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28 December 2018 Yvonne Strahovski vs Kaley Cuoco

Page history last edited by caspian2 4 years, 4 months ago

Posted by Lookout! Boxing on Dec 29, 2018 at 12:37pm

Yvonne Strahovski (Lookout) vs Kaley Cuoco (Medallion) Result:Lookout/Work:simgrrl
(36yo, 5'9", 130#, 65-28-0) vs (33yo, 5'6", 125#, 71-47-3)

Before: Is Strahovski starting to show her age? Some who think that point to her "skyrocketing" losses! Straho lost just one fight in 2014 and one again in 2015, but since then, she's lost twice in 2016, three times in 2017, and now four so far in 2018! Yvonne struggled but managed to pull out "come-from-behind" wins in her last two fights; the first over Kat Heigl who was attempting a comeback almost eight years to the day after her last win (Nov 25th, 2010 against Cat Bell).

Yvonne's previous fight came two weeks ago against longtime rival Odette Yustman, who is active and has a winning record - though the one-time lightweight champ struggles at times with mediocre opponents. Odette put Vonnie on her back in that fight and at times it looked like she might prevail until a late offensive by Yvonne turned the tide her way.

Cuoco's had more fights than Yvonne, but has been lightly fought - not having more than six fights a year since 2010 when she fought seven times! Her light schedule has served her well, the sturdy blonde compiled a 60% win rate and her KO/win is 96% compared to Yvonne's 89%.

Cuoco cut short a long delayed honeymoon with hubby Karl Cook to prep for this fight but claims she kept in shape snowboarding, eating Toblerone chocolates, while getting plenty of "strenuous exercise every night."

Yvonne and Kaley met twice before with Yvonne losing a 2013 title challenge to the then Unified Lightweight Champion, but a year later Yvonne was the titleholder and she turned back Cuoco's challenge. That history adds a frisson of added excitement to this evening's contest.

It's been a few years since they met in two title fights and both have changed physically in that time. Yvonne's more angular since she became more serious about her fitness since her softer, more sensuous look as a TV star. Kaley was more voluptuous in her younger days and while she's still the more buxom, she's added muscle to her upper body as she too got serious about training as she aged. Both look stronger, and while Yvonne has the height and reach advantage, Cuoco's shorter, stockier, stature may help her use her bulk when fighting in close.

Yvonne in her favorite black bikini with black boots and black gloves; her long blonde hair is pulled back in messy ponytail with a black scrunchie. Kaley wearing a silver bra and matching silver boy-cut bottoms with her shoulder length blonde hair in a French twist. White gloves and silver shoes to match her ensemble.

