Posted by Simguy on Thursday, 09-Dec-1999 21:56:48.

Before: Silverstone giving away every tangible advantage to Catherine in this catchweight bout. Alicia needs to get inside that pulverizing Bell jab to have a chance—Catherine can’t let her—seems simple enough. Bell in red adidas terrycloth trunks, black sportsbra, Alicia in electric blue bikini top, pink bottoms.

During R1: Alicia shows good aggression early, putting her palms under Catherine’s shoulders to hul the big brunette straight back onto her heels, Bell not liking the roughhouse, backs straight up with wide eyes, walking straight into Alicia’s looping wide bombs. Bell coming back late with the piston jab gets opn board, but not before getting slapped around for points.

R2: Bell settles into a nice stick and move rhythm, drilling Alicia’s face with single and double jabs while stepping to her left. Midway through the round, Silverstone gambles, jumping in to land her hook on Bell’s long torso with some effect, but down the stretch, Catherine regains control with the stick as Alicia hangs back slightly frustrated.

R3: Bell now firmly executing her gameplan, circling the shorter girl, pounding down with the jab, and looking for right cross ops. All Bell for much of the round, but in the final minute, riverboat gambler. Alicia loads up with a leaping hook on the chin to blast Catherine to the mat. Bell up at 8, panics and pulls away from Silverstone’s rushes—exactly the wrong thing to do against Alicia’s wide haymakers. Silverstone marking Bell up at the bell, leaves the tall girl shaky legged and uncertain en route to her corner.

R4: Bell resolute, pounding in with that heavy left, and Alicia’s face begins to puff up badly from the leather. Silverstone once again with heat midway through the round, dipping inside, fighting off Catherine’s chest to land wide lefts and rights to the flanks. Final minute belongs to Bell however as she pushes off, circles and pops to the break.

R5: Silverstone stepping up the heat, bobbing low under the jab and coming over the top with booming right hands on bell’s cheek. Cathy backing up again, and Alicia capitalizes, stepping with Bell and looping lefts and rights at the big brunette’s face. Bell up against the ropes, cups Alicia around the ears, pulling the shorter girl’s head down whenever possible, but can’t escape the bludgeoning work to her midsection as Alicia dials in.

R6: Silverstone now leading, Bell retreating, tagging Alicia coming in with the jab. Silverstone walking through Bell’s left in order to spank overhand rights and turn her shoulder into the comeback left wide to Catherine’s ribcage. Midway through the round, Bell luring Alicia forward behind a smokescreen of jabs, suddenly bends in to a surprise right hand on the mouth, stunning Silverstone and stopping her in her tracks. Alicia badly hurt, helpless, and Bell puts together a withering series of cracking left hooks and plowing right hands to pound Silverstone across the ring and into a heap at the ropes. Alicia cut in the mouth pulls herself to her feet at 10, but the fight is waved off. Cathy Bell with the TKO6.

After:  Bruising contest but Bell’s size and reach ultimately the difference in a fight that was all tied going into the 6^th. Credit Silverstone for taking a tough match up, and exposing faults in Bell that will have to be addressed.

Reposted by Archer 10/22/09.