Posted by Simguy on 8/10/2001, 4:12 pm.

Before: Typical hostility in pre-fight--not so much the fighters as the competing press crews from the UK and USA. “McGowan is the real thing,” vows one British scribe, “she’s come back to America to make her mark and it’s Danes who must pay the price.” McGowan herself filled with confidence, “Claire Danes has got to be knocked out. I mean STRETCHED!” she says. Not much know about Rose on this side of the Atlantic, but Danes has seen hot prospects from the British fight scene before, “It’s always the same thing. They beat up a bunch of waitresses in Europe, everyone thinks they’re invincible and then they get exposed big time when they come over here to make some money. I’ll bne looking pretty, I’ll be showing her class.” Claire in white string bikini, Rose in leopard print nbra and panties.

During R1: Claire taking no chances early--not so Rose who leaves her feet with variety of wild looping haymakers, slugging as she steps forward. Danes controlling things with her jab, stepping out to circle--she has McGowan chasing and taking through 1.

R2: McGowan closes ground and rips into Claire with two fisted gusto this round--Danes covering up and grunting as Rose steps in, chugs her punches back and forth against the blonde’s slender torso. Claire restores order late, relying on a licking jab and lateral movement, but McGowan;s grinning, taking ounches off her face and licking her lips like she wants more.

R3: Claire steps up the pace, finally gets Rose’s attention with sharp right crosses flowing off the jab to stop the brunette in her tracks. McGowan still coming forward, but Claire’s setting down on punches now, often staggering Rose or backing her up a step before pivoting away to a new angle. Nice shutout Danes--she can touch Rose with the jab any time she wants, her feet control the ring, and she’s starting tobust McGowan up with straight rights to the face.

R4: More bull and matador--Rose carrying her fists low, really absorbing unnecessary punishment to her face, but constantly walking forward in hopes of clubbing at Claire’s middle, Danes melting away in circular retreat, happy to pick McGowan up with stinging one-twos, leaning in on her fron foot to get off, then dancing away before the receipt. Danes keeps up the scoring edge--McGowan fighting on determination alone hasn’t had much in the way of sophisticated training it seems.

R5: Claire in control…until the beginning of the second minute. Danes pivoting to her right, gloves high and tight, but McGowan able to thread a wide right hand between the gloves to the forehead has Danes stepping in fence post holes. Rose stampeding Claire to the ropes, pushing up with her guard on the blonde, keeping her head against Claire’s mouth and digging away to the body, McGowan smothering her girl, bringing her fists back up the high guard after punching, always keeping her weight on the blonde to the bell.

R6: Danes caught by surprise--she gets off her stool and is practically tackled into her corner--mouthpiece tumbling off her teeth as McGowan comes in hard with her shoulder. Few seconds of jostling and pushing, then Rose sets her feet and starts HAMMERING away. DANES IS HURT! Claire shelled into stupor in the opening seconds, starting back at Rose, pushing her hands out reflexively and getting CRACKED hard to the face. It’s nothing but slaughter--ringsiders screaming as Rose slams away with lefts and rights out of her very sturdy stance, fists sinking into the creamy body or clanging off the face as Claire is rag dolled on the turnbuckle. Danes busts up and the punches just keep coming--cut over and under the right eyes, and STILL Claire won’t go down. Frustrated late by the ship that just won’t sink, McGowan resorts to torpedoes below the water line, hunkering her shoulder down and rolling lefts and rights tio Claire’s crotch in an effort to get the blonde out. Claire numb, barely registers the outrage--she finishes the round a devastated shell of the women who had been owning the fight in the first half as McGowan prances away with fists held high at the bell.

R7: McGowan breathing hard--she comes out and palms up to walk Claire around. Rose needs a moment to get her wind back. Danes doesn’t give it to her--after a waltzing, pushing first minute. Claire sets her feet and starts to lick punches up against the brunette’s torso--McGowan tries to answer back, misses a right hand over the top and catches a beautiful left hook in return,. <CGOWAN IS DOWN! Rose blinking and unsettled, but knockdown as much timing and bad balance as anything else. Claire takes over as aggressor, now walking her girl down, lashing upwards with the left, chopping down with the right as McGowan grimaces.

R8: Claire back in charge, reasserting the jab to McGowan’s face--she has the brunette all tucked away for most of the round. In the final moments, McGowan with her fists low, moving her upper body, suddenly slings a wild right hand to the jaw and DANES IS HURT! Claire funky-footing to the ropes, hands up high, eyes wide as McGowan wades in and steals the round with a thudding flurry heavy lefts and rights to the blonde’s sides.

R9: Claire in control--stabbing and poking the jab, staying out over her lead foot to poke the straight right hand, then licking and swatting left hooks before pivoting to her left--pretty. Final movements. McGowan out of that lazy. Irresponsible stance, swaying her upper body left and right, slings another crazy right hand off her thigh to catch Danes on the temple and CLAIRE GOES DOWN! Danes sprawled to her back as the crowd roars, manages to beat the count, but she’s dreamy. McGowan crashes on in, pushing and elbowing for punching room as she sinks in haymakers to the bell. Danes rubbery legged, stunned--she’s just had 2 rounds stolen from her in about 15 total seconds of opportunistic slugging from Rose.

R10: Claire back in control--which she’s moving, boxing behind her jab, McGowan has no remedies. Claire staying limber, weight on that front foot, just touching and brushing McGowan up from outside and pivoting away before Rose can get set for one of her unorthodox lunges, McGowan out of gas, getting her face spanked, can only follow and take this round as Danes posts the shutout. Decision comes back after a lengthy delay--UD10 ROSE MCGOWAN!

After: D-train stunned by the decision, has to suffer the sight of McGowan strutting the ring with gloves held high, sassy smile on that leering face as Rose pulls it out. Claire obviously more skilled at this point, but key let-downs have the persistent Rose the openings she needed and McGowan capitalized. Lost in the glare of the upset is the Claire’s warrior’s stand in the sixth. “She had every bright to quit at that point,” suggested one scribe, a Brit no less, “and yet she hung on to make a fight of it. No question that was Rosie’s toughest fight to date as Claire simply wouldn’t give in.”

Reposted by Archer 3/30/13.