REEBOK BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on 10/5/01, 5:05 pm.

Before: Long awaited showdown anticipated with relish by both women. Carpenter bringing to mind some taller bantams who have given Dani trouble in the past, and she's honest about her chances, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to dominate Dani tonight. She's a tremendous bantamweight champion in her own right, but great fighters have punished her in the past and I feel I have to do that to take my place among them. It's nothing personal and I'm not saying that I'm going to stop her. I do think that I'm too physical for her, too big, and too skilled. I see a long night for Dani and I don't see what she can do to change that." Fishel snorting at the assessment, "Everyone's got a plan until I put their butts in the corner. I wrote the book on giving people a long night, and Charisma's got my title: do the math baby." Dani in teal sports bra, grey stretch shorts, Charisma in navy crop top tshirt, scoop front, tight baby doll sleeves, navy panties.

During R1: Carpenter fighting tall, using her jab, legging to her left, Dani crossing her arms, bobbing low and trying to rip up into the taller woman's body. Both women have their moments - Carpenter steals the round late by dropping down with her hook, biting it into Dani's face and pivoting around the fireplug at the bell.

R2: Dani undaunted, continues to bob and weave forward, hooking to Carpenter's body, jamming her head into CC's chest and at the end of the first minute - brunette's butt is indeed on the ropes. Fishel working her magic - working out of her crouch, twisting into shuddering hooks up and down Carpenter's right side, occasionally chopping at Charisma's jaw as the brunette covers up and takes. Dani driving in with her head into Carpenter's trunks, chugging away to the waist - Charisma ashen faced at the bell as Fishel works bell to bell.

R3: Pretty clear Charisma wants to fight in the center of the ring, Dani wants to take her girl to the ropes. CC backhanding out the jab, dropping sidearm with right hands as she steps back, trying to pick Dani up as Fishel comes in. When brunette back hits ropes, Dani takes over, clubbing arms, jugs and midriff with scuffing, churning, non stop action. Close round, but Fishel's coming forward and grinning throughout - Carpenter not selling as well with concerned looks and grimaces.

R4: Dani finally fields her first meaningful punch from Charisma - Carpenter dropping down with that pitching right hand and catching Fishel on the point of the chin to put the challenger wobbly butt early. Carpenter resumes her left pivot, hooking off the jab, turning Dani and Fishel starts to lump up as CC's connect percentage rises. Dani crossing her arms, on her heels as she bobs, looks to be breaking down, but in the final minute - desperate leaping hook catches Charisma reaching her own hook down into Dani's body - CARPENTER GOES DOWN! Explosive punch rockets Charisma to her butt - staring up in shock as Fishel glares down and winks! Fishel stealing a Carpenter round and sending the brunette all shook up to her corner.

R5: Dani walks into the same punch that had her going last round - Carpenter slinging in the right in a low, rising arc to send Fishel stepping in fence post holes. Dani busted up, crosses her arms and goes purely defensive as Carpenter picks her apart from outside. CC punching with clenched teeth, trying to get the knockdown back, raking the shorter woman with splattering hooks and slinging rights off the backhand jab.

R6: Dani fighting off Charisma's chest, just doesn't give the classy brunette time to think. Fishel swarming, reaching in under Carpenter's arms to body her to the ropes, twisting her compact torso into cudgelling abuse across the midriff - Carpenter sitting ropeside, cupping Dani's ears and grunting as Fishel continues to slam away. Coming off the body, Dani's clocking Charisma's pretty face side to side with clapping rights and lefts, palming the brunette's arms out of the way to further open her up.

R7: Carpenter's agenda takes over. CC stepping lively to her left, keeping the jab on or around Dani's face and slinging that right hand up and in as Fishel bobs, but can't get underneath it entirely. Fishel's face red and puffy - she nods in acknowledgement at the bell as Charisma touched her up for points that round.

R8: Another close round - Carpenter retreating, picking Dani up with the right hand, then Fishel gets her innings as Carpenter sinks into the ropes. Charisma clinching, either walking Dani back to mid ring or waiting for referee's breaks - both women working their hearts out. CC steering Dani in the final minute with the accurate jab - closes Dani's left eye and takes the round as this fight couldn't be closer.

R9: Dani crowding, rough with her head under Charisma's chin, wrestles the taller girl to the ropes and once again starts to break Carpenter down. CC tiring, mouth open, seated ropeside with her right hand at her left cheek, left across her body. Dani gets her whole body behind a biting hook to the cheek that seems to use Carpenter up all at once - brunette just staring, helpless, turning this way and that as Fishel piles on to the body. Bell to bell shove and slug from Fishel, keeping her weight on CC's chest, swarming with head, body and arm punches to leave Carpenter tremble-bodied at the break.

R10: Carpenter returns the favour, fighting with obvious body ache, but determined to keep Dani off her. Fishel just as determined to get inside, but she's rejected over and over again as Charisma hooks, pivots and turns her girl midring. Shutout for Carpenter sees her slash and slice at Fishel's face without hurting the little dynamo - bell sounds - girls fall in for a hug of mutual respect. Comes back a narrow one point duke, for the winner and NEW Bantamweight champion DANI FISHEL!

After: Carpenter choking back tears, but applauding as Dani's name is announced - Fishel pumping her fists and hugging her trainer, takes the time to console a devastated Charisma Carpenter in the aftermath of a very close contest. "She took it from me," says a shaky Charisma C, "fair and square. She's a lot harder to hit than people were saying, and when I did catch her, she just walked through me. I wanted to beat her so bad...maybe I wanted it too bad." Knockdown the difference - Fishel fashioning a typical upset win with sheer willpower and no-frills execution.

Thanks to Apollo for this repost.

Archer 10/20/09