Posted by simguy on 6/26/2009, 8:58 am

BEFORE: Huge fight for both girls: for Righetti, her first championship at welter; for Landry the chance to set herself up for a long, iron-fisted reign of terror. "The welterweight division's stronger and deeper than it's ever been," Ali explains in prefight, "but for Ali Landry, the only real threats are Charlize and Amanda. Theron's been swept aside; once I've crushed Righetti, we're looking at a title reign that could dwarf Durance's lightweight mark by the time I'm done!" Righetti feeling the heat, but staying composed - young fighter understands the weight of the moment. "We've got a lot of respect for Ali in our gym," Righetti says at podium. "I've trained harder - and smarter - for this fight than I have for any other. Fighting Ali for the welterweight title is a dream come true, and I'm ready to take her. I couldn't have said that a few years ago, but now I'm totally confident going up against her." Righetti in midnight blue bikini; long, low ponytail; white gloves. Ali in gold bikini; black gloves; brunette curls loose, tangly.

During R1: Stunning display of step-and-poke from Righetti: Amanda jabbing-with a great pageant jabber...and punishing her. Amanda's left hand rifling out, pounding stiff to Ali's face; Righetti stepping left around the scores, eyes intent, chin tucked. Landry's poke parried, falling short, or simply beaten to the mark: we've rarely seen Ali out-fenced midring like this. Bell to bell Righetti, treating herself to Ali's beautiful face, sends Landry to her corner lumpy, confused, enraged.

R2: Ali stooping, jabbing to Amanda's body: change in level helps Landry find the range. Righetti jabbing back stiff to chest and face, still scoring heavily: thumping left hand techniques scorch both women. Late the round, Righetti breaks up the poking rhythm with a slapping decoy hook wide to face; BOOMING sidearm right Lennox Lewis-style to Ali's jaw and DOWN GOES LANDRY! Big, whacking blast blows Ali to her back: she's a stunned beauty, picking head up off canvas, blinking, looking around in astonishment.

R3: Righetti hopping to Ali, big redhead, frisky, eager to get at the champ. Jabs head and body sort Ali out: cranky, sullen expression on her face as Landry's forced to ring apron. Stalking pressure from Righetti: she's keeping distance, putting her jab on Ali's left shoulder/breast, turning over the occasional hook to Ali's face. Landry moping to her right along ropes, wrists crossed at her breasts, pouting as she absorbs Righetti's systematic shelling. Ali baiting traps - late the round she triggers sneaky roll-and-counter right uppercuts off the ropes: Amanda spooked, brushed back - she's prevented from really going at her girl.

R4: Amanda prepping her brunette with thumping, chastising jabs: heavy, heavy poke, pounding Ali into sullen compliance. Landry showing earmuff, rolling her torso - she's trying to weave under Amanda's jab, come back the hook: it's working in spots. Righetti circling left, being systematic: vicious sidearm rights deployed against Ali's flank SPANKING loud off that golden-brown chassis. Down the stretch, Ali grimacing, loosening from thudding body strokes - Righetti walking her down, putting clubbing lefts and rights togather. Left hook catches Ali to paunch, bunching her up with a groan: she's stricken, turning away and easing to right knee, huffing and puffing through pursed lips. Amanda brightens: Ali's feeling her power through 4.

R5,6: Landry unable to assume forward pressure, but not giving up: she fades back, digging in at ropes, showing a bit of a Charisma Carpenter look as Righetti advances to lay siege. Ali rolling torso, leaning back into ropes, leaning forward to edge her shoulder into Amanda: veteran champ showing a supple rope-a-dope, looking to exploit Amanda's openings. Righetti very disciplined - shelling the target with that crashing jab of herself before leaning in to bash away: rounds feature uniform action wherein Righetti seeks to reduce Ali at the ropes, while Landry rolls-and-counters. Not a lot of clinching as Righetti keeps her distance, moving in only in spots: Landry twisting side to side with her punches, covering up on either side, slumping into ropes all relaxed and beefy. Amanda's clapping whacks to arms, ribs and waist spanking out huge, but Landry showing real toughness: Ali absorbing a terrible drubbing, but sniping back sneaky at Righetti's chin to good effect. Righetti the fifth, Ali the sixth as Amanda huffs, puffs, can't blow Ali's house down.

