still trying to win this thing. Hardest two way punching of the fight as Alba grimaces under pressure, trying to roll her shoulders and lick tight counter uppercuts off the ropes--Dani using her forehead in Jessica’s chest and a stubby jab to keep the champ pinned going to the waist with blockbuster punching from either hand. At the bell, Dani has Jessica crying out loud from a series of brawling overhand rights to the center of the chest--Fishel just pulling those babies in while stabilizing Jessica with the left at the bicep.

R9: Jessica fading to the ropes again, looking slick and relaxed, rolling Dani’s punches, trying to twitch in the short right uppercut. Fishel putting her forehead on Jessica’s left shoulder and working off that left side. Thumping hooks to the meat of the belly, thick in the breasts--Dani just keeping close, staying at that sharp angle and whacking away. Midway through, Fishel bobbing, slipping most of Alba’s counters, clips in a tight little hook that squeaks juuust inside Jessica’s right hand and ALBA’S STUNNED! Jessica lolling upright at the ropes, hands dropping, head drooping--DANI POURS IT ON! BIG lefty hook puts Alba bobble-headed, BIG right hand swivels it around--Jessica out on her feet, upper body tilting this way and that with the punches and the REF STEPS IN! Dani Fishel bellowing in victory as she leaps away--TKO9 Dani Fishel!

After: Oh the humanity! Jessica Alba up HUGE on all cards going into the championship rounds--only had to keep her distance and coast to a solid one sided victory--but  who’s pulled out more last minute Hail Mary’s than D. Fishel? DanI back in top again with a signature banging performance, crowing “SOME SAFE HAVEN!” from atop CB’s shoulders. Alba distraught, sobbing in her corner--learning experience for a talented young gun. “She doesn’t know it now,” says the new champ in post fight, “but getting exposed like this is the best thing that could have happened to her. Jessica thought she had prepared for me, thought she’d trained hard enough, but now she knows what’s really involved. My message to Jess? Stop babying yourself and WORK!”

Reposted by Archer 7/16/10