Boxing After Dark

Posted by simguy on 2/27/2002, 7:14 am

Before: Two girls coming back off long layoffs - fight as much about getting rounds and shedding rust as it is victory. Always interesting when both combatants view the opponent as a 'tune up' - they can't both be right. Katherine in pink clingy cotton one piece, Amy in royal blue tank suit, high on the thigh.

During R1: Heigl making the fight, looking to get big, but Amy's boxing smart. Both girls flat footed - but Brenneman circling to her left, doling out stinging jabs, then falling in behind clouting right hands on the chops, clinching to smother the receipt and gain the referee's break. Tactics have Heigl flustered till late - final minute: Katherine digs a routine right/left to Amy's breadbasket and Brenneman's legs give way. Amy hanging on at the bell, gasping and grimacing, coughs up the close round to Katherine's heartstopping power.

R2: Amy doesn't panic - showing good respect for Katherine's heavy mitts, keeps giving Heigl the lateral movement and jab. Brenneman picking her spots to drop the right hand - she can lure Heigl forward and gut her with the right uppercut to the stomach, or she can step into the right cross on the chin - both landing clean. Brenneman cute with the clinching after getting off - Heigl not doing much but accepting the punch and clutch and whining. Final moments see Amy bend into a pounding right hand off the jaw of Katherine and it's HEIGL swooning in to clinch - big women hurting each other through 2.

R3: Very simple, slow paced fight. Amy shuffling to her left, eyes wide, jab sharp, potshotting opportunistic right hands, then clinching for the break. Heigl walking her girl down, coming up short to the head courtesy of Brenneman's keen stick, but Kathy can get both hands into Amy's ribs on occasion.

R4: Nice strong round for Katherine as Amy puts the jab in her hip pocket to lay in with Heigl. Katherine walking Amy heavily to the ropes, pushing her off, then getting after the midsection with crude, Foremanesque wide rights and lefts. Brenneman all covered up, trying to turn her torso with the blows - this is big, beefy work up against the ropes with Heigl just batting her arms against Amy's hurting flanks.

R5: Amy goes back to what had been working, steering the flat footed Heigl with the stick, chipping away with hard right hands. Midway through, Katherine gets to Amy with another seemingly innocent right/left on the beltline, but Brenneman's legs give a shimmy and she has to fall in to desperately swamp Katherine or go down. Brenneman very crafty when she's hurt - Heigl can't get off to consolidate and by the final minute - Amy's got her legs back, shuffling to her left, pecking away. Who do you like: the busy, accurate girl, or the girl with bricks in her gloves?

R6: Brenneman gets to Kathy early with a brushing hook, HARD right hand on the jaw combo - Heigl's legs give a shake and she's all dewy-eyed and ready to go. Katherine's turn to show some savvy as SHE falls in, walks Amy to the ropes, keeps her body on with some shameless holding. Ref letting 'em waltz in one another's trunks as boos cascade down on the ring. Amy happy let Katherine stuff away at her body from inside the clinch - Brenneman clutching Heigl close, just trying to avoid giving up the long ball.

R7: Grinding, body on body action as the girls clinch up around waists, or around the head and arm, walking each other back, trying to be the boss in there. Amy cuter with her punches, often nailing Katherine as they fall in with the hacking right or scoring inside with jerking little uppercuts or sidearm hooks across the belly. Brenneman with a knack of pushing up, then taking a half step back to let Kathy fall into punches. Amy also doing well off the ropes, leaning into them to create room and scrubbing Kathy's jugs in tight.

R8: More of it - Heigl bodying up, forcing Amy to give ground, chesting the elder brunette to the ropes and digging in behind the elbows. Brenneman really protecting her head well, but she's giving up the body - Heigl ponderous but very effective in going methodically to Amy's belly as Brenneman soaks, then clinches up head and arm, mouthbreathing heavily.

R9: Katherine seems the stronger girl. She's able to body up, muscle Brenneman around - Amy not jabbing as consistently and paying the price. Girls struggle and push with one another inside - very little full bodied punching although Heigl regularly makes her deposits in Amy's breadbasket. Brenneman with some nice counterpunching late, rediscovers the uppercut inside that has Katherine staring in confusion.

R10: Shutout Amy Brenneman. Amy saving her legs for the finish, doesn't exactly come out dancing, but she's turning Heigl, drilling and slicing the jab - Kathy on her heels, gloves up high can't close distance. Nice potshotting round for Brenneman as she controls Katherine outside, spears in and down with right hands to the open belly, comes back with biting hooks on the cheek to have Heigl sullen by the bell. Comes back narrow one point duke for Katherine Heigl!

After: Mixed boos and cheers - fans of Brenneman remain unconvinced, fans of Heigl feel justified as Katherine squeaks past. Amy probably missing the chance to make this an easy fight, could have jabbed more down the stretch - the punch and clutch was working with Heigl. Katherine relying almost exclusively on big leather, nevertheless rocked Amy on several occasions - you really can't take this one away from her.

Thanks to Apollo for this repst.

Archer 10/19/09.