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30 December 2015 Chloe Bennet vs Melissa Benoist

Page history last edited by Archer844 8 years, 2 months ago

Chloe Bennet 05.jpgMelissa Benoist 04.jpg

 

 

Posted by Lookout! Boxing on December 30, 2015, 11:12 am.,

 

Chloe Bennet vs. Melissa Benoist 
(At Christkindlmarkt, Bethlehem, PA.)
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)


BEFORE:

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner in the "which pair wore it best" portion of our program, because even Margot and Da Scherz did not match up to the sights presented when Melissa Benoist and Chloe Bennet climb into the ring in the elf bikinis for a much-anticipated match up. Both fighters are plenty confident in the pre-fight.

"You know," Melissa says with a smile, "Taking nothing away from Chloe, but, I've already been in with VanCamp, a former bantamweight champion, and Vandervoort, a 60-fight veteran and title contender. Chloe's good and all, but I've proven I can handle even better girls."

"Well," Chloe says with a smile of her own about her most anticipated opponent since Caity Lotz, "All I keep hearing about is how this girl is 'the next big thing'. Except. That I'm 'The Next Big Thing', and Melissa's about to find out why."

ROUND ONE:

Early aggression from Chloe comes to naught as Melissa's not starting this one like she did against Laura. She's not going to get physical with Bennet, who loves nothing more than getting physical. Instead, she's going the Lotz route. She wants to move and use her athleticism to box the Asian beauty. And, Benoist quickly finds out that Chloe can play that game, too, just like she did against Caity. Both fighters move very well, showing off great feet and quick hands. Both are sharp. Both are slick. And both are very sound. There's nothing wild here. Nothing silly. It's a lot of jabs, a lot of locating, a lot of positioning, and a lot of recon. Both women get leather home, mostly upstairs. Those tight bodies mainly get ignored as this is all about looking for ways to square, ways to flank, probing for small openings that might be used for big things later. At the bell, it's close, but Melissa grabs the 10-9 lead.

ROUND TWO:

Bennet getting busy early. Chloe's gotten the lay of the land, and now she's going to lay down the hurt. She's matching footwork on Melissa, walking forward on her in a crouch, backing her up with power, forcing her to cede canvas. Benoist hanging in as best she can, but she's clearly surprised by her rival's power, maybe even a little spooked. Corner wants Melissa to circle, and, eventually, she gets around to doing that, but it makes little difference. Chloe's closing the gap, cutting the ring, getting hard right hands home despite Benoist's best defensive efforts. As the round goes on, Bennet really gets rolling. She's banging some body now, getting in tight and working midsection and ribs, crowding, shouldering, tenderizing. To her credit, though, the older woman rallies. She stops retreating and fires back, getting some tasty exchanges going in the final minute. Both girls land some good, sharp stuff before the bell rings. It's Bennet solid, and we're even at 19.

ROUND THREE:

Benoist quickly to the jab, working to keep Chloe at range, but Bennet having none of it. Chloe so athletic, moves so well, she's past Melissa's pickets and right into her formation almost immediately, crowding, working body, backing the older woman up with hard shots to the head. Again, Melissa digs in and fires back. She's not going to have any more of this being forced to give canvas stuff. She's going to hold her ground. She's going to GET ROCKED BY A RIGHT HOOK! It's perfectly placed, in behind Benoist's left glove as she crouches and tightens elbows against a flurry to the body. And it's followed by a vicious barrage that sends Melissa reeling backward, stumbling, nearly crumpling to the canvas. Supergirl gets to the ropes and she needs them to steady herself, but, of course, her ally quickly becomes her enemy, because Chloe has her pinned and sighted, and that is not a good place to be. Bennet gets off heavy shot for the rest of the round, wobbling Melissa once more in the final seconds, but, despite being scuffed and dazed, Supergirl ends the stanza on her feet and with a little look of defiance that says "I took your best shot and I'm still standing". That, she is. But, it's Bennet wide and Chloe's up 29-28.

ROUND FOUR:

Cue Supergirl comeback. Oh, it's not that dramatic, mind. She's not leaping tall buildings or anything. In fact, there's nothing major going on here at all, except Benoist all gutty, blunting Bennet momentum any way she can. Unable to stop Chloe from closing to bang, Melissa begins tying up the dark-haired beauty, wrestling and clinching with her, not allowing Bennet to get her offense going. The result is a sloppy round that involves a lot of pushing and shoving and more headlocks than in your average WWE match. But, again, it's effective from Benoist's standpoint, because it buys Melissa some time to get the legs back and, it slows down a Chloe train that looked about to run Supergirl down. So, while Benoist might not be more powerful than a locomotive, she can slow one to rail yard speed. By the bell, neither fighter has done much, but, Melissa's done a bit more, claiming the round to even the fight at 38.

ROUND FIVE:

Benoist looking fully recovered now, back to turning with. Bennet wants to come forward in that crouch, using the effective left and excellent head movement to get past Melissa's pickets. About a minute in, though, Benoist TIMES Bennet perfectly and ROCKS her with a right hand. Chloe's wobbled, immediately covers up, and, just as immediately is DROPPED TO HER KNEES with a right hook! Benoist showing more maturity than a girl in just her third FCBA fight should have, calmly turning to a neutral corner to watch the count, no celebration, just get out of the way so the count can begin. Bennet watches, too, looking up at the referee from all fours, then pushing to her feet at eight. Ref checks Chloe's eyes, then waives Melissa forward. More maturity from Benoist. She's calm, efficient, almost clinical. She doesn't rush. She doesn't force. She simply gives a wobbly Bennet a beating, putting together a nice clean up that leaves Chloe reeling on the ropes at the bell. Bennet's survived, but she's in trouble, and Benoist now leads 48-46.

