Paramount Lightweight Title

(Thanks to FightFan for this repost)

Posted by simguy on 10/7/2006, 12:27 pm


Before: Angie smirking, fingers steepled at her lips - she glances over at Tricia's impassive face as Ashley Scott, Alana De La Garza, Krista Allen and Ali Landry all march into the prefight press conference, waving at Helfer, raising their eyebrows at her. It's Tricia's first look at the forces arrayed against her for this fight. "It's going to be my arms and legs thrashing Tricia," perennial bridesmaid Harmon drawls, "but it's the collective hearts, minds, and spirits of the women in the front row here that'll be beating Helfer into submission. We're 100% committed as a group to taking Tricia's titles away from her. I can say without doubt this is the best camp I've had as a professional, and this time, I will not be denied." Helfer pulling her attention away from steely glares in the audience, focusing on the mic. "Angie's always been one of those close-but-not-quite girls, and I felt that she deserved a chance at the title because she's always been so hard working and dedicated. I wish I'd known the company she was keeping however: if this is what Harmon's calling friends these days, maybe she's not the girl I thought she was. Looking over her sparring partners, I see a lot of girls I've beaten and climbed over to get where I am today - not sure how that's going to work out for Harmon. But it's her call, isn't it?" Little twist at the weigh-in, former models actually weighing EACH OTHER while dressed in cotton two-piece jockeys (black for Trish, red for Ange), bitterly squabbling over every phantom sixteenth-of-a-pound, fuming resentfully as the other caaaarefully adjusts the scales with obsessive attention to detail. For the fight: Angie in black bikini, black hair up and back off her face via top-knot, white gloves; Tricia in metallic baby blue bikini, platinum blonde soft curls, white gloves.

During R1: Tricia loping easy to her right, elbows in, hands up and out in a relaxed gull-wing as she looks things over. Angie much more rigid, snorting her breath through her nose as she stomps forward, fidgetty dukes moving from mouth to brows and back, chin tucked. Tricia sliding, gliding, dragging her lead (left) foot as she looks to sway into Angie with lead rights to tummy, sway away with stroking lefts onna chops. Where Helfer is supple and sinuous, Angie is brisk and forthright - brunette constantly trying to walk blonde down and touch her. No damage done - Helfer's ring generalship keeping Angie at arm's length, steering Harmon, controlling her. Late the round, Harmon's able to close the gap and get off, but it's too late to take the points back from Tricia.

R2: Angie doesn't fight the way her body says she should: she's a stomper, a ratchety-armed chugger, a worker-bee. Harmon keeps up a steady raindrop patter of lefts and rights - pinging jabs, hooks and crosses, often doubling up on either hand chop-chop to scrape and chip away at Tricia's defences. Helfer suppressed to ropes, showing a variety of defensive looks: peek-a-boo with face in gloves; closed-stance, pointing the left shoulder at Angie, right under the chin, left across the gut; even crossed-arm as Trish dips side to side to weave punches. Angie doing all the punching - pushing off the ball of her right foot, planted strong on her left; herky-jerk straight lefts and rights chiselling non-stop at Tricia's face, shoulders, chest. Helfer slipping and rolling, but unable to answer back: whenever blonde looks to clinch, brunette lowers her head and chugs away pumping rights and lefts to sleek HMK midsection, scoring heavily as Helfer grimaces. Shutout Harmon - great volume, medium-sweet punching effectively suppresses willowy champion.

R3: Similar stuff - Helfer simply forced to ropes by sheets of Angie Harmon punching, strong-stepping Angie Harmon aggression. Not every Harmon punch a fight-winner - far from it - but she's constant, always at Tricia with something, touching the lithe beauty head, torso, arms. Out of the blizzard, the odd wallop DOES land with authority - a banging straight right to teeth; a lapping hook thick behind the elbow - slick as she is, Tricia can't evade them all. Helfer grimacing - twisting, bending, rolling, covering up: brunette just dappling blonde with dotting, scraping, clubbing shots - PERFECT suppressive tactics against a cutey-pie counterpuncher like Trish.

R4: Tricia forced to ropes, now clearly bewildered by Angie's pinging, raindrop onslaught. Most Harmon punches jamming in straight, palms down - occasionally she'll open up wide to the flanks with batting lefts and rights, pummelling her way up Tricia's coastlines to bombard the jaw at the last. Helfer so supple and sinuous, rolling and slipping, taking punches on her obliques when she can - but she's not getting off much. Trish offering back the odd snappy hook, or twisting to her left to pull a fat right hand into Angie's flat midsection - but it's not enough. Angie romping to more points, and in the final moments, she busts Tricia a blunt right hand in the mouth that sits champ stunned in the ropes - eyes blinking hurt. Ali, Alana, Ashley leaping to feet; whistling, clapping and screaming encouragement from ringside, bringing a demure smile to Harmon's pretty face as she struts to corner.

R5: Tricia's drowning. Angie back on top scuffing and chipping away, whittling on Helfer, batting at her, pestering her, and on occasion: hurting her. Tricia too defensive, trying to slip-and-counter, but there's too much volume - Harmon doing a great job of maintaining pace, not putting too much on any one shot: if she catches Trish clean, great, but if not, Angie's happy to land glancing blows. Helfer scuffing up - face nice and pink from leather, chest all blotchy - make no mistake: the accumulation is piling up. Bell sounds to the sight of Angie punching, punching, punching - straight-jamming lefts and rights skidding off Tricia's shoulders and scalp, beating her for more points in the fifth.