R7: Savage, whacking blasts cripple Ali midring: Righetti strapping in heartless sidearm rights, carving in behind Ali's left elbow. Landry's face pinched in pain, arms crossing against body as she shies away to ropes. Righetti in grim pursuit - jabbing Landry as she bobs on the spot, then staying on the body - painting that pageant winning chassis rich, thick, shellacking rights and lefts. Ali absorbing, then pushing Amanda away for little breathers: Landry forlorn, breaking down. Righetti on in waves - smashing the body, bouncing mitts off head and shoulders. Righetti starting to punish Ali's majestic rack as well - hooking it, leaning in to stroke it righty: Landry groaning, leaning back dukes at temples, thighs a-tremble. Steady, sheeting beatdown has Landry in stupor: Righetti finally finds the chin with a short, brawny right uppercut - picking Ali up drowsy, then setting her down to all fours. Amanda's chest heaving - she looks down in triumph, then hops away all bright-eyed and eager as poor Ali struggles up the ropes for a bitter 8.

R8: Ali achy, shabby - she fades to ropes, digs in: hands at temples, elbows in, butt in ropes. Righetti steps-to - determined to apply the finishing touch: it's another thudding beatdown for Ali Landry. Ali suffering terrible shellack upon both flanks - Righetti just popping hips left or right, strapping in thumping strokes. Establishing to the body, Righetti starts using forearms to push at Ali's shoulders, stacking her up, exposing belly and breasts to digging, muscular uppercuts. Comprehensive beating, but Ali rides it out: she's still snatching back in spots, touching Righetti just enough to keep Amanda from going all in.

R9: Ali fades to ropes, draws Righetti in with tired eyes and don't-hurt-me body posture: who says Landry can't act. Righetti dutifully back on the body, whacking away big, roundhouse tic-toc: Landry absorbs in crouch, then straightens into a short right uppercut to chin. Righetti's head kicks back, legs suddenly spasming: Landry steps forward with a shoulder in Amanda's chest, bodying her backward. Snug, close-in punches swipe across Amanda's chin as she's backpedaling - Ali pushing and punching like a champ. DOWN GOES RIGHETTI! Amanda in a fog, finally tripping over her own feet and sprawling to her back: Landry smouldering down, batting mitts together. Righetti takes a blinking 8: she's hurt, unable to clear the ropes before Ali pushes in. Landry reaching under Amanda's arms, fighting off Amanda's chest: champ administers succulent close-in beatdown, cuffing and chopping at Righetti's head, tummy, flanks, clinching Amanda to secure her on occasion.

R10: Amanda's conditioning, youthful reserves to the fore: she shakes off Ali's punishment, backs Landry up with stiff jabs to mouth and once again puts Landry's back to ropes. Head to head, shoulder to shoulder - girls stay compact, working each other over with methodical, short strokes. Righetti the stronger, owning the better position: Ali digs well to head and body, but suffers a terrible beating in kind. Amanda not budging an inch, just outworking Ali in the trenches. Brutal, bruising stuff: Amanda scoring short left uppercuts as girls fight forehead-on-forehead; digging left hooks to Ali's gut/flank; chopping right hands to chin or chest. Landry employing the same punches, but unable to answer Righetti's weight of shot: challenger beats her champion without mercy in a decisive tenth. Comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW welterweight champ - Amanda Righetti!

AFTER: Landry a battered beauty - proving a warrior tonight in shaking off one KO bid after another from Righetti, but Amanda just too relentless. Righetti scuffed, but cheery: she's grinning big - happy in her corner as belts are brought across. "I never doubted this day would come," Amanda gushes in postfight. "It's all I've dreamed about since I hooked Eva Larue to her back all those years ago. I do want to rule with an iron fist, but I know how hard that's going to be in this division. I'm just going to do my very best in each fight - I'm going to keep hitting girls as hard as I can, as often as I can, and we'll see what happens. All I know is, if I fight every night like I did tonight, no celebrity on earth can beat me. It's just that simple."