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29 December 2011 Ginny's Academy Year End Review

Page history last edited by Archer844 12 years ago

Posted by Ginny (from her BLOG) on 12/29/2011, 5:51 pm

Ginny's Academy 2011: A Look Back
(Fighters listed in alphabetic order)

As 2011 dawned, The Academy was unsure what the future held in store for their fighters. The girls were all a year older, and at this point in their careers a little "additional experience" wasn't looked upon as being (necessarily) a good thing. But with few "young" fighters in the pipeline, the women of The Academy were forced to "soldier on"... as it were.

Catherine "Big Cat" Bell (1-3) turned another page in her remarkable, Hall of Fame, career. The 42 year old has cut back on her workload in the past few years while assuming responsibility for 'mentoring' "younger" fighters. She also taken on, full time, the training and managing of 'close friend' Charlize Theron's FCBA career. In 2011, Cat edged closer to a landmark achievement, as her lone win this year moved her to within two of 100 victories for her career. All three losses were ten round decisions to younger fighters, showing perhaps that dividing time between training others and maintaining her own fitness isn't the wisest course; but she's said she's "committed to Theron" as well as mentoring Candice Swanepoel, a rising star at lightweight making a difficult transition from runway model to boxer. The Academy management has gone on record as saying, "Cat will get her 100th win in 2012, that's guaranteed." Cat has remained mum on the subject, having already said during her Hall of Fame induction that records are merely numbers and it's what one makes of them that defines greatness.
It should be noted that while Bell has reduced her number of fights in the FCBA, she's continued to appear in the FCWA and participates (with partner Charlize Theron) in celebrity tag team and apartment wrestling promotions around the world.

Julie "Banger" Benz (4-3) is another 'veteran' presence in The Academy gym and 2011 saw Julie post her third consecutive annual winning record. Regularly appearing in 'top ten' lists, Benz finds herself well-positioned to make a run at an elusive first career bantamweight championship in 2012. Julie's FCBA career climb mirrors her film career which has taken off since her decision to appear topless in 'Dexter' and her portrayal of a lesbian stripper in 'Desperate Housewives' - both decisions Julie now wishes she'd made years earlier when she'd turn down roles requiring nudity. A former world class pairs figure skater, Julie is a dogged worker in the gym which holds her in good stead as she campaigns against opponents a decade younger - and sometimes more.

Academy Award winning actress Penelope "Boom-Boom" Cruz (4-3, 4KO) is one of the most 'flexible' fighters in the stable, capable of fighting (and winning) at both flyweight and bantam! With ten wins under the Academy banner, Cruz has, like Benz, found herself a frequent visitor to numerous 'top ten' rankings at both fly and bantam. She plans to continue to campaign in both classes, but said she will "emphasize" flyweight more in the future as her "slight build" makes fighting several bouts in a row against bigger bantams 'just too wearing.' A regular participant on the European Paparazzi Bikini Beach Tour, Cruz is a tabloid favorite and her willingness to "show the skin" has made her a crowd favorite in boxing rings here the states as well as on European topless beaches!

Twenty-three year old Emma Stone joined The Academy in November and has yet to appear in an FCBA fight, having honed her talents in underground, unsanctioned, and studio back lot bouts which brought her to the attention of the wide-ranging network of FCBA talent scouts and which led, indirectly, to her signing with The Academy. "I'm a huge fan of Charlize's," Stone said. "And I thought it would be fantastic to work with legendary fighters like Witherspoon, Cruz, Benz and, of course, Cat Bell and Sharon Stone; all of whom couldn't have been more welcoming and supportive. As soon as they feel I'm ready, I want to get in the ring and prove myself against what I'm told are the best bantamweight fighters in the world."

Candice "Legs" Swanepoel, at just 23 y/o, compiled an impressive 7-3-1 record in 2011; improving in almost every technical aspect of her development while facing a daunting array of young and old opponents - all specially selected to offer the different "looks" that Sharon Stone and Cat Bell felt would best serve Candi in progressing from a "tyro" to an "experienced" fighter. The future is bright for the young South African transplant with her dual careers in underwear modeling and celebrity boxing both showing how much she has to offer. Highlight of Swanepoel's year was her dual defeats of Tricia Helfer - in the FCBA in June, then on the AHW mats in July - a rare 'double' by any opponent in all of Helfer's long and distinguished career as a celebrity combatant.

