'Posted by simguy on 4/6/2001, 6:44 pm
Before: Hard-to-match Fox finally finds a taker in the bigger, rangier Rochon - Lela agreeing to make lightweight to get the ball rolling. Not a lot of tape on either woman - Fox thought to be more versatile, more experienced, Rochon rumoured to be a BIG right hand puncher, trained by none other than Naomi Campbell herself and there are plenty of LA gym stories around that make Lela out to be a major league hitter. Fox in black push up, red bikini bottoms, Lela in slick ponytail, purple sports bra, black aerobics bottoms.
During R1: Fox with a crossed-arm guard, moving forward, bobbing and punching in rhythm - Lela with the low left, right at her chin, slides back, lifts the jab off her hip trying to time the shorter woman's rushes. Vivica the boss early, bobbing constantly, working out of her crouch and really landing beefy to the body and head with clubbing single shots. Down the stretch, women trade right hands, but Fox dipping in and down wins the race, stunning Lela, then lighting her up with the follow-on wide left hook - Rochon staggered at the bell as Fox nods knowingly.
R2: Lela popping the jab more effectively, using her long legs to open up the canvas, but midway through, Fox ripping side to side has Rochon favouring her midriff and rings her up once again with the sweeping hook on the chops. Lela reeling sideways, hands down - Vivica jumps in with the looping overhand right on the jaw, twists into another clobbering left to drape the big girl on the ropes in trouble. Good resilience shown by Rochon in the final minute as she spins off the ropes, legs out the rest of the round behind a protective jab as Fox walks her down.
R3: Pressure from Fox early, but Lela starting to pepper the face over Vivica's crossed arms with a stinging stick. HEAVY right hands to the waist as Lela sweeps the blows in, Fox stopped in her tracks. Rochon now fighting comfortably at range, and down the stretch, taking a leisurely walk to her right, suddenly taps the left, and drops a slicing right hand in and down HARD off the teeth, sending a shattered Vivica Fox scooting to her rear end. Stunning one-shot power from Rochon leaves Vivica trembling, barely able to beat the count and lucky to hear the bell.
R4: Fox shakes it off, slips the jab and the terms of this fight are now clearly established: Fox owns it inside, Rochon's the boss outside. Lela taking steps back, trying to walk Fox into the uppercut - Vivica trying to keep her head on Lela's chest, rampaging across Rochon's muscular midriff with swabbing two fisted work. Grinding round goes to Fox as she wrestles and walks her girl around the ring, punching out of the writhing clinches.
R5: Lela up on her toes, features a punishing jab in the first minute that has Vivica blinking, on her heels, and standing up straight with her arms crossed. Midway through, Rochon works to her right, and once again, steps into a deceptive right hand that crashes through Fox's mitts, driving the smaller brunette into the ropes with a stunned expression. Savage beat down the rest of the way - Fox pathetic as she soaks it up, sliding to her left, trying to protect her battered midriff or swelling face as Rochon steps with her, laying in cudgelling wide rights to the body, right crosses to the teeth, and clobbering hooks on the ear. Fox wobbly butt, cut in the mouth at the bell - Rochon chests up on her and forces eye contact as the ref gets involved.
R6: Rochon imposing her will. Vivica stubborn early, trying to bob her way forward and set up inside, but Rochon's long legs maintain distance - stunning jab rejects Fox, and those hard right crosses are turning Vivica's pretty face to the side with flush, popping contacts. Lela showing her strength this round, often putting her left shoulder hard into Vivica as Fox barges in, sending the smaller woman stumbling back a few steps and keeping her outside.
R7: Vivica with the obligatory good first minute, but eventually, Rochon able to re-assert distance behind her legs and left hand. Midway through, Rochon closes up her stance, giving Fox that shoulder to shoot at, sliding back to lure Vivica into the corner. At the ropes, Fox hurls a wild overhand right - Rochon with a perfect roll, slips the punch, drags a beautifully timed right hand into the pit of Fox's belly and walks away as Vivica stumbles to her knees in tragic shape - gasping out at the crowd, hands on the ropes in wide eyed agony. Rochon smiling, does a little dance into a neutral corner as Fox takes 8 - a highlight reel moment for Lela which will have fans backing up the videotape for many repeated viewings. Final minute degenerates into dangerous brutality - Rochon stalking a damaged Fox around the ring, striding into monster right crosses that slam Vivica's head to the side and send her reeling - Fox guts out the round but she's in TERRIBLE shape during the break.
R8: Lela just stealing her girl's heart now, letting Viv get off, answering back with bone-crushing force from either hand - Fox SO easy to hit now. Vivica with sleepy eyes, hands at her chest and belly - she's leaning away from the incoming, but can't get outside Lela's reach - shattering right hands explode off the face several times in this round. Round ends with Fox taking another punishing beat down along the ropes - Lela stepping with her, reaching in with the left, then rocketing in behind crashing rights to the eye or stomach - Naomi Campbell cheering with evident bloodlust at the sight.
R9: Vivica still moving her hands, still coming forward on occasion. fighting takes place in Lela's corner, girls muscling each other into the ropes, taking turns beating each other to the body in mouth-on-shoulder trade. Campbell screaming "WORK! WORK! WORK!" whenever Rochon takes over - Lela pumping long armed lefts and rights up into the body of her foe - Vivica hurting, trying to protect herself as the punches pile up.
R10: Vivica determined to go the distance - first two minutes are crowd pleasing toe to toe exchanges - Rochon snarling, trying to put her girl down - Fox hurt, but surviving, crossing her arms, letting punches splatter off her shoulders and head, then answering back with grim determination. Down the stretch, a withering left hook to the belly has Fox staring - she's done. Rochon clubs away with short lefts and rights, curling the punches up into the body or across the teeth to drive Vivica the length of the ring. Round ends with Lela pounding a defenseless Fox on the ropes - Vivica seated, arms crossed helplessly as Rochon helps herself. Ref pulls a mindless Rochon off her opponent at the bell - decision comes back a hard hearted UD10 Lela Rochon.
After: Good big woman beats down a good smaller one - Vivica going right at her foe from the get go and it's the wrong plan. Rochon's right hand no joke afterall - two knockdowns of the very durable Fox left Vivica shaken and unable to compete effectively down the stretch. Lela trumpeting in post fight, thanking Fox for the use of her body and scoffing at the prospects of a Theron bout at lightweight, or GLN bout at Welter: "After what I did tonight? Are you kidding me?" Shouts Lela, Naomi nodding behind her, "Blonde girls don't want any part of this!" Remains to be seen, but Rochon looked like the goods in this one.