BOXING AFTER DARK

(Paramount Flyweight Title_

Posted by simguy on 2/26/2001, 7:12 pm

Before: Ledoyen stepping way up to the top of the class - Nia Peeples the total package at 110 - sleek French girl will be put to the test. Pundits writing Virginie off in this one - odds on Ledoyen going the distance almost as long as an actual victory. Ledoyen in wet curls, black leather bikini, Nia in black sports bra, high cut red aerobics bottoms.

During R1: Ledoyen showing no respect early - she's striding in with fists at her hips, trying to twist her torso into slinging lefts and rights to end this one quick. Peeps taken aback early - she bails and circles, trying to gauge the weather. Midway through, Peeples with a beautiful diagnosis - dips in under a swinging right, CRACKS the short left hook counter on the chin, then carries in with a shoulder charge to put Ledoyen on her rump. Nia so cool, unexcited in the neutral corner - she's expecting to beat the kid bad. Scored a knockdown, Virginie up quick, and she recovers well - sliding to her left, stopping to sling in the wide left hand, then twisting back the other way to land a clapping right - Nia's round, but she doesn't have her thumb on the other girl yet.

R2: Ledoyen with that crazy upperbody movement, feints Nia out of position and clangs home a wide right hand on the jaw to send Peeps reeling early. Nia staggering, wide eyed bobs and weaves her way out of danger, walking Ledoyen into some juicy body shots - Peeples spinning around her foe after spanking gut. Ledoyen finishing up strong however, backs Peeples to the ropes, scores some bashing lefts and rights to the arms and sides as Nia covers up, moves her head to the bell. Round to Virginie.

R3,4,5,6: Peeples making further adjustments - she starts to take away Ledoyen's strengths one by one. First - Peeps uses her terrific feet to cut down the ring - Second, jabbing her way in as Ledoyen relies primarily on big swinging power shots - Third, fighting off Virginie's chest, HAMMERING the rib cage, putting mileage on those young legs for the long haul. Ledoyen scrappy, but nullified in these rounds - once Nia's on her - Virginie hasn't got a clue - she wrestles with Nia, but can't shove her way free. Meanwhile, Peeples can bang to the body with both hands - Ledoyen taking it well, but dropping all 4 rounds.

R7: Ledoyen resorting to cheap practice - and it's relatively effective early on. Hard elbow smashes to the guard and shoulders of Nia whenever Peeples gets in tight - Ledoyen can back Peeples off, but can't connect on follow up punches - Nia's head movement too sharp at this point. Down the stretch, Peeples able to snap withering hooks to the body, then to the head, driving Ledoyen's back to the ropes. Round to Nia as tempers flare at the bell.

R8: Virginie showing a little savvy, selecting the left uppercut as an effective punch to nail Nia in her crouch. Peeples caught repeatedly, freezes in front, just covering her face, allowing Ledoyen some room to work. Midway through the round, Ledoyen swinging from her hips, keeping her elbows in to shorten up the slinging blows, PLOWS a right hand upside Peeples head, driving the champ sideways in trouble. Wild follow up from Virginie ineffective as a wounded Peeples bobs and gets low, bouncing off the ropes to put a shoulder into Ledoyen's waist, then crouching back into the ropes, rolling with the incoming. Ledoyen's round - Peeps still shaky en route to her corner.

R9,10 Nia shakes it off, goes back to basics to run the clock. Peeples getting back inside, stepping to her right to keep gangly Ledoyen turning, touching the French girl's ribs - Virginie's withstood the body punching better than expected tonight. No contest here - Ledoyen just can't get off - Peeples swarming her in close, taking a little off the fastball to connect with multi punch flurries, posting a shutout in the 10th. Virginie contemptuous at the bell, refuses to hug, shoving Peeples away and almost precipitating further mayhem with the snub. Comes back a comfy UD10 Nia Peeples.

After: Peeples reading Ledoyen's limitations pretty well, fights a solid, if unspectacular defense of her title, but doesn't get Virginie's respect in post fight. "She put me down in the first," said Virginie, "A real champion would never have let me go on." Peeples shrugs off the criticism, saying, "I win fights. That's what I do. If people don't like that they can kiss my ass". Still, it almost looked like Ledoyen's power had Nia fighting safety first - Peeples has to do more to get the adulation her talent demands.

sim guy

ff