KELLY RUTHERFORD VS ANGIE HARMON
Kelly in yellow bikini, smooth low ponytail (long); black gloves.
Angie in black bikini, yellow gloves.
Lightweight contracted weight
TKO8 Rutherford

This was a fight between two well-travelled veterans - each of whom has made a career out of being a test-bed for up and coming alpha-fighters (Rutherford a brunette whipping girl; Harmon frequently bested by blondes). Knowing that a rare 50-50 contest was in the offing, both women came into the fight in sensational shape, each determined to outdo the other on the scales, as well as in the ring. It would be a fight that would hinge upon which of the two could shed her identity as a sparring partner and become a true aggressor, imposing her will on the opponent rather than accepting another's dominance.

Angie took the direct route to aggression - chugging away with ratcheting, crisscross left/rights - always trying to come forward. But Rutherford was the more composed vixen - retreating in good order, fading Harmon's busy punches, and placing right hands to brunette chin in response. Angie took the blows well early - but these were clean, robust shots that she should NOT have been absorbing: the damage done in the first four rounds would tell over the latter four.

Rutherford worked Angie over at the ropes in the fourth, and when she turned away, she ponylashed Harmon. Those who feel the ponylashing is an empty gesture would do well to mark the effect it had in this contest: Harmon appeared despondent; Rutherford, while not gloating, definitely carried herself a little stronger and straighter to her corner after the lash. From that point on, Kelly had become Alpha, simply by acting Alpha. Harmon had been convinced - by the ponylash more than the punishment - and would suffer a beating the rest of the way.

Not that Angie stopped competing - far from it. Harmon continued to wade forward, looking to scrape away rigid one-twos - but Rutherford's sky high confidence gave her the will to time her counters, walk Angie in, punch-with, and nail the brunette right hand after right hand to chin. Harmon would frequently stagger back on her heels from these stern rebukes - gamely regrouping and issuing more of the same - but the approach simply wasn't working. Kelly began to show variety - hurting Angie with a left uppercut, a left hook off a right cross and a tuff left hook to sternum that stopped Harmon in her tracks. Working diligently from outside, Kelly simply piled on the beating in increments - never rushing herself, always staying fundamentally sound as she picked apart an increasingly shopworn Angie.

Dropped to her knees in the 8th- Harmon would beat the count, but swayed helplessly against the ropes when Kelly came for her. A vigorous lathering from Rutherford had Angie slumping into the ropes and the ref stepped in, giving Kelly perhaps the prettiest win of her career.