PARTIAL REPORT

Posted by Simguy on 3/30/2007, 7:21 am.

Carla in cobalt blue hipster bikini, white gloves

Kiele (@bantam) in crimson bikini, white gloves

KO7 Sanchez

Carla’s a bookmaker’s favourite in this fight: sturdy and compact; well-schooled; strong and poised. The lightly regarded (though promising) Sanchez entering a big underdog, but pundits hadn’t counted on the hardening effect her savage sparring sessions against Evangeline Lilly on Hawaiian beaches have had. Survival skills earned in those tropical battles served Kiele very well in turning back a similarly styled brunette in Gugino.

Sanchez gambles. With gloves at her lips, she’ll tip towards her foe, almost falling forward when she’ll release an uppercut, then follow up with scattershot rights and lefts as the opponents backpedalling. It’s a style designed to be first with power, and to get someone as strong as Evangeline Lilly backing up. It’s risky—Kiel’s there to be countered as she commits from well outside and doesn’t jab her way in—but it’s an unorthodox look and Gugino found herself getting rocked as she absorbed her first blonde bombs in a strong Sanchez first.

From that point on, the fight became a question of Carla’s ability to read, react and impose her strength—versus Kiele’s ability to maintain the initiative, keep Carla off balance and continue to land heavy shots from unexpected angles. Advantage ping-ponged back and forth as both women reeled under intense pressure fro the other: neither was having any trouble hinting her opponent flush, chin or body—with Kiele bring rung up and countered almost as often as she could pre-empt Carla.

In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, it looked as though Gugino, had solved the puzzle. Pressing her attack to Kiele’s midsection—and muzzling the blonde with preparatory jabs—Gugino  advanced throughout these minutes, enjoying long punishing stretches of brunette-on-blonde dominance along the ring aprons. Sanchez proved durable and very brave—but covering up behind her gloves and soaking up bodyshots was proving a disastrous strategy for the tanned little vixen.

And then, it was over. Gugino marched on Kiele in 7^th, intent on dishing up more of the same—and walked into one of those tumbling-forward, sneaky uppercuts as Sanchez found the chin. Follow up batting lefts and rights were simply insurance: Gugino was out on her feet—sprawling heavily on her back as Sanchez stumbled forward to accidentally trample her fallen opponent.

Another tuff beat for Carla, who despite her favoured status can’t seem to put checkmarks in the win column. For Sanchez an unorthodox, exhilarating power-punching performance—reckless at times—but nonetheless effective—calling to mind her devastation of Carmella Decesare under similar circumstances. Kiele Sanchez becomes one to watch with this dramatic win.

Reposted by Archer 10/13/09.