BEFORE: Lightweight superfight - Erica very conscious of losing the last one she was in. "I feel like I took my eye off the ball a little bit, and let Strahovski emerge last year," Durance admits in prefight, "I'm not going to do the same thing with Missy. And Missy's a better fighter than Yvonne in my opinion, so it's going to be tough, but I know I'm still top of the foodchain when I'm all focussed in. It's tough for me to see Righetti get the accolades she has, because I think I sort of had that top-gun status and maybe let it slip by me, but I don't see that trend continuing. Missy's hitting a brick wall in this fight, and I'm gonna use her to regain my titles AND my pound for pound status!" Peregrym upbeat, courteous with Erica at all pre-fight functions: despite intense competitive feelings, these girls want to settle things IN the ring. "I think of a title fight as being the end-zone,"

Missy grins at podium, "and I'm on the five yard line, facing Erica. I have to push through her to paydirt, and that's what I mean to do. It's a rough, physical fight, but I actually used Erica as my training benchmark when I was building muscle and upgunning for lightweight. I know I've got the strength to match her now - all I've got to do is put everything together and outclass her on the night. She's a great fighter - top 3 in the division - but I do view her as a gatekeeper to the top 3 these days, rather than a number one contender type. Now all I gotta do is prove it!"

Erica in royal blue sport bra/scarlet sport-bikini bottoms with thin white belt; white gloves; hair in loose brown ringlets; white shoes, no socks. Missy in white sports bra; snug royal blue, low-rise boy cut bottoms with little white belt; white gloves; hair in scappy ponytail with messy bangs; white shoes, no socks.

R1: Missy: weight on front (left) leg; chin tucked; hands up; changing speeds with her jab - sometimes slow-playing it out there, sometimes snapping it for respect. Erica in southpaw (right foot/shoulder forward) - batting Missy's jab out of the air with palm of right hand; left hand cocked at chest, ready to chuck. Neither girl scampering when pressured - it's organized, slide-steps back, never giving too much ground, just enough to draw the opponent forward, then immediately countering her with check-hooks, check-jabs, or combinations. Feeling out round - Erica moving to her right when she gets her lead (right) foot outside Missy's; girls moving clockwise when Missy's lead (left) foot is outside Erica's. Down the stretch - Missy leans in close, driving palm-down right hard under Erica's left breast: Durance gasps, shows cramped earmuff. Missy goes left/right tic-toc to waist, shaking Erica; short-shrugging left uppercut fits under Erica's chin; complementary right uppercut and DURANCE TAKES A KNEE! Bell sounds as Erica's staring in confusion, on bended knee before her rival to end the first!

R2: Erica stabilizes her front behind a pulverizing right jab - punishing Missy's rack, scolding her face. Erica falling off to her right side, turning Missy: Peregrym often a touch off balance in the exchanges, getting out-punched in hard-hitting trade. Erica changes direction late - circling to her left: she slots a few choice, potshotting, very heavy straight left hands up the middle - punching Missy's face with authority for points.

R3: Crowd roaring when these girls work each other's bodies: punches so hard and loud, folks hear 'em in the cheap seats. Both girls leaning in, beating ribs with both hands, then covering up to receive: vicious two way turn-taking going on. Uppercuts scrape against rigid defences up top - both girls defending the punch well, but putting the body on sale to do so. Pretty even, but Missy's slowly establlshing that left hook in behind Erica's right elbow - which sets up those short-shrugging little uppercuts at very close range (both hands).

R4: Erica feinting, feinting, then finally leaning in with the left cross...but going body instead of head (where Missy's arranged her hands). POUNDING blow detonates on stomach, bunching Missy up - Erica turning over a palm-down right hook into Missy's leftside lates, then chipping a cute outside-in right uppercut that clips Peregrym's overhanging forehead. Missy stunned, backpedalling when Erica's rifling left chases her down, punches her mouth and SITS HER ON THE CANVAS! Durance shouting "YES!" as Missy scoots to a halt at ropes: Erica's got the knockdown back. Peregrym up quick: plenty of time left on the clock as Durance marches in. Beat down - Erica to Missy: Peregrym in earmuff, laying on ropes, bending/rolling torso: Durance in good position, not smothering herself, triggering vicious, compact hooks/crosses/uppercuts punctuated by big-girl shoving to keep Missy ropebound. By the bell, Erica's accounted for Missy's waist, lats, pecs and skull - pounding the prepared defences up top just to instill shell-shock. Crowd on their feet as Erica's stomping back all seething to her stool: Missy's in a real fight!

R5: HAMMER AND TONGS! Robust exchange early sees both girls rocked, but standing ground. Erica actively trying to draw Missy into clinch-fighting cauldrons (ie: left arms under opposing rights; pushing in with left shoulders while chucking righty); Peregrym looking to deny these terms, pushing out and using her legs to regroup. Down the stretch, Missy's punishing one-twos keep Erica outside - several hammering rights upside the head ending Durance' ambitions for a tummy-on-tummy cataclysm.

Posted by simguy on 1/13/2011, 9:50 am