REEBOK FLYWEIGHT TITLE

Posted by Simguy on Sunday, 05-Mar-2000 11:11:55

Before: Anderson’s curse to be a pretty good fighter in boxing’s deepest division, faces Liu as a marginal dog despite beating the one fighter Lucy couldn’t handle. Lucy with Peeples on her mind, knows that winning a title can make that rematch happen, and barely talks about Anderson in pre-fight. Gillian a master of fight psychology, is happy to be overlooked, White sports bra, light blue adidas terrycloth trunks for Gillian, black sports bra, red aerobics bottoms, slick ponytail for Liu.

During R1: Anderson studied miles of tape for this fight, and comes out in a modified Peeples stance, chopping quick, straight punches from both hands and coming forward to overwhelm Lucy’s crazy upperbody movement. Lucy bending back at the waist, pivoting to turn Anderson, is elusive at first, but Gillian’s volume and pressure adds up, and midway through the round, Gillian swats and pokes left arm hooks while stepping right, putting an off-balance Liu on her knees. Lucy up unhurt, but the knockdown digs a hole early.

R2: More pressure from Gillian as she bores in on Lucy, tapping the body with straight arm left and rights, and constantly circling counterclockwise as Liu bends, gyrates and sweeps in and out, Liu backing up for the most part, soaks up a fair amount of body work this round and in the final minute, Gillian chugs in with straight lefts and rights, then scrapes a hook against Lucy’s mouth, followed by a digging left into the liver that drops Liu to her hands and knees again. Liu gasping for air, looks hurt this time, and she gets up wearily to fade to the ropes. Anderson finishing strong, chin over top of Lucy’s head, while digging into Liu’s sides with snapping lefts and rights at the bell.

R3: Liu falling way behind on the cards early, gets down to business, hands at her sides, standing right in front of Gillian, Liu puts on a masterful counterpunching clinic this round to shut the redhead out. Every time Gillian shoots a straight left, Liu bends right, twisting up underneath with a right uppercut from the knees onto Anderson’s chest or chin. If Gillian shoots right, Liu bends left, twisting into the left uppercut, then falling away to the left to force Anderson to turn. Anderson marked up, taking popping single shot bombs, isn’t as anxious to close as she had been.

R4,5: Back to back shutouts and Lucy’s legs take over this fight. Countering Gillian’s straight shots with vicious looping uppercuts, Liu has Gillian tentative, keeping g her gloves tight at her cheeks, and flinching every time Liu twitches, Lucy leading now, leaps in from way outside, dragging booming right hands into Gillian’s tummy or jaw, dropping low on follow through and snaking back outside. Anderson simply unable to cope with the unorthodox power punching as Liu potshots at will.

R6: Gillian feeling the momentum slip away, scrapes at Liu’s ribcage early, but Lucy’s leaping, in and out attack doesn’t afford the redhead much opportunity to work the body, Liu in front of Gillian, bending at the waist tp put her head at thigh level on Anderson, sways like a cobra in front of the redhead, then springs up with unpredictable blasts from either hand as Gillian soaks up another beating by the bell.

R7: Shutout Liu as Anderson covers up behind her guard, trying to protect her chin, but giving Liu everything else. Lucy weaving in close, lunges upwards to drag lefts and rights into Anderson’s belly, then jumps outside before Gillian can respond. Liu having fun now, leaping in with lead right hands against the ribs of Anderson, staying inside down low, and leaping out with wide left hook calling card on the redhead’s ear.

R8: Best two-way action of the fight as Anderson resumes her chugging, straight punching offense, and Liu stands her ground, bending back in her hips to walk Gillian onto uppercuts. By the final minute, Liu is popping her right uppercut under Gillian’s left arm, finding Anderson’s chin with satisfying pop, then pivoting to the right to get Gillian to chase. Anderson soaking it up by the bell, finally looks a little puffy and busted up from Liu’s clever leather.

R9: Liu looking a little winded, stands flat footed, trying to induce Anderson into mistakes with that rubbery upperbody movement, but Anderson stays sharp. Just touching Liu with lefts and rights, Gillian manages to get Lucy ropeside. Anderson with a more or less stationary target I front of her is more effective—she bends her knees and steps into thudding hooks to the waist and ribs, clearly taking the wind out of Lucy’s sails this round. Liu laying in, breathing through the mouth, right hand at her cheek, left around her middles, bobs up and down inside as Anderson piles on clubbing lefts and rights to the bell.

R10: Lucy back in good form, owns most of the round with her outrageous rushes—Anderson giving ground and getting nailed to the body and head as Liu brings punches up from her ankles, or steer them out from well behind her body. Anderson on the ropes in the final minute, bobbing up and down, finally gets Liu to over commit on a wide right hand. Lucy off balance, and Gillian just rolls her shoulder in behind a short left hook on the face, dropping Liu on her backside for a disastrous late knockdown. Liu up at 2, and distraught, lunges after Anderson, who runs shamelessly for the remaining seconds. After a long delay, the decision comes back by the closest of margins, for the winner, and STILL champion, Gillian Anderson.

After: Liu howling with outrage at the decision as there is little doubt she put it to Gillian for much of the evening, dominating territorially, and in time of possession, But 3 knockdowns proved too much to overcome and credit Anderson for finding a way to beat Liu, exposing the Asian’s bad  balance with exquisite timing and punch selection. Suddenly Anderson doesn’t look so average, knocking off Peeples and Liu back to back. Savvy redhead managing to outslug the girls she can punch with and outthink the girls she can’t.

Reposted by Archer 1/5/10.