Posted by simguy on 9/9/2004

LIZ HURLEY VS SUSIE AMY

Liz in union jack bikini

Amy in lemon bikini

Fought at the MEN arena, Manchester

KO7 Hurley

"The moment Talisa Soto went out to Susie Amy's fists," speculates one British fight-beat tabloid hound, "you can bet Catherine Zeta Jones and Liz Hurley were on the phone deciding what to do about her. As long as Amy was beating up Italian gameshow hostesses and French starlets, the Big Names were prepared to let her alone, but pounding out a former FCBA champ got her on Hurley's radar screen. The English fighting aristocracy makes its money in the States, but they keep a close eye on doings back home, and this sort of punitive expedition by a Hurley or a Jones is not uncommon."

Certainly enthusiasm ran high in the Amy camp for this long sought-for opportunity - but lost in the euphoria was the fact that for 9 rounds, Talisa Soto had pretty much taken what she wanted, when she wanted it against Amy, and that Hurley was an even craftier, silkier variation on the veteran boxer theme. As the minutes of this fight wore on, it began to dawn on Team Amy at ringside, that young Susie had taken this fight maybe a year or two early.

It started innocently enough, with Hurley getting into her southpaw routine, sliding to the right, keeping her lead foot outside of Amy's, and touching the young brunette with the straight left to the body. It's a punch you can't afford to give Hurley as it sets up right hooks to the head and follow-on left crosses to the chin, and as early as the second round, Susie was put wobbly butt and staggered by just such a combination. Hurley stayed patient, hurting Amy, then backing off, circling, whittling away on that strong, youthful frame and those thoroughbred legs. After 3, Amy had been shaken several times by both lead and counter left hands and Elizabeth Hurley was visibly tightening the noose.

A round of defiance saw Amy brawl effectively in the fifth, forcing Hurley to the ropes and making her slip and roll without incident. But the older beauty had established too much of her game at this point to be denied. In the sixth, sliding back and walking Susie into a withering assortment of sleek counter right hooks and sticking lead left hands, Hurley busted Amy up and had her ready to go. In the seventh, it was mop up: Hurley twisting her body to stroke home tearing right hooks body and head, then lancing to chin with that cunning left hand off the hip. It was all too much. Amy, taking one crowd-pleasing haymaker after another, finally succumbed to the punishment, going out on her feet while lolling helplessly against the ropes as Liz Hurley indulged with some late prop-and-punch to her foe's staring face. A cruel exhibition of despotism to be sure, and a sure sign that the Hurley/Jones grip on the homeland hasn't weakened as Amy is put down. Hard.