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25 September 2015 Leighton Meester vs AnnaLynne McCord

Page history last edited by Vassago 8 years, 6 months ago

OFFICIAL SSB PPV

Posted by Lookout! Boxing on September 25, 2015, 4:32 pm

Leighton Meester vs. AnnaLynne McCord
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)

BEFORE:

No secrets about how big this one is. McCord, once in the top twenty, has slipped as a result, mostly, of inactivity and is looking to get back into the title picture. Meester needs a signature win, and she needs it soon.

"I'm getting awfully tired of hearing about the first fight," says a hard-eyed Leighton, referring to their 2011 contest that resulted in McCord knocking out Meester in the first round. "She caught me. She beat me. And, now, I've got a chance for payback."

"It's really simple," says AnnaLynne with that lovely smile. "I'm better than she is. I know it. She knows it. And, everyone who's seen us fight knows it. But, I'll prove it again tonight, just in case there's someone somewhere who isn't absolutely certain."

ROUND ONE:

McCord starts proving it. Meester, at 5'5", is a tall fly and often has a reach advantage. McCord, however, is two and a half inches taller, one of the tallest flys in the FCBA, and she immediately puts that height and range to use, sticking a long jab in Leighton's face, keeping her at range, and then raining right hand follows down on her. Meester cautious, maybe overly so. Well remembers what happened the last time. She gives ground, fights off her back foot. McCord, meanwhile, comes forward behind that long left, controlling Leighton with it, forcing her back, making her take leather to get into range to punch. It's a good plan well executed for AnnaLynne. She's doing what she wants to do and not letting Meester do a thing. Leighton's getting bested just as badly as she did in the first round of their last fight, the only difference being, she isn't hurt in this one. But, when the bell rings, it's clear McCord's won the round comfortably and taken the early 10-9 lead."

ROUND TWO:

Meester has a plan, too, and we begin to see it unfold in the second. She keeps the guard high, uses a quarter crouch, bobs the head, uses the feet, works to middle distances and gets off, working both head and body. McCord has seen this act before from many fighters. Being a tall fly, you get used to girls not wanting to fight you at range. She knows how to counter it, with slide steps and sharp jabs to create the distance she seeks. The result is a war of maneuver, as both women use their feet to create the distances, angles, and terms they like, and both have success implementing the plans. McCord scores well when she has Leighton on the end of her jab, following up nicely with right hands, creating nice combinations. Meester gets hers when she slips inside AnnaLynne's gloves and is able to work in combination herself. It's good, back and forth stuff for three solid minutes, and it's a close result, but Meester claims the round and evens the fight at 19.

ROUND THREE:

More of the same. It's all about who's getting what they want, and neither woman is able to do as much of that as she'd like, but both do more of it than her opponent likes. To their credit, both fighters stick with the plan, both keep working hard. Neither is willing to give in to the other, and, the result, again, is more of the same. There are subtle changes. Leighton works a little more body when she gets the chance, perhaps recalling that this is where AnnaLynne hurt her and set her up for the finish the first time they met. McCord is more jab happy. She doubles and even triples on it, all the better to slow Meester, keep her outside, and set up those hard right hands that add even more points to those the jabs create. Neither woman is able to hurt the other, but it's not for lack of trying. Despite all the maneuver, both fighters fire off some hard shots, and both land some, but both sets of legs prove plenty sturdy. It's another near-run thing. But, in the end, it's McCord close, and the blonde back on the lead 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

