UNIFIED WELTERWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on 2/1/2002, 6:49 am.

Before: Once upon a time, Cindy C lived in a perfect world where welterweights groveled at her feet and all boxing tilted in the verge of becoming her own personal fiefdom. Then came knockouts, frustrations, and setbacks, and Crawford ceased to be a major layer (though her machinations in the upper weight classes continue to be the best explanation for the odd strange match or undeserving title bout). Although one of the best big-woman technicians in history, Crawford’s never held up well under Gena’s clobbering intensity—champ licking her lips in anticipation of tracking down and mauling the former welter queen in what is nevertheless a highly credible title defense. Crawford in re sports bra, navy cotton trunks, Gena in yellow sport bikini, black mesh to a high neck on the top.

During R1-4: Crawford not really the body banger that most feel she needs to be, to be effective against Nolin, but brunette shows there’s more than one way to skin a champ these rounds. Jab, plenty of leggy lateral movement, hard, pitching right hands from Crawford—she’s tagging Nolin plenty as the blonde walks her challenger down. Cindy falling in to clinch—stop and go punch and clutch frustrates Gena and although she’s landing the odd right hand, she’s not putting the second and third stroke on top that might get Crawford in trouble. Cindy banks all 4 rounds—cautious, crafty boxing has Nolin snarling, whining to the ref about the holding.

R5: Big booming swings from Gena—but all air as Crawford makes good reads, fades the right hands, turns her girl around the ring, never stands right in front of Nolin. By the midway point—Gena’s following impatiently, taking Crawford’s jab in the face, getting nailed the right hand, and getting wrapped up tight as Cindy makes her miss, makes her pay this round, Crawford pretty with her sidestep, putting a hand behind Gena’s elbow to turn her.

R6: Potshotting Cindy, baits traps and labels Gena all around long. Crawford fading to the ropes, covering up and rolling with punches. Nolin wide open, and brunette HARMS her with slinging right hand counters off Nolin misses—Cindy following through to lay over on her left side all covered up and safe after dropping the bomb. Cindy backing Gena up for the first time in the fight—blonde groggy, hurting from whistling right hands on her chin—Nolin stops punching as the brunette jabs her to piece, starts leaning into the right cross with butt-wobbling effect through the middle minute. Maddening sidesteps confound Nolin—she’s breaking down, unable to find her foe. Down the stretch, Crawford dives in on chin with the right hand, ducks in low and close to Gena, spins off the blonde’s hip to come up off her right shoulders and pounds on the right eye with more right hand haymakers, Nolin badly shaken up, reeling—she squares up and topples forward without going down, taking huge Crawford Leather in a bruising brunette shutout sixth.

R7: Cindy frustrating Gena with more delicious defense—Nolin measuring with her left, then missing over the top with right hand, grunting as Crawford hooks her ribcage off the slip. Latter half of the round shoulder to shoulder—Nolin getting off wide, but splattering away on the calm shoulders and guard of Crawford, Cindy placing her shots in close, turning on the right hand to the chin, shrugging the left uppercut in—Nolin on her heels from clean, effective punching from the challenger.

R8: Crawford has Gena stupefied, staggery. Nolin trudging up off her stool—eyes glassy—she’s loading up and looping desperate right hands, but so wide and tired that Crawford can’t help but slip under and rock ribcage with banging, long-armed hooks. Nolin cringing by the second minute, faltering forward—Crawford stepping back in good order and HAMMERING away with one-twos, just walking the stunned champion into the abuse. Nolin brawling on instinct holds her ground and forces Crawford to back off late, but Cindy hasn’t lost a round through 8.

R9: Oh Cindy C! Crawford doing a  Mish Williams number on Nolin—blasting away with the diving right hand on the available chin, pivoting to the left, keeping the jab on Gena—Nolin unable to pull the trigger, getting savaged to the face and head as Crawford keeps her distance, uses angles, and PUNISHES the punisher herself. Nolin turning, blundering into punches—she’s reaching pathetically for Cindy and paying dearly—Crawford blistering exposed ribs and inviting jaw with licking lefts and rights, then sidestepping like a professional. Nolin busted up and blubbering at the bell—she’s being beaten like a three egg omelet.

R10: Crawford starts her out with defence again, leaning back from Nolin swings, dipping under them, letting Gena sweep herself off balance, then PREYING on the blonde’s midriff and face with shattering straight punches, Beating reaches a crescendo pitch down the stretch as Nolin covers up and folds forward, wilting under a batting maelstrom of Crawford hooks—whipping blows that spank off the right side an d ear of Nolin drive the champ to the ropes, Nolin broken down, eyes pleading as she sags back onto the strands—Crawford rolls the left shoulder to feint hook, then drifts in with a beautiful right cross, catching Gena on the point of the chin and draping her on the ropes. Crawford steps to the side, Nolin slumps off the ropes to her hands and knees in RUINS! KO10 After harsh, sustained beating—Cindy Crawford!

After: Nolin battered almost senseless, sobbing uncomprehendingly—she’s taken one of the most systematic beatings ever dished out by one celebrity to another. Crawford preening, smiling with haughty superiority—she hefts the blonde’s jiggling deadweight off her stool and steps Gena around the ring for a tragic walk of shame, Crawford STORMING back to prominence—completely dismantling a woman who had assumed for a short time at least, boxing’s highest distinction. “All part of the plan,” crows Cindy in post fight, “I let Nolin get fat, complacent, then I took it all away from her. Did she actually hit me in the fight? Somebody show me a tape of her hitting me, I know she wanted to foul me—I could see it in her eyes—but when you’re hurt and confused, as she was, it’s hard to execute properly. The solution to Gena is simple: class, and leather.” Amen.

Reposted by Archer 2/14/10.