Posted by Simguy on 3/3/2007, 8:18 am.

Before: “I read the websites,” Dani smirks at the podium, oozing veteran poise. “Cheryl and her people have been talking about this fight for a long time--and I’ll admit--I’m curious about her too. Just look at us--you knew we’d have to fight sooner or later. I see her talent, but let me just remind you--I’ve broken down Lucy Liu, Carmen Electra, and Kelly Hu in that boxing ring--all agile fighters who count on their talent to win fights. I saw a complacent Cheryl Burke against Kelly Clarkson--a lazy Cheryl Burke, an overconfident Cheryl Burke. I’ve been walking down and beating up girls like Cheryl my whole life, and I’m looking forward to getting formally acquainted.” Burke champing at the bit--she’s never made any bones about wanting to box Dani. “I think I can take Dani apart,” young dancer asserts with a cocky grin. “I think Dani’s made to order for me, I’m going to embarrass a legend in that ring when we fight--that’s my goal. I’ve been a champion  everywhere I’ve been, and I plan to be one  in the FCBA as well. I can make my career in boxing with this one fight, and I’m gonna make it count!” Cheryl in yellow off-the-shoulder bandeau top, scarlet bikini bottoms, black aerobics shoes/white socks, red gloves. Dani in navy bandeau bikini (shoulder strap support) with large baby blue polkadots; white aerobics shoes./socks; white gloves. Both vixens grinning, chirping a little during ring instructions--ref actually has to shush fighters like a couple of troublemakers in class so he can get on with his spiel.

During R1: First-minute pressure from Dani-- she’s bobbing, weaving, crouching her way forward, moving hands from crossed-arm peek-a-boo on approach. Burke tastes a pair of hard hooks in her ribcage, deftly steps out, walks to her right, ably using the ring. Middle minute sees Cheryl wrest control of the round from Dani--brisk combination punching spicing Dani up: much it blocked on the arms, but a few scraping licks find the brow. Cheryl very relaxed, nimble on balls of her feet, slinking around the ring with at her hip, right under her chin. Final minute, Burke coasting--just stepping to spots, tap-tapping a coy double jab off Dani’s forehead, then pivoting away from harm as Fishel can’t quite get into position.

R2: Cheryl being first--she’ll close with Dani, exploit Dani’s  crossed-arm crouch with a crisp bushel of snappy lefts and rights, then sidestep before  Dani’s ready to answer. Fishel stepping back at points, shaking out her arms, rolling her head: Burke’s speed, fluidity giving the veteran pause in early going. Cheryl showing a Carmen Electra creep-step, flat footed prowling to either side, weight on either foot, pointing either shoulder at Dani, punching hard from either side--plenty of awkward looks for Fishel to read.

R3: Burke feinting as she steps as she steps in--Dani crouch-covers, eats a sweeping right hand to the midsection as Burke gets feisty, Cheryl scowling after landing loud to breadbasket, pursing her lips while sidestepping left: Dani tries to close, eats a pair of knockout jabs against her face as Burke skips away. Fishel upping her tempo--crossing and uncrossing her arms, snorting as she stomps forward, hooking Cheryl hard to ribs-o’-the flank. Burke managing pressure with her golden legs, dancing away from harm, resetting behind that tart jab working Dani sharp combinations. Through 3 Dani’s been touched hard body and head, outmaneuvered, dressed up a little: Fishel frowning en route to her corner as Syren calmly whispers some observations,.

R4: Dani bobbing/weaving forward--jabbing stubby at Cheryl to disrupt Burke’s pre-emptive timing. Fishel finally able to close with authority, bang both hands to the waist: Burke fades to ropes, sets up supple with left shoulder pointed at Fishel,. Dani squares away a-banging: Fishel keeping Cheryl pinned down with stiff jabs, bumping left elbow and hard right-palm shoves--all of it designed to set up big, booming hooks to body. Burke grimacing, feeling Dani’s heft: supple brunette bending at the waist, slipping headshots, but absorbing thudding leather amidships as Fishel has her way. Bell: big grin, Dani; rueful grin Cheryl--girls slap gloves to acknowledge Fishel’s vigorous action in the fourth.

R5: Cheryl standing her ground more often, getting shoulder to shoulder with Dani, swapping licks toe-to-toe, Fishel operating out of the aggressive crouch--alternating between peek-a-boo and crossed-arm looks as she rips hooks, jots crosses, Burke in a closed stance--left shoulder into Dani, left hand curled across tummy, right at her cheek--she’s bending at the waist, bumping Dani shoulders, and potshot ting slick little chop rights/swipe hooks. Very crowd pleasing two-way licks: Dani’s shots louder, often moving Cheryl on impact; Burke’s punching flashier, cuter, often cleaner, hard round to score--both vixens come away feeling they took it.

