Originally posted by Simguy on Thursday, 09-Sep-1999 20:55:48

Before Salma comes in well rounded a la “From Dusk Till Dawn,” matching Dani pound for curvy pound. Hayek rejects Fishel’s usual overtures of goodwill, stating “After I beat her - then we’ll be friends.” Neither girl will have to look for the other as both generally comes straight at foes, discouraging other women with sheer ferocity at close quarters. Battle of wills as much as bodies - Hayek the bettor's favourite, but Fishel with “Dani’s Army” in attendance carries the crowd. Dani in teal push up bra, full support teal bikini bottoms with darker blue polka dots, Salma in black push up bra, red bikini bottoms. Both girls wearing Spanish ponytails, pretty ribbons matching blue and red respectively.

During R1: Fishel bubbling over with exuberance, bolts from her corner, bulls Salma to the ropes and lays a bell to bell beating on the champ the likes of which she hasn’t seen in many a moon. Dani pumping lefts and rights, feet parallel and wide as she slugs at Hayek’s midriff, while Salma sits stunned upon the ropes. Hayek unable to mount any offense, desperately clinching, but Dani shoves her way clear to continue to abuse. Great opening shutout for Dani as she skips to her corner at the bell, urging the crowd’s chant of Da-ni! Da-ni! While Salma slinks back to her corner with a look of shock on her beautiful face.

R2: Salma gets into the fight, meeting Dani at center ring and promptly going cheek to cheek. Hayek with her hands low, takes Dani’s shots on her gloves and arms, and counters with well placed single blows to the unprotected sternum and tummy of the younger girl. Vintage Hayek as she patiently waltzes on the inside, exploiting openings, banging Dani’s head back with the short right uppercut, but always keeping her head rubbing up against Dani’s face.

R3: Salma in a groove. Bodying up on Fishel, Hayek digs at Dani’s tanned midsection with short strokes from both fists, arms loose and relaxed, hands at her belly to casually block Dani’s receipts. Salma alternating her chin on either of Dani’s shoulders, walks Fishel around the ring, smothering Dani’s attack and working in that fearsome left hook behind Fishel’s right elbow. Bell to bell beating for Dani leaves her wobbly butt and little glassy eyed at the break.

R4: OH DANI! Fishel responds to the shutout with another explosion of two fisted fury. Heaving up under Salma’s arms, the compact Fishel stuffs the Mexican champ into the ropes, and beats her tummy with smacking lefts and rights, then turns into crushing hooks to the chin. HAYEK IS HURT! Sagging on the ropes, arms crossed, Hayek bends forward, head jerking back as Fishel pumps little left and right uppercuts, then shoves Salma back for more body work. Hayek’s lips curve down, legs trembling as she folds forward, and Danu welts the champ’s sides with big, booming lefts and rights, flashing that crowd pleasing smile as Hayek struggles to keep her feet. Round ends with Salma, arms across her battered rib cage, taking punishing blows to her biceps and stomach as dani rotates her shoulders into bludgeoning rights and lefts to the bell.

R5: Dani out like a cannon shell, bodies up and pushes Salma around early, but Hayek able to stand her ground, pick up Dani’s shots on her forearms inside, and counter with clipping right uppercuts to stop Fishel at the midway point. Dani standing flat footed, feet together, lifts her gloves to her lips, but is clearly not right as Salma takes over. Hayek rocking Dani’s little body with the left to the liver, has Fishel staggering, and a series of clubbing left hooks on the jaw around Dani’s glove have Fishel swooning to the ropes. Dani with brisk trade at the bell, gets back into the fight, but is clearly hurting as she staggers to her corner for the break.

R6: Dani still shaky legged, wanders out, and is beaten raw by Hayek this round. Salma in the groove with the double left hook, pounding it into Dani’s side, swiping with it to the jaw, and turning her shoulder into slicing rights that find the mark through Dani’s mitts. Midway through the round, Dani goes blank, gloves dropping as Salma twists into thudding body and head shots, rocking Fishel from one foot to the other, Salma with a cruel grin, pays Dani back for every body shot and then some, scooping vindictively at Fishel’s hurting body with both hands. At the bell, Salma gives Dani a contemptuous shove as Fishel meanders back to her corner.

R7: Dani’s not done yet. Fierce toe to toe exchanges as the girls stand and trade with desperate left hooks to one another’s bellies. Fighting in a phone booth, neither takes a backward step - each taking her turn inside to cudgel breasts and belly with feverish slugging. In the final minute, it is Salma who buckles, stepping back and exhaling through pursed lips, then covering up as Dani pounces. All Fishel to the bell as she bashes her fists against Salma’s shiny shoulders and arms, missing the uppercut as Hayek bobs.

R8: Dani leaning in, swinging wide lefts and rights as Salma puts her left shoulder into Fishel’s chest. Hayek just keeping her weight forward, fielding punches, then giving the subtle shoulder shuck to open Dani up for the crisp left hook on the chin. Fishel foundering, is easy prey as Salma raps a curling right overhand off the sternum, then twists back with the left uppercut to the chin. Salma pushes a dazed Dani Fishel to the ropes and casually beats her flanks with relaxed lefts and rights, propping her cheek on the top of Dani’s lowered head as she punches.

R9: Dani with an early surge, but her legs are showing signs of giving way and the surge doesn’t last. Salma eventually bodying up, clinching up under Dani’s pudgy arms and walking the youngster to the ropes for a very methodical working over. Salma with her chin on top of Dani’s head as Fishel crumples forward - Hayek reaches around to beat the meat at Dani’s sides.

R10: Dani just won’t go quietly. Going in shoulder to shoulder, Dani goes punch for punch with Salma yet again, each ringing the other up with curling rights on the jaw, and whipping lefts into the battered midsection, in the final minute however, Salma Hayek leaves her mark on the challenger. A furious, extending trade sees Dani backed to the ropes, and nearly helpless, Salma punching overhand rights to Dani’s breasts, and uncoiling the follow up left hook on Dani’s chin has Fishel out on her feet with seconds left in the bout. With the crowd roaring, Salma pounds away right/left/right/left over and over but can’t put Dani down. The bell sounds, as Fishel drunkenly sags into the corners, fists still up at her cheeks, ready to fight. Salma raises her mitts in victory, correctly anticipating the unanimous decision victory.

After: Close but no cigar for Dani who gave Salma all she could handle, but in the end, the Latina slugger pounded Fishel senseless for a very demonstrative defense of her title. No shame for Dani with the loss - she fought her fight and all but went out on her shield with another crowd pleasing performance.