Originally posted by Simguy on 11/19/2004, 7:14 am.

Before: Speak Dani’s name aloud, she just might appear—ancient curse comes back t haunt Raven Symone who backs WAY off her claim to have decked Fishel in sparring, Dani still enjoying the joke: “Raven must hit a TON,” Fishel quips, “I still have no recollection whatsoever of fighting her.”

Raven wide-eyed, jittery in  prefight—all her bluster and bravado smell of knee-knocking, panty soiling, fear at this point. Spectre of Gabrielle Carteris hovers over the bout however and one “Celebrity Ring” pundit sketches out a Symone victory scenario. “She (Raven) is a huge underdog, but she did punch a little bit against ashantio and let’s not forget: Dani Fishel went out in one round her last fight. If Roy Jones can get stopped back to back, anybody can—I’d watch Dani’s chin early.”

Fishel in navy blue bikini with baby blue big polkadots, bandeau top supported by straps, white shoes and thick socks rolled down—Raven in pink off the shoulder bikini, similar footwear, white gloves for both.

During R1: Grinning Fishel sets the tone, marching to the Symone corner and shelling Raven bell to bell, Dani crossing her arms, bobbing and punching—systematic work like she’s filming an exercise video. Dani palm-shivving with her right hand in Raven’s shoulder to set up withering hooks to ample midriff, crowding close to shoulder Raven off—it’s classic Fishel scrub-down, Symone shameful—face miming out agony, panic, despair—covering up and cowering at the ropes. Robust pumping of Dani lefts and rights hammers up into Raven’s lungs—Symone groans, turns to the side and takes a shaky knee as Fishel laughs down. Dani mops up the rest of the way, great clubbing blows against her foe’s shoulders and biceps as Raven sits and sulks at the ropes.

R2: Raven converting her panic into offense—desperate, swinging haymakers, mostly missing over the top as Dani bibs low, comes up underneath. Sheer adrenaline allowing Symone to hold her own—she catches Dani with right uppercuts and shearing left hands on the ear—Fishel wading through it, keeps up her assault on soft Symone belly.

R3: Symone beats most sportsbook odds as she comes out swinging for the third. Dani being responsible—doesn’t want to get caught a wild shot, staying compact, bobbing at the waist and collecting body shots off raven’s misses. Spirited two way—Raven bug-eyed, pitching hard lefts and rights—Dani patiently placing her shot underneath, but Fishel unable to come forward at will the way she did at the start.

R4: Dani bobbing, weaving, veteran letting panic-stricken opponent spend up all her money. Symone missing badly over the top in the first minute—alters trajectory and digs up underneath in the second minute—pounding away low and buckling Dani’s knees in the process. Ref steps in, issues warnings—Dani given time to walk it off, hands on hips, exhaling through pursed lips. Re-engaged, Raven keeps banging away down there, finding Dani’s hips, thighs and trunks with a horrendously cheap series of lefts and rights. Fishel cramping up—Raven gets what she’s looking for: clean right uppercut directly to the point of Dani’s chin. Shout of shock from the crowd as Dani gets clocked—backside suddenly a-wobbly, but Fishel doesn’t move, just crosses her arms and guts it out. Delight on raven’s expressive face turns to horror as Fishel’s coming forward at the bell.

R5: Raven no longer punching—deeply discouraged by Dani’s chin last round, Fishel coming forward, overhand rights, sweeping hooks out of the crouch, crowding close to employ bumping shoulders and shoving open-hand rights. Symone catching a temple-shot as she hurries to her right: hurting ponytrot. Then she tumbles to all fours, shaking her head, Middle minute—Dani just marching on Raven at the ropes—Symone blubbering, extending her hands to ward Dani off, turning her head away from punches, Tearing hooks smearing Raven’s paunch to the side have her gutted—she turns, sinks to her knees hugging her ravaged midriff as Dani’s bodied back. Another blubbery 8—Fishel just wading in, hammering away until tied up and walked off by the ref, then she stomps back forward to continue the shelling. It’s all too much—Dani’s gloves bashing away to ribs and tummy, bouncing hard off shoulders, bicep and skull—clubbing bump-down has Raven bawling, helpless—she turns away, takes a knee and immediately starts shaking her head “no” to the ref. Symone quits for ther second consecutive time, drawing a crescendo of boos—grinning Dani shrugs to the crowd, smiling a TKO5 smile of vindication.

After: Raven tested Dani’s chin, quit moments after finding it sound—Dani banishes all trace of the ridiculous Symone claims with a methodical, yet responsible beat down. “People were whispering ‘Carteris’ when this fight was announced, and I sure didn’t want that to happen again,” Dani admits in postfight. “I treated Symone like she was eliza Dushku—I trained hard for her, I moved my head in the fight and I did some counter-punching to soften her up. She was really scared, so I just let her spend up her money—you can’t sustain that panicky energy forever. So people were talking about Gabrielle Carteris, but they SHOULD have been recalling Melissa Joan Hart—this is the same kind of beating I gave her.”

Reposted by Archer 7/15/09.