(Welterweight Title Unification Bout)

Site: Paris, France

Posted by Simguy on 11/5/2000, 11:12 am.

Before: Couple of cuties, slap and run anticipated, but the books says you fight a boxer and both girls look to be in training to rough the other up. It’s the right ploy, but if both go that route, fireworks could result. Both have shown pop when they’ve needed it, and a penchant to slug in spots, Farrell going into Sophie’s barn where the fight is much bigger than Stateside—bold choice for a North American champion. Sophie in black push up bikini, wild tiger print boxing gloves—Terry in high neck royal blue velvet sports bra and matching aerobics trunks.

During R1: Both girls open cautiously—Terry pumping the jab, trying to keep her left foot outside of southpaw Sophie’s right. Marceau dipping at the waist, backhanding Terry’s tummy with her right hand, bending into straight left hands to the gut., By the final  minute, Sophie has worked into close range, palming Terry’s forehead with the right, dropping the straight left onto the face, slipping Farrell’s punches while standing immediately in front—it’s pretty stuff, At the bell, Sophie turns on a stunning left on the lips that leaves Terry staring as the ref jumps in.

R2: Sophie with her palms out, blocks and slips her way past Terry’s long arms, and begins chipping and dabbing at Farrell’s face, Sophie using her right palm to clear the way pushing it against Terry’s head then dropping the short left hand, then dipping low to make Farrell miss. Farrell hurt again in the first minute, soaks it up and stands her ground—curiously flat footed look for both women as Sophie remains very elusive with just the upper body movement.

R3: Farrell goes to Plan B--lowering her shoulder, gritting her teeth and going straight at Sophie as Terry takes over. Terry just bashing her way into the French girl’s torso, pumping lefts and rights straight into the gut and chest, backing Marceau to the ropes, Sophie dipping left and right, counters beautifully, dragging her fists in wide arcs into Farrell’s face to diffuse attack, but Terry’s made her choice—slugging it is.

R4: Terry heading back in as Sophie shows that lead right shoulder, bending at the waist, pawing the right jab to set up the slinging left hand, Farrell ignores the artistry, banging her way to the hips and stomach with arms jerking back and forth, forcing Marceau ropeside. Sophie just trying to bend away from trouble, and she gets caught a lanky right uppercut between the mitts—MARCEAU IS HURT! Terry pouring it on, roughly forearming Sophie up against the ropes then having her with clubbing lefts and rights—Marceau swooning, taking punishment—she clinches desperately in the final minute to get out of the round.

R5: Terry rolling Sophie up—Marceau melting around the ring, patting out that right jab, but just trying to elude the long armed pressure Farrell’s applying, Terry can’t get her cornered this round, but she’s the obvious aggressor--Sophie scoring the occasional straight left hand potshot, but it’s not enough to turn the tide.

R6: It’s ON! Marceau out with her hands low, bends side to side, slinging her hands up in heavy arcs, burying her fists in under Terry’s ribcage as Farrell squares up to punch, Marceau gets into a rhythm, using her right hand just to touch Terry before driving in with the hard left hand to body or head, Midway through, Sophie with her right hand on Terry’s shoulder, bends into a go-home left across the mouth that spins Terry face first to the ropes in a daze, Crowd roaring as Farrell swoons and SOPHIE SQUARES UP TO PUNCH! Savage swabbing of Terry’s kidneys pounds a look of groggy outrage onto Farrell’s face-0sghe tries to turn around but Sophie roughly pushes her down by her shoulder to continue the brutality, Punches skid off the shiny slickness if Terry’s lower back, or sink into the give of Farrell’s buttocks until FINALLY the ref steps in with a finger waggle to walk Sophie back. Terry HUMMING, arching her back, face stretched in pain.

R7: Skills forgotten, the girls lock up midring and stumble to the ropes, each trying to muscle the other into a vulnerable position tumbling along the ropes, struggling to fit a punch into the opposing gut or squeak on into the jaw in close--impossible round to score as neither girl can assert herself.

R8: More of the same quagmire—girls falling in together, Terry getting an elbow up across Sophie’s mouth and neck to draw a warning—Sophie holding and hitting in response to draw a warning. Marceau establishes a punching rhythm in the middle minute, pushing Terry with the right hand, driving in with short lefts to score points, then it’s back to the clinch and tussle—ref struggling to break the girls repeatedly to bell.

R9: Punching erupts as the girls stand toe to toe—Terry working side to side with wrap around haymakers—Sophie with her hands down, trying to time Farrell, dipping low, coming up with slinging left hand slugs to the gut or chin. Murderous give and take, covers a lot of ring as the girls overcommit dramatically—down the stretch, Farrell taps the left, rolls over the right and catches Sophie with the hardest punch of the fight. Marceau reeling to the ropes, covers up as Farrell wades in to finish—bell sounds to save the French champion.

R10: Sophie still woozy and Terry walks her down all over the canvas to finish, Farrell able to set her feet, twist into lanky lefts and rights, skidding her fists hard off Sophie’s head or shoulders before the French girl can bail. Marceau on trembling legs, just running the clock, but in the final minute, Terry has her cut off in a corner and pouring leather. Gut check for Sophie as she covers up, bending up and down at the waist, but getting ROCKED as Terry unleashes both hands, Farrell scorching Sophie’s back whenever Marceau bends forward—ref consistently lets it go. Bending back, Sophie straight up and getting cudgeled by the wide punching brunette’s sweeping heat. Bell sounds to end the carnage—Marceau busted up, dazed at the bell—Farrell blowing hair out of her eyes can only hope she’s done enough. Decision comes back a narrow and somewhat controversial duke: Sophie Marceau!

After: Parisian crowd goes wild with the call, but it’ll read like bad home-cooking back in the States, Farrell finishing stronger, putting Sophie out on her feet, but unable to drop the French girl late in a fight that saw the best and worst of both girls. Farrell initiating the brawling, but both women doing what they felt had to, to win. Sophie’s harsh treatment of Terry’s kidneys is condemned in the press in the following days—referee is dismissed in the aftermath.

Reposted by Archer 6/30/13.