Boxing After Dark

Unified Flyweight Title

Posted by Simguy on 10/28/2003, 5:55 pm.

Before: Risky, risky defence Portman--nobody gives Halliwell title shots and Team Geri is struttin' cocky in prefight. Natalie giving away all the physical advantages in this fight, including fitness--Halliwell the naturally bigger, stronger, maybe even faster girl--this will be a true test of Natalie's superior technique. "I want to make a statement with this defence," explains Portman, "I'm not just another paper champion, but someone who can fight and beat anyone who makes 110. Geri's a tornado in the ring, but girls have solved her in the past and I WILL emerge from the ring with my belts intact," Natalie in white sports top, high waist white aerobics bottoms, white shoes, battle braid--Geri in black boat neck dance top, black bikini bottoms, black shoes.

During R1: Geri pushing the pace from the onset, getting after Natalie all over the ring with churning, gambling pressure. Midway through, Portman pulling straight back gets rung up a clanging hook on the chin, pout wobbly butt, stumblung away ashen favced as Halliwell bulls forward. Nat with canny clinches, even headlocking Geri to earn a warning--Halliwell clawing away the ribcage while she's being swamped, Bruising shutout Geri as she ragdolls Nat, works her over, but brunette survives with guile.

R2: Classy Nattie P gets her shutout back. Circling, rapid footwork, spitting jabs--Portman wheeling and dealing, keeping Geri at arm's length, Nat making brilliant use of the tactical clinch--she ties up repeatedly in stop and go fashion--Geri obviously frustrated as she wants to get in and lather unfettered.

R3: Nat establishing the jab, pinpointing Geri's eyes and nose for painful pokes, never standing around for the receipt. Halliwell walking through it, always forward, disdainful of Portman's power and it costs her. Midway through, Natalie slide-stepping back, dreawing Geri forward--she times blonde chin for a zesty right hand, beating G to the punch and dropping her woozy to one knee! Halliwell stunned, shaking her head and ON COMES PORTMAN! Natalie turning puncher--gets into Geri at the ropes, Halliwell dukes up in confusion--Nat tears at taut gut muscle slashing lefts and rights across trembling abs. Portman smart, stepping in and out, sidre to side to change up distance, make Gerri miss and attack her from angles along the strands--Halliwell pushing out hurting leather and getting pasted and HALLIWELL'S DOWN AGAIN! Geri buffeted and slashed--accumulation has her dazed on one knee--shocked at the two-fisted violence Portman's able to bring.

R4: Size of Geri a factor--Portman stop a lot of natural small girls in the third--Halliwell able to soak it up, refresh and come out strong this round. More hounding pressure--Natalie forced to run as she can't keep Geri off with stick and move--Halliwell stomping forward, pitching from her hips, and midway in she cashes in. Portman rocked a hook as she's attempting to escape to her right--she tip toes hurt to the ropes, covering up earmuff. Halliwell with a strong final minute--stepping to her girl, beating her heartlessly behind the elbows, propping her back with the extended left elbow. Savage shove and punch has Portman hollow-eyed, trembling from abuse--Geri fronts up and shouts in Natalie's woozy face at the bell.

R5: Portman stepping right, fading, channelling Geri with jabs and walking into pinpoint right hands and HALLIWELL"S HURT! Geri's own momentum combining with Nat's placement and timing to make Portman into a puncher--blonde legs shaken again as Portman dials in on chin.. Nat hooking that toned midriff, right hand tight to her temple--she's diligently going to the body to wear Geri down. Halliwell proving resilient, soaks up raking ribwork, but by the final minute--she's coming forward, clubbing away wide lefts and rights to Nattie's flanks and getting Portman ropeside, Round ends to the sight of a banged up Geri pounding away on a defensive Portman--Nat covered up, bending at the waist to get out of the round.