More of the same. Both fighters having success with their respective plans and both going to stick with them as a result. Meester working even more body now, perhaps trying to get into McCord's legs. AnnaLynne now backing off the jab and trying to get more right hands home, looking to punish Leighton when she's outside. But, all the careful strategy and motion ends in one instant, the instant Meester hooks the ribs with a left an then catches McCord with a right hook to the chin. AnnaLynne's buzzed, seriously buzzed, and Meester immediately knows it. Here's her chance to pay her rival back for that humiliating KO1 and to finally get the big win that's eluded her for so long. So, she's all in. With the accent on ALL. She gives McCord both barrels, stepping into punch after punch. AnnaLynne retreats in fairly good order, backing to the ropes and hanging on in a high guard as Meester launches bomb after bomb at her defenses. McCord's shaken once or twice, but she's able to regroup, and, by the end of the round, she's countering solidly. Still, at the bell, it's Leighton wide and the fight's even again, this time at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Leighton doesn't try to consolidate. There's no point. She knows McCord has the legs back under her after the way she fought late in the previous round, so we go right back to the tactical stuff of the previous rounds. Again, there are slight adjustments, and the biggest is how AnnaLynne handles things when Leighton gets to middle distances. She still works to create more range, but, she also looks to land short, hard stuff while Meester's in a bit closer, and, while that allows Leighton to get a bit more work done, it bears fruit about two minutes in in the form of a short right hook that hurts Meester. That quickly, it's McCord throwing bombs and Meester in retreat, though not one nearly as organized as AnnaLynne's the round before. Leighton's wobbly, stumbling around, seemingly ready to go down. But, she doesn't. She gets to the ropes and basically uses them to steady herself, all while her rival throws everything in the magazine at her. Like McCord the last round, Meester's shaken a couple of times, but she hangs on and finishes on her feet. It's AnnaLynne's round, wide, though, and McCord's back on top 48-47.

ROUND SIX:

McCord DOES want to consolidate. She's after Leighton immediately, but Meester holds her ground, fires back, and we get some of the heaviest exchanges of the fight at mid-range for the first 30 seconds or so. McCord, however, isn't going to keep pushing the issue once she realizes there's no point, so she quickly works back to long range and we fall right back into the pattern of McCord working at distance and Meester working to get past her defenses. And, again, both fighters have their moments of success. McCord's landing in combination off her left, Meester's getting plenty of body work done when she gets to her spots, getting some winces from McCord as the round goes on and the ribs and midsection get further tenderized. McCord gets her satisfaction upstairs, knocking Meester back a step a few times with solid rights. It's close at the bell, but McCord claims the round and extends her lead to 58-56.

ROUND SEVEN:

McCord catches fire early. She lands a nasty combination right off the bell and backs Meester up with it. The taller woman steps forward behind the jab and drives Leighton into retreat. AnnaLynne getting physical now in a big way, stepping into punches, forcing Leighton back, grabbing control of the fight with aggression and power. And, then, BOOM! McCord's stepping in fence post holes! Meester catches her stepping in with a right hand counter an AnnaLynne's in trouble deep! And, again, Meester's all in, determined to finish off her rival right here and right now. She unleashes a veritable blizzard of punches that threatens to bury McCord beneath its weight, but, again, AnnaLynne is able to slowly stabilize. She gives ground, countering as best she can, working hard to stay off the ropes. And, by the time Meester finally traps her there, she's able to counter effectively, though she's still taking the worst of things as Meester's getting big shots on target. At the bell, there's no question that Leighton's grabbed the round big, but McCord's still standing and still leading 67-66.

ROUND EIGHT:

Meester wants to consolidate this time. She's forward aggressively, walking through McCord's jabs, closing, banging body. AnnaLynne firing back, backing Leighton up a step with a right hand, but Meester right back in close, toe to toe, thumping the ribs and SENDING MCCORD TO THE CANVAS WITH A RIGHT UPPERCUT! Meester blasts one between the gloves and AnnaLynne crumples to her back just 20 seconds into the round! McCord shaking her head, gets to hands and knees quickly, looking up at the referee, taking all the time she can before getting to her feet at nine. The referee gives her the count and allows the fight to continue. And on comes Leighton! Meester with fire in her eyes now, walking forward, right through AnnaLynne's defenses, backing her up with heavy leather, then bunching her up with a wicked right hook to the midsection before DROPPING HER AGAIN WITH A SHORT LEFT HOOK TO THE CHIN! McCord dropped to her knees, both hands around her midsection as the count begins again. She's staring up at the referee, willing the legs to work, but they won't. She can't get up. All she can do it watch the count reach ten. It's over! And your winner by KO8 is Leighton Meester!

AFTER:

Meester absolutely beaming. Demons, plural, have been exorcised tonight and things that needed to be proven have been proven. "I beat her to the body," Meester shouts. "I wore her out, used her up, and then put her down. I was tougher. I was more physical. I was better. I told you all I could win at this level. And, tonight, I proved it."