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16 July 2014 Anna Popplewell vs Emma Roberts

Page history last edited by Archer844 9 years, 8 months ago

 

"I'm confident," newcomer Anna Popplewell stated simply. "Sure, it's hard to predict what's going to happen, since Emma and I don't have records for people to compare, but I know the level I can compete at, and it's enough to give a rookie a fight she won't forget." Popplewell's stated confidence was on display as she continued, saying "I plan to make my fans and my stablemates proud of my performance today," going on to wish Roberts "Good luck."

 

Emma Roberts seemed equally pleased with her chances. "It's exciting to fight for the first time. And I feel good about it. Especially because I'm up against a girl with no experience," the actress said in an interview before the fight. "I know I'm ready for her, and I don't expect it to be easy, but I do expect to come out on top today."

 

Anna Popplewell entered the ring in red trunks and a matching bra, calmly smiling and waving to the crowd. Emma entered shortly after in black trunks and bra, looking equally relaxed, her casual attention firmly focused on her opponent.

 

Round 1:

Both fighters left their corners cautiously, neither wanting to make an early errort that might set the tone for the fight. Gradually, they felt out each others defenses with tentative jabs from a safe distance. Neither showed fear or weakness, but neither was able to defeat her opponent's defenses. Late in the round, when Roberts took yet another relatively safe swing at her opponent's head, Popplewell was ready. Reacting almost before the swing took place, she threw a straight right hand through the opening in Robert's defenses. It struck her solidly in the nose, snapping her head back and causing her to stumble backwards unsteadily. Popplewell failed to follow up, her next punches falling short of the younger actress, but Roberts stayed on the defense for the remainder of the round.

 

Round 2:

Roberts came out swinging in the second round, obviously trying to compensate for her performance so far. Popplewell met her charge bravely, but was forced to avoid taking swings herself as her lighter opponent's punches bounced off her guard. A solid left hook to the ribs forced Popplewell to wince and retreat, with Roberts following her around the ring. Before the round ended, Roberts had landed another direct hit to Popplewell's body, emerging relatively unscathed herself.

 

Round 3:

Popplewell left her corner reluctantly as the third round began, seeming unwilling to stand and slug it out with Roberts. The younger woman happily took advantage of her defensive behavior, chasing her around the ring in a measured but effective manner. The tactic paid off midway through the round, when a solid right hook to the head sent Popplewell into the corner, momentarily stunned. Roberts gleefully went on offense, pounding away at the heavier woman as Popplewell could only cover her head with her gloves, blocking many hits but unable to avoid a few. Finally, she clinched with Roberts, spending enough time in a stalemate to cause the referee to break them up. Popplewell spent the remainder of the round retreating and recovering.

 

Round 4:

It would seem that Popplewell had not recovered fully in the time between rounds from the beating she took. She was hesitant to fully engage with Roberts, keeping her away with defensive jabs. Soon, her overly defensive tactics forced her into another bad situation, with Roberts pounding at her and leaving her nowhere to run, her back to the ropes. Suddenly, Popplewell exploded out of her stance, leading to a dramatic exchange of punches. Popplewell struck home with a swing that struck Roberts on the cheek. The punch seemed to effect Roberts greatly, because her next swing went wide, giving Popplewell plenty of time to land a two hit combination to the other woman's stomach. Roberts finally recovered, retreating with Popplewell in pursuit.

 

Round 5:

With both boxers having taken some hits, each seemed more cautious to engage in a way that seemed akin to their earlier behavior. Though they did stand and exchange blows several times throughout the round, all were blocked or fell short.

 

Round 6:

The stalemate continued during the early seconds of the sixth round. Finally, Popplewell attempted to repeat her earlier performance, taking a sudden counter-swing at Roberts as she attacked. However, this time Roberts was ready, slipping around the punch with impressive dexterity and throwing her weight behind a swing of her own, striking Popplewell in the jaw and causing her to turtle up once again. After some time spent with both fighters carefully feeling each other out, Popplewell went on the offense again, only to be outboxed and forced into another retreat.

 

 

Round 7:

Roberts got herself into range quickly and aggressively this round, seeming to want to repeat last round's performance from start to finish. She scored an early success by striking Popplewell in the midsection firmly, sending her stumbling back. When she tried to follow up, Popplewell was ready. Possibly the older actress had been playing possum, but in any case, as Roberts advanced, Popplewell threw a series of punches against her opponent's upper body. Roberts frustrated the first salvo without difficulty, but the final uppercut struck her under the chin as she prepared to  retaliate. Roberts was thrown backwards, her guard in utter disarray. Popplewell capitalized easily, pounding away at her body as she tripped and fell backwards into the ropes. Though Roberts covered herself up after a moment, the damage was done, and when the round ended her body sagged as she returned to her corner, while Popplewell had a big grin printed on her face.

 

Round 8:

Roberts was showing signs of difficulty as she left her corner for the eighth round, her fists loose and low over her face. She shaped up a bit once Popplewell confidently entered punching range, parrying a combination of shots to the head before backing away. Roberts, seeming to believe herself to be at a safe distance, began to relax her guard in a fatigued manner. Unfortunately for her, Popplewell was just close enough to spring ahead and strike her with a straight right hand to the mouth that blasted through her weakened guard. The blow left Robert's head wobbling freely as the young actress lost all ability to defend herself for a critical moment. Popplewell did not hold back, knocking her helpless opponent's head back and forth with lefts and rights. The fourth solid blow knocked Roberts to the sided, sending her down to the mat on her hands and knees. Even though she was back on her feet after a moment, Popplewell could not resist a premature victory celebration, her fists in the air and a smile on her face as she watched the referee give Roberts a standing eight count. Roberts nodded to the referee, slammed her gloves together, and the fight continued. Though she looked uncomfortable to still be in the ring, she came out fighting, taking aim at Popplewell's head with a strong swipe. Unfortunately for Roberts, she was wildly inaccurate, and as her fist flew harmlessly through the air, Popplewell responded by slamming a fist into the weakened actress' cheek. Roberts fell backwards, taking a stumbling step before landing flat on her back. Though she was able to rise before the end of a ten count, the referee pushed her back as she unsteadily tried to advance on Popplewell again before signaling the end of the fight, declaring Anna Popplewell the clear winner by TKO.

 

"I'm very glad all of my hard work paid off," Popplewell said in an interview shortly after the fight, still flushed and sweaty from the exertion. Though obviously hurt from the fight, her good mood shone through any damage she might have taken. "I earned myself a clear win that I can feel good about." When asked about her future plans, Popplewell replied noncommittally. "I'm aiming for the top, of course, but it's a long ladder to climb. My next moves are going to be planned very carefully."

 

While Roberts was unavailable in the aftermath, she responded to questions several days later. "I was ahead, and I hadn't taken any hits that I couldn't recover from," she declared. "Look, the girl had one good round. If things had gone on longer, I don't think she would have survived."

 

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