Unified Flyweight Title

Posted by Simguy on 7/3/2004, 8:30 am.

Before: Doherty reportedly putting a 50k bet on herself to stop Portman inside 5 at Harrah’s--Shannen swaggering these days, undisputed boss of the buck-10 set. “I think when fighters saw me beat Michelle Williams down and chase her out of the division--girls just sort of lost heart,” leers Doherty in preflight. “there’s never been an iron fist like mine at flyweight--I rule the way dominant women are supposed to rule. I’m going to batter Portman and send yet another message to these hobs: Shannen Doherty is the mother####### BOSS!” Portman refusing to be baited, cerebral ex-champ had a good long look at Doherty in action and thinks she’s come up with the answers. “You look at how everyone’s been fighting Shannen--they still think she’s the brawler she was on “90210”--she hasn’t been that fighter for 10 years. Shannen’s a boxer now--she’s breaking girls down smart and you’ve got to respect her skills. She’s tough, but looking for weakness I see flimsy, suspect legs and a 30-something body. I’m going to unseat Doherty with my wheels, take her into deep water, and sink her. Shannen in sturdy white bra style bikini, green floral print, white boxing shoes with thorny rose insignia, Portman in white sports bra, white high waist aerobics bottoms, white boxing boots, battle braid.

During R1: Natalie moving brisk along the perimeter, shaking Doherty’s pursuit with feints and direction changes. Portman spitting the jab, occasionally bending into potshot right hands, pivoting away and scurrying to get well outside to regroup. Doherty batting at incoming stick, walking Natalie down, setting herself for right hands, but getting pre-empted, rarely clearing the holster as Portman bops out of range.

R2: Shannen patient, more effective this round as she jabs to Natalie’s chest, locates her, then rings up the waist with wide rights and a gouging left hook in behind the elbow. Portman still leggy,, using the ring--down the stretch, she’s got the champ reaching. Portman with a well-timed counter right hand on the chin over Shannen’s jab DROPS DOHERTY TO ONE KNEE! Shan up instantly, cheeks crimson with embarrassment--timing poke caught her in mid-stride but it’s a faux-pas nonetheless. Doherty impatient to continue but PORTMAN POUNCES--jumping champ on the ropes and unleashing a torrid flurry of carving lefts and rights. Shannen crossing her arms, tucking her chin--momentarily bewildered  as Portman showers her with ordinance--Natalie clawing away up top, then slashing at exposed midriff--Shannen on her heels, opens up to punch-with and GETS KNOCKED ON HER ASS! Trade in hooks sends Doherty down at the ropes--Natalie hopping away pumped--it’s disastrous 10-7 round against a reeling Shannen.

R3: Shannen shrugs off Natalie’s punches, continues pressing  the action this round. Portman running, letting a golden opportunity  escape as Doherty gets her legs and wits together. Good stalking round for Shannen, right hand at her cheek, stepping in the jab, walking Natalie down. Portman cute off the ropes with spins and sidesteps, guiding Doherty past and out-legging her, but that ain’t winning any points from the judges.

R4: Natalie responds to her corner, settles her feet down to a stepping,. Sliding motion as she moves only as much as necessary to keep Doherty turning. Brilliant boxing from Portman--jab starting to shine up Doherty’s face and tender eye-brows--Doherty raises her guard to block an d takes hard, straight right hands against her sternum. Natalie nice and easy around the ring, concentrating every second of the round, Portman putting combinations together off the jab--a tapping right, a harder hook, and a pounding right up the middle--Doherty getting scored upon and not answering back in a shutout Portman fourth.

