Part 1:

Posted by Simguy on 8/23/2008, 9:18 am.

Before: Claire, Claire: what’s going to be different this time out? “Most of you know I’ve had Sophia in camp for this fight,” Danes reminds the assembled press corps, “and that’s going to make a lot of difference. Not so much in my game, um…Sophia and I are total opposites and she does things in the ring that I can’t and vice versa. But the sparring has been excellent—nobody mimics Hayden like Sophs, and of course her intel has been pretty keen as well. Sophia’s wins over Hayden weren’t luck: Bush really has good fight plans going into those fights, and she battered Hayden with science as much as superior firepower.”

Panny cheerful at all press gathering and promotionals for this fight: she’s very eager and aggressive when it comes to the topics of Danes. “The pressure’s on her to come up with a way to beat me,” Hayden grins, “I’ve already figured out what to do with her! Seriously—Claire’s great. Snooty, but great. But I truly believe that once I’ve worked my way inside her jab, she’s got nothing that can hurt me. She can’t outwork me tummy to tummy, and she can’t hit hard enough to back me off, so—I don’t know—it’s looking like another long, hard might in the ring for Claire Danes!”

Claire in crimson bandeau, scruffy blonde workout ponytail; small workout gloves; scrappy puncher’s ponytail. Hayden comes to ring in white robe with red lettering in script on her back that reads: “Li’l Digger”.

During R1: Hayden aggressively forward—bobbing/weaving, spitting stubby stick, stepping into Claire’s ribcage with short, stout right hands, Danes backing and circling—using her legs: minute mark, she changes southpaw, scores a pair if drilling left hands straight to Hayden’s chin. Claire swivel-pivoting to her right, pumping a right-hand poke—left hand cocked under her chin, ready to stamp Hayden’s face. Danes keeping her right (lead) foot outside Hayden’s left—knocking with the right jab—turning Hayden’s left flank. Spirited exchange at the bell as both girls slug: Claire ripping a tasty left to Hayden’s midsection gets the better of it. “Way to set the tone, C!” Eliza shouts from ringside.

R2: Claire stays southpaw: right foot forward, right jab lead, counterclockwise rotation. Minute mark—Claire taps the right jab, hooks off it, drops a straight left smooth to chin—all three punches bouncing off Hayden’s face with small-glove clap. Hesitation right uppercut—Claire getting it while hanging around over her right foot: HAYDEN SITS DOWN! Weird angle, surprising shot buckles Panny’s back leg—she sits out of it all wide-eyed and chin-shook. Claire brightens—jogging all wiry to neutral corner: Hayden on the mat was seen as critical to HISC chances coming in. Panny up quick and in good shape, but Claire dominates her from outside. Danes able to keep her distance in the southpaw stance—something she wasn’t able to do orthodox. Bell: Panettiere scuffing up—face taking an awful pasting through 2.

R3: Much better round for Hayden. Jab isn’t connecting, but she’s pumping it, hitting Claire in her right hand or shoulder—keeping C from getting off Hayden following the jab with driving straight rights up the middle, pounding Claire midbreast: Danes finally backed up against her will as Panny imposes her will, Midway through, Claire hangs a jab out over Hayden’s left shoulder—Panny scoots in, spikes a straight right to right side of Claire’[s jaw, shaking those trim, blonde legs, Follow up hook toggles Danes’ chin—she’s jerked to her left, leg stiffening: she nearly sits out of it, staggers to ropes instead. Hayden rushes in, gobbles a sneaky left uppercut as Claire’s still dangerous—Panettiere rudely shoeshined across her face as she grimly establishes position. Rest of the way is all Hayden fighting off Claire’s chest---pushing and mauling Danes as Claire slouches against ropes, relaxed in the pocket. Hayden drawing warnings: at times, she’s beating the side of her right fists against offending chest like she’s hammering on a locked door—Panny just working in vlose, trying to stay busy—not intentionally fouling here. Presumably.

R4: Hayden punching furiously from the crouch—right hands pounding into Claire’s chest or chin, backing her up. Hooks from Hayden sweep to Claire’s chin as Danes tries to back away for distance: CLAIRE’S SHOCK! Danes able to stumble to ropes, regrouping: she covers up earmuff, sitting in strands to receive a brace of batting body blows to her waist. Hayden squirming into position again—stamping her feet on the spot, reaching her arms in under Claire’s and writhing for slugging room. Hayden so strong in close quarters, arms pushing and pumping, then jamming away punches as she wriggles free of Claire’s clutches. Danes warned for holding behind Hayden’s head; Danes warned for elbow-smashing Hayden’s left shoulder; Claire showing her fangs a bit, but can’t get Panny off her in a rough-n’-tumble fourth.

