(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Posted by simguy on 11/23/2001, 6:31 pm


Before: Never say never in boxing - Hatcher rejuvenating both her career and rivalry for Flyweight supremacy with Liu, after flattening the sherriff, Eliza D. Teri one of the bodies Lucy climbed over on her initial march to the top - Hatcher's waited a long time for the go-around to come-around. Both girls talented KO artists at sub110, neither girl known for excessive durability - do the math. Teri in snug red sports bra, red waist high aerobics bottoms, Lucy in black push up, leopard print boy cut trunks, long slick ponytail.

During R1: Lucy dictating early, using the ring - jumping in on Teri then wheeling out on liquid hips - Hatcher flat footed, keeping her hands uncharacteristically high as she shows respect for Liu's first round power. Teri blocking effectively, but late in response - Lucy busier, getting off, but not doing much damage in a feeling-out first.

R2: Hatcher lowers the left hand and starts to lift the jab into Lucy's face - good firm stick sets up drilling right hands as Teri widens her stance to punch. Hatcher in a nice rhythm, driving in off off the back foot to spank face with the right cross, leaning back out of range as Lucy gets sloppy. Teri using her height and reach exquisitely - has Liu stepping in fence post holes in the first minute, then lights her up at the half way point with another pounding right on the side of the head. Liu dazed, runs the rest of the round as Hatcher walks her down with a bully's stride to the bell.

R3: Teri's the boss. Liu being pestered by the jab - she can slip it, but hasn't quite got the distance measured to counter effectively. Hatcher able to step forward, cut the ring off on Liu and lean in and out with lashing one-twos to score at least once per series. Liu ranging in a wide circle around the ring, doesn't seem to want any Teri Hatcher this round.

R4: Liu with her hands down, defies Teri's reach by getting low, bending deep at the knee and snaking her torso to slip punches, then straightening suddenly to hoist rising punches from her ankles into Hatcher's ribs and bra. Liu pivoting, making Teri punch down, often wrong footing the brunette, then making her pay with lightning counters from weird angles. All even after 4, both women getting things done.

R5: Liu takes over the bout. She'll jump in a short right hand to the tits or chin, then snuggle in close, lightly clinching up around Teri's hips and buttocks to press her stomach onto the brunette and force the referee's break. Hatcher infuriated at the punch and clutch, but unable to deal with it - Liu slides in as she pleases to record several beefy potshots with either hand. Late in the round - Liu stops clinching to work on the inside - she'll reach in with her right hand to pull Teri's right arm forward, then spank at the exposed rightside kidney with a clubbing left. Over to the left side - kidney spank - repeat. Hatcher woozy and pouting, vibrating from the waist down after several punishing strokes to the lower back and sides leave her hurting.

R6: Liu attacking Teri from all points on the compass in the first minute - ranging outside with hands at her sides, then lunging in to stuff her right hand into bosom, belly or chin, then holding for the referee's break. Liu purring into Teri's frustrated face in the clinches - Hatcher getting rattled as Liu lands hard for the first time in the fight. Balance of the round - Lucy stays in close, crowding Hatcher, pulling at her arms, sticking and stuffing punches into the belly and back of the brunette as Hatcher starts to get bullied. Back to back shutouts Liu - Hatcher looking windblown, punished, glossy about the hips.

R7: Shutout Lucy Liu. She'll use her legs early, wearing Teri out with the circus punches from all angles, catching Hatcher much more flush than she had in the opening rounds. Teri getting clocked and reacting with feeble, late swings - Lucy's just chiselling out a patient, precise masterpiece. The clinching has Hatcher whining to the ref, and the inside work is truly devastating. Teri leaning forward, arms useless up high on Lucy, allowing the Asian to lift bricks from the thighs into trim brunette torso to the bell.

R8: Liu showboating, dropping her hands, using supple upperbody gyration to get Teri punching and missing all around the ring. Still, Teri's coming forward, not connecting much, but doing all the work - it's her round to the final minute. Liu from a very low crouch, almost sitting on the canvas with her knees at her chest, comes up with a gouging left uppercut to the pit of Teri's belly, putting the brunette up on her toes in shock. Liu stepping back, letting Teri stumble forward into vicious lefts and rights from the hips - little Lucy turning her shoulders into compact blows, picking Teri up with devastating haymakers on the chin. Liu steals a Hatcher round, sends Teri to her corner mincing in pain.

R9: Liu coaxing the tired jab out of Hatcher, slipping and answering with a slashing right from her thigh clean on the teeth to get Teri wobbly butt. Liu hurting Teri, has her clearly dazed, then snuggles inside to work and punish rather than going for the stoppage. This is brutal stuff down the stretch - Liu with Teri draped almost over top her works the belly, but also punches hard to the inner thigh and hip flexors of the brunette - Hatcher sobbing aloud at the outrageous work as Liu smiles, clinches up from the side, pressing her face to Teri's cheek to cheek.

R10: All Lucy Liu - Teri Hatcher badly undressed and beaten in a memorable shutout tenth. Liu victimizing Teri's jab, leaning away from it, then slicing in the right hand from the thigh over the top, clocking Hatcher's drowsy face hard to the side. Teri punched to the ropes in the first minute - Lucy's momentum putting her momentarily side by side with the brunette, both girls facing the same way. Kodak moment as Lucy makes as if to walk back to mid ring and non-chalantly palm-slaps Teri's crotch without even looking back: Big breezy smile Liu, agony on Teri's face for a split second as Lucy struts away scot free. The rest of the way cheeky torment from Liu - the insolent clinching from the side, or even behind as Liu's sinewy defense gets Teri ridiculously out of position. Hatcher stumbling, beaten beyond recognition - blank expression as she is repeatedly caught by surprise punching, shaken, but never totally shut down. At the bell, Lucy Liu lifts her mitts in sultry triumph - Hatcher a devastated UD10 loser.

After: Vintage Lucy Liu, topped off with a heartless walk of shame as a blubbering Teri Hatcher can't keep it together. Liu coyly dodging charges of carrying a hurt Hatcher when a stoppage seemed almost guaranteed - Lucy going after Teri like she was carefully shattering an eggshell but leaving the gooey yolk inside. "I don't know what Eliza's problem was," Lucy says innocently in post fight, "After I took a couple of the shots that put Dushku on her face, I thought, 'Teri's lost a step', and just went after her. Hey, it's not my fault Hatcher's a glutton for punches - her corner could have stopped it, the ref could have stopped it - I was just doing my job."

Sim

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