Posted by simguy on 3/14/2003, 6:15 am.

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: Danes back after a long lay off, taking on durable Alison Mack. Mack's shown a susceptibility to being outhustled and outboxed, but she's a harmful puncher at flyweight and never say die attitude makes her threat to cuteys like Danes. Claire camp confident, insisting Alison's "made to order" - Danes just looking to shake off the rust. Mack in tight red tshirt, twist tied beneath the breasts, white full coverage bikini bottoms - Danes in two-tone black and white bikini.

During R1,2: Danes controlling the center of the ring, dictating terms to her stocky foe early. Claire bending at the waist, swivelling around her front foot, dragging it as she fades out, staying close and yet virtually unhittable as Mack misses over the top. Offensively, Claire patient, chipping away the jab, stabbing in the flat lead right on the face, saving her choicest rips for that lathering hook beneath the elbow. Danes repeatedly warned for elbowing - she's throwing bone to her girl's shoulders whenever Mack leans forward behind her guard, and catching Mack's mouth as well with meanspirited follow-throughs. Easy breezy Claire Danes through 2.

R3: Mack realizes she's not hurt, redoubles her pitch count in an effort to swamp her slender opponent. Alison fists at her chin, dipping at the waist and snapping tight lefts and rights - she's missing the first couple of shots, but staying on Danes, happy to bang away on the shoulder or back if ribs and head aren't there. Claire making her moves, but she's running out of ring - Alison's pressure being rewarded as Claire can't get off.

R4: Mack sticking with the recipe - walking through Claire's pre-emptive punching, answering back with non-stop clubbing lefts and rights and packing Danes to the ropes. Claire with pretty sidesteps and turns doesn't let herself get worked over, but she's not answering back - Mack carrying the fight, getting the benefit of the doubt from the judges.

R5: Alison takes the lead, relentlessly walking Claire down, moving her hands - connect percentage is low, but volume keeps Danes on the defensive. Boos from the crowd as Claire won't trade, won't lounge on the ropes and let Alison get off brawny - Danes happy to give away a shutout to her hard working foe.

R6: Alison finally rewarded for persistence. She's swinging away in tight arcs, brawling lefts and rights - Danes slipping and rolling with punches when a bludgeoning short right jams in over the left shoulder. Claire's legs give a shimmy - she's shaken up, ragdolling as she stagger-spins around Mack's left shoulder. Alison swinging away, trying to cash in - she's missing but stampeding Claire to ropes nonetheless. Mack finally bulling her opponent into the strands, getting her head under Claire's chin, hammering that svelte ribcage with two-fisted gusto, twisting to bring uppercuts up in vicious slices off the body. Danes shipping serious punishment for the first time in the bout - she's hurting, mouth open, pulling at Ali's arm, rolling punches just to get to the bell.

R7: Danes with a nice comeback round. Claire looking shopworn, scuffed up, but gets back into her rhythm, left foot in a bucket as she pivots around and around to her left. Mack trying to place her shots and it's not working - she's missing by inches, then cuffed and poked as Claire swats hooks, drops right hands. Midway through, Danes feathering combos upstairs to get Mack's guard up, then SLASHING hard to the gut - Alison blurting out in pain/surprise as Danes mines a little gold down there.

R8: Claire's got Alison's respect, hurting the blonde to the midsection, tearing it up on the belly with slick, snick-snack left/rights. Danes swivelling to her left with a pretty hand on Mack's elbow, sidestepping, drilling rights, swatting hooks to the ear - it's classic Claire.

R9: Mack hounding her girl to ropes with stubby straight lefts and rights - Alison squares away for game of cat and mouse with elusive Danes. Claire bending low at the waist, then straightening, leaning back into the ropes with her right shoulder, then twisting to the left - Mack spraying punches in an effort to beat her girl down as crowd roars its approval. Alison jamming out short, severe punching but not landing flush - Danes giving angles while right in front of her foe, but not taking advantage of the openings.

R10: Lead right hands from Claire have Mack uncertain, covering up - Claire goes to work. Danes shoeshining away with curling lefts and rights, then working in close with her forearms, throwing them Muay Thai style against Alison's rounded biceps and shoulders. Ref issuing breaks and warnings, but the rough stuff discouraging the WB blonde - Danes retains initiative. Bell to bell Claire Danes - taking what she wants from Alison's gut, keeping her clammed up with slapping combo's upstairs, slamming away with right forearms in tight. Danes posts a shutout 10th, finally has Mack looking discouraged, but it comes back a seesaw draw on all cards.

After: Claire a little rusty - still making her girl miss, but not pulling the trigger like Danes at her best. Mack allowed too many spots to work, and work she did - she overwhelmed Claire in a lot of rounds, winning a lot of minutes and showing she belongs in the upper echelons of the division.



Sim Guy

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