BBU Stable Bantamweight Tournament: Semi-Finals
Posted by Vassago on 10/22/2011, 5:50 am
Una Healy (Double A) v Leilani Dowding (Foxfire Atlantic)
The first semifinal of the BBU Championships in the bantamweight division features reigning champion Una Healy (Double A Boxing; 9-3, 6 KO) and Leilani Dowding (Foxfire Atlantic Boxing; 5-5, 3 KO). Both girls met back in February which marked Healy's BBU debut and saw her knock Dowding out in the fifth round.
Leilani scored a very impressive win over Melanie Brown in the quarterfinals and promises to avenge her loss to Healy from eight months ago. Meanwhile Una enjoyed a very easy quarterfinal win, brushing Jennifer Metcalfe aside in R5 knockout.
Una Healy wearing a black bikini and red gloves; Leilani Dowding wearing a light blue bikini and red gloves.
Round 1:
A promising start from the champ, jabbing confidently all over her rival. Una wants to stamp her authority on the fight as quickly as possible and chases the stunned Dowding across the ring. Leilani backtracks several times and is lucky to avoid all of Una's big punches but finally gets trapped in the corner where Healy mercilessly pounds her in the ribs and stomach. It looks like this one may end quickly but luckily for Dowding the bell stops the champion's onslaught as Una wasted too much time in forcing the challenger into troublesome position.
Round 2:
Dowding's trainer Sophia Myles was all over her girl during the interval and the FAB woman must know she has no chance staying in the defence against reigning champion. Indeed, she bursts out of her stool and immediately throws a number of jabs and hooks at Healy who is unsure of Dowding's plan and allows to pin herself along the ropes. Dowding's courage surprises the crowd but the Foxfire Atlantic corner is on their feet! Healy struggles against Leilani's flurry of punches but manages to clinch and push the brunette away to center of the ring. They both jump at each other and land heavy punches to the face which nearly sends Dowding out on the spot as Una follows through with a couple of big hooks to her midsection. Leilani moans in pain and clinches as Healy tries to hit her on the back of the head. Referee separates them and gives the champ a lecture. Healy wants to finish her opponent off but Dowding dances around the ring, out of Una's reach, and survives until the bell.
Round 3:
Unfazed by Healy's advantage late in the second, Dowding storms out of her stool again and catches the champ with a big hook inside the first ten seconds. Una is rocked by that punch and jumps back towards the ropes but Leilani is right there working on the champ's ribs and stomach. Dowding continues to deliver some big blows but they mostly crush against Healy's arms and gloves. Very spirited but ineffective piece of boxing from the challenger. Dowding ducks low and moves her head up catching Una in the jaw with top of her head. Healy is upset and yells at the ref to do something but the man in charge has none of it and shrugs the entire situation off. Massive outrage in the Double A corner and the crowd is going mad as well. Meanwhile Leilani finally gets tired with the relentless pressure she's put on Una and tries to catch her breath. Healy shoves her away from the ropes and unleashes a low combination to the brunette's stomach and now it's Dowding's turn to struggle in defence. Una tries to go for the follow up but after only a couple of punches the bell ends the round. However Una shows no signs of giving up and catches her rival with a very late uppercut. Referee is right there and literally drags the champion away to her corner. Some bad temper has emerged in this fight and the Foxfire Atlantic camp wants Healy disqualified for a late punch after the round was over already.
Round 4:
Foxfire camp still talks with the senior officials ringside about Healy's misconduct, but the action is under way and Una steps in on the brunette, forcing her to the ropes early in the fourth. Una is on a real mission now and she buries Leilani under a barrage of punches to the head and stomach. Dowding covers up and ducks low in avoidance but Una pounds her in true champion's style with no mercy whatsoever. Quick left-right combination breaks through Leilani's guard and catches her straight in the jaw and down goes Dowding right beside the corner post. Referee starts the count and she bravely gets up at seven having difficulties to free her left arm which got tangled up in the ropes. The fight continues but Dowding backtracks from any action and is being chased by Healy all over the ring instead. Una unleashes several punches that miss her opponent's head and gets frustrated by the lack of activity from Leilani altogether. Brunette survives the round but is being outperformed by the champion as time goes by.
Round 5:
Healy believes she's firmly ahead on points and decides to be a little patient at the start of the fifth. Dowding is equally passive and the slugfest witnessed in the previous two rounds has been abandoned for a while. Una still teases her foe with several attempts to the head and stomach, but produces only single punches that aren't meant to damage anyone; however they are meant to impress the scoring judges. Indeed the champion dominates this ugly round and her advantage is becoming very obvious now.
Round 6:
Leilani seems to be happy with the fact she's still in this contest but shows some signs of offensive tactics as she steps in on her rival and scores a good low combination that land on Una's stomach. She tries to catch the champion in the jaw with a big uppercut but this one-timer was never going to finish Healy off just like that. Una jumps back and circles around the ring as Leilani's punch cuts through the thin air. Una realizes that Dowding has sparked some life into her boxing again and begins to move faster across the ring. She peppers Leilani's body and arms with constant jabs and hooks slowly wearing her down in the process. Very mature display of boxing from Healy who is fully aware of her advantage and doesn't seek an easy and flamboyant knockout. The round concludes with Leilani walking on very tired legs back to her corner.
Round 7:
Not only does Dowding look tired, but her left eye has begun to swell. Hectic work is being done by the FAB cutman as he manages to get it sorted out before the seventh. However the onslaught continues as Healy works on the aching Leilani punch by punch. She easily pummels her into the corner again where she rocks her with a crushing hook to the guts. Leilani moans in pain and tries to clinch but Una just pounds her again and again turning her stomach into jelly beans. Ten seconds later Dowding can't take it anymore and slumps down on her knees as the referee begins the second count of the night. He counts her to eight and Leilani gets up with sheer pain in her eyes. She doesn't look like someone who has anything left in the tank. Referee glances over at FAB corner and they all look concerned as well. Moment later he waives his hands and stops the fight!!! He then escorts the limping Leilani back to her corner as she looks in all sorts of bother holding her stomach and battling the tears. TKO7 Una Healy!!!
Una Healy raises her arms in a winning gesture and walks around the ring as the crowd cheer her on! She had some trouble with Leilani Dowding especially in the second and third round but proved to be more skilled and stronger of the two as she finally forced the referee to stop the fight which was getting pretty one-sided since the fourth round. Healy will now meet either Alesha Dixon or Jessica Schwarz in the final where she'll defend her BBU bantamweight title outright.
Final score: Una Healy def. Leilani Dowding TKO7.
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