Originally posted by Simguy on 9/26/03, 6:47 am.

Before: Ashanti carefully picking and choosing her comp, sticking with girls a full weight class smaller and forcing them to move up to get the money: smart. Am Jo a perky little puncher—very busy fighter—she’s been pretty vocal about giving Ashanti a “Dani Fishel style beating”. Remains to be seen if Johnson can add a little pop to the volume like Fishel does.

Amy Jo in ponytail, pink tank top, black midthigh Spandex shorts—Ashanti in white bikini top, white low-ride dance pants.

Diring R1: Nasty shock for Ashanti as Amy Jo puts a chopping right hand hard behind the ear, follows up with pesky raking hooks across the chest—Ashanti’s at the ropes under fire early. AJJ just hustling leather in there—panicked singer often grabbing brunette behind the neck, pulling her head down—Amy Jo just keeps chugging—lefts and rights plundering that rich Ashanti gut. Johnson with good digging pressure bangs out the round—singer gets a lecture from her corner: “You ain’t hurt!” and “Fit your shots in between baby—move your hands! This chick is standing right in front of youy baby—you got to punch!” etc.

R2,3: Ashanti setting up deliberately at the ropes, not being driven there—enticing Amy Jo in, Johnson big-eyed as she looks over Ashanti’s chocolately gut—AJ with a rigid jab to approach low, then digging left/right until Ashanti does something about it. Ash outworked in the second, but getting her nerves under control—by the third, she’s taking productive steps. Ashanti will disrupt Amy Jo with clever little spin moves off the ropes, tugging on the brunette’s elbow to put her face first in the ropes. Ashanti always returning to a supple little perch in the ropes however—crossing her arms against her belly, turning her shoulders—she’s effectively slipping and blocking downstairs—Amy’s hitting arms when she hits anything at all.

R4,5,6,7: Patient Ashanti rounds—she’s looking calm, confident fighting off the ropes with chopping, swatting counters. Johnson cooperating by boring in, but little brunette predictable—always digging to paunch—singer just blocks the shots, times the openings, then cuffs her girl about the ears, slices at her jugs inside, tans the waistline. Ashanti nice and slick—biting into Amy Jo’s flesh pretty consistently, blocking and rolling the receipts—round after round. AJ’s wearing down, starting to get sloppy, face shining up as ash takes her apart. Douglas showing she can be safe on the inside—laying in with AJ to smother, getting subtle angles though apparently right in front of her girl: pretty to watch.

R8: Ashanti cute off the ropes, really feeling it now. She points her left shoulder at AJ. Accepting the brunette onto it, nudging for room with it, scoring with jerking right uppercuts and slashing, sneaky-quick hooks. Johnson open-mouthed, getting clipped hard and clean along her jaw, buckling now from the body shots—she’s still trying to come forward and work and it’s betraying her. End of min.2—Ashanti’s finally off the ropes, tracking her girl with punches. Johnson bends forward, hands down—Ash steps to the left, punching from off the brunette’s left shoulder: rising right hands crashing into the exposed breasts and mouth of her for as Johnson droops. AMY JO’S DOWN! Sprawling on her face, rolling hurt to her side—KO8 Ashanti in systematic fashion.

After: Volume giving Ashanti problems early, but Amy Jo not a puncher—bigger girl able to weather the storm, get her emotions under control and methodically break the aggressive, but underpowered brunette down from the ropes. Nice supple counterpunching performance from Ashanti—that’s her game, got a perfect opponent to look good against tonight in Johnson, and most importantly, got some rounds under her belt.