The Academy flagship, Charlize "The Golden Goddess" Theron began 2011 with talk of 'retirement, un-retirement and re-retirement' as the major water cooler discussion topics in the FCBA, but when she was in the ring there was no doubt Charlize still had plenty of 'gas' in the tank. For the THIRTEENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, Charlize posted a winning record (8-2, 6KO). Her only blemishes...a lightweight title loss to champion, Palicki, and a welterweight loss to ex-champion Righetti. As the year draws to a close, Theron has re-established herself in film, with a much publicized (and Oscar buzzed) starring turn in "Young Adult." It looks like 2012 will find our favorite "Golden Goddess" flexing her muscles in a "match-makers dream" - i.e., tiny wardrobe - in the mid-summer blockbuster, "Prometheus" in which she puts her "Thundercat" work-out honed physique on display with erotic (and minimally clothed) pushups. "Twenty-twelve is going to be a big year for me..." Charlize told our reporter. "...on the big screen and in the ring. I'm signed for a tag team title match with Cat against whoever holds the straps; I'm starting as #1 contender in TWO different celebrity wrestling promotions, and with the turmoil in the FCBA I can easily see myself bubbling back up into title contention at either light or welter...maybe both...by year's end." Then turning sideways and posing, "Seriously, does this look 'over the hill' to you, fella?"
NOTE: Charlize is "hoping" to start shooting 'Mad Max: Fury Road' in South Africa beginning mid-2012. She wanted to assure her fans, "I'll have to take some time away from FCBA, but by the same token I'll be training hard and sparring (with Candice Swanepoel?) on set. Given the locale, there's a possibility I may hop down to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town or Durban for a weekend or two; maybe fit in a bout or three."

Reese Witherspoon (4-2, 3KO) will be "only 36" in March; still plenty young enough to win a title (or two) in the FCBA. Say what you will about her physique, Reese has an iron-strong will and drive to succeed. Plucked from the 'rubbish heap of history' Witherspoon in 2011 fought, and beat, younger, stronger, and 'better', women. She's been universally named as one of "the most dangerous fighters in the flyweight division." Considering the "quality of opposition" it's easy to make a case that Reese Witherspoon is one of the top ten women in her division. Looking at those three losses we see they were all to top level comp: Scherzinger, Scerbo and Sarah (Carter). Obviously, if her management can avoid scheduling fighters whose names begin with "S", 2012 could be a banner year for feisty little Reese.

Two other names require mention here.

Halle "The Hammer" Berry (3-0, 2KO) was signed as an assistant trainer with an eye to helping give the fly/bantam girls some support - both in training and in the ring with tactical advice during fights. It's pretty clear both have worked out, given the winning record of The Academy's fly and bantam girls in 2011. Halle has been judicious in accepting challenges, but like any good coach she recognizes the value of 'video work' and getting in the ring and facing some of the same women her charges will be fighting gives her a valuable, 'hands on', reference point. At one time considered one of the "most dangerous pound4pound" fighters in the FCBA, Berry still can bring it - although not as often as in her callow youth. A three-time title holder, Halle holds victories over some of the most impressive names in the FCBA (Jeri Ryan, Beyonce, Cam Diaz, Neve Campbell, Jen Connelly, Brittany Daniel, Denise Richards and Laetitia Casta). The Academy is fortunate to have an experienced hand such as Halle to help their fighters achieve their maximum potential.

'Scary' Teri Hatcher (5-3-1 since '05) like Berry, has been a fixture in the FCBA for years. Once considered one of the most dangerous punchers pound4pound, she has matured into something of a stylist and has been instrumental in the development of The Academy's fly/bantam battlers. Teri has a well-earned reputation as a "willing to do anything" kind of fighter; someone who has boxed in rings, on beaches, in mud and even once on a NASA weightless simulator 747! Teri "won her spurs" in the film "2 Days in the Valley" when she and Charlize Theron staged one of the greatest girlfights ever filmed. Teri said later, "The key to the realism was that we didn't rehearse hardly at all. They gave us a script, told us where the marks were to hit, then let us go at it. We battled tooth-and-nail most of the day with a lot of cuts, repositioning and re-shooting, but we never used stuntwoman and we never pulled punches." (Film critic Roger Ebert confirmed Teri's account, citing interviews with the crew. "They didn't know one another when they started, and director John Herzfeld didn't want the girls to become too chummy, figuring it would hurt the 'realism' of the fight scene. He couldn't have been more right. Teri and Charlize went after each other like a couple of tigresses; Charlize got caught with a right hand that nearly ended her day, but she took a few minutes to collect herself, then came back like a trouper. Funny thing is, that Charlize actually won that fight on the set, but then they re-shot it so Teri could escape after shooting Theron. I heard the two didn't speak for a couple of years after filming that scene.")