R6: Cheryl digs at Dani’s body brutally this round, bell to bell. Burke committing inside--grinding her tousle into Dani’s face, reaching under Dani’s arms: Cheryl making a real statement this round about who and what she is in a boxing ring. Tic-tac-toe combo’s bump off Dani’s paunch; slashing hooks rake across sternum; slutty bright hands chop[ in behind left elbow; tucking hooks bite behind right elbow. Fishel stoic, but clearly shocked--she’s tilting forward, lips parted, just baby-stepping her way into punishment, Down the stretch, with Dani badly body-beaten--Cheryl starts clipping uppercuts: gorgeous, curling tight little shots as she’s backing up--right ones off the right foot, left ones off the left. Bell: Cheryl’s good natured grinning takes on a mean-spirited tinge--she knows she got to Dani that round and she’s letting a demoralized Fishel hear all about it as ref moves in.

R7: OH THEY BANG AWAY! Cheryl learns the error of taunting Dani while Fishel’s still a threat--uptempo Tank barrels into Burke, stampedes her to ropes and proceeds to put mitts on “Dancing With the Stars” meat. Burke’s lips pursed as she twists side to side, trying to defray the costs of engagement: Fishel smashing away right/left roundhouses--beating everything Cheryl from hip to head. Early frenzy gives way to brawny deliberations: Fishel sets strong--shoulder-bumping Cheryl into ropes, hooking her midsection, then cleaning up right hands or hooks up top as Burke slouches in dismay, Burke dipping supple, instinctively rolling shots with her left shoulder--she’s answering back sneaky right hands out of the closed stance, catching Dani’s face but not discouraging her. Bell: Dani nods aggressively, forcing eye contact--Cheryl suddenly moody, sulking as she stomps back to her corner.

R8: Cheryl opens with a slick one/two, shifting weight to front (left) foot from which she bats a glorious three-hook series to Dani’s breadbasket. Fishel frozen in her crouch, soaking up leather: she answers back a left to the shoulder, right to the head as Burke’s leaning away to reset. Cheryl teeth bared, moving right--she’s in again with a sudden one-two, then cleaning up hooks downstairs--firm, batting action on the hooks, really sounding out loud from Dani’s sturdy midsection. Fishel crouching to receive, then hooking back--she’s catching Burke clean as Cheryl backs straight up, hands low, Back and forth, back and forth--Burke attacking them with a burst, Dani answering as action rotates around the ring. Midway through, Fishel absorbing a cluster of slick punches--Dani erupts out of the crouch, kissing Cheryl that sweeping hook-out-of-the-crouch and BURKE GOES DOWN! Cheryl dropped to her back--she’s SO disappointed! Cheryl punching the canvas, getting up and bouncing on the spot at the ropes as ref gives her 8. ON COMES DANI! Fishel all grins, bouncing in to pile on and DANI GETS ROCKED! Fishel walking straight in: Burke hoisting a low-slung right uppercut clean  to chin, then sidestepping-right as Dani staggers face-first to ropes! Dani stunned, partially righting herself at the ropes: CHERYL UNLEASHES! Dani bent nearly double, face upturned: Cheryl standing tall off Dani’s left shoulder, slicing right hands down on Dani’s left eye, picking Dani up the cuffing left hook under chin, Fishel a-swoon, just staring into this stuff: Cheryl baring her teeth, hitting Fishel again and again and again--rising lefts, downward-chopping rights. DANI’S BEATEN TO HER KNEES! Fishel ragged, trembling on all fours as Cheryl’s screaming in exultation, running and jumping around the ring, Fishel up at 8--ref asks her to walk to him: Dani wanders PAST the man, seemingly adrift and THE REF STOPS THE FIGHT! Fishel in shock--she’s badly hurt, badly every fiber of her being wants to continue competing: Cheryl Burke’s the TKO8 victrix.

After: Burke uncontainable--leaping into corner ropes, blowing kisses, pumping her fist--sheer enthusiasm of the fresh face winning over the fan tonight. Fishel engaged in groggy protestations against the ref and FCBA officials--Dani just not accepting the verdict, despite the punishment she had taken. Every bantamweight from Kelly Hu on down sitting up and taking notice: nobody’s ever come off the canvas to stop Dani Fishel in the same round before--Burke showing a little something special tonight.

Reposted by Archer 8/2/10