R6: Geri with INSANE pressure--Natalie bounding along the perimeter--flicking the jab, walking blonde into the odd potshotting right hand, but Halliwell's determined to trade through it. Geri paying the price, but getting her chances, hounding Portman ropeside, beating her flanks and arms, roughing her up with tuff pushing and jostling, digging up the middle. Portman hunkering down ear to ear with Geri, nipping little counbter uppercuts in close, then tieing up. Down the stretch, Geri pulls free of a clinch, rocks Nat the left uppercut on the chin, turns a tight right hand onto the mouth and PORTMAN'S SHOOK! Natalie wrapping up around Geri's head, hanging on for dear life at the bell as the blonde writhes for room!

R7: GER! Halliwell storming forward, ignoring Natalie's busy stick, leaping into hooks, crashing over top Nat's jab the pounding right hand and PORTMAN'S STAGGERED! Little Nat goes wobbly butt as Geri finds her skull with clubbing shots--brunette tip toeing hurt to her right--blonde hopping after her with sweeping power shots. Geri getting her girl ropeside, grinding away with her head in close, looking to belt that belly--Natalie sitting in the strands, clinching, tieing up head and arm, drawing warnings for holding, but getting her bearings back. As the round grinds on, Nat sits in the pocket, forehead to forehead with Geri, blocking shots with hands tight to temples, then nipping little uppercuts at Geri's chin, getting contant touches off the block. Geri just hammering away, but it's not as effective as it looks--Portman's getting all the clean touches and GERI'S LEGS GIVE WAY! Halliwell suddenly undone by the chin-music--SHE looks to clinch--Natalie gives her a pretty little spin move off the ropes, tugging down on Geri's head and SHOVING HER TO THE CANVAS! G on all fours, gets up groggy--ref's counting it as a knockdown and woozy Halliwell mounts whiny protest at the bell!

R8: OH THEY POUND AWAY! Natalie just can't get away from Geri any more, sticking and moving until blonde's relentless pressure hounds brunette to the ropes, Constant banging, thumping, punches from Halliwell--she'll sample gut, she'll beat the arms, she'll lather the flanks, and bludgeon skull. Zesty, joyous slugging simply demoralizing Portman--she's getting battered, shoved up on, pinned down and it's all too much. Portman taking a knee at the mideway point, getting rocked a right uppercut down the stretch and scattered to all fours under a blizzard of Halliwell rights and lefts. Blonde hooting, stomping around the ring arms held high--Natalie wincing, looking achy and forlorn at the bell.

R9: Oh that crafty Natalie! Portman hangdog, running out of gas, getting outpunched--she boxes sharp for the first minute, pounding away on Geri's available left eye jabs, doing all the scoring midring until Halliwell finally forces Nat to the ropes. Natalie shameless as she ties up--head and arm, reaching around the body, reaching around the triceps. Halliwell constantly bogged down, tugging and pulling to free her arms--whining at the ref to take a point. Champ gets away with it--manufactures late points as Geri complains bitterly to the ref.

R10: Same thing--Portman on her last legs--chipping away the jab, stepping to spots and walking Geri into clean right hands--blonde shaking them off at this point, disdainful of what's left, Then, at the ropes--Portman executes brilliant clinching and stalling, drawing boos from the crowd who want to see more Halliwell egg beater stuff. Portman open-mouthed with exhaustion, but focused--glomming on and refusing to let Halliwell have her way. Geri screaming at the ref throughout, but can't find the means to bring blonde donnybrook--this thing goes to the cards. Comes back one point duke for the winner and STILL flyweight champ--Natalie Portman!

After: Halliwell stomping her foot in tantrum--she knows in her heart she beat this girl ragged, but Natalie's professionalism saves the day. Portman getting to Geri with right hands, got the blonde off her feet, then hung on foe dear life down the homestretch to craft a cunning victory. A champ's got to know how to win ugly--maybe one of Natalie's best, if not more pleasing performances, all things considered, Claire Danes on tap--Natalie fighting all comers regardless of size, reputation or style.

Reposted by Archer 2/12/12.