Posted by simguy on 11/14/2008

Before: Mack looking to defend her turf: Billie's an Allison-Mack style fighter, and makes no bones about it. "If Allison would like to meet me center ring and trade blows," Billie smiles in prefight, "that would be grand. She'll go out, and I'll go to dinner!" Mack unusually serious at the podium, feeling some heat from this particular challenger. "I need to teach this girl a lesson. There's a lot more to my game than simply walking girls down and bludgeoning them out," Mack contends. "I may engage Billie midring, I may not: I have options - Billie doesn't." Mack in black cotton two piece with grey waistband and grey chest band 'neath her jugs; white gloves. Billie in pale, pastel bandeau with floral print in pinks, mauves, blues and whites; white gloves; hair in slugging beach bun with bangs framing face.

During R1: The piston-pounding ferocity of Mack's jab. Allison coy with Billie - moving to her, but pumping poke rather than bulling into her. Mack's left hand jumping off her shoulder, slamming into Billie with bolt-action force, popping loud against British skull or prepared defences. Piper bobbing - lifting hands to ward off punches, crossing her arms as she weaves: she can't make much forward progress. Mack pumping stick, then stepping left: very calm, assertive stuff. Commitment on Mack's thudding poke sending pleasing tremors through her muscular body and thighs as she tightens to deliver, then relaxes to recover. Shutout Allison Mack; lumps for Billie.

R2,3: Same again: Billie aggressive, wanting to pitch and catch with Allison, but Mack denying the terms. Allison working behind that ramrod poke - the sudden, crashing pop of it easily keeping Billie at bay. Mack circling clockwise, patiently reducing Billie - selectively placing straight right hands to parts of Piper that need it. In the third, Mack starts to work in her hook off the jab - ripping it short-n-sharp to Billie's ribs. Piper shutout for 3 straight rounds, looking perplexed and punished as Mack continues a thoughtful softening-up process.

R4: Mack coming in off the jab, engaging Billie toe-to-toe: Piper lands her first clubbing blows as both women become available. Allison still heady in there - never losing her cool to simply trade away: she's digging to Billie's body - getting in close to fit hooks home, taking only as much as clout as necessary, then sidestepping out of there to regroup. Piper turning, pressing, but running into the ever-present poke of Mack: Allison's brawny left arm delivering jolting shock via the jab to a girl only too eager to eat leather. Piper lands several ringing, looping shots, looking upbeat at the bell as a result: still Allison's round as cool Mack maintains initiative.

R5: Same patient stuff from Mack: coming in off the jab, working to Billie's body, sidestepping her to repeat the process. Signs of collapse in Piper: face badly lumped up; buttocks beginning to tremble; reactions slowing as her head movement decreases. Piper still slugging back hard in spots, but Billie starting to get lit up by Mack combinations: Allison cruelly digging hooks to body, then coming up top to club away chin. Billie digs at the snug confines of Mack's cotton top; Allison answering in kind, with vigor. Mack into Billie's rack this round - leaning in off her jab to curl short hooks against it, thumping away on it: Billie forced to back off her jug offensive. Piper grimacing - swinging back hard as round draws to close, but she's ragged: Mack slipping a lot of shots; parrying shots on her shoulders as she rolls-with inside.

R6: Mack's poke and pressure have Billie giving ground: Piper's output really decreasing as Allison steps to her. Billie grunting, tipping forward behind her mitts as Mack hooks body now: British girl cramping up, looking stiff and sore in there. Mack staying busy, graduating from the belly to bash away flat-knuckle against Piper's arms, then digging hooks to healthy British rack. Breathless Piper steps back - Mack walks her down with that thudding poke - pounding Billie to face, forcing her to cover up. Body attack follows, roaming up and down torso, taking in both flanks: comprehensive beatdown being issued as stubborn British legs refuse to give way.

R7: Jamming one-two hammers through Billie's defence, jerking her head back: Mack eases in off the scoring blows to snatch her hook against British breadbasket. Billie groaning, unable to hold canvas as Mack shoulders her off: British legs shaking, no longer stubborn. Midway point - Mack digging robust right hands up into Billie's tender ribs - Piper groans, hugging herself, doubling over, pulling away ashen faced. Mack bulls in: arms underneath; chest out over Billie's back as Piper is bodied sideways to ropes. Still leaning atop Billie - Mack chugs away underneath - stubby arms working to stuff in leather. Billie sobbing out - pushes her way clear - staggers away. Again Mack bulls in - hands underneath as she leans her chest over Billie's back, legs pumping to drive Piper to ropes. More stuffing work underneath as doubled-over British girl shudders - her right side/hip in ropes as Mack feverishly digs in through the left flank. BILLIE GOES DOWN! Finally, British legs give way - Allison seething, backing away as Piper sits back on haunches, hugging throbbing ribs. Billie's up at 10, but ref waves it off: that's a thumping KO7, Allison Mack!

AFTER: Allison turns back the clock to her Dani-busting days, overwhelming tuff Billie Piper with a combination of class and bash. Celebrity Ring writes "Allison Mack redefined the jab in this fight, using it to pulverize Billie and soften her up for the savagery to come" - more or less summing up the tactical reality of the contest. "I thought a lot about Dani before and during this fight," a contemplative Mack says during in-ring postfight. "I retired Fishel by doing everything she could do, AND putting a layer of intelligence over top that she couldn't match. I had to get back to that, and it showed against Billie. Piper wanted me to stand in front of her and trade until one of us went down, but I wouldn't allow that. She's going to have to go back and retool her game if she wants to come over here and challenge me. And speaking of challenges, if Hayden Panettiere's going to insist on bringing up Dani Fishel's name, then I want Hayden to come on up and meet me. Panettiere thinks she's tough, but there's only one true pressure fighter at the top of the food chain, and that's me. She wants it, tell her to come get it."