WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
AMANDA RIGHETTI (33 y/o, 5 ft 8, W: 64, L: 23) VS MANDY MOORE (32 y/o, 5 ft 10, W: 25, L: 30)
(Words: Bonzo / Results: Lookout!)

Before: Amanda Righetti and Mandy Moore are familiar rivals with four battles in the past, all of them won by defending champion Righetti, most recently in 2013. Moore, a three-time champion who stormed to the title with an upset over Cassidy freeman in late 2014 five years after her last trophy win, has been a welterweight staple since 2004. She’s recently lost to Regan and Sobieski, but pundits have called Moore’s recent development, especially her return to the title, one of the more remarkable comeback stories of the division’s recent history, and she’s been considered a top contender ever since, based on a newly found self-confidence and increased athleticism. Righetti, on the other hand, has now been winning seven fights in a row, and she’s setting her sight on her personal record of nine wins in a row from 2010 – does Moore scare her tonight? “I’m not trying to be coy, but even though I’ve beaten Mandy before, I just can’t take anything for granted. Mandy’s a crafty fox in the ring. You’ve got to figure her out each time, and you have to constantly readjust your plans, because she’s so witty in the ring.” – Mandy Moore’s hopeful pre-fight, “I’m not discouraged in the slightest bit. She’s handled me well in the past, but you know, the bigger they come, the harder they fall. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been – Amanda’s going to meet a different Mandy Moore tonight, and she’s not going to enjoy finding that out.” – Girls stand up to each other at weigh-in, the atmosphere perhaps a little more heated than in the past: Moore’s radiating a natural air of confidence, really looking tall, broad and strong, struttin’ with hands-on-hips, while Righetti looks taut, realizing the challenge.


R1: Girls initiate understated action, moving in circles behind raised guards – Righetti’s jab stutters for Mandy’s skull a few times, but her right stays tight in position. Moore’s got her trademark rangy bounce, she’s on the move – she’s luring Amanda forward, only tossing in wide, gritty punches from the side, pushing them harshly into Amanda’s belly/mid-section. Amanda’s not tempted – she stays in reserve, her smooth lefts only grabbing slightly at Moore’s nimble head, keeping a strong-footed stance, defending herself conservatively when Moore’s rangy, limber jabs come jerking close. Moore’s not following up, staying with her back close to the ropes, letting/forcing Amanda to stomp at her…waiting…just cleanly snapping a straight-arm punch over Righetti’s arriving jab, dropping a right under the champion’s chin when their bodies collide, struggling for position. Mid-round, Righetti ups tempo/power, cutting off leggy Mandy’s space with more focus, buryin’ stiff, fierce right hands to the body when she’s got Mandy trapped for punishment, her quick jabs cautioning Moore, limiting her counter options. Later in the round, Mandy’s no longer dictating the rhythm – Righetti’s keeping her guard all-busy, and Mandy’s hasty counters sail past the champ’s head. During final minute, Amanda’s stomping out little moments of dominance where she can work freely – driving a thick right to Moore’s chest, a couple jabs getting through to her cheek/nose while a leggy Mandy bobs, bounces off and to the side, pursued cleanly to the body, but proving robust and lanky. Damage only subtle: Righetti hasn’t found the right way to close/measure distance yet, while Moore’s masterfully rangy on the outside, confining Amanda’s attacks to riskier assaults where her booming rights alert Righetti to move out again. With activity on Righetti’s side, she’s slightly ahead on the cards, but Moore’s rhythm’s as tricky as ever.

