(IMAGES BY BI PHOTO LAB)

Posted by simguy on 6/7/2003, 12:00 pm

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Before: Maybe the most closely contested rivalry in boxing - just an extra punch, extra minute here and there separating two wildly different fighters. Mish using power, savvy and determination to offset Claire's slick defense, body work and guile - Williams retaining her title against Danes, turning her back empty handed: don't think Claire's forgotten, or forgiven anything. "It's definitely frustrating," says Claire in prefight. "Mish isn't the fighter Dunst is, she doesn't hit as hard as Liu, her tactics are strictly Bar-room - but she does find ways to give me problems. I KNOW she's not in my league, but somehow - she manages to survive against me. I just have to fight my fight and stay focused - she can't get lucky against me EVERY time out." Williams scoffing at Danes' assessment - "Survive Claire? Does anyone actually believe that feather-fisted powder-puff has ever hurt me? I will track her down and stamp her out. I'm putting foot to ass and leaving no doubt in anybody's mind - least of all HERS!"

Mish in black push up, white lace trim, black panties - Claire in two-toned black/white bikini.

During R1: First minute - Claire slinking right, stopping and shocking Mish lead right hands, sliding around as Williams covers up - Danes pinpoint power landing clean, putting momentary wobble in Mish' trunks. Second minute - Claire jabbing brisk, stepping left, getting an angle for that lathering hook in under the elbow - weight on the front foot, getting good leverage into Mish' tummy. Final minute - Claire changing directions, showing Mish one hand, poking her in the face the other, doubling up catspaw hooks on the ear as she falls off to the left. Classy shutout Claire Danes - Williams shined up nice - Danes checks the tummy, checks the jaw with hardhearted efficiency early.

R2: Mish roars out of her corner, loading up a trio of stubby right hands to stampede Danes to the corner. Mish bodies up, pressing Claire against the ropes - denying the supple slip-and-roll along the ropes. Mish scouring away, head on Danes, often reaching around the body to grab rope with one hand, bludgeoning away the free mitt. Danes forced out of her comfort zone, but acquiting herself well - head tucked behind her gloves - she's finding room for jagged little counteruppercuts, blocking at close quarters to take the steam out of the Williams onslaught. Points for Mish - she brays in Claire's face, thumps her chest back to her corner.

R3: Claire jabbing, looking to pivot left but a clocking overhand right changes her life. Mish stepping in low, pulling the shot onto Claire's face - Danes dashed to the canvas, sprawled on her back as Mish straightens up grinning. Claire beats the count, digs in and tries to jab the advancing Mish back, but it's not working - Williams climbs into Danes trunks and goes to work. Mish denying any finesse from Danes, constantly muscling her into the ropes, tousle scrubbing her face while beating that taut body, holding her in the left arm while bludgeoning her right hands. Danes covered up, wallowing at the ropes, just trying to lay over on side or the other, giving the angles she can as Mish pushes up on her. Williams keeps punching after the bell, just making sure Claire knows who's boss through 3.

R4: Claire stepping right, chipping away with an extended left, nibbling at Mish and she walks the ex-champ into a gorgeous curling right off the eye! Williams put wobbly-butt, stamping on the spot - Danes gets after that body with spiteful hooks, ripping up into the thick of the midsection and MISH GOES DOWN! Williams breathing hard, favouring her right side - Claire stunned her, then went downstairs to dig out the knockdown. After 8, ON COMES CLAIRE! SHE'S pressing up on Mish, then shoving right hands to belly - Mish protecting her face with both hands. Claire's hook-hooking Mish in the ear, then jerking the left hand into a tight uppercut and MISH GOES DOWN! Williams on her knees at the ropes, windblown - Claire turns away and CLIPS HER A KNEE ON THE FOREHEAD - oh so casual! Mish beats the count, but she's swooning - feather-fisted Claire turning it up a notch. Final minute a lathering beat down from a determined Claire Danes - feet wide, hands busy as she swats hooks in under the elbow, rolls her shoulders to chug uppercuts up underneath to work Mish' jugs - Williams slumping forward and back in a haze. At the bell - DANES LANDS THAT RIGHT ELBOW! Mish' head jerking hard to the side as Claire finds her mouth with hard bone - ref gets involved - Danes snarling, jerking her arm free - Williams in tatters, stumbles to her corner.

