Posted by Simguy on 5/17/2008, 8:43 am.

Before: Intriguing style match up—both girls quintessential representatives of respective types. “Claire can be beaten with pressure,” a plucky Hayden chirps in prefight. “I’ve got tape of Danes breaking down in certain fights—I’m not going to tell you WHICH fights I’ve been studying in—but I know I’ve got a good plan fort her. Despite all the Claire-hype, there IS a blueprint for beating her, and I’m going to execute it,”

Danes amuse, whispering to cohorts throughout Hayden’s speech—not a whole lot of respect coming from the HISC sorceress. “I’m a former, multi-time, flyweight champ,” Claire says, going straight for Hayden’s jugular. “Hayden’s a…oh wait…she’s a three-time loser in title fights, right? Gee. That’s a pretty glaring deficit, hey? When you trying to get your head around this match up, trying to think what might happen. Hayden’s thinking “pressure”—but you know what? I’m thinking pressure of a different kind beats Hayden. The pressure of the moment—the pressure of quality. Hayden’s a pumped up Disney fighter who can’t handle professional prizefighters at the elite level. Unfortunately for her, they don’t come any more professional or elite than me.”

Hayden in red-and-white punching bikini (broad white horizontal bars); small white gloves; hair in twisty beach bun. Claire in lavender bikini toip/navy bottoms; small white gloves; scrappy blonde ponytail with bangs.

During R1: Claire flat footed—trying to angle the jab down on shorter Hayden, skidding mitt off Panettiere’ skull top, Hayden weaving in low, swinging for Claire’s body early: Danes giving ground, trying to got the right hand interceptor onto Hayden’s face. Panettiere’s head movements, forward progression causing problems: Claire trying to ease back and pivot to sidestep, but Hayden’s stepping-with and getting off. Danes punched against her face and breasts—leaning away and sputtering: Hayden stamping out straight lefts and rights, ducking down, then hooking Claire’s right hip or body. Points to Hayden: Claire rushed/discomfited in the first.

R2: Same again: Claire trying fight tall—tracking Hayden then jab, sliding back from her pivoting to sidestep her. Panettiere scooting forward low, weaving Claire’s jab, hooking

Her body out of the crouch, the spitting out straight right/lefts to track Claire as she’s backing away, Danes adapting, trying to dip the left shoulder and fit Hayden for left uppercuts—but Claire eating left hooks on her jaw as Panettiere punches-with. Hayden outworking Claire—happy to bang at hip or arms when nothing else is available: Danes generally defensive, slipping and sidestepping but getting all scuffed up by busy Hayden.

R3: Same again: hustling, constant pressure pursuit by Hayden—she’s peppering Claire, pestering her, hounding her. Danes scowling—Hayden not hitting blockbusters, but it’s scouring, suppressive assault, designed to keep Claire from winning minutes, Danes forced to ropes: Hayden sets up on Claire’s chest for the first time, Glorious stuff: Hayden pushing-in, mauling, bumping with her head, rubbing with her shoulders. Hayden erupting to Claire’s flat, taut waist—crunching up-torso to work the ribs, then clouting Danes about her ears and jawlines. Danes pushing Hayden off, then licking her right uppercut/left hook combos—Claire keeping her elbows in, snapping her shots off tidy. Crowd roaring when a brace of stubby straight lefts and rights from Hayden beats Claire’s head and torso over the top rope: Danes leaning and rolling, desperate to evade Panny’s punching.

R4: Is Claire breaking down? Danes at ropes—cupping either hand behind Hayden’s head, trying to tie Panny up. Panettiere working, working ,working—stocky legs stamping for position—when she’s not stamping punches into Claire, she’s bumping head, shoulders, elbows, Claire rides a forearm across Hayden’s neck, pushing Panny’s head down: Hayden keeps punching, pounding Claire’s hip flexors and thighs to draw curt warnings from ref. Claire mouthbreathing—dipping side to side on wide-spread legs, her back to the ropes: Hayden pawing or chipping jabs whenever Danes slips like this, just trying to locate the HISC vixen. Hayden hard to tie up—she’s constantly wriggling free or simply plugging away while in the grasp: long minutes for Claire at Panettiere pounds away for her fourth straight round.

R5: Claire creep-stepping to her right at the apron, left shoulder pointed at Hayden: Panettiere frisky, punching straight at the offered flank. Little dip=roll to the right helps Claire draw Hayden forward; vicious, stamping straight right from the close stance punches Hayden’s mouth and DROPS HER TO ALL FOURS! Delayed action as Claire lands a perfect right—Hayden startled, then buckling to her knees as Danes strides past. Claire relaxed in neutral corner—impassive as Hayden beats the count: Danes all business when ref waves her in. Claire to the body—cranking pair of right hands following by thudding lefts working Hayden’s waist. Panettiere grimacing, feeling Claire get big: Hayden crossing her arms, bending at the waist, Hayden with a hopeful right out of the crouch: Claire shifting to her right, drops a clean right hand on Hayden’s left cheek, then picks her up a cutey-pie right uppercut in close. Claire palms Hayden’s shoulders, muscles her to ropes again: Danes looking to punish and damage her muscular foe here. Hayden firms—slugging side to side out of the crossed arm: by the end, she’s trading-with Claire, denying Danes satisfaction. Bell: Hayden shouts “HAH!” Claire wins the round big, Panettiere refuses to bend the knee.

R6: Claire a little gassed, reaching her right hand behind Hayden’s head as Panettiere’s barreling in, drawing Hayden in close while Claire’s retreating to ropes, Panettiere struggling in the grasp, punching into Claire’s thighs and lower abdominals—drawing warnings: “Get her off my head, ref!” Hayden admonishes, Midway through, right uppercut Claire is traded for a short right cross from Hayden: Panettiere’s blow jerking Danes’ head back, loosening her knees. Claire disheveled, right hand at her chest, left across her tummy—she; stooped slightly forward, facing into a series of short, clouting lefts and rights on her face. Claire leans back into ropes, eyelashes fluttering: Hayden chases her down with another right hand on the face, punching Claire’s head over the top rope. Claire slouching forward again, gurgling as Hayden rips her a tic-toc right/left above either hip; right uppercut brushes Claire back upright at the ropes. Right cross Hayden—Panettiere’s back (right0 foot skidding up off canvas as she pastes Claire a drifting clout: Danes’ head lolls back over the top rope, then flops forward, her mouth open. Hayden with quick little push to sort Claire out, then back on the hips with the tic-toc right uppercut, followed by the short right uppercut. Claire sagging into ropes, staring—ringsiders starting to squeal with delight as Danes’ lights dim, Little Hayden so excited: she drifts Claire another right cross clean on face, then hops onto right foot to pull the hook across. Claire dazed, hands low, taking a rare face-pasting and the REF STEPS IN! Claire out on her feet, mumbling protests as ref cradles her to safety. TKO6 Hayden Panettiere!

After: Hayden screeching and leaping, carrying ion: Claire drooping, glancing over at the celebration with watery eyes. Hayden pressurizing Claire to ropes, breaking down her body, then battering Claire’s face for a rare stoppage: Danes just doesn’t get hit this much up top, seems disoriented and confused by it all. “I knew I could get to her,” bleats happy HISC-killer Hayden. “If you can get your hands on her. Claire’s manageable—and brother, did I get my hands in her! That’s so huge for me, because the ‘book’ on me says I can’t handle boxers. Well, don’t look now, but I just handled me a boxer—and how!”

Reposted by Archer on 9/21/09.