(PHOTOS COURTESY BI PHOTO LAB) 

Posted by Simguy on 25-Nov-1999 14:42:43 

Before: Ricci playing up the legend killer angle, looks awesome in training camp with her li’l Tyson moves and ‘tude. Fishel stung by the thought of being dismissed, claims she’s in it to win it—but pundits remain skeptical aboput the psychological condition of the feisty pug.'

Dani in pale blue push up, grey stretch cotton briefs, Ricci in black push, red stretch briefs. Crucial concession to Ricci’s camp—very small gloves.

During R1: Ricci sprinting to the ring sans entourage, sliding into the ring under the bottom rope—stark contrast to Dani’s more leisurely musical walk, and fight is delayed as girls get into one another’s faces before the opening bell.

Getting into it, Ricci comes out with the Tyson look, bending side to side with gloves at her lips, looking to rip punches out of the crouch. Dani swinging with wide rights to set up the left hook, but it’s Ricci getting the better of it early, butting her head into Dani’s face plowing 2-fisted strokes to the waist, and prying Dani’s arms away from her body to get at the meat beneath. Shutout Christina as Dani gets off to a tentative start. Ricci warned for tugging Dani off balance by her trunks inside.

R2: Ricci out quickly again, bobbing in on Dani, and opening the round with a ferocious 6 punch sequence to Dani’s midriff, all left uppercuts—Ricci’s back foot coming off the mat as she pitches in. Fishel crumpling up, is bodied to the ropes, and Ricci strikes with the digging right to the gut—right uppercut combination to rock Dani back. Fishel swooning early, eyes glazed, mouth open, gloves out front as Ricci PUMPS punches in bunches to her body and across her jaw, Midway through the round, Ricci rips the right hand combination again, busting Dani up and leaving her helpless, all Christina as she leans on Dani, letting her hands go to Fishel’s hips and tummy as Dani sits on the ropes. Ricci slugging feverishly after the bell, is bodily removed from Dani by the ref.

R3: Badly beaten Fishel doesn’t recover during the break, but she digs down and posts a slugging shutout this round, standing and gutting it out as Ricci gets mugged. Fishel with the wide right hand to the side, sets up her jolting left hook to the jaw and has Ricci backing up from bell to bell.

R4: Dani continuing to pre-empt Ricci with lead right hands to the body, then turning her body into the Riley left hook up top. Ricci taking the punches well, but can’t get off, and spends too much time covering up under pressure.

R5: Dani slowly taking over the momentum, working inside with Christina as the girls lean in cheek to cheek, patiently looking for openings. Ricci’s hands behind Dani, wants to clinch rather than fight, and Fishel outworks her busty foe with chopping strokes to the ribs and chest for another shutout.

R6: Ricci doesn’t fight well going backward, and as she retreats again this round, dani lunges in with the big hook, pounding back Ricci’s face and sprawling her on the canvas flashbulbs burst. Ricci up, but badly hurt, sits against the ropes with wide eyes as Dani storms the gates. Vicious beat down ensues as Dani plants her feet wide and twists that little torso into clubbing lefts and rights, pounding down the opponent with an accumulation of violence. In the final minute, reefing right hands up under the ribcage have Ricci threatening to go down, but she keeps her feet and wobbles back to her corner at the bell.

R7: Dani basically tackling an exhausted Ricci in her own corner, shoves Christina back and gets after her with animal gusto. Smacking blows to the body have Ricci frozen, and Dani rips left hooks in behind the elbow to put a bad wobble in Christina’s legs as the actress hangs on. Dani shrugging her back with a shoulder, clubs at Ricci’s bra with short left hooks and left shoulders, working with a happy rhythm as Ricci looks sick at the bell.

R8: Ricci lights up Dani with a lead right uppercut to open the round, but Fishel won’t be denied, and she pours on the punishment to smear Christina along the ring ropes this round. Dani hurling lefts and rights to any opening, pounding the hips and arms as well as stomach, breasts and head with a non-stop blizzard to punches. Final minute sees Ricci soak up another tremendous left hook mon the huttin, and once again, the busty one refuses to go down, despite appearing out on her feet.

R9: Dani arm weary, and it shows as an exhausted Ricci is able to body up and walk Dani back for the first time since the opening rounds, Ricci with a second wind begins plying Dani’s midriff with swiping right hands, keeping her chin on Dani’s shoulder and forcing Fishel onto her heels, Dani shutout, taking a good beating to the body this round as Ricci finally shakes off the stupor.

R10: Christina comes in hard with her head, and Dani pulls back in evident pain from an “unintentional butt”. Ricci swinging with wide lefts and rights puts Dani ropeside early, but Fishel starts to come back and by the final minute, both girls are trading at point blank range with everything they have left. Exchange of hooks goes Dani’s way as Ricci staggers back with a shocked expression, and Fishel dips, explodes with another, wider, harder hook on the teeth that splashes Ricci to the ropes, Bell sounds as Dani pounds short right hands to Christina’s stomach while Ricci gurgles in pain—referee separates the combatants. Unanimous decision Dani Fishel, who resurrects her career once again with the stirring victory.

After: Dani overcomes a shockingly bad start to put her stamp on game, able Ricci. Both girls soaked up extraordinarily hard shots in this one, as one or the other fought hurt for most of the bout. Largely artless battle simply went to the girl who wanted it more, and Fishel answers the critics who wondered if the heart was still there.