Posted by simguy on 10/8/2004

Before: Pressly ruling 110 with an iron fist, but Latina liberator Hayek determined to end the tyranny. "I want the referees to be vigilant," warns Salma. "Jaime's going to get hurt and when I move in to clean up, if the official is too slow, I'll end Pressly's career." Jaime rarely the recipient of such brazen threats - blonde used to being the intimidator. "Hayek was washed up before I even turned pro," jokes the champ, "Against me now, you're going to see how much she's deteriorated. Seriously, I know the promoters are amping this one as the best flyweight match up of the year, but I really think it's an easy fight for me. I'm going to end the Hayek myth once and for all." Salma in pink bikini, slick low ponytail - Pressly in silver bikini.

During R1: Pressly nifty along the perimeter, up on her toes, changing directions with a bopping rhythm, using the ring. Jaime potshotting with either hand off her thighs, tapping at Hayek then stepping around her. Hayek patient, dukes up, parrying the shots, cutting down the ring, just trying to find Jaime's centerline with straight right hands.

R2: Hayek upping tempo, spitting jabs - she hems Pressly into a corner early, initiating sharp exchange of vicious lefts and rights. PRESSLY SITS DOWN! Furious trade ends when a Hayek hook tugs Pressly's chin - blonde buzzed, down at the ropes - blazing look of satisfaction as Hayek hops to the neutral corner. Jaime a collected 8, rubs her gloves against ref's shirt, gets back to boxing. Pressly bounding round the perimeter, quick-mitt jabs and cuffing hooks as she pivots - Hayek jabbing to the chest, looking to close and fit gancha hooks in underneath.

R3: Hayek's consistent pressure paying off - Pressly running out of ring, Salma getting on her more often and forcing brutal trade. Hayek dukes nice and high, crouching low to take away her body - Pressly's rapid punches skid and ping off guard, shoulders and skull. Hayek spackling Pressly's upperchest with hard rights and lefts, then dropping down to get that digging hook in on waist and liver - really taking the wind out of Pressly's sails. Final minute, Jaime fighting hard off the ropes: flat footed, head in close with Salma, looking for short uppercuts and crisp hooks, basically fighting Hayek's fight.

R4: The efficiency and professionalism of Salma Hayek. Hayek making Pressly's legs a non-issue, jabbing with the blonde boxer, touching up her chest, shaving chin a whistling straight right, then getting inside and working hard to the body. Pressly being hounded to ropes where she covers up, bends at the waist, lifts her elbows to ward off punches. Jaime not bad at this - blocking and blunting a lot - but Hayek in a grinding rhythm, putting hooks on Jaime at an alarming rate, staying low, stamping the odd straight right to the mouth when it's there. Hard working 4th Hayek - building a commanding first half lead.

R5: Pressly first minute - boxing from the perimeter, but legs a little shaky as she changes direction, almost stumbling and she's just slapping punches without conviction. Hayek walks champ down, jabs chest, shoots the straight right over top and mops up hooks underneath: Pressly folding forward off the ropes, going head to head and shoulder to shoulder again as per Salma's wishes. Bruising, vicious, methodical work - Hayek shrugging off Pressly's clipping uppercut and snap-snatching hook amidships - Mexican girl with the right at her cheek, cranking hooks out wide to get round the elbow, bulling with her left shoulder, resetting with the extended left elbow on Jaime. Hayek just working, pressuring - Pressly soaks up a series of digging hooks to ribs and waist, wilting visibly and finally SINKING TO ONE KNEE! Devastating, draining knockdown - Jaime panting, wincing, beats the count but pushing down on her hips to try to get extra room for air. Hayek looking Jaime over from across the ring: no mercy in those dark Spanish Eyes.

R6: Salma goes right at Jaime - Pressly can't stop her. Jaime hangdog, shopworn, pointing her left shoulder at Hayek while bracing herself against the ropes - blonde's legs are gone as brunette wades in. Hayek swinging wide right to the back, hooking hard to chest, spitting jabs as she bobs her head - smart, brutal attack taking PRessly apart by degrees. Blonde grimacing, wincing, shying away - trying to stay closed to Salma, bending to move her head, but she's so slow and hurt looking - Hayek can't be bamboozled. Relentless assault, Hayek stepping with Jaime and tearing at her. Midway through - Salma spits a high jab, getting Pressly to lean to her right - Hayek dives in a shattering right to the jaw as Jaime looks it in but can't get out the way. Pressly drooping, hands low - Hayek from the blonde's left flank hooks Jaime in the chest - enough to topple her straight back for a THUNDEROUS knockdown! Pressly laid out straight, elbows on the canvas, hands raised limply, then relaxing - it's OVER! KO6 in sensational fashion for the winner and NEW flyweight champ - Salma Hayek!

After: Hayek with maybe a career best performance in this her second or even third fistic career - Mighty Mex just keeps getting better. Pressly fanatics shocked at the way their champion was handled - Salma simply stepping-to, breaking down and disposing of a feared tyrant with chilling determination. "It all started in Jaime's body," says a beaming Hayek in postfight. "The knockdowns came because her legs were gone, her heart was gone - my body punching deeply discouraged this girl. The second knockdown - the knockout - she had nothing left. I could see in her eyes, she was almost relieved when I finished her - I knew from the way she went down that she would not rise again." Krusher strategists had hoped to encircle the FCBA with Loken and Pressly the veritable horns-of-the-bull extending round the flanks - looks like they'll have to rethink that for now.