Posted by Simguy on Saturday, 02-Sep-2000 10:22:03.

Before: Hayek returns to the big show after dominating the lighter weights pre-Liu. Salma once beaten by Liu last year, smarting for revenge gets into great shape for this bout Liu maybe complacent Hayek taunts her during pre-fight asking “Are you nervous Salma? You look nervous to me.” Salma in long black curls, black push up, pink bikini bottoms, Liu in slick ponytail, black push up, leopard print short skirt over black cheerleader briefs.

During R1: Hayek getting to the body early, able to fight cheek to cheek with Lucy—Liu doesn’t like it. Lucy laying in tieing up—Hayek palming her biceps, then reefing left hands to the liver and ribcage to gouge out of the round.

R2: Liu out with her hands low, falls backward and lures Salma into a crushing left uppercut in the opening seconds to put Hayek wobbly butt. Salma clattering past Liu to the ropes-Lucy swooping in, twitching left hand into Salma’s side, swaying back, crouching in close with her head below Hayek’s waist, then exploding up with wild left uppercut NAILS Hayek midway through to drape her momentarily senseless on the ropes. Liu potshotting, loading up, leaping in and out, rolls to a huge shutout—scored 10-8 without a knockdown as Hayek reels to her corner.

R3: Liu now in control, hands low, pawing her backhanded jab to the belly of Salma, circling away while bending back on hips to draw Hayek out then countering with wicked straight arm rights and lefts fro weird angles, Hayek following, getting scuffed up, starts to look dominated this round.

R4: Liu feints a crouch, then jumps into crushing lead left that swivels Salma’s head and nearly puts her down to open the round. Hayek hurt, covers up and tries to square as Liu goes to work. Lucy grinning, tapping Salma’s gut with a thudding left, then driving in off that back foot to pound right hands up the middle, jumping to the left with the punch, then reversing direction with a clipping hook. Hayek staggering several times as her offense falls to zero levels—she’s getting tagged pasty as Liu posts another shutout.

R5: Liu clowning, humiliating Hayek this round, Lucy with her ands down, bends at the waist right in front of Salma, slipping and dodging half a dozen punches, then countering with a blow from the knees to find Salma’s face effortlessly. Hayek stubbornly coming forward, chopping out her out punches, keeping her guard around her eyebrows, makes some headway late I the round as she is able to scrape rib with her left hook.

R6: Hayek jumping in, lands some booming hooks to the midriff to discourage Liu—Lucy dancing and bouncing around in a wide circle, leaps in with the odd single shot, controlling action with her legs, but the crowd lets her hear it.

R7: Liu continues to bounce and clown around outside, dropping her hands, slipping punches, but not throwing much herself, by the midway point, Salma tracks her down and starts landing to the midriff with that wicked Mexican left hook. Final minute—Liu’s legs seems lethargic as Hayek heaps on to the midriff, bodying up bullying Lucy to the ropes, and hammering away at tummy. LIU GOES DOWN! out of nowhere, punishment adding up—Lucy takes a tactical knee and looks shaky as the ref gives her an 8 count. Liu on her bicycle in the remaining seconds as Salma taunts her to stand and trade.

R8: Liu back flat footed in front of Salma, sing her supple torso to snake up and down, in and out, making Hayek miss and nailing the Mexican with jerking uppercuts from the knees. Salma taking the punches much better than she had earlier, stays in there, and by the final minute she is breaking Lucy down to the body. Liu breathing hard, clinching as Hayek butts her repeatedly. In the teeth with her shoulder in close.

R9: Lucy Liu takes it to another level. Stepping to her right, clipping comealong hooks under Salma’s chin, Lucy reverses direction and lands several hard, short right hands, bending low on follow through and snaking away at angles to reset. Hayek breaking down, fielding huge shots, and by the final minute she is looking sleepy. Liu leaning in to put her face near Hayek’s crotch, has Salma stepping back awkwardly to punch and Liu leaps into a scorching right uppercut from the knees to swivel Hayek’s head. Salma rolling to her back is seriously hurt—Liu’s momentum pathetically trying to rally her legs, but she flops on the canvas 3 times as time runs out. Spectacular KO9 as she lifts her mitts and gloats over her battered foe.

After: Liu showing rare late power, quells an apparent Salma comeback with the heartstopping finish. Bitter pill for Hayek to swallow—she looked outclasses for much for much of the bout, and in the end, couldn’t take Liu’s punches—has to be a shattering realization for a proud Mexican warrior Liu express rolls on—no one rules her division with quite the same iron fist.

Reposted by Archer 10/22/09.