Posted by Simguy on Wednesday, 18-Aug-1999 08:48:03

Before: Pre-fight conference filled with B movie histrionics as Tweed plays up her size and power, calling Soto a “cupcake” and threatening all sorts of doom. Talisa responding with icy glares and haughty ‘tude. Talisa fighting in yellow flower print push up bikini, against slugger’s black bra and panties for Tweed.

During R1,2,3,4: Talisa Soto takes advantage of Tweed’s over confidence to virtually shut Shannon out through 4. Tweed refusing to jab, stepping towards the foe with right hand cocked, left across the belly, minced by Soto’s strong left jab, right cross combination. Tweed not cutting off the ring, allows Soto to get off, and step away, forcing Shannon to reset and follow. In the fourth and fifth, Soto leans into cracking right hands to the mouth which stop Shannon momentarily, but no question the blonde is making the fight, while the brunette circles away.

R5: BOOM! It only takes one punch from Tweed to make this a fight. Dipping her shoulder, Shannon comes over the top with a curling right hand, bashing the side of Talisa’s head as the brunette turns away, and dumping Soto to her backside in a heartbeat. Soto with gut check, manages to get all her licks in, stuffing  the crude left hand into Soto’s stomach, bludgeoning the chin with overhand rights, and constantly keeping Soto close, Shannon muscles Soto to the corner for the final minute for a nasty beating, bending at the waist, and coming up Marciano-style to land clubbing left hooks r right hands at anything Talisa. Soto soaks it up, but is rubbery legged at the bell.

R6: Hello Soto! Talisa shows tremendous heart, shaking off the besting of the fifth, and coming back to bang Shannon’s head back with a clean lead right to start the sixth, Soto back on the balls of her feet, sticking the jab to bloody Shannon’s nose, and really clocking Tweed with flush right hands, In the final minute big blonde goes wobbly butt from the sheer accumulation, and standing square, tries to clinch, Soto slaps right, uncoils the fluid double left hook, and rocks Shannon onto her heels for the first time in the fight with Tweed’s feet parallel and too close together.

R7: Tweed back on top, putting her head on Talisa’s shoulder and mugging her body on the inside. Soto doing a good job of defending her head, Tweed taking the only thing she can hit--wins the round,

R8: Talisa with yet another shutout, doing it with the jab steering the big woman around the ring. Tone of desperation in Shannon, as it’s getting late, and she’s looking a little ragged. Tweed continues ti walk through anything Soto can throw, but can’t square up on the brunette to punch.

R9: Shannon shakes off crushing Soto right hands early to bash Talisa’s ribs with round right and left hands. Soto flat footed and hurting, leans in with Tweed, who doubles the hook to the belly, and tries the short right uppercut inside, but can’t catch Soto clean. Tweed winning another grounding round, but she needs drama to win at this point.

R10: Soto closing the show as she has all night, circling, getting off first, controlling Shannon with the jab, Tweed’s face puffy and sore, and she comes up with a poor effort in the tenth, looking sluggish and gunshy after so many punches to the face. Decision comes back a mild surprise, unanimous Talisa Soto, as Tweed does nothing down the stretch.

After: Shannon tweed got old in  this fight, barely throwing a meaningful punch over the first half of the contest, Shannon seemed to expect Soto to dry up and fly away after the crushing punishment in the 5th, but the Soto rally really seemed to unnerve big Shannon, Tweed looked slow, though still powerful enough to hurt Soto at any time--and simply didn’t get off enough to give herself a chance to stop the brunette. Nice opayday and a good win for Talisa, who could make the jump to mainstream fighting with this solid performance.

Reposted by Archer 8/27/10