Tahnee Atkinson versus Amanda Righetti (Welterweight Championship)





(Words: Oddman / Results: Lookout!)

Before: "I respect Tahnee," Amanda admits at the podium. "Any girl who fights her way to a championship has earned that. I’ve been in the ring with Kate and Hannah, and anybody who steps up to them ten times is the real deal. Make no mistake, I WILL have those belts. But Tahnee's no joke, and I'm going to have to commit 100% to get her beat." 

Tahnee keeping focused, “I can’t think too much of her reputation. Girls who do that, they're beaten before they step off the scales. I KNOW what to do - it's a matter of conditioning and execution for me. Amanda should be the one who's concerned."

Come fight night, Amanda sports a sturdy red bikini, red-brownish hair loose and straight. Tahnee in maroon triangle-cut bikini, hair back in a battle-pony, black gloves all-around

R1: Tahnee surprising everybody with crisp, efficient execution—who’s the veteran here? Amanda unleashing in spots—bobbing low under the power punches, she’s swinging from the hips, landing loud to the waist, clobbering her way up-torso, but Atkinson doing a nice job of defending the wide wallop. Tahnee stepping into a pounding jab-bashing back Amanda’s face, bloodying her nose. Atkinson stepping left, refusing to stay in one place despite her plant&pitch reputation, making Righetti move her feet. Tahnee beating Amanda to punches—straight right hand off the jab, left hook off the jab and a right cross chaser—good brisk combination has redhead covering up and waiting her turn, O&E has some of the league’s best combination-punchers, and Atkinson clearly showing she’s done her homework. Righetti came out looking for a slugger and paid for it.

R2: Amanda moving before the bell, gets a body on Tahnee, punching with in an effort to hurt brunette—gamble pays off. Time and again, Righetti able to beat Atkinson to the hook or the cross—Big Rig straighter, tighter with her punching, more accurate. Tahnee taking on her chin and wobbled at least once, Amanda too stubbornly persistent for Champ to back off for long, Atkinson routinly rung up this round. Righetti hunched forward, dukes up, elbows in—she’s picking Tahnee apart, gets the round back, honors even after 2.

R3: Sharp clocking rights on the jaw, ripping hooks to the ribs have Tahnee floundering early - she reaches for Amanda - redhead sidesteps and sends Atkinson spilling face first to the ropes. Righetti pounces: digging her way into Tahnee's body with chugging rights and lefts, stooping the Champ forward and AMANDA GOES JUG! Righetti's face glowing as she savours the moment - relentless body work paving the way for a marauding rack attack as poor Atkinson leans forward and takes. Tahnee swaying on the spot, helpless hooters there for the taking - she bends right to haul a desperation left to Amanda's ear, bends left to clap home a swinging right and RIGHETTI'S SWEPT TO HER BACKSIDE! Didn’t land flush, but enough to put Righetti off balance – Big Rig up quick, bouncing on the spot for her 8, anxious to get the knockdown back. HAMMER AND TONGS! Tahnee keeps jabbing smart, forcing Amanda to walk through it, then leaning into short right hands to redhead's chin. Righetti caught again and again in a short period of time - she's put wobbly butt, staggering sideways at the bell as Atkinson bellows in triumph.

R4: Amanda grimly determined, she’s not used to being the one doing the chasing, darting in with her chin tucked as double jabs pulse, tidy right hand chasers, mop up hooks - her punching: brisk, tic-tac-toe patterns. Tahnee can afford to fight defensive, right at her temple, heavy jab attempting to beat Righetti to punches, spoil redhead's aim. Atkinson leaning into murderous right hands, but punch is well-scouted - Amanda bobbing or slipping underneath, victimizing the exposed ribcage at every opportunity. Righetti not closing the gap, but if wither of them had any illusions, both fighters are now realizing someone could get hurt tonight.