R5: Claire hustling to midring: she wants to set up southpaw and get on top of Hayden before Panettiere can scoot-in. Brace of right jabs tracks Hayden as she’s weaving—Claire just knocking at short-stuff’s brows.  Danes pivoting right around her anchored right foot: she’s digging her heel into canvas as she’s turning, picking her toes up off the mat. Claire nicely dialed in with a chippy straight left—small glove—only able to score if she rushes headlong into expensive pasting counters. Danes recomposes herself—keeps back off the ropes—touches Hayden up for points through 5.

DANES/PANETTIERE conc.

Posted by Simguy on 8/23/2008, 9:19 am.

R6: Same again—Claire setting in now, controlling the ring with her legs and canny southpaw angles. Hayden routinely out of position, getting drilled as Claire pours straight punches over Panny’s left shoulder. Danes nibbles the ribcage a bit this round—clawing a whippy right uppercut in across Hayden’s front, or tucking in  behind Hayden’s left uppercut. Hesitation right uppercuts and pinging straight lefts marking Hayden up: she’s not reading the angles well, facing into Claire’s withering accuracy. Bell: Danes demure in her corner, smiling slightly with head bowed, eyes focused in concentration. Hayden wincing as her brows and cheeks get Enswell: Li’l Digger’s puffy.

R7: Claire rips Hayden a ramrod lead left to chin: Panny’s rocked for the whole round. Hayden brave when hurt—crouching forward, trying to win position and work—but Danes won’t have it. Claire getting off smooth n’easy now, picking out targets on Hayden and touching her up. Right jab to left eye: check. Abrupt straight lefts/hestitation right uppercuts: check. Swinging left hands to paunch: check. Straight, slanting left hands down into paunch: check. Hayden struggling through it all, but visibly slowing. Down the stretch—Claire’s not just making contact—she’s hurting Hayden, putting her wobbly butt. Change-up right uppercut lead/straight left hand clangs off Hayden’s chin, sits her down with seconds left. “Not your night, shrimp!” Claire chirps in passing, leaving Hayden looked pasted and bewildered as she sits up at bell.

R8: Hayden’s left eye effectively closed, face lumping up: she’s grimly walking Claire down with renewed urgency. RIGHT HAND< HAYDEN PANETTIERE! Claire pulling away, but chased down by hurtling punch—Danes sent ropeside in disarray as Hayden scoots-to. Panettiere immediately reaching in to tummy up, then writhing to free up her arms for non-stop slugging. Claire under threat: she’s slick in the pocket—rotating her torso/edging either shoulder into Hayden to nudge her off—but Panny tough to deny on the apron. Hayden issuing steady shove-n’-slug, beating Claire’s hips and arms when choicer meats are unavailable. Panny able to work in jagged little uppercuts after first smiting the waist to distract Claire: Danes absorbing her first consistent chin checks and Panny punishes her bell to bell.

R9: Claire and Hayden duke it out: Danes showing no respect with Panettiere softened up. Gritty stuff: Claire ripping right uppercuts/left crosses; pivoting right. Hayden munching these, but pushing forward, bouncing lead right hands off Claire’s pate and cleaning her up hooks. Spicy back and forth—bright, spanking impacts of small-glove leather against toned, tidy bodies. Neither girl hurt in the sustained exchanges, but the ringing tit-for-tat clearly to Hayden’s liking. Panettiere throwing and landing more, outworks Claire for points; proves she’s not as worn down as Danes had estimated.

R10: RIGHT HAND, HAYDEN PANETTIERE! Claire bashed hard upside right side of her face: knees knock as she stumbles out if it, regrouping in the HISC quarter of the ring. Hayden crunching her way in to Claire’s flanks—rip-snatching leather off meat: Claire leaning forward behind her mitts, absorbing hell, then answers back a tasty right uppercut to keep Hayden honest. Panny gobbling, but forcing herself forward: crisp, straight rights and lefts skid off Claire’s defences and shoulders as she retreats to ropes. Hayden shelling Claire with roundhouses to the waistline, then bludgeoning her way up torsi in hopes of chin: Claire desperately blocking/rolling, then neatly putting her right shoulder into Hayden’s chest to pivot-round her and escape the ropes. Back and forth—Panny into the odd potshotting uppercut or left cross—just enough to prevent a Hayden  jailbreak. Panny fights her heart out, but can’t hurt Claire again: Danes loping away in the dying seconds, jogging around the ring as a blushing Hayden can’t bring battle. Comes back UD10, Claire Danes.

After: Danes glowing—animated as she describes the various knockdowns and clean touches she got on Hayden: clearly a bit of a relief for the long time HISC sorceress. “That’s the pasting Hayden’s deserved for a long time,” Claire says in postfight. Disturbance off camera can be heard as Bush shouts taunts at Hayden in the Foxfire corner. “I took my time with her—no need to rush when I’m touching a girl up and she really can’t do anything about it. I hurt her early, and you know bullies: bust their chops at the start, and they’re never the same. I put her down and I could see it in her eyes: she basically quit in the second round—I didn’t even think she was going to get up off her buns. Fortunately she did, and I got to put my hands all over her—all night long!”

Reposted by Archer 9/23/09.