MAXIM BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Posted by simguy on 12/21/2001, 7:32 am

Before: HBO putting Kelly Hu on a PPV the way film studios back Scorsese, Kubrick, or Allen - says one network fatcat, "we don't make money on a Kelly Hu fight very often - it's a prestige thing. Kelly gives this sport real credibility - she's an artist in the ring, and we think we have some responsibility to show her fights." No problem making money tonight - Liu/Hu not just a tasty chocolate treat, it's a marquee match up that has asian-o-philes drooling. Intriguing rematch - Hu's been a major roadblock for Lucy moving up, but a year long lay off, rumours of Hu coming down from as high as 140 in between fights have a lot of people wondering if Kelly can turn on the quality at will. Kelly in navy sports bra, red bikini bottoms, slick fighting ponytail, Lucy in black push up, leopard print boy cut trunks, slick fighting ponytail.

During R1: Hu in the Mayweather closed stance, left hand down, left shoulder pointed at Lucy, right hand close to Kelly's chin. Liu ranging well outside, coaxing Kelly forward - very tactical, measuring round for the most part. Down the stretch, Lucy shows she's special. Turning southpaw, Liu runs Kelly into a cuffing right hook over Hu's jab - Liu bending low on follow through, sweeps the left hand deep into gut while crossingstepping to the left, coming up in the ORTHODOX stance outside Kelly's right shoulder and hammering a straight right hand into Hu's ear. Kelly spluttering backward in shock - crazy hard punching from angles steals Liu a close round.

R2: Hu restoring order this round - lifting her jab off the hip, rarely connecting with it, but keeping it out there and showing Lucy plenty of lateral movement to prevent any more funny business. Liu with her hands down, trying to angle in to lash the left uppercut, but she can't find the range this round. Round to Hu.

R3: Liu turning southpaw once again, and it's an effective answer to Hu's jab. Liu able to time that cutesy right hook over top Hu's stick, rouge-ing up the champ's left cheekbone in a series of collision/separations around the ring. Hu lured into coming forward, shakes her head at the bell - she knows better against Liu.

R4: Pendulum swings back in favour of the champ. Hu solving Liu's southpaw stance with the stamping straight right hand down the middle - punishing Lucy's face and sending the challenger stumbling backwards from doubled-up blows. Liu's turn to get outboxed as Kelly works off the lead rights to dictate position, tempo this round.

R5: Liu starts orthodox, but steps back naturally into southpaw - bewildering footwork, tactical improvisation starts to break Hu down as Kelly's stance opens up. Hu coming forward, walking into that pesky right hook, then covering up high only to receive the gift that keeps on giving downstairs - LL's harsh left hand. By the midway point, Lucy's stepping back and walking Hu into murderous potshots - big spanking swings that have the crowd oohing and ahhing - Hu's legs start to buckle as the right hook damages her up top. Liu crosstepping, fighting off Hu's left shoulder, then her right, breaking the champ down with circus punches from angles and Hu starts to unravel badly down the stretch. Lucy hounding Hu along the ropes, drifting a punch into the champ's face, then leaning back crazily on her hips to make Kelly miss, then plowing home again with heaves from the thigh. HU GOES DOWN! Kelly battered to her hands and knees in a corner - Liu is shoved back by the ref as Hu struggles to beat the count. Lucy's eyes sparkling with hunger - Kelly reeling on shot legs after 8 as Liu swarms in. Lucy edging in southpaw, stabs a lead left straight to the body, then falls away to clout the right hook to the chin and KELLY GOES OUT! Head-snap Hu - she freezes out over her feet for a moment, then spills to her face as Lucy prances away - KO5 Lucy Liu!

After: Liu hoisted high, carried around the ring, regaining a belt many had considered out of reach at this point in her career. No word from Lucy on whether she'll defend the bantam bobble - she's perfectly capable of trashcanning the strap, going back to flyweight and precipitating a chaotic scramble to fill the power vacuum in her wake. "Kelly looked good, but someone didn't do their tummy crunches for this fight," Lucy smirks in post-fight, "she was definitely cushy downstairs - I was hurting her with left hands to the body and I knew I'd have a chance to take her out - I mean - her legs were shaking at the end of the first round! She was slow - mentally AND physically - probably the shabbiest Kelly Hu I've ever faced." Damning indictment - Hu stung by the loss, the criticism, and the prospect of trying to find fights without a belt. "Kelly's got to go back to basics," says one fight-beat reporter, "grab some mindshare, get active. The layoffs are killing her and you need to be sharp when your money fight happens to be Lucy Liu."

Sim Guy

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