Posted by Simguy on Friday, 07-Apr-2000 19:58:23

Before: Raitano showing guts, taking on Liu after a tough loss to back up her anytime, anywhere, anyone rhetoric. Nat with the game to threaten Liu—Lucy’s been hurt by hard body punching in the past, and Raitano has the dukes to get the job done, but taking the fight to Lucy can also get a girl I trouble. Intriguing match up—Liu in black pushup, red aerobics bottoms, Raitano in electric blue high neck sports bra, aerobics briefs.

During R1: Liu with her hands at her sides, leans her torso forward, daring Raitano to punch. Natalie cooperates—Liu switching southpaw, times the left hand, leaps in with a lead right uppercut, falls off to the right side and drags a huge sidearm left onto Natalie’s face to drive Raitano to her back at the ropes. Natalie stunned, bleeding from the mouth gets up quick and proceeds to walk into Liu bombs as Lucy fades back across the ring. Absolutely astonishing defence from Liu as she says back to make Raitano miss by inches, then counters with vicious strokes, lifting punches off her hips to hammer away at Natalie’s face in a bell to bell whitewash. Liu with a catty smirk and turn of the heel, sends Natalie staggering back to her corner less than her usual cocky self.

R2: Natalie much more tentative, afraid to punch and Lucy has her flinching, Liu stalking, lifting a right playfully from her knees to tap Raitano’s high guard, still daring Nat to punch. Raitano occasionally looking to rush inside, but Liu dancing away is always one step ahead. Not a lot of contact with Liu snaking around, up and down in front of Natalie, but neither girl punching. Suddenly, Liu jams a crazy lead left from the southpaw stance in between Raitano’s gloves, stunning Natalie dropping her straight back to her butt at the ropes. Liu jumping in, bats a quick right hand off Natalie’s shocked face as the ref jumps in, and Raitano is clearly hurt. Nat up at 8, but shaky, and Liu strides in, feet wide, HEAVING in left hands to the body from the orthodox stance, swaying back from Natalie’s panicky punching, then drilling the brunette with hard right hands in the face. Raitano taking flush, getting ragged, and a crashing right on the jaw ends her night I stunning fashion. Liu smiling, stands with weight on one hip as she watches Raitano collapses face first to the canvas—laughing out loud to screaming fans at ringside. KO2 Lucy Liu.

After: Wow, Liu’s put on some dramatic performances in the past, but against such a well regarded, fearsome offensive fighter as Raitano nobody would have predicted such a one sided, every minute of every round mauling. Natalie in a state of stunned denial upon waking up, drops her second in a row and is getting herself beat up in tough fights against the best comp.

Reposted bv Archer 1/12/10.