R5: CLAIRE charges the ring, changing her spots to keep Mish hurting. Williams tackled into her corner, propped, shoved and CLAIRE COMES UP PUNCHING! Danes dig-dig-digging underneath with both hands hustling punches to gut. Mish groans forward - Danes samples her back with cruel, swatting hooks and WILLIAMS GOES DOWN! Mish breathless on hands and knees, wincing from the kidney shots - Danes strutting, hooting it up. Mish struggles up the ropes, swaying on the spot - she waves Claire in after 8 and Danes obliges. Hardhearted beatdown - a career's worth of frustration flowing out of Danes as she mauls her hated, helpless rival. Mish butt-in-rope, face in her gloves, tilted forward - Claire's just helping herself with greedy fists body and head. At the bell, Danes can't help herself - she hup-hup-hups left and right uppercuts to the jugs - Mish lolling up against the ropes, can't stop the rack attack - hateful tears welling up as Claire's pulled off.

R6: Claire's all about slugging - charging into the good-ship Mish, looking to capsize her for good. Clanging exchange as Williams dips into short straight rights, dips the other way to snap the hook, punching with Claire in a wild back and forth and CLAIRE GETS HUUUUURT! Claire stomping back on her heels, eyes wide from a sharp Mish hook - Williams stomping forward with lust. Mish with the knack of the step-and-short-right hand to the face - just poking Claire backwards, getting her ropeside. Mish crowding in, getting her shoulder in Danes' chest, then hooking her body, smothering the receipt, jerking the shots short. Claire slumping into the ropes, wilting, not answering back - Mish able to palm her shoulders back, then reef hooks at the ribcage, buckling those legs. All Mish Williams banging away but CLAIRE CHOPS THE COUNTER RIGHT OFF THE ROPES! MISH gets hurt, hands at chest, eyes groggy - Claire wades forward with walloping, whip armed lefts and rights, batting Williams' face side to side. Claire's face taut with bloodlust - stepping forward, hauling her slender limbs into Williams without restraint. Mish hits the ropes in a fog, facing into blows - Claire pounding away - crowd on it's feet as the bell sounds.

R7: MISH! Claire looking ragged, breathing hard, she wants to get back to boxing, but she's spent up her money! Williams reaching under the arms, wrestling her girl to the ropes, mauling her with forearm scrubs across the face, palm-shoves against the shoulders - anything to open the blonde up and expose her torso to punishment. Mish hammering away - 2 and 3 right hands to the body while stabilizing Claire with the left, then reversing to let the left hand go. Holding and hitting, packing and stacking - Claire just can't get out of there. Midway through - GORGEOUS right uppercut sits Claire hurt into the ropes - Mish feasting away behind the girl's elbows, clubbing the offered back as Danes turtles to the bell.

R8: Claire in retreat, using her jab, spotting the right hand, but Mish is walking through it now. Williams chasing her girl to the ropes, parrying and bobbing as Claire gets off, then it's Mish' turn as Danes gets cute at the perimeter. Danes pointing her left shoulder, getting low, nudging Mish in the hips with it, leaning into the ropes - it's keeping Williams off balance, but Mish is the aggressor through 8.

R9: Similar stuff - Claire able to buy breathing room with defensive moves, occasionally spinning Mish into the ropes and escaping, but Williams keeps coming forward. Williams shortening up her strokes and peppering her girl - stubby straight rights, shooting lefts - just making contact and disrupting Danes rhythm. Claire not able to get that mid-ring turn going - Mish too abrasive, ruining everything with bull-in-china-shop attack.

R10: Claire finally gets in control with her feet - jabbing Mish effectively to the eyes, tucking the chin behind the left shoulder and pivoting around Williams' right side. Mish mouth breathing - she's kept up an insane pace all night and it's catching up with her - she's still chasing, but not punching as insistently as she had been. Danes playing it safe, slapping counters across Mish' tummy, turning her, keeping distance to the bell. Comes back...a DRAW! Girls just can't seem to separate themselves.

After: Girls are shiny, scuffed up - and in each other's faces after the announcement. Girls just shouting angrily, inches away from each other, fists clenched white - they're ready to go again when cooler heads prevail. Danes getting to Mish with startling head shots followed up by gouging body rips - Williams down 3 times in this fight and well behind after 5. But credit the ex-champ - she hurts Claire in the 6th and 7th, stays on her to win 4 of the last five and somehow preserves her dignity with yet another gutty performance. "I HAD her," Claire trembles in postfight, "I had her hurt and wanted the knockout so bad, I just stopped fighting my plan and got into it with her. I just lost focus - that's all it was. Mish Williams knows I tanned her butt tonight." Williams embarrased by the knockdowns, dismissive of Claire's supreme effort tonight - "I had Danes ready to go down the stretch. She did NOT hurt me - she did what she always does and apparently succeeded in confusing the judges. One of these days, I'm going to lay her out cold and stop this insanity once and for all."



Sim Guy

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