Posted by Simguy 7/25/2008, 9:39 pm.

Before: Many prefight moments bespeaking the tension between these two. During one face-to-face photoshoot—Kirsten steps into Claire’s personal space, smirking almost nose to nose. Danes gently, but firmly places her right hand flat upon Dunst’s chest—easing her out to arm’s length with a warning smile. Kirsten brushes the hand away with back of her right hand—nothing too forceful, but a clear “do not touch” signal bring in the officials. During an interim weigh-in—skivvies-clad Claire’s a little brat—moving in to grab an inch of chub in Dunst’s waist, all tsk-tsk and chiding Kirsten for letting herself go between fights. Dunst blushing, trying not to over-react—she’s having some trouble getting back down: Meanwhile Claire’s a lean, tall 110. Danes in scarlet bandeau bikini; short blonde workout ponytail; small black work out gloves. Kirsten in black push up, leopard print trunks; small black workout gloves; longer blonde ponytail.

During R1: Claire breezy to midring—leaning over front (left) foot—dangling her right hand while pumping jabs, swatting hooks, pivoting left. Dunst scowling, dukes up at her chest, parrying shots as she crouches/inches forward. Showboat Claire at play—swiveling around Kirsten, peppering with either hand while often dangling the off-mitt. Midway through—tip-tap-tup combo picks at Kirsten’s guard: Claire hesitates, then bring the right uppercut up off her thigh—RIGHT HAND KIRSTEN DUNST! Dunst leaning in, driving a short, straight right to Claire’s mouth, spoiling the Danes’ uppercut: Claire’s stunned and CLAIRE GOES DOWN! Slow-mo descent—Claire wilting to her knees, blinking in astonishment as Kirsten jogs to neutral corner. Claire beats the count, bouncing on the spot to assure ref her legs are fine. Slap-and-slip Claire defensive to the bell—sidestepping and getting under healthy, over-exuberant Dunst haymakers to the bell. Claire blushing en route to her corner: she can hear Dunst’s crowing clear across the ring.

R2: Dunst emboldened—much more confident assault up the middle. Kirsten coming in behind the jab, driving the short right from her cheek to Claire’s upper chest—driving Danes backward. Claire clinching or spinning at the ropes—using her legs. Dunst scooting-to—nothing fancy: Kirsten’s dukes’re up., chin is tucked—she’s just trying to put leather on meat and out-touch Claire through 2.

R3: Kirsten takes her third straight as Claire recoils from effective aggression. Danes scowling, backpedaling—it’s taking all her nimble skills to sidestep Kirsten and keep her turning. Dunst punching her way forward—hitting Claire in her arms, chest—just keeping volume on Dunst. One straight right midway through pounds loudly off Claire’s drum-tight tummy, sending Danes away grumpy and vexed. Claire’s deep bobs and sudden pivots keeping her head safe—but Dunst hustling well to the body, scrapping out busy points through 3.

R4; Claire finally establishing some kind of tempo—bringing Dunst to heel. Midring—Claire jabbing off the front foot, pinging out the straight right from her shoulder, ducking down on follow through and pivoting left. Dunst missing over the top—output starts to shrivel as Claire starts to counter with accurate hooks. Down the stretch—Claire summons her hesitation right off the feint—scoring clean, poking blows to Kirsten’s face.

R5: Claire slowly imposing her will, replacing Kirsten’s agenda with her own. Dunst crouching, coming forward behind her gloves, but getting pre-empted. Claire swiveling mostly to her left around stitching jabs and hooks—dropping on the odd straight right to Kirsten’s face. Claire also working nimble left/right uppercut combos off her bob-and-pivot routine: wheeling in close, tapping away from the receipt. Final moments—Claire pivots left off a scraping left/right uppercut combo—spreading her stance wide and leaning back out of range. Dunst turns to front-up; Claire bibs violently down, spooking Kirsten; Claire bobs violently down. Spooking Kirsten; Claire then brings the hesitation right, punching to straight to Kirsten’s face. Dunst rocked at the bell—cute, accurate, well timed poke unhinging Kirsten’s knees at last. Demure little smile for Claire as she’s padding back to her corner: HISC trainer brusquely reminds her to go to the body and stop “playing with this chick.”