During R1: Both women open cautiously, neither in a hurry to risk an early set-back in a bout they both have predicted may well go the distance. Neither is noted for her power punching, although a close analysis of Cuoco's KO stats show that earlier in her career she depended on an accumulation of damage rather then one-punch stopping power. Lately, however, she's added upper body muscle and her most recent KO's have been set up by a single powerful punch that left her opponent 'on the ropes.' Strahovski's longtime reputation is that of being a stylist, rather than a power puncher. She depends on an exceptional ability to wear down opponents rather than bludgeon them senseless with her power.
After more than a minute, some fans are anxious to see action rather than tactical, careful, sparring. A few catcalls can be heard - though they're quickly shouted down by more knowledgeable boxing fans.
Yvonne easily controlling the action using her substantial advantage in reach and her long legs allow her to attack or pull back at will. Cuoco bobbing her head and rolling her shoulders, avoiding any solid connects from the bigger blonde, yet frustrated by her inability to touch Strahovski's long torso with any frequency.
Late in the round, Kaley tries to up-tempo with a reckless flurry that only succeeds in getting herself buffeted by Yvonne's quick hands as she's able to counter with either hand, turning Cuoco aside with a left-right combo, then loping away to escape the shorter fighters answering fire. In the closing seconds, Strahovski lands two combinations that drive Kaley back - for the first time she's had to back up. Now Yvonne, surging forward, applies pressure to the bell that has Cuoco finish the round with her butt in the ropes when the referee steps in. Strahovski easily pocketed the points by a wide margin.
* * *
At ringside, Charlize Theron and Tess Valmore have both been cheering on their favorite and at the end of the round, Tess is beaming while Charlize frowns. They exchange a look, then they both burst out laughing at how wrapped up they'd become in the fight. They hug and agree to disagree about the fight, but not to let it ruin their night out.
* * *
R2: Kaley Cuoco making adjustments. Moving more laterally this round, Cuoco's able to cut off the ring and keep Yvonne from circling around and away from her. Once she can close the distance, Cuoco's powerful body shots begin to make an impression on Yvonne and soon her middle bears a rosy hue from the impact of Kaley's gloves on her pale flesh!
Strahovski's not wasting time though, she finds Kaley's head with left hooks more easily now that Cuoco was within easy reach of her fists. Kaley was willing to risk the exchange for the opportunity to damage Yvonne's long, limber, body and they had several spirited exchanges at center ring in the first two minutes of the round with neither backing off. The fans who'd previous demanded action were satisfied with the punching - as were the technical types who appreciated the give and take flow of the contest.
Time and again Yvonne landed combinations, snapping Kaley's head back, but seemingly every time when she would glide smoothly away, Cuoco anticipated her and was there to block her path, driving hard hooks to the body; backing Yvonne to the ropes where the shorter blonde would body up with Strahovski to hammer her mid-section with brutal, bludgeoning, blows!
Each time, Yvonne managed to fight her way off the strands, grabbing Kaley's shoulders to spin her around, then escape to the expanse of open canvas where Yvonne could set up to defend against the relentless attacks of the younger, shorter, more muscular little blonde.
Again, they exchanged punches - Yvonne targeting the crouching Kaley's head and upper body which were the easy targets - while Kaley bored in, her body bent forward, knees bent, head and shoulders lowered to the point Yvonne's belly button was almost at Kaley's eye level. Cuoco drove straight rights into Yvonne's belly... even a couple landed just below the waistband of Strahovski's bikini bottom, doubling her over as she cramped up. The referee allowed them, only once issuing a mild warning to Cuoco, "Keep 'em up, hon."
Unlike the first round, this round it was Yvonne Strahovski's firm butt being driven back and jammed between the ropes, her torso bent forward, Kaley's forehead between the cups of Yvonne's bikini top as she squared her feet and slammed punch after punch after punch into the lithe blondes belly. At the bell, the referee stepped in, pushing them apart. Cuoco whirled around and danced to her corner arms raised while Yvonne sat back on the middle rope, her arms spread, hands gripping the top ropes as she struggled for air as her seconds scrambled into the ring to help her back to her stool. Kaley took the second round on points, but narrowly.
* * *
At ringside, as she watched Yvonne tended by her corner women, Charlize turned to Tess, "I've got a good feeling about this. You want to double our bet?"
Tess considered a second, then shook her head. "I don't usually bet on my friends' fights so I certainly won't go double or nothing. I'm fine just as it stands."
