Unified Flyweight Title

Posted by Simguy on 5/3/2003, 9:44 am.

Before: Mack champing at the bit to gte at Nat: "I can taste those belts now!" grins a confident Allison in prefight. "Natalie's cute, but we've all figured her out at this point. I see her moves, I see her straight right hand, that little juke to the left--there's nothing there I can't handle. Natalie can't say the same thing: when I connect, something's gonna give--I got PLENTY she can;t handle!" Portman given the boxer;s edge in this matchup, but much of what Mack says is true to a point: Allison can make mistakes--champ's gotta be sharp, Natalie in white sports bra, high waist white aerobics bottoms, white gloves and nshoes--Allison in tawdry red baby doll sleeve t shirt, red botton bototms, bare belly.

During R1: PORTMAN GIES DOWN! Crazy walk-in over hand right catches Natalie looking and sweeps the champ to her back not 10 seconds into the fight! Nat up and swaying, nodding groggily :"yes" to the ref as he wipes her gloves and ON COMES ALLISON! Portman spending a moment digging in and trading to get some respect--then the rest of the round is Mack trying to track the elusive brunette down and bring finishing might to bear, Portman sticking and moving desperately, using the ring--Mack striding her down, heaving right hands at the head, coming back with muscular wide lefts to the ribcage in a wild first.

R2: Portman's got her legs back--now she shows mack the jab, getting after Allison's face with spiteful intentions. Allison in her heels, getting backed up by the accuracy and persistence of her foe's punching more than anything else--until Portman extends on a slicing right to the mouth that puts Alli wobbly butt! Nat riding up her guard on Mack's shoulders and shoving her ropeside--it's PORTMAN piling on big-girl, dropping her hands and galloping to cozy blonde midriff as Mack hunches forward. Allison able to regroup and come swinging off the ropes, Natalie gives ground in the final minute, content to run Allison onto that spearing jab as Mack's left eye swells up nicely.

R3: Ferocious punching gives way to more measured stuff from both women. Mack staying compact, moving her head, coming in low and reefing hard to Portman's tidy ribcage whenever possible. Champ answering challenger;s harder blows with volume and accuracy--Portman ringing lead right hands clean off Mack's face and feathering her with jabs, Mack unhurt, but most of the round fought outside, clearly dictated by champ's ring generalship.

R4: Similar stuff--Allison clearly landing the harder blows, but only in spots, Portman controlling range and tempo with her jab, shoeshining face with brisk lefts and rights to get off the ropes whenever Allison gets her there. Busy champion has her foe puffy under both eyes, frustrated through 4.

R5: Portman drops a stern lead right hand seconds in, steps out to box and moments later drops another humming right to the mouth as Allisonwades in. Mack soaking up the shock, staggering forward a couple of steps, then hopping down to one knee for a quick 8! Allison forlorn, hurt worse than she expected--she's on her heels as Portman stomps forward behind a brace of stiff jabs. Natalie working Alli over at the ropes woith opportunistic right hands behind the stick--Mack crossing her arms, bending and straightening at the waist, busting up in the face from Portman's high connect percentage. Mack combative late, slugs her way off the ropes, but Natalie content to give ground, avoiding dangerous trade, knowing she's booked the points for the round.

R6: Portman really taking it to a discouraged Allison Mack this round. Alli unable to get on top of natalie and use her greater strength--willowy brunette abloe to circle, touch up her jab against Mack's eyes, then slam home meanspirited right hands as Alli;s defense breaks down. Mack struggling forward, really getting exposed as she bogs down at the end of Natalie's punches and can't make any adjustments.

R7: Mack stubborn, tenacious--she's coming forward and making Portman work, but the champ won;t punk under pressure. Natalie calm behind her stick, circling her foe and putting accurate punches onto Allison;s tender features. No one punch is doing it, but Mack's groggy from the constant tapping of Natalie's fists and blonde's face is a blotchy mess after 7.

R8: Portman going at her foe without remorse--circling, jabbing, leaning in with flush right hands. Mack stumbling forward, getting her head bounced--her hands have dropped, eyes losing ficus, but she just won;t quit. Midway through, furious series of blazing lefts and rights carom off Allison's drowsy facem stunning her, causing her to cover up hurt, but the blonde won;t go down. Natalie looking at the ref, stepos right, jab-jabs at Mack, sways back from a pawing Allison left and CRACKS home a sweet counter right on the left eye. Mack shouting in pain, covering up again--helpless. Portman lets her hands go in a drubbing flurry against her foe's skull, guard and shoulders and the ref's seen enough. Official steps in between to save a battered Mack from further punishment--it's TKO8 Natalie Portman.

After; Portman ROARS back after getting decked in the first--she romps Allison for 7 straigh rounds en route to the stoppage, recording a vetry classy effort and earning some hard-won credibility from a lot of doubters. "Portman's for real," notes one ringside scribe. "She's really doing a number on division pressure fighters, I mean, look at the names she's carved up on this run." Critics loving the way Portman dug down, got gutty, and even a little mean to turn things around. "Natalie's a good person," says one source close to Portman's camp, "but she's hard-nosed. You knock her down, you better finish her." Mack's pretty face all busted up and worked-on: Natalie not a big puncher, but she's getting it done with high output, stamping accuracy, and cold-hearted attention to detail when her opponents break down.

Reposted by Archer 2/11/12.