Unified Welterweight Title

(Thanks for FightFan for this repost)

Posted by simguy on 11/25/2000, 12:21 am

Before: Power. Speed. Youth. Stamina. Name the physical asset, Peta Wilson seems to possess it - Marceau rolling the dice, hoping to catch the blonde before her ability waxes full - many pundits think it's already too late. "North American audiences haven't seen much of Peta," notes one scribe who made the trip down under to witness events first hand, "but she's the best big woman I've seen since prime Crawford. Nobody ever looks good against Marceau, but I wouldn't be surprised if Peta does a number on her. If they get to slugging - we've got ourselves a new champ." Carried on Sky, live from Sydney - Peta in black high neck sports bra and aerobics bottoms - French maid push up and panties for Marceau, white lace trim, messy ponytail.

During R1: Peta going right at Sophie, hands high, sharp right cross following a slicing jab. Marceau calm, fluid, keeps her right hand at her side, right shoulder pointed towards Peta, left hand under her chin and just fades the blonde's punching with a little slide back, dipping down under the jab and straightening up underneath to clinch around the waist. A minute of this has Peta's punch output dropping - blonde more tentative, not wanting to get tied up - Sophie able to backhand the jab, potshot the left - Wilson walking forward but not getting off. Tactical first, Sophie disappointing the crowd with her french ghost routine - exactly what she wanted to do early.

R2: Sophie continuing to slide and bend away from Peta - it's pretty stuff. Marceau dictating the tempo, shooting the left and laying over on that side, waiting for Peta to strike, then bending back the other way to land the right hook. Wilson can't find her tempo - she's shortening up in an effort to land, but can't catch anything above the shoulders. Shutout Marceau as she continues to touch Peta harmlessly, but scoring points, avoiding receipt, and drawing Wilson into basic trap boxing.

R3: Marceau still so cool - Peta starting to press - overextending at times and giving patient Sophie opportunities. Marceau bending in to that left hand and pausing - she's freezing Peta with the look as Wilson's been tagged with repeated come-back right hooks - Sophie able to pivot to her right, shuffle away, backhand a jab and set up again without fear. Scattered booing from an anxious Aussie crowd that expected to see Wilson battering an outgunned champ in the corners - Peta not even in the right zip code yet.

R4,5: Back to back shutouts for Marceau as she continues to pivot to her right, slide away with that lead hand low, luring and baiting Wilson all around the ring. Peta absolutely shrugging off anything she gets hit with, but Marceau just not paying any price at all, and she's dazzling judges with classic southpaw smooth. Working to her right, Sophie will occasionally fire a lead left, crank the right hook, then step around Peta with a left at the blonde's hip - Wilson getting turned like a mesmerized dance partner, totally discouraged from punching at this point. Agonized trainers for Wilson beg her to punch, tackle, trip - anything to get Marceau out of her game as the champ rolls up the first five rounds huge.

R6: Wilson moving her hands more, but Sophie still slipping most of it, slapping her jab, leaning into slinging left crosses to shift her weight forward, then cranking the right hook off that front foot before pivoting away. Marceau clinching constantly for breaks - willing to clinch 2 or 3 times before engaging - Wilson waiting for spots lets another round slip away as boos cascade down at the bell.

R7: Sophie sticking with the program, playfully bending at the waist and backhanding the jab up into Peta's stomach, then stepping away, turning her shoulders, resetting the angle. Wilson cutting down the ring, finally goes to the body with chopping right round punches - making spanking contact at last to draw hopeful applause. Midway through the round, Wilson jerks a straight right hand down the middle, spoiling Sophie's right hook and as the French girl recovers - Wilson pulls the trigger on another crisp right hand - DOWN GOES SOPHIE! Marceau dropped to her butt, looks up at her challenger with new respect - Wilson's eyes light up with over a minute on the clock. Marceau up at 8, goes into a dodging, slipping prevent defense - melting around the ring as Peta charges recklessly forward, bouncing fists off cleverly turned shoulders or skidding them off the top of Sophie's head. Marceau escapes in good shape - but Peta's on the board, pumped by the raucous response of the crowd.

R8: Sophie bars the door. Wilson pumping the jab enthusiastically and pitching in a savage right hand - but she's head hunting again and Marceau easily bamboozles her. Sophie clinching repeatedly, turning Wilson this way and that, scoring with straight left hands from her chin to Peta's face. Wilson able to make more contact this round than in many previous, but she's unable to impose her will. Round to Sophie.

R9: Sophie tightening the noose, running the clock as Wilson stomps after her only to be potshotted, clinched or both. Peta doing most of her scoring when it's too late - Marceau rope-a-doping with gloves at her face, turning her shoulders into Peta's punches, bending at the waist with slow, but constant motion.

R10: Shutout Sophie Marceau. Boos from the second minute on as Marceau continues to clinch shamefully, turning Wilson and walking the blonde into showy straight left hands to the face as Peta has to open up. Wilson slashing wildly, completely thrown off by Sophie's defense, and Marceau able to help herself to tummy, ribs, and chin, often coming up underneath Peta's desperate offence to do damage. Featherfisted paintjob carries the round, and the fight - wide UD10 for the winner and STILL champion - Sophie Marceau.

After: A shocked and near silent Aussie crowd sits stunned as Marceau struts the ring with expressionless disdain. Marceau shaking taped hands with Peta - kissing the disappointed blonde perfunctorily on the cheek and giving her a few words of advice in the aftermath. Sophie unrepentant in post fight: "Peta had all the pressure tonight to entertain - all I had to do was win. She's so strong and quick - she hurt me in the seventh with a slap! But she's raw. I read her like a book tonight." Pretty much the whole story - Sophie maintaining her concentration almost throughout the entire bout to post an unpopular, but technically brilliant performance. Peta admitting that got a boxing lesson tonight, but adding: "I got better as of tonight. She didn't."



sim guy

ff