REEBOK BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE

Posted 3/30/2001 by Simguy (Thanks to Ginny for this repost)

Before: Bout that only 12 months ago would have been thought a laughable mismatch now enters as a pick 'em at most books - Richards making real strides to maximize her gifts, making up for physical deficits with unguessed heart and fighting spirit. Pressly similarly improved - once thought of as a one-dimensional lanky-bodied slugger, Jaime's used her legs to fashion huge wins over the likes of Kiana Tom, and enters the more mobile, quicker mitted cutie. Lots of good pre-fight subcurrents - the humiliation of Kelly Hu at the hands of Pressly; Jaime's up and coming ingenue status at the box office offering a real threat to Richards welfare out of the ring - just two young tigresses and not enough meat in the cage to go around. Denise in dark chocolate bikini, wet curls - Jaime in orange bandeau top, pale blue bottoms bikini.

R1: Good example of the challenges each girl faces tonight. Jaime up on her toes, hands at her chest as she wheels to her left, stooping to jab at Denise's tummy, licking sudden hooks around D's guard to clap that jaw - Richards having trouble cutting off the ring on the wiry blonde dancer. Final minute, Denise with the right hand taped to her cheek, rakes, cuffs and cranks her hook, swabbing up and down the body, finding both sides of Jaime's jaw as the blonde is caught and rocked in a corner at the bell. Round to Pressly, but it's close.

R2: Denise continues to fight compact, right hand on her face, using the jab between the breasts, then a raking hook to put Pressly on the ropes. Jaime's own hook blocked, starts to dip side to side, dropping her fists to slug and Richards shoots a short right hand in between the blonde's slinging shots to spill a stunned Jaime P into the corner. Pressly on stiff legs tries to bang her way out of trouble, but it's a bad plan - Richards staying tucked behind a high guard, stands in the pocket, dropping lefts and rights onto Jaime's face, blocking the blonde's wide shots then scoring with jarring accuracy. Pressly busted up at the bell - Richards with the shutout.

R3: Jaime of old stalks out, sweeping the wide left hook, bending into slinging rights and she CRUSHES Denise's pretty head to the side with a clanging cross to end a withering exchange mid ring. Richards giving ground - back touches ropes for the first time in the fight as Pressly starts measuring her with fully extended left hands, then dives in with overhand rights onto Richards' left eye. Denise hurt at the ropes, but she keeps her composure and in the final minute, starts to time the incoming right, slipping and answering back with spanking hooks to Jaime's fat-free waistline. Big Pressly round, but she's visibly bothered by the body work going back to her corner.

R4: Denise saw it and goes right back to it - whiparmed hooks to the side buckle Jaime's legs, forcing her to cover up tight. Richards bouncing right hands off the ribs, twisting her hips into the spanking left hook AND PRESSLY'S HURT! Jaime cringing, elbows in, frozen in pain as Denise hammers away at her torso - blonde stepping back gradually to fold sideways against the ropes. Finally, in desperation, Jaime opens up to slug - savage trade until the girls exchange hooks on the chin and PRESSLY GOES OUT!!! Jaime CLOCKED, falls straight down onto her haunches, chin lolling onto her chest as she folds peacefully up against the ropes - ref pushes back a stunned Denise Richards, still snarling with bloodlust before it sinks in - KO4 Denise Richards!

After: Richards completes her cinderella story, capping off thrilling victories over Charisma Carpenter, Trish Stratus and others with the sweetest performance of her rollercoaster career. Pressly sobbing when she comes-to, "I can't believe I lost to Denise" says Jaime in post-fight, clearly struggling to come to terms with the harsh reality of it all. Denise on top of the world - but her success opens up an interesting potential conflict of interest between her management team and Kelly Hu. Notes one industry observer - "It's always been Denise's job to fill the seats, Kelly's job to win the titles. It'll be interesting to see if Kelly gets frozen out now that Richards has come into her own. Everyone knows Denise vs Dani or Liz would be a much bigger fight than Kelly vs either - Hu looks like the odd woman out here and that's gotta hurt."