R5: Amanda shaking off the knockdown, entering beast mode. Still jabbing in her usual slugger-busting fashion, but moves in closer in the second minute when she has Tahnee fixed in place. Savage crowd-pleasing toe-to-toe sees Atkinson finally starting to land for the first time in quite a few minutes. Righetti on comfortable terms, swiveling her hips as she trades rotating rights, no longer just operating behind her jab. Tahnee out-punched in body-to-body contest as Amanda takes over in the last minute. Atkinson busted up, hurt, retreating, walked down as Righetti’s brawny arms bash away. Tahnee slowed down, unable to use her size. Swinging side shot catches Atkinson in her right jug – she’s gasping and a shattering right finds her temple. Tahnee wobbly-butt, staggering sideways AND TAKES A KNEE!. Atkinson takes her 8, chest heaving as she leans against the ropes, Righetti streaking out of the corner, bombarding the Champ with short hooks at the bell.

R6: Tahnee done being cute. She’s getting clipped on the way in, getting hacked as she presses Amanda towards the ropes, but Atkinson just bulling her way ontop of Righetti relentlessly. Round fought out in a phonebooth Tahnee pushing in, squirming, wrestling, bludgeoning: Amanda writhing, holding and hitting as best she can. Grinding, ugly Atkinson points—she’s able to tan Righetti’s breadbasket and ribs with some torrid body shots, no longer trying to get clean contact on Hall-of-Famer’s legendarily stout chin.

R7: Same again: Where? On the ropes, Amanda’s back to cables. When? The entire round. Why? Tahnee flings out the jab over Righetti's left shoulder, then drives into the world's shortest right hand to chin as girls fall together. BLASTING shot jolts Amanda to her toes, she goes limp against Tahnee's torso, who shoulders her onto the strands. The Kostek/Tailor fight showed Righetti’s been working with a sparring partner who’s not comfortable up close. Tahnee taking full advantage of this gap in her preparations: squirmy, damp, tummy-to tummy action—both girls often too smothered to do effective damage in there: all about bumping or writhing for punching room and getting off while the getting’s good. Righetti taking to reaching ‘round Atkinson’s back in a loose clinch about the hips: Tahnee keeping hips back, palming Amanda to stabilize her in the grasp, the methodically fitting punches into redhead’s flanks. End of the round, there they stand—Righetti’s arms encircling Atkinson’s torso, her cheek on Champ’s left shoulder: Tahnee just pawing and punching, tucking her fists into winter-white body with a meaty, determined spank.

R8: Amanda startles Tahnee with a lead right hand on the jaw - while Champ's covering up, tilting forward – Righetti leans in on front foot to jerk left uppercuts in heartless sequence: ATKINSON GOES DOWN! Tahnee dropped to all fours, squeezing out tears – Amanda beaming, lifting her mitts, struts to the neutral corner, waving to the crowd, AND ATKINSON BEATS THE COUNT! Wobbly 8, Righetti edging in, getting close, rip-digging a series of murderous hooks to the breadbasket, stays in there to get jagged left uppercuts to the bulging ledge of Tahnee's bra. Atkinson ramshackle, laying on the ropes, but she starts slugging back - brace of swinging rights and lefts to Righetti's body backs her up as girls get mindless on one another yet again. Hectic trading loses all rhyme and reason - girls just laying in with each other, bumping each other off, pitching - crowd loving the wild abandon. This is the kind of fight that favors a two-time JMDD champion, Tahnee takes a brisk left-right on her face and shoulder, head snapped back but not stopping her, driving through with another short righthand bingo on the chin, bounces Amanda off the ropes, braces on her back leg, turns into a crashing left hook, catches the redhead flush on the chin...BIG RIG GOES DOWN! Stupendous punch picture-perfect, Righetti out on her feet, crashing onto her face as her legs lock uptight...she's asleep at Atkinsons's feet as the ten count passes by. KO8 in spectacular fashion for the winner and STILL Welterweight Champion, Tahnee Atkinson!

After: Tahnee makes it unanimous, joining the other New Wave Welters in turning back Righetti. Amanda adamant that this isn’t the start of some downward trend. “I can’t blame myself for tonight’s performance. There were punches, moments that could have turned out differently, I was close, but I couldn’t get the job done this time. This isn’t the end of the world.”

Tahnee exuberant: “I'm hungrier than she is, and just like Kate and Hannah, when I get them on that animal-vs-animal level, I got ‘em where I want them!”