R5: Natalie shifting focus to Shannen’s body, digging at the ribs and midsection with hooks--Doherty taking the body shots and hacking down Portman’s head and shoulders with either hand--it’s good brisk two-way. Even back and forth till late--girls trade jabs on the chin, Shannen beats Portman to the right cross and PORTMAN’S SHOOK! Natalie queasy-legged to the ropes, face suddenly concerned--she covers up as Doherty steps-to and gets busy. Shannen with a robust, strapping flurry, going to the young woman’s hips and back with thick, shellacking lefts and rights, obviously trying to do  something about Portman’s spin heeled mobility. Portman rattled at the bell, looks over to her corner off the ropes and takes a crunching late right hand as Doherty vents her frustration. Natalie sat back down into the ropes--ref tackles champ back--bad poke on the chops scrambles Portman’s senses, leaves her shaken during the break.

R6: Natalie answers the foul with class--dressing Shannen up with jabs, crosses, hooks in combination, wheeling footwork and defensive radar that leaves Doherty swinging at air. Natalie just making contact with those rolling combos--a little pushing right, a meaner, snapping hook, turning her shoulder into the punch and dipping slightly to her right--offense blending nicely with defense as Portman works the angles. Doherty shutout, busting up under her left eye as Natalie’s heartless jab starts to take effect. Catty words exchanged as girls pass en-route to corners: no love lost between polar opposites tonight.

R7: Natalie got burned going downstairs in the fifth, but she doesn’t shirk the task--Portman back to the basement with hooks, right hand at her cheek as she digs up belly meat. Shannen showing signs of wear--dukes at her cheeks, leaning forward stiffly as Portman pik-paks away--Shan rigid, reacting late as Portman gets off, then steps to the left, already setting up her next attack. Midway through, Portman with hooks amidships, bib-pivots left and surprises Shannen with a jerking left uppercut on the chin--Doherty put wobbly butt, stomping back on her heels as Natalie coolly circles. Shannen punching hard late shows she’s still plenty dangerous--Portman wise not to rush in when she had champ hurt.

R8,9:Shannen’s legs a question mark coming in--old gal holding up well and pressing the action late going to silence the critics. Portman standing and trading, fighting with her back to all four corners in a series of rousing encounters--Shannen winning exchanges of raking hooks and short right hands, thumping body work and grazing chin music. Doherty’s left eye nice and puffy now, but she’s got  the left side of Portman’s face shining up receipt--both girls getting tagged, both proving resilient, coming back hard and smart. Doherty takes both rounds, mounting a rally going into the 10th-she chests up after the 9th and gets into it yet again with Natalie as ref jumps in.

R10: Crowd roaring at midring as girls pitch and catch…and it’s all Portman! Natalie making Shannen miss by millimeters, then scoring, soon stop Doherty from punching, then has her backing up, then has her cowering at the ropes as crowd roars to its feet! Shannen cut and grimacing--Natalie tearing at her, bouncing quick-chopping punches off the face, dig-dig-digging lusty to the belly, stepping out and pivoting 45 degrees to have-at again. Doherty weathers the storm, backs Natalie up with hooks loud to the waist--younger beauty legs out and circles the ring for a minute to revitalize humming arms. Down the stretch, it’s Portman pouring it on--Portman with the energy, Portman punching together in dizzying sequences of hooks, crosses, uppercuts and shock-jabs. At the bell--Natalie pays Doherty back with a blistering right hand across the chops, prompting referee intervention--both beauties still struggling to get at one another as tempers flare. Comes back Ud10 for the winner and NEW champion--Natalie Portman!

After: Finally a Tech Unlimited champion falls--Portman dropping Shannen, outboxing her, picking spots to risk fighting her--it’s a brilliant 10 rounds of well-conceived boxing. “You know, there’s no easy way to beat Shannen, “ says an exhausted, but thrilled Natalie as belts are draped across her slender shoulders. “You’ve got to put it all together, work at a high tempo, touch her in the body, discourage her legs, and check her chin. I did that tonight--I really think that was my most complete performance ever and I beat a girl many people thought was too big and tough at this weight. Just goes to show: class gets it done!” Classy yes, but what about that cheeky late clout? “You can’t back down from Shannen,” Natalie shrugs impishly. “If you don’t bully the bully, she’ll never respect you.” Doherty skulking, eyes shiny with tears of denial--she still can’t quite believe it.

Reposted by Archer 9/15/11.