* * *
R3: Kaley was up before the bell, eager to get back to breaking down Strahovski's proud body. She bounded across the ring and as Yvonne raised her hands, Cuoco unleashed a terrific overhand right above Yvonne's tardy left hand blocker. The punch nailed the older blonde on the side of the jaw and buckled her knees briefly. Kaley slammed a left hook in below Yvonne's right side ribs, shunting her hips back with a thudding impact! Yvonne, staggered by the double blows, groped at Kaley's hips with both hands as she stumbled trying to get her feet under her, pulling Kaley to her and wrapping her up in a clinch. With Yvonne's face in her cleavage, Kaley couldn't punch her in the face, but that didn't keep her from pounding both Strahovski flanks with her fists. Cuoco could feel Yvonne's breath on her breasts as she pounded the tall, sleek, blond body hugging hers.
Kaley struggling in Yvonne's embrace, finally manages to shove the taller woman away. Strahovski lands a cuffing right hand as she backs away that does little damage other than to spur Cuoco to reply with a flurry of rapidfire punches of her own, driving Yvonne back onto the ropes. Straho 'rope-a-doping' to buy time as Kaley wallops her mindlessly with both hands, forcing Yvonne sideways down the strands into her corner where Kaley bodies up, pinning Yvonne against the turnbuckles and driving her fists into that mid-section she's been targeting the entire fight!
Strahovski hunched forward, gloves ear muffing, elbows tucked in protecting her paunch. Cuoco coming up with big uppercuts inside - her go-to punch in these situations. Yvonne blocking with her forearms, gloves and elbows but a few get through to send Yvonne's head up and back...up and back. Knees rubbery, Yvonne grimly hangs on around Kaley's shoulders, tying up her arms as they wrestle on the ropes to the bell when the referee jumps in to part them. Kaley, head high, gives Yvonne a toss of hair as she turns away to her corner, leaving Strahovski slumped against the ropes, panting, as her corner shoves the stool between the ropes as she slides down onto the seat. Kaley wins the round by shutout!
* * *
Theron standing and cheering Kaley as she returns to her corner. Tess typing away on her tablet, ignores Charlize but is seen to glance furtively into Lookout's corner where Kidman and Benz are working at warp speed trying to resuscitate Strahovski.
* * *
R4: Yvonne slow off her stool at the bell, retreating behind the jab as Cuoco hustles in to finish but is frustrated by the Aussie's longer arms and legs that let Yvonne paw Kaley's face while circling back and away to her left, forcing Cuoco to chase. Kaley throwing big rights from long range, most coming up short, but follow-on left hooks thrown in combinations find the range as she continues to force the action coming forward relentlessly.
Strahovski getting into a rhythm punching, moving away, punching, moving away again... never giving Cuoco a stationary target or allowing the shorter blonde to set her feet. Pressured to the ropes, Yvonne has no choice but to trade right hands with Kaley and this exchange goes Yvonne's way, allowing her to slip away once more behind the firm jab that sets up all her other punches.
Closing minute sees Strahovski step up the tempo, going over on the attack and fighting Cuoco to a standstill, then slowly forcing Kaley to back up once more. Straho landing in combinations while Kaley settling for right handed power shots looking to land the one big blow that can seal the deal! Yvonne too slippery, too nimble to allow herself to be cornered and she stays in the open space middle of the ring peck-peck-pecking Kaley like an annoying bird. At the bell, a frustrated Cuoco slams her gloves on the top rope as the referee breaks it up. Yvonne bouncing back to her corner, ponytail bouncing while Kaley stalks angrily to hers knowing she let a golden opportunity get away as Yvonne wins the round by shutout... never letting Kaley Cuoco establish a rhythm; constantly frustrating her at every turn.
* * *
Tess Valmore on her feet applauding Yvonne, gets a wink from the Aussie beauty as she's about to sit down. Turning to Charlize, Tess asks eagerly, "You still interested in doubling our bet?" Charlize chuckles, "Sorry Tess, you missed your chance. Now I 'm the one comfortable just as it stands."
* * *
R5: Cuoco back on the attack to open the fifth, using her left more often, linking it with her right hand in combination. Yvonne still trying to fight at long range, but Kaley Cuoco is more effectively cutting off the angles and walks Yvonne into several rights as the Aussie circles to Kaley's right behind her jab. Cuoco able to rattle Strahovski with the left hook this round, something she did rarely in the early going.
Yvonne landing two punches to one of Kaley's, but Cuoco's are stronger and she's keeping herself squared up in front of Strahovski where she can work over that aging Aussie body. Once again, Yvonne's pale flesh is pink from the impact of Kaley's gloves. Cuoco teeing off, driving straight right hands that bash Yvonne back across the ring. No subtlety here, it's just brute force as Kaley holds her left arm out measuring the distance, then throwing one right hand after another to Strahovski's biceps, shoulder, head, whatever she can see she's hitting!