R6: We’ve seen this before: Dunst scuffing up, becoming bewildered, frustrated, starting to open up and gamble more; Claire just wheeling around, timing the openings. Kirsten winging power shots—neglecting her jab: easy reads for Danes as Claire steps to spots, lures Kirsten in, slips a haymaker then swats back a clean receipt. Claire delighting in slashing at Kirsten’s ribcage and tummy off Dunst misses: Danes leaning in, dragging buggy-whip overhand rights onto her foe’s torso. Not a shutout---occasional pressure forces Claire to show peek-a-boo and absorb flailing blows on her flanks—but at no times is Danes panicked or out of control.

R7: Kirsten’s breathing hard as Danes continues to nibble up top, then whack the body with lithe power strokes. Claire operating out of slick, wheeling pivots, bending low at the waist, dragging her front (left) foot in bucket as she swivels-left. Danes staying at medium-close distances as a result—making Kirsten miss, then chewing on her with short, tip-tap uppercuts, chippy jabs, digging or swatting body shots. Late the round, pair of shirt left uppercuts obtained while Claire’s pivoting lightly left takes Dunst to chin: poor Kirsten’s hurt again. Dunst on her heels. Eyes misting up  realization dawns: she’s starting to take a beating from Claire.

R8: First clear shutout for Danes—tough to watch as discouraged Dunst earmuffs up. Turning and crouching midring as Claire helps herself. Claire grinning, showing a miraculous variety of pretty-punching combinations. She’ll bounce a series of straight. Tapping rights and lefts off Kirsten’s forward guard, then reach down Kirsten’s body to tuck a small-mitt hook in behind right elbow PIK! She’ll feint; drill a hesitation straight right up the middle, then pause to make a read: either she’ll double the right hand if Dunst freezes, or she’ll pivot around to refresh the angle if Dunst looks to swing. It’s Claire pulling Kirsten’s strings, dominating psychologically as well as physically whenever Dunst’s discouraged eyes meet Claire’s triumphant gaze. Dying moments: Claire slips crouching Kirsten into a loose front-choke under Danes’ right arm; Claire reaches round behind her with the left hand, slapping at Kirsten’s face just to vex her. Ref’s warning for Danes: ‘knock it off, Claire.”

R9: Signs of fight in Kirsten—she brawls her way forward. Disorganizing Claire and forcing scampering retreats from the HISC sorceress. Lasts a minute: Claire’s bobbing torso moves, slick sidesteps, pesky pre-emptive poking quickly restoring order. Claire circling in a series if crisp pivots, jotting out punches from the shoulder—only occasionally opening up to whip-arm something special onto Kirsten. Dunst’s lips tight, eyes busting up: she’s a grim little beauty, getting outclassed, picked apart through 90. Bell: Big breezy smile, Claire Danes, Some booing from the audience as Danes’ strutting starts to chafe.

R10: “Is your face hurting you?” Claire shouts as she jabs Kirsten’s mouth, then hooks her cheek. “Cause it’s KILLING me!” Dunst shabby, reacting a little late, getting caught to the face more frequently as her hands droop, Kirsten still in it—still coming forward—but she mesmerized at this point, unable to break out of the rhythm Claire’s assigned. Danes helping herself—covering up and loping out of range against sporadic reprisals—then quickly countering to discourage resistance. Midway through, Danes feints Kirsten, dips in close, tucks a right/left to tummy; dips right shoulder to clip a short right uppercut to chin; dips left shoulder to clip a short left uppercut off the left foot, tapping away on chin to complete a crisp 4 punch combo. Dunst stumbling back on her heels, how-could-you tears brimming: Claire brightens at the sight, hops after her girl. All Claire to the bell—lathering at KD’s waist as Dunst covers up sadly at the ropes; swatting and cuffing Kirsten’s head and breasts short shots at the bell. Comes back UD10, Claire Danes.

After: Dunst sullen, puffy with punishment: good fast start peters out, leaving Kirsten at Claire’s mercy most of the night. “She’s definitely a chocolate-girl for me,” breezes Claire in postfight. “I love me some Kirsten, whenever I can get it, She was feisty tonight—I had my hands full early—but I knew I’d bring her to heel. I felt her power right off the bat, shrugged it off—I mean--I was more surprised that she found me than I was actually hurt or anything. A good dime—I need to get off on someone like that, just take charge and shiw my stuff—you know?”

Reposted by Archer 4/5/14