R2: Moore changes tack in a flash, storms out with jerky, sudden aggression: she narrows down on her redhead foe, building up widespread pressure behind spinning, stammering jabs – she’s hammering out good spots of powerful dominance, utilizing her height advantage and broad-shouldered torso to back the champion up, employing her lankily robust, natural farm-girl-ish strength, twitching her dangled left into solid punches. Righetti’s still walking forward early…all-big-girl…pushing…pressing to the body…working in rhythmic busts into Mandy’s belly/side, but encountering way more resistance than expected – several times, Mandy’s slap-bang left tidies up on a careless Righetti, shrugging beautiful, jerking little hits on Amanda’s nose/mouth. Caught punch by punch, a flinching, startled Righetti finally reverts into defense, bobbin’ and bouncing backwards on her heels – Moore cleans up with a massive, thundering right twisted right into Amanda’s solar-plexus, shoving a jolted Righetti into ropes. Amanda yanks her hands up into tight earmuff, stepping unstably on the spot…she’s definitely a little rickety here, getting bludgeoned by Mandy’s stout bumping work. And Moore’s moving in, staying true to her rhythmic leading left, opening up into thick body target rights, trapping her foe, just plainly working over an increasingly hunched, tripping Rigs into butt-in-ropes, swaying position. Moore finally makes good use of her stature – stroking Amanda limber, sturdy punches….tik-tok’in her lefts, swingin’ broad rights in steady, rhythmic, ham-fisted fashion. Righetti’s blinking – she’s befuddled by Mandy’s heavy-handed physicality, shuddering, her body clearly slackening against Moore’s hefty strain in clinches/grasps. Late in the round, Moore cleans up – she’s weighing down on Amanda’s escape attempts with swingin’ wide body hooks under Amanda’s elbows…doing damaging body work to the stomach, then splits Righetti’s mitts with a straight-arm, shrugged left slamming bulkily on the champion’s right cheek – Amanda’s head twitches down from the impact – and Mandy sneaks in a prepared loose, wide, vast right to chin – big Rigs ends up all wobbly-butt, back sloshing into ropes, her eyes blinking in confusion. Amanda totters forward into clinch, looking miserable in the squirming grasp, thrashing from Mandy’s greedy body hooks up close. At bell, Moore’s marching swiftly to her corner in workwoman fashion, taking long looks at Righetti’s swaying, tottering steps – she’s just taken Righetti to the woodshed in a career-best round against her foe.

R3: Moore’s confident physicality and whacking body work leaves a lasting impact – she’s got Righetti reduced, at least temporarily. Throughout first minute, Amanda’s stepping on the spot sheepishly, her legs bobbin’, bouncin’ almost constantly – she’s getting stalked by Mandy’s supple forward stance…Moore’s circling ahead, throwing steady, clean punches, dictating space/tempo with her lax, limber swings, searching for Righetti’s skull, her right controlled at medium height, exploding into pulsating, sideward whacks bashing into Amanda’s guard, scoring with brawny beats into Righetti’s strong lats/side/arms. Moore’s strategy off-beat for her: a proven rhythm-buster, she’s not usually expected to wield such a power-based approach, but tonight she’s taking an axe to Amanda’s body. Mid-round, a frustrated, shut out Righetti quick-charges into forward posture with a swift, tik-tok hook combination cashing in on Moore’s chest/shoulders, pressing her body forward in mid-ring struggle for position – Amanda’s more aggressive at that point, burying close, thick jerks in Moore’s torso, vitalizing her powerful jab for a tentative grip, throbbing it bang-bang-bang at Mandy’s raised guard, then drags a big right hand from her hips swiping over Moore’s nose – Mandy’s head’s skews from the impact, as she’s stepping on the spot, toppling into a clinch before Amanda jostles to separate, leading with her left to steer the challenger rope-side. Righetti relaxes visibly, hopping forward, her jab rhythmically pummeling Mandy’s earmuff guard. Moore stays calm and smooth: even when her back thuds into ropes from one of Amanda’s driving rights to her chest, she’s defending herself nimbly off-ropes, stabilizing her body. Righetti’s jabs start to roll, but she’s not really getting past Mandy’s guard – a bit later, Moore tugs a sloppy right over Amanda’s knocking jab that thumps on the champion’s cheek. Mandy uses Righetti’s staggering reaction to tilt up, steppin’ and shoving her way out – Amanda’s in retreat, bouncin’ backwards, her skull turning left and right escaping from Mandy’s clean, drifting jabs. Moore so physical tonight – working from a big, broad, dominant stance, she’s really doing damage to Amanda’s mid-section with jolting, strong right hands, controlling Righetti’s jab counters with fluid, brawny lefts of her own. Righetti’s stepping into Mandy occasionally, strugglin’…tryin’…but it ain’t working – she’s getting shoved shabbily up close, taking punches on her guard and beyond, her body suffering, quivering…then she’s yielding ground again. Late in the final minute, Moore’s forced Righetti’s butt into the ropes, push-shoving forward with her left, then clipping the champ a short right hook upside her head for the highlight reel, causing panicky head-swivel movements from Amanda…Moore hammers out a tight siege at ropes until the bell, her sweaty, wide back glistening, shoulders pumping out combinations of throbbing punches, as a faltering Righetti leans back, absorbing.

