5 May 2006 Cheryl Burke vs Kelly Clarkson


Cheryl Burke.jpgKelly Clarkson.jpg

 

 

Posted by Simguy on 5/5/2006, 7:21 am

 

Before: Lengthy legal wrangling to get Burke a Celebrity Boxing License, similar to hoops Liz Hurley made Nik Visser jump through some years ago (Hurley using the courts to challenge Nik's "celebrity" status)--all leads Cheryl to quip: "The fight to get INTO the ring is gonna be tougher than anything Kelly does IN it!" Burke's open workouts and shadow-boxing sessions something to se: dynamic physicality, pure footwork wowing scouts who've never really seen aything like Cheryl before. "She's almost a combination of Kelly Hu and Victoria Pratt," notes one impressed Celebrity Ring columnist. "Her form is nearly perfect, but the thing is--how's Cheryl going to react to hard, pro-style punching? In Dancefight competitions, judges will award points for the girl who establishes position or angle--it's 'implied' that she would have dne damage, so the actual punching is downplayed. So there's a transition to be made for Cheryl, and Clarkson is a good hard-punching pro who slugs to hurt girls--nothing 'implied' about it. Good test for both girls--high contrast styles coming in." Burke in TIGHT black crop turtleneck with baby-doll sleeves, bare brown midriff, bright peach high-waisted aerobics trunks, black leather boxing slippers and slouching black leg warmers around her ankles/shins. Kelly in pink bikini with big purple polka-dots, white aerobics socks/shoes. White gloves both vixens. Burke limbering up in the ring with one leg in the ropes like it's a ballet bar: everyone in the arena enjoying a good stretch.

 

During R1: Clarkson out like a freight train, scooting into Cheryl, clubbing lefts and rights in attempt to subdue brunette at the apron. Burke showing off her footwork early--sliding along ropes to corner, bouncing off adjacent ropes while batting open-palms atop Kelly's head and neatly spinning around Clarkson--Cheryl evading early pressure, quick-steps to midring, sets up eager to show Kelly some class. all Burke from there--very precise, abrupt movements: feints, lead hooks; lead right hand; chip-chipping jab while cross-stepping left. Burke using the ring, beating Kelly to punches, then turning her--Cheryl able to punch while on the move with exquisite control of leverage and balance in her legs/hips/torso. Burke very animated facially, scoring on Kelly bwith pursed lips and narrowed eyes; grinning as she steps away, tossing her head side to side with that dramatic black tousle all sexy and damp. Not a lot on Burke's punches, but they're very, very quick--she can feint, step-in and catch Clarkson a hook from over 3 feet away before Kelly can make a good read. Clasrkson durable throughoutl crossing her sarms, trying to come forward, but the lateral movement has her baffled--Kelly pink and tender-faced at the bell, well-touched by her explosive opponent. Smirk of supremacy from Cheryl: she strides to her corner with an exaggerated passe doble step, nodding her heads aggressively--all this stuff designed to make it hard for the judges to look away from her, and it's working.

 

R2: Burke humming--she's in on Kelly with lead rights, stepping away with forget-me-not hooks. She's feinting Kelly, bringing the hesitation right or jerking the lead left uppercut off the front foot. Clarkson absorbing cleam, muscular chin-checks--Burke very flashy and accurate, but not setting down on everything--Cheryl just dominating with speed of hand and foot. Second minute, Kelly takes a lead right on the face, stoops forward and eats Cheryl swatting mop-up hook: Burke leaning back out wth a triumphant grin, hands at her side and KELLY LIGHTS HER UP! Clarkson eruoting from her crouch, steps-with and wallops Cheryul a Frazier-esque hook from her knees, smashing the Ballroom gal's aside and DROPPING BURKE TO HER BACK! From grin to grimace in a heartbeat--poor Burke picks her head up woozily from the canvas, trying to figure out what State they're in. Clarkson woofing, circling her fist and jumping into the nearest available neutral corner ropes--she just caught Cheyl Burke with the hardest left hand Clarkson's ever thrown in competition. Burke struggling up off the canvas, sagging into ropes with forlorn eyes--rights/lefts in the waist; creeping up-torso to slam away to chest and chin. Burke crippled, stunned--guard is loose, her hands simply punched out of the way by Kelly's sustained fury and the REF JUMPS IN! Cheryl swaying on the spot, staring in confusion--Kelly leaps away the TKO2 victrix.

 

After: Stunning reversal to what had been a Cheryl Burke romp--dancer so much faster and classier than her foe that this thing looked like a mismatch early. "In Texas," Kelly chirps in postfight, ":we punch HARD! I'm surprised she even got up from my super-hooki, but when she did, I just said 'YUM!" and went to work! It's hard to be fast when you're hurt, and brother--this gal was HURT!" Welcome-to-the-FCBA beatdown emotionally devastating to Cheryl--bronzed beauty crying quietly in her corner as she recovers: lesson learned tongiht ads Ballroom vixen soaks a drubbing in her debut.

 

Reposted by Archer 7/16/11.