PARTIAL REPORT

Posted by Simguy on 9/19/2003, 7:20 am.

Melinda in royal blue bra style bikini

Becky in black push up, leopard print bottoms, hair red/strawberry blonde

UD10 DeMornay

Melinda Clarke had a great opportunity coming in to this bout after handing Catherine Zeta Jones a stunning upset loss. She had another chance to get another big name on her resume—DeMornay had looked shopworn in dropping a duke to Gena Gershon earlier in the year. Clarke could have emerged from the shadowy L.A. gym world and proved she was no one hit wonder. And back to back wins should have put Clarke on route to a little run in a division hungry for top 29 type opposition names. Instead it was DeMornay who showed up I shape, hungry and determined not to underestimate her veteran opponent.

The first two rounds showed both women at their best—good inside fighters with all the moves, compact punching and solid interior defenses one would expect. Both worked clever little hooks to liver Mickey Ward style, and it was Melinda hurting Becky in the second with such a punch midway through the second. But in the third, DeMornay would give Clarke a dreadful beating up against the ropes,. Hurting Melinda in the body and staying there with a nonstop barrage of bludgeoning lefts and rights. Although Clarke survived, the punishment took her heart—she was listless and grabby as she dropped the next rounds via shutout as Becky routinely walked her foe to ropes and worked her over. Down the stretch, competitive two way fighting re-emerged with Clarke taking the last 3 stanzas, but the Cinderella illusion had been shattered. Melinda Clarke comes out of the bout a crafty veteran with some pop in close who once got the better of a flat Zeta Jones—but she’s not the second coming of cat bell in there.

Reposted by Archer 12/4/09.