Yvonne Strahovski putting up a sturdy defense against Cuoco's assault but she can't keep the muscular shorter fighter at arms length forever and, time and again, Kaley pierces Yvonne's defenses to pound her slender torso. Yvonne resorting to clinching to smother Kaley's offense, but at the cost of giving up her body. Cuoco being jabbed constantly as she forces her way in, her left eye visibly swollen, but she's willing to pay the price for the chance to have her way with Strahovski's mid-section - something she does with disturbing regularity.
In the final minute of the round, Kaley's again wrapped in Yvonne's embrace; her face in the Aussie's modest cleavage as she chug-chug-chugs away at Straho's smooth, beach worthy belly with both hands. Everyone can see Kaley setting Yvonne up for her trademark uppercut finisher but this time Yvonne beats Kaley to the punch. DOWN GOES CUOCO! With Kaley leaning into her, Yvonne steps back to open space between them. With her left arm still draped over Cuoco's right shoulder, Strahovski brings her right fist up the middle to catch ALL of Kaley's chin. Her legs short-circuited by the punch, Kaley drops to her knees, then topples forward to crash facefirst to the mat between Yvonne's feet!
As the referee pushes her away, Yvonne raises her right glove to her face and kisses it, then blows a kiss to Charlize Theron who's sitting ringside, wide-eyed and open-mouthed in shock at the sight of her favorite (for the moment) blond facedown in the ring! As the referee counts, Cuoco struggles to rise, her right hand pawing blindly for the ropes to help her to her feet. She's about three quarters of the way up when the bell rings ending the round. Kaley slumps forward, her arms draped over the top rope, her knees on the middle strand helping to keep her upright. Charisma Carpenter and Eliza Dushku scramble to her side to help support her back to her corner. Kaley was having her way with Yvonne until the final minute when Yvonne's knockdown stole the points!
* * * *
R6: Medallion Boxing trainers work feverishly between rounds to get Cuoco ready and when the bell rings for the sixth round, she's on her feet. The referee checks and is assured she's alright.
Kaley out slowly, taking her time, every second she delays is one more she has to recover. Yvonne coming straight at Kaley, pounding her jab in the shorter blondes face, then a sweeping right hand slams into Cuoco's left ear, knocking her to one side off balance. Kaley hits the ropes and slips sideways along them, pawing desperately at Yvonne with her left hand while her right hangs onto the top rope to steady herself.
Strahovski quick to take advantage of her damaged opponent, leaning in to drop another big right down on the side of Kaley's face as she's reeling. The powerful hammer blow drives Cuoco to the mat on her face with her knees tucked under her. Her already unconscious body slowly settles onto her stomach as her legs extend until she's laying flat, her face looking out into the stunned crowd under the bottom rope; her right arm limp over the same rope. Yvonne doesn't deign to look down at her, simply turns and walks slowly away with her arms raised as the referee moves in, takes one look and waves it off.
Yvonne Strahovski's knockout in minute one stops a game Kaley Cuoco who can't beat the count. Strahovski wins by a KO6!
* * * *
After: While the Medallion seconds work on their fallen gladiator, Strahovski's stands in her corner glaring down at Theron in her ringside seat. Charlize is pointedly ignoring Strahovski, her body turned toward Tess Valmore as they discuss how to spend the rest of the evening.

Yvonne's body shows plenty of signs of the damage its suffered in a surprisingly difficult time against the shorter, stockier, younger, muscular blonde. But Yvonne's "whippy power" proved to be the difference and Kaley Cuoco appeared to run out of steam after going all out for five hard-fought rounds. It seems fighting as infrequently as she had doesn't build stamina for the long haul and she visibly slowed her pace in the last two rounds! Still, in her postfight appearance for the media, Yvonne praised Kaley's performance and her "guts" pointing out there was little for Cuoco to gain by the fight.

Once she was brought around, Kaley insisted on appearing at the presser where she gave full credit to Yvonne for her win. "I went as hard as I could," Kaley said. "In the end, she proved to be the better woman on this night. But this loss doesn't mean I'm done... after all, I'm younger than Yvonne..." she added with a grin. Then looking out into the crowd, she pointed at Charlize Theron and added, "...and there are some other old timers I'd like to take on. I only faced Charlize once... and I beat her. I'd like to double that."

Both women shook hands and agreed they'd probably meet again. "Sooner rather than later," Yvonne added.

END