Posted by Simguy on 6/15/2001, 9:50 pm.

Before: danes the promoter’s girl, but she’s an underdog against the ever-wily Kelly Packard. Packard the classiest fighter ever to come out of Baywatch program. And maybe the classiest fighter in all of boxing earlier in her career, has seen her name drop in value over the last couple of years to the point where she’s starting to be recognized as the division. Claire stepping up in comp, knows a win puts her own a new level--Packard filled with re4sentment at th sight of Danes’ bright-eyed enthusiasm in pre-fight. Kelly P all business in her black string bikini--Danes in cream bikini.

During R1: Danes sets a brisk tempo, punishing Kelly to the tummy with rigid right uppercuts, finishing up top with the hook to the cheek. Packard in haphazard retreast early, but she regains her composure--erest of the round is a slick fencing match--girls more or less flat footed in front of one another, moving their heads, blocking and slipping punches, working with their jabs primarily.

R2: Danes again looking to get on top then coast--she steps into tough right uppercuts to the flat midriff of her foe, Packard bringing her arms in and doubling up to absorb the early shocks. Danes getting a little right hand happy--bad to fall into a pattern against Packard and midway through, sharp punching counters have Claire in trouble. Kelly P brilliant off the block, clouting Danes’ chin with the hook, bending in and down with the right hand, then reefing up into the ribs with double left hands as Claire stiffens up. Danes welted up on throughout the second minute, but she slugs her way off the ropes late as the girls sharpshoot at medium range, taking turns with straight combination sup the middle.

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R3: Kelly P enrolls Claire Danes in boxing school this round. That supple, relaxed Packard stance, hands high, fading back as she drags her lead foot--always in position to punch, picking Claire up with jagged left uppercuts and chopping right hands, then bobbing and pivoting her way clear of receipts. Danes getting caught 2 and 3 times by accurate, sharp blows, she’s grimly walking through it, but Packard slicing her up. Down the stretch, brilliant head movement from Kelly sets Danes ip for a series of shattering counters on her chin, lefts and rights as Packard bobs up and down--final biting hook on the teeth catches Danes in mid hook herself, Claire takes a woozy seat., Danes up at 8, be, bleeding from the nostrils as Packard looks on dispassionately.

R4: Girls standing in front of one another--Danes playing Kelly’s game of reflexes--upper body movement privileged over excessive footwork as the girls try to feint and slip one another out of position. Pretty stuff, licking combinations back and forth but not a lot of clean connects. Down the stretch, Danes rolls with a Packard right hand and comes back with a slinging right on the jaw and KELLY IS HURT! Packard suddenly reeling--she stares at Claire as Danes reloads, sets her hips and drifts a perfect whippy hook up against Packard’s solar plexus. Kelly folding into the ropes hurt--Claire squaring up to land whistling right rounds punches to the ribs and biting that hook over and over into Kelly’s face. Packard busted up over the right eye--meanspirited punching from both taking its toll early.

R5: Medium range, girls crouching forward behind high guard--it’s that move-countermove stuff that Packard is so fond of, but Danes more than holding her own. Kelly dipping and ripping with the left uppercut to the breasts. Danes bobbing side to side, picking up chin with slashing left/right. Girls get off, pivot to the side--brisk pa`ce set--Danes has Kelly fighting purely defensively down the stretch as Claire outboxes the master this round.

R6: Back at midring, hooking off their jabs, trying to find the third punch in sequence to get a leg up. Packard better defensively this round--she’s anticipating Danes’ responses, swinging over to the left and going to Claire’s waist with slapping lefts/rights. Danes turning, straying within herself, but guilty of watching the smooth operator rather than fighting her this round.

R7: Now Danes does it better. Claire getting off first, out jabbing Kelly this round, wasting the right hand at the head to come back with spanking left hooks to the hittable body. Kelly stepping out to collect herself on more than one occasion--ribs are pink from abuse--she looks a little gutshot this round as she legs away from contact late.

R8: Fight getting tense as Claire continues to fight a poised,. Composed fight--Packard usually has a girl frustrated and desperate at this point in a match. It’s Danes who seems the calmer girl--light and quick upstairs to get Kelly to commit defensively, then hard and heavy bto the waist, usually finishing up flashy flurries with money left hooks to the stomach. Packard answering back, but she’s fighting in spots--stepping out more, taking deep breaths and trying to leg out the last minute of the late rounds rather than trying to break Claire down mentally.

R9: Kelly turns puncher, jolting Claire with the lead right, then twisting her hips to get a smack-smack double hook into the body. Packard able to ride the early success, pushing Claire in the chest to keep her on her heels, chasing her with straight right hands and wide left hooks to the head. Danes in disarray--getting pushed into the ropes, but not pinned there--she’s able to escape to backpedal across the ring under fire, Down the stretch, Danes avoids the shutout, standing her ground and engaging Kelly the best 2 way punching of the round--both girls trying to make a statement in a close fight.

R10: Danes comes out and dominates the former champion, former pound-for-pound entrant with a blistering show of intensity this round. Kelly punished in an early exchange of cracking jabs--it’s Packard’s head jerking back, Packard’s lip busting open as Danes gets the better of it. Kelly tries to slip her way inside--slender girls getting sinewy at close range, and Danes bangs away at Kelly’s sides, huddling the black bikini’d blonde up and putting her wobbly butt with loose-limbed power. Down the stretch, Kelly looks weary--bounding backwards, getting jabbed to the ropes, then covering up as Claire lashes away to the body, up around the ears with fluid, easy action. Shutout Claire Danes as she abuses Kelly from pillar to post. Anxious delay as the cards are tallied and it comes back a one point UD10 for the winner…Claire Danes!

After: Breakthrough fight for Danes as she faces down her stiffest test, boxes with Kelly, and beats Packard at her own game. Boxing insiders really feeling Packard’s pain with this loss--it’s tough when you lose your fast ball , and this bout looked like Kelly getting old in the ring despite her relative youth. She’s sullen, despondent after the decision--perfunctory as Danes gives her a chilly hug--quiet in post fight: “I give Claire all the credit in the world,” Kelly mumbles, “I thought she was finished after I dominated the early third of the bout, but she proved me wrong. I have to admit, I didn’t respect Claire much before this fight. I’m not sure I want to keep fighting if I can’t beat the Claire Danes iof the world.” Say it ain’t so Joe, say it ain’t so.

Reposted by Archer 3/30/13.