MAXIM BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Originally posted by Simguy on Friday, 24-Mar-2000 20:36:22

Before: Neve as big an underdog in this fight as Melinda Messenger was in hers, but Raitano has no intention of slipping. “Write this down: Neve Campbell get stopped tonight. I’m guaranteeing it.” So says the quietly confident nat. Most agree, bettors put the over/under at a meager 3 rounds, but Neve with some good sparring under her belt leading into the fight looks taut and ready to go. Natalie in red sports bra, black speedo bottoms; Neve in black sports bra, red adidas terrycloth trunks.

During R1: Neve staring at the floor, Raitano smiling and staring at her foe’s forehead during ring instructions. Campbell trying to box early, but Raitano gets on her quick, lighting Neve up with savage, ripping shots from the hips that spank hard against Neve’s face before Campbell can react. Neve standing right in front of Raitano, crumples up as Nat gets cooking with left hands to the ribs. Round ends with Neve seated on the ropes, soaking it up as Raitano gets into her rhythm.

R2: Campbell calm in her corner, nods attentively as the gameplan is laid out, and she executes well this round. Moving laterally, Neve makes Raitano reset her feet, while dialing long distance with a spiking jab. When Raitano gets inside, Campbell clinches effectively for breaks, Late in the round, Natalie backs off, looking her opponent over, and looks to be trying to time Neve’s right hand.

R3: Campbell clearly encouraged, continues to work Raitano with jabs, but Natalie starts to move her head, weaving it close whenever Neve foes the right, and bouncing her fists off Campbell’s ribs with crisp, curling one-twos. Down the stretch, Raitano gets oohs and aahs from the crowd as she slips half a dozen lefts and rights from Neve, then jumps up into her hook on Neve’s chin to drop Campbell at thje ropes. Bell sounds to end the round as Raitano stands nodding and grinning over Neve. Ref steps in to push Raitano back juuuust in case.

R4: Raitano clowning, posturing. Campbell very serious, slowly but surely racks up points behind that sturdy jab. Neve a little lumped up, right hand at cheek, lefts punching hard and straight from the shoulder, stepping left—wins the round before Natalie even realizes it’s over. Raitano hearing it in her corner, but is she listening?

R5: Raitano continues to come forward, drop her hands, bob up and down—bit it’s Neve doing all the serious fighting and scoring. Raitano actually mousing up under her right eye as Neve continues to pound jabs, and Campbell begins to drop in the odd right hand to spank the grin off Raitano’s face this round. Campbell clinching for dear life on the inside, continues to frustrate Raitano’s offence, and this fight is even going into the sixth.

R6: Raitano finally comes on like a freight train, getting on top o\f Neve before Campbell can exit her corner, shouldering and shoving the Canuck into the turnbuckle for a feverish beat down this round. This is vintage Raitano, pushing and palming her girl, spanking back Neve’s head with darting power shots, then bending down on the follow through to avoid the receipt. Raitano bobbing up and down, begins to land freely, collapsing Neve’s defences and ripping away to the midsection and jaw as Campbell breaks down, Seconds left in the round, Natalie bulls in with her shoulder, pulls back and hops into a quick left on the teeth, turning Neve’s Campbell spilling to the canvas takes a seat with a groggy expression as the bell rings—Raitano boogying back to her corner with the big smile.

R7: Raitano on her stool, ignores her corner to shout “It’s comin’ baby! Can you feel it?” at a dazed Neve Campbell upon whom cutman works frantically. At the bell, Campbell looks surprisingly sturdy, once again stopping left and popping jabs, but Raitano’s first solid left hook to the body buckles Neve’s legs and she clearly isn’t recovered. Campbell fading to the ropes, covers up pathetically as Raitano beats her—Natalie head up, feet square, there to be countered, but simply heaving in with both fists, occasionally pushing her girl back and head butting Neve’s upperchest in the finishing maelstrom. Campbell swooning, pushes back desperate slaps to avoid being stopped, but a right hand glances off her teeth, followed by a murderous left hand on the jaw that removes all doubt. Neve blasted out, tumbles down Natalie’s body to pool at Raitano’s feet. KO7 Natalie Raitano.

After: Raitano dropping down, tosses her head maniacally as she rides’em cowboy on Neve’s hip, prompting referee, and other officials intervention. Raitano lifts Neve’s title in brutal fashion and positions herself for big paydays to come as one of the most dangerous girls in the game. Campbell doing what she could, made a fight out of it, bit I the end, Raitano focused, and finished like a champ.

Reposted by Archer 8/4/09