Posted by Simguy on 4/2/2002, 5:17 pm.

Before: HISC moving pieces around the board—Danes being put in with Ripa while Dushku takes notes—wolf pack tactics at their finest. Kelly breezily confident coming in--most agree Danes can’t trade punches with the compact blonde, not that Claire intends to. “From what I’ve seen,” says Danes, “Ripa needs to be set to punch, needs you to cooperate with her. I’m going to discourage her with movement, slick her up--this is going to be one long night of dues-paying for Kelly.” Ripa in black jockey two piece underwear, Danes in red Hanes cotton two piece, picking up a cool 50 K for the one shot promo.

During R1: Ripa with that little grin, walking Danes down, shuttering her guard at her face as Claire chips and pokes from outside. Claire loping side to side, changing directions, making Kelly move her feet. Offensively, Fanes is flinging her jab, sometimes leaving it extended in Kelly’s face, rubbing and chiseling it atop the blonde’s head to keep distance. A few sharp right hands keep Ripa honest—tactical first to Danes.

R2: Kelly stepping it up, weaving Claire’s jab and landing her first scorching rangefinders the willowy blonde’s ribcage. Danes feet never stop moving—very minimal contact as Ripa pursues, but can’t contain.

R3: Danes doing a nice job with her feet—Ripa not punching much, constantly being forced to adjust. End of the first minute, Claire eases in close to double a whippy hook to the body and head, sways onto her back foot to make Ripa fan her own hook then Danes leans back in to beat Ripa to a slashing right on the lips. Kelly staggered backwards by sheer sweetness. Ripa fighting angry, continues to stork forward, chucking hard but not catching Danes clean. Down the stretch, Claire mops up with her pesky jab and sneaky right lead right hands—Ripa not setting up her power in any productive way through 3.

R4: Claire continues to out-execute an increasingly frustrated Kelly. Danes jab enough to give her initiative—Ripa’s waiting her turn and can’t get into rhythm. Claire able to move in close, bite down on doubled up hooks as Kelly’s instinct is to block and counter, only to see Danes pivot to freedom to either side. Ripa undamaged, but Claire’s clouting the belly with clean hooks and worrying Kelly’s left eye with sharpshooting right hands.

R5: Danes bending at the waist in front of Ripa, catches an awkward swipe upside the temples and reels back off balance. Ripa stepping in quick, jabs Claire to the chest and rockets over the top with that stubby right hand and DANES GOES DOWN! Claire blasted to her back in horrible shape--she’s stiff and slow for a woozy 8. Danes ragged as she pushes out her left—Ripa goes to work with blockbusting punching to the flanks, coming off the body with clubbing blows to the skull. Danes spins off the ropes, but she’s shaky—Kelly strutting forward, knuckles up on the shoulders and it’s enough to get Danes stepping backward—Ripa coming forward with clubbing punches to batter Claire to the far ropes. Beat down continues as Claire covers and slides hurt to her right—Ripa stepping with her, pulling in wide lefts and rights with bashing force but Danes gets to the bell. Claire staggering back to her corner, dodges the big bullet.

R6: Gut check time for Claire—she’s hurt, legs aren’t there—and she puts together a masterful clock management round. Ripa just can’t the range—Danes loping around the ring, then diving in to clinch. Danes flicking and pestering with the jab and walking impatient Ripa into stinging right hands—Kelly missing as Danes dips low on follow through, pivots to the right. Danes bouncing in close to shoulder Ripa back, then bouncing back outside—at the bell—a crucial shutout Claire Danes.

R7: Claire getting her faculties together, much crisper with her punches again—Ripa’s pulling up short and covering as spanking leather belts against her guard.  Kelly just not active enough—she’s coming forward, but when she gets close—Claire will feint or get off and pre-empt Ripa. Danes doing it with smoke and mirrors,  stepping in and licking 6 punch combos that are mostly blocked—but it’s nice lanky action and nothing in return. Round to Danes.

R8: Claire cruising, circling around Ripa, moving in and out, doubling the hook across the stomach, churning those Spadafore like bursts of lefts and rights in lanky arc—Ripa snarling and stomping but doing very little about it as Claire banks another heat.

R9: Claire continues to bamboozle. Ripa stepping back and shaking out her arms, then trying to force the issue, but she’s getting turned, getting flurried, getting harassed by the calculating whippet at every turn. Danes hamming it up, shimmying her hips and shoulders—grinning at Ripa, slapping away for points and escaping meaningful damage.

R10: Claire shamefully runs the clock. Ripa lands some of her hardest shots to the ribcage, but it’s all one at a time—no sustained output to bring about a collapse. Ripa’s face showing disgust in the final moments as Danes turns and runs with arms outstretched in soccer-airplane mode—comes back a wildly unpopular UD10 Claire Danes.

After: Danes makes good on her boasts, stinking out the joint and completely neutralizing Ripa’s game with a disciplined exhibition o sweet science Kelly exposed somewhat by this fight—poor judgment shown once she fell behind on the cards, outing too much pressureon herself to take Claire out, Danes gloriously unrepentant for not playing to ther crowd’s bloodlust—relishing the spoiler’s role.

Reposted by Archer 4/17/13.