R6: Tricia back on the ropes, mouth open, eyes concerned. Minute mark, Angie catches Tricia a vicious, unintentional elbow as Harmon's bringing her right hand back from a punch: Helfer stunned, covering up with her left side against the ropes, presenting her right side - Angie's all-in. Brunette forehead against blonde right shoulder; brunette arms WAILING at blonde backside and tummy - thick, batting, beatdown, Angie's wiry body all tensed up, shiny under the hot lights and TRICIA TAKES A KNEE! Helfer mouthbreathing, tears standing in expressive eyes - Angie chest heaving, dark eyes blazing, is bodied back by official as trio of supporters ringside leap to collective feet. Groggy 8, Helfer: she's cut above her right eye, stunned, battered as ANGIE POURS IN! Helfer sliding to her left along ropes, face in gloves, harrassed every step of the way by that withering, pinging bombardment. Punches bouncing off mitts and arms, squeaking through to find face, grazing ears - Tricia hounded to her corner, bathed in Angie's leather and HELFER GOES DOWN! Trish trembling on all fours - just cuffed and buffetted to hands and knees: Angie screaming down all rigid arms and neck as ref once again intervenes. Helfer pulls herself up the ropes, takes a deep breath as bell sounds to signify MORE Harmon points. (corner note: Tricia's guys do a superb job with the cut, but they remind her all the same, "Keep your right hand up Tricia, she's all elbows in there tonight!").

R7: Bitter, hardfought seventh - Helfer determined to give a little back, since Angie's been SO generous with her mitts tonight. Harmon still spitting lefts and rights, stomping forward - Tricia finding spots where she can fade-step back, time Angie and walk her into rising lefts from a low-slung angle; slicing right crosses off a gentle pivot-right. Tricia keeping her back clear of the ropes, managing the pressure with sidesteps - she's got Angie turning now, taking some firm pinpoint chin-checks. Harmon taking her hardest blows of the fight - still one-at-a-time from Tricia - Angie determined to come forward and splurge with her punching, outworking Helfer 3-to-1. Harmon's got the volume, but Tricia asserting herself with the judges - they like the clean, heavy strokes she's landing.

R8: Same again - Helfer slowly righting the ship, getting her legs beneath her - blonde loping, slide-stepping, undulating her torso as she punches - she's starting to hammer Angie's head back upon contact. Harmon showing a stubborn chin, willing to take a pasting for the chance to step-close and chip-chip-chip away. Helfer still getting patted and poked, often forced to step out awkwardly as her face is tapped: Angie not heavy-handed, but very disruptive, always startling. Harmon warned for elbows - really just a function of the way she extends her arms and puts ratchety punches together: she's always bringing her elbows back high, catching Tricia's cheeks and brows. Girls touch gloves after the infractions, but Helfer's scowling: Angie's busting her up with these 'accidents'.

R9: Same again - Tricia sliding to her spots, walking Angie in and smoking her supple potshots, slipping and rolling away from receipts. Harmon getting rocked, slowing just a tad, but you HAVE to love her determination. See it in her legs, in her eyes, in the firm set of her lips - all the frustrations, all the setbacks, all the humiliations of the past bubbling to the surface as she takes Tricia's punches and refuses to buckle. Angie forcing her will on Tricia, coming forward even when tagged - Harmon answering back in volleys, forcing Helfer to step-out and set new traps. Trish in control now - reading Angie well, starting to break the brunette down and control her with footwork - but Harmon still combative as hell at the bell.

R10: Tricia: rolling her torso, dragging her fists in supple tracks across Angie's lips, chest, tummy. Harmon snarling, jamming away straight lefts and rights, missing more than she's landing, but applying CONSTANT pressure against her elusive foe. Crowd-pleasing, stepping gait to the fight - Angie walking Trish down, taking a shot, answering back 3 scrapers, then doing it all over again as Helfer eases to a new position. Helfer edging either shoulder into Angie's body, pushing her off - Helfer bending low to get under Angie's shots, countering out of the crouch to Harmon's cheeks. Angie gobbling it, legs starting to show signs of strain, but STILL she comes, pinging and stabbing out her fists rock 'em, sock'em robot style. Bell: both girls land right/lefts on the button, staggering each lass in turn. Goes to the cards and comes back UD10 for the winner and NEW lightweight champ - Angie Harmon!!!!!!!!!

After: MONSTER upset! Helfer bleak, staring in defeat. Hard work trumps class: supple stylist simply overwhelmed by pesky, nonstop punching tonight as a well-prepared Angie Harmon steps up and delivers a career defining performance. Helfer blinking back tears as Angie is mobbed in her corner by De La Garza, Scott, Allen and Landry - Scott and De La Garza lifting Angie's wrists into the air - nodding, pointing at the belt upon her waist - Ali/Allen grinning, clapping. All the girls stealing cruel glances of triumph at Tricia - each vixen with the singular talent of being able to flay a woman with a mere gaze - Helfer scalded in these moments, feeling as though she's just been transported back to high school. "I can't believe it," Angie blubbers, wiping away tears of joy in postfight. "We did it - we beat Tricia Helfer - we beat her good. Everyone said I had the right style to take it to Trish - I just had to believe in myself. I can't thank Ashley, Krista, Alana and Ali enough - they worked so hard getting me ready for this, and I know they're loving it almost as much as I am. Tricia Helfer: beaten! It's like a dream come true!"


sim guy

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