Posted by Simguy on 6/9/2001, 12:31 am.

Before: Danes being deftly moved through a perilous division--fighting dangerous, but limited comp as Claire works on establishing her ring identity, Aguilera a tiny slugger who will leave her feet to hurt girls--a sharp boxing Danes can take advantage, but a dull one will almost certainly get hurt. Aguilera in white sports bra, silver bikini bottoms, long fighting ponytail--Danes in white retro cut bikini.

During R1: As expected, Christina’s launching wrap around bombs from her hips, lunging and taking chances to connect as Danes pulls back. Danes reading the wide punches and trying to time straight right hand counters up the middle with mixed results--Aguilera the generally more effeftive aggressor as Danes gives ground, looks gunshy on occasion.

R2: Danes surprising some with a disciplined boxing approach--pays off this round as a sloppy Aguilera gets her face punched. Danes nifty off her front door, skidding the lead right across Christina’s mouth, rapping the hook off the jaw, dipping under a shot and poking smokescreen jabs as she steps to her right. Danes wonderful on defense in a slick middle minute--she’s leaning away just enough, using her legs to keep Aguilera turning--Christina obviously frustrated, starts overextending wildly as she chases Claire down. Final minute--Danes luring Aguilera forward, fades back then pounces in with a sneaky right counter, timing Chris’ own right to the second and nearly putting Latina knee on canvas with the pre-emptive strike. Aguilera with hurting eyes and sullen mouth as she straightens up wobbly butt--Danes poking the covering jab as she steps right, pickets points.

R3: Aguilera shakes it off and once again Has Danes stumbling in retreat--not necessarily from connect, but just from the sheer exuberant slugging. Claire running from one side of the ring to the other, pushing out don’t-hurt-me jabs, and midway though the round--Chris lands a running right hand on the chin that unhinges Danes’ knees. Jumping right, Aguilera pulls a loping left into the side of Claire’s head, spilling Danes sideways to the ropes, Classic small girl down the stretch as Aguilera gets greedy, licking her fists up from her hips to bash away at helpless Claire Danes--CD covered up and sagging into the ropes as slender armed salvos splash off her shoulders and guard at the bell. Christina keeps slicing away late,. Prompting referee intervention.

R4: Danes turns puncher and crowd roars to its feet as girls plant and punch with reckless abandon at the open. Thin arms shiver upon contact, both girls rocked onto one foot or the other as churning punches slash back and forth--crashing collision pf sidearm rights to the jaws goes Christina’s way as DANES GOES DOWN! Claire spanked to her right knee--she’s dazed and gets up with a trembling lower lip. On comes Christina--Danes sliding away. Moving her head as Aguilera lunges in--CHRISTINA GETS HURT! Aguilera running her chin right onto another Danes counter right hand and Christina stumbles face first into the ropes momentarily disoriented. Both women wagged, but Danes takes over at the ropes--she’s in a working rhythm, just making contact with Aguilera’s breasts, rolling left and right uppercuts at close range--Chris stunned and unable to answer at the bell sees her 10-8 shaved to 10-9 due to Claire’s gutsy effort off the canvas.

R5: Danes going classic orthodox--punching Christina hard between the eyes with the jab and NAILING her a sweet bright hand on the teeth at the minute mark that has the latina floundering. Aguilera responding with mindless slugging is absolutely outclassed in another defensive middle minute from Danes--Claire’s anticipation and footwork better than expected as Christina misses over and over again. Down the stretch,, Danes starts to work off her jab again, staying over her front foot to bounce accurate right hands off Aguilera’s face, coming back with a cuffing hook as Chris stares back in response.

R6: Danes with some nice lateral movement to her left, puts some straight combinations together in the first minute--Christina responding with fierce wide punching to take the second minute, and down the stretch, Danes once again legs out of range and stays there. Too close to running to give the round to Claire, but she’s proven she can’t be hit when she doesn’t want to be.

R7: Good pressure round from Christina. She goes wide to the hips with spanking lefts and rights, bringing Claire down off her toes and forcing Danes to cover up. Intensity slowly builds as Aguilera loads up--leaving her feet as she launches right hands up into Claire’s breadbasket nor cranks hooks upside the head. Midway through, a glancing blow off the temple has Danes stumbling to her left--she’s in trouble and Aguilera walks her down. Danes hurt, gets on her bicycle and runs the clock brilliantly. Christina taunting, challenging Claire to stand and fight, but she can’t add to the punishment in the final minutes as Danes keeps her distance.

R8.9.10: Danes, Danes, Danes. Nothing fancy, nothing risky from Claire--she just goes out each round, puts her jab on Aguilera, picks her up hard whenever. Christina jumps straight in, and continually turns the Latina around the ring with efficient stepping footwork. Danes cute on that front foot--Aguilera never knows if the straight left or right is coming--both land repeatedly to the face to paint Chris a hurting purple by the end. Aguilera simply doing too much standing and waiting. Danes getting off, staying busy just whittles away the clock and at the bell--both women raise their hands in victory. Decision comes back a razor-thin UD0 for Claire Danes--Aguilera open-mouthed in shock at the announcement.

After: Close fight, but the key was probably Claire’s defense in he 7^th, escaping what was shaping up to be a KO for the feisty Latina in Aguilera’s best round. Both girls rocked, Danes even down--but Claire wisely choosing to avoid direct confrontation for the most part, getting coy to bamboozle Christina in the home stretch.

Reposted by Archer 3/29/13.