ROUND SIX:

Melissa looking to consolidate, but Chloe not having any. Now, it's Bennet who wants to take advantage of the ties that bind. She's clutching and grabbing early, slowing down Melissa, running clock. Benoist adjusts. She wants to circle now, and it works very well. With Bennet not coming forward, Melissa can jab in space, score points, stay away from Bennet's ties. Chloe clever on defense, though, moving the head and hands well, even if the legs aren't yet to be trusted. The Asian's got the guard up, she's slipping and dipping, picking off right hands. Melissa getting some lefts on, but not having much success putting punches together. Final minute, Chloe's moving much better, looking to close again. Melissa able to generate space with her feet and her left, landing annoyance punches, keeping Bennet mostly at bay. Last few seconds, Chloe closes and bangs, but, too little, too late. Benoist's round close and it's 58-55, Melissa starting to pull away.

ROUND SEVEN:

Bennet more aggressive now. Legs back under her. She has work to do, and she's ready to do work. Benoist wants to manage, use the feet and the jab, wants space. Chloe won't give her any. Both of these girls have shown they can box, but what she has not seen from Benoist is the ability to stand toe-to-toe and slug with the likes of Chloe Bennet. And, she's not seeing it in the seventh, either. Again, Melissa game, fighting back hard, but, again, she's being forced backward by Bennet's superior weight of shot. It's a subtle thing. It's far from a rout, but, slowly and surely, Bennet's winning the day. And, then, it becomes less subtle. A short right hook and SUPERGIRL DOWN! Now it's Melissa who's spilled to her knees and it's Chloe calmly to a neutral corner. Benoist up at seven, takes the mandatory WAIVES CHLOE FORWARD HERSELF! Bennet all in, going to give Melissa a beating. And she does, thumping the older fighter to both head and body for the final minute of the round, but, again, Supergirl still standing when it's over, and still ahead on the cards, 66-65.

ROUND EIGHT:

Bennet all over Melissa from the start. Chloe wants to end this thing right now, and she's going about it the right way. She's bringing the heavy leather in an aggressive, but sound way, putting punches together, keeping her rival on the defensive, crowding, cutting, not giving her any space to work in or any room to breathe. Benoist game, fighting back hard, but she's outgunned here, especially without the legs under her. She's unable to worry Bennet with her counters, and that allows Chloe to sit down on her punches, commit to the heavy stuff, and get plenty of serious work done. As for Melissa's legs, while they might not be all the way back, they are not found wanting. She's able to take some serious punishment and remain standing. By the end of the round, she's on the ropes, literally and figuratively, and Bennet's cleaning up in a major way, but, still, she can't get Supergirl off her feet. At the bell, it's Chloe wide, but we're all even at 75.

ROUND NINE:

If there were any questions about what HMK has in Melissa Benoist (and, frankly, there weren't many coming into this thing), all are answered in the ninth. Because, despite having taken two rounds of vicious punishment, despite having battled one of the hardest hitting bantams in the world for eight brutal rounds, Benoist digs down and finds something. She's able to blunt Bennet's momentum with a combination of clinching and movement. The legs still aren't all the way back, but she's able to angle and use good footwork, and that's a help. But, its the guts and want-to, the willingness to grapple inside with Bennet, to tie her up and slow her down that wins Benoist the day. Chloe getting frustrated by the end of the round, shoving Benoist off, trying to clear her arms so that she can punch, but the older brunette hanging on grimly. And, she's not just clinching, she's getting some body work done in close. It's a near thing at the bell, but Benoist has won it close and takes an 85-84 lead into the final round.

ROUND TEN:

Both fighters get a talking to in the corners between rounds, and both hear the same thing. You need this one. Without it, you're going to lose on the cards. Both take that advice to heart. Melissa moving well again, despite being in the final round. Those legs back, so she's jabbing, turning Bennet. Chloe patient, more patient than a fighter in her position has a right to be, working forward in that crouch, looking to close and bang behind the left. Good, tactical stuff without much in it for nearly two minutes. Then. BOOM. Left jab. Straight right hand. SUPERGIRL DOWN! SUPERGIRL DOWN! Melissa blown to her back by the big right. She hits hard and looks finished. But, questions are being answered tonight. Benoist won't stay down. She's up at nine and, again, waiving Bennet forward. Chloe COMES forward. And a vicious pitched battle results. One minute left and both girls going to empty the magazines. It's wild. It's brutal. Big shot after big shot exchanged. And, finally, the bell sounds. The fighters stop. Hesitate. And hug this thing out. Questions answered. A rivalry born. And, when the decision comes back, a one-point winner. It's 94-93 in favor of your winner by UD10 in comeback fashion, "The Next Big Thing", Chloe Bennet!

AFTER:

Bennet shaking her head in the post-fight. "I don't know what it takes to keep this girl on the canvas. I mean, I hit her with some stuff that would have knocked any lightweight in the FCBA down, and she kept getting up. She's for real, no question about that. But, like I said pre-fight, 'The Next Big Thing'? You're talking to her!:"

 

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