R4: Girls stomp mid-ring aggressively…each pulling wide, booming haymakers out of the pocket…girls trade numbing, brutal punches on respective shoulders/arms/chest – whack, slug, bash, spank – Amanda turns more committed this time, really adopting the two-way hammering trade, holding her own, curbing Mandy’s heavy-handed physicality with well-read defenses, cleaner counters. Early in the first minute, Moore’s clipping Righetti a counter on her mouth that snaps the redhead’s skull down a few inches, her eyes closing in pain, falling into a body clinch with a grunt, struggling against Mandy’s hungry body. A bit later, Righetti’s keeping Moore busy with brisk, furious, climactic jabs, then pulls her right over past Mandy’s outstretched arm, thudding on her challenger’s right cheek – Righetti solidifying from there, as she’s keeping her driving lefts tik-tokking at Mandy’s guard, her right haymakers intruding ever more closely, slowly repressing her opponent in bludgeoning fashion. Moore struggles like a lioness – starts bouncin’, hoppin’ in reverse to ease the pressure, hands moving into tight earmuff, but still opening into quick, robust straight-arm counters off and in between Righetti’s rhythm, clouting Rigs two masterfully timed punches on the side of her chin. Still, by the end of the first minute, Amanda’s pumping jabs slowly shut out Mandy’s defense: Moore’s eyes look more tired – she’s grunting, toppling, swaying butt-on-ropes, and her counters start to fade – Moore’s desperately pitching her body forward, tussling against Righetti’s hips, but Amanda subdues her, tucking in thick, punishing rights under Moore’s arms. Mandy’s body’s jerking from the impact – Righetti’s pushing off violently with a snarl, wreaking her lefts bang-bang-bang past Moore’s guard, detonating on Mandy’s left cheek. Mandy stops punching – she’s a faltering, confused beauty, circling out with tottering steps, her hands outstretched in defense – Righetti pounces, jerking a right hand into her challenger’s chest that brutally shoves Moore into the ropes. Mandy’s awkwardly raising her hands, staring, trying to stabilize, but Righetti drifts a follow-up right hand through, splitting her mitts yet again, whipping against her chin – Mandy’s eyes roll back on impact, while her right hand pitches to the side: she’s sloshing forward! Righetti steps back...tumbling Mandy takes a knee, swaying…she’s retaining her position for a split second, hands sailing…then she tips to the side, her left arm trapped under her body, leg twitching. Moore’s eyes blink, stare in confusion – she’s already grabbing for the ropes faintly, pulling herself up to her knees, tilting, mumbling and shaking her head in defiance, but the ref has already reached the ten count: that’s a KO4 – and STILL welterweight champion, Amanda Righetti!

After: After the ref has reached his final count, Mandy just sags back into ropes in bitter disappointment, her eyes welling up with tears, still shaking her head. Righetti’s meanwhile taking long steps around the ring, composing herself after a short, but titanic struggle. There are no hard feelings between the two fighters later, but Mandy’s still heartbroken – post-fight, she explains her strategy. “I just felt so good tonight. I’ve felt better than I’ve ever felt in a fight with Amanda. I felt stronger than her. I don’t know. I can’t believe this. This should have been the moment.”