Posted by Simguy on Thursday, 15-Jul-1999 21:06:36

Before: D’errico lost in the “Baywatch” shuffle, has seen her career go from can’t miss blue chip prospect to fighting dinner theater bouts vs. Hooter’s girls and the like. it’s a great opportunity for her to face aging, but wildly popular slugger Dunning. Debbe no longer a force at the highest level of competition, but she’s that rare breed of celebrity who can draw regardless of the opponent, and this match up between the faded brawler and the earnest journeywoman is typical fare for her these days. Dunning in pink tartan bikini, D’errico in blue spaghetti strap jog bra, blue bikini bottoms--both girls in white sneakers, white gloves.

Before: Dunning all smiles during ring instructions. D’errico somber--and the tenor carries over into the action. Dunning swarms D’errico, coming straight in, batting lefts and rights wide at the target., D’errico covers up and takes an apparent beating, although she foes a goo job of picking off Dunning’s blows with her elbows or gloves in a tight guard. At the bell, D’errico seems unfazed , as Dunning smiles broadly at the pro Debbe crowd.

R2: D’errico crouching, bobbing in front of Debbe, starts to counter the predictable brunette with nice chopping blows inside the wide swings. Donna punches in a short bursts, then steps around Debbe, constantly flicking a distracting jab into the pursing brunette’s face. D’errico with a  nice habit: she jabs, then makes as though to bring her fist back, when suddenly she doubles it up into Debbe’s face. Dunning falls for D’errico’s
Broken rhythm and seems surprised as the left hand lands repeatedly.

R3: Another good round of solid boxing for Donna. Continuing to punch inside of Debbe, Donna starts to use a hand in behind Debbe’s neck to pull the brunette into clinches when Dunning wants to fight. Donna then shoves Debbe back and hits her with quick shots, constantly keeping Dunning guessing with good variety.

R4: Dunning finally rewarded for her stubborn frontal assaults, momentarily overwhelms Donna to begin this round, Wide lefts and rights curl around the blonde’s high guard to buffet her ears, and Donna goes a little wobbly butt as Debbe finds the range. Dunning with a solid first couple of minutes, bullies Donna into the ropes, slugging with free swinging abandon. In the final minute, with Debbe leaning into her punches with her chest. Donna is able to counter with sweet left hooks and has Debbe limbed from clean connects. Round ends as Donna batters a stunned Debbe Dunning in her own corner as the crowd roars.

R5: Donna D has put together a sound, solid effort in this, and she continues to frustrate Debbe with counterpunching, subtle movement, and opportunistic holding, just this side of illegal.

R6: Dunning still punching like an 18 year old, swinging left and right, daring Donna to fight back. D’errico’s timing off this round, sees her get hit hard and pushed back nto the ropes for much of the round. Debbe holding and hitting with uppercuts to the chest and face of the blonde at the bell.

R7: Another close round, with Donna the busier fighter, neutralizing Debbe for much of the round with good lateral movement, but Dunning landing a few sharp hooks to bang back D’errico’s head in dramatic fashion. Draw.

R8:9: Donna D out hustles Debbe D in these rounds, grinding it out against the tough brunette. Donna just beats Debbe to the punch, her shorter, straighter, more compact blows chopping up Debbe’s face in these rounds. Donna also shows good strength, muscling the lanky brunette into the ropes, holding and hitting, and shoving Debbe off balance. Dunning’s face shows the wear and tear, and she looks the more beaten of the two going into the 10th.

R10: Dunning pulls out all the stops, leaning with her chin and chest into swinging lefts and rights from behind her hip. D’errico ducking, covering up, catching blows on her arms and gloves, but midway through the round, a crashing Debbe right jolts Donna’s head back and sends her reeling to the ropes. Feverish life and death struggle erupts as Debbe surges to finish, but finds herself taking abuse as much as giving it down the stretch. Toe to toe, the girls pummel each other, Donna bonding back into the ropes and catching Debbe repeatedly with the bounce. At the bell, the exhausted girls keep punching until the referee separates them. Decision: Donna D’errico by a point.

After: Tough loss for Dunning, but a career highlight for D’errico who likes like a kid in the ring after the scores are announced. An unspectacular, but very methodical effort reminds everyone of what D’errico’s potential could be under the right circumstances.\


Reposted by Archer 8/22/10.