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20 June 2014 Nicky Whelan vs Jessica Marais

Page history last edited by Archer844 9 years, 7 months ago

Nicky Whelan.jpg Jessica Marais.jpg

ACB: ANZAC MEMORIAL DAY PPV

(BRONZED OZ BOXING VS DOWNUNDER BOXING)

Posted by Green and Gold Magazine on June 20, 2014, 1:16 am

Miranda Kerr has thrown a cat amongst the pigeons, sounding out that no one is worthy of challenging her. One of those who certainly believes she is a chance is Jessica Marais. A rising star of the AWUBA before it was shut down, she was on the cusp of 13 straight titles. After a heavy loss to Miranda and a disappointing loss to Jessica Schwarz, she announced she was pregnant. Her come back has been nothing short of brilliant, with two wins and a suspect unanimous decision loss to Luddington. She is mounting a big defense to take on Miranda again.

Nicky has had a checkered run into this fight and some are saying it is a must win for her. Her win over Cilmi was not overwhelming as the singer really didn’t turn up to fight. Although Whelan went down in that fight, she did show some signs of determination to overcome Cilmi in a TKO. Her reputation as a fantastic technician won her the head trainer role at BronzedOz but we are yet to see any of her own ability at work.

Round 1

Nicky looks lively, spring in the step, banging a hard combination onto the Marais chin. Whelan, confident, scoring freely early on, tracking Jessica’s movement and catching her off guard. Clever work from the fitness guru, has Marais rattled until Jess just lands a perfect little uppercut ... BANG! DOWN GOES WHELAN! Taking that all on the chin and landing flat on her back! Marais non-perplexed just struts to her corner and leans back on the apron. Whelan slow to side and then pushes up. Knowing glance at Jessica, big deep breath, nods the head to the ref and the body language says it all. No spring, no steely grin. Jessica is all taunting and working the crowd, firing left jabs off her hip, no guard, Nicky all covered up, openings are there if she wants them. She’s being bullied by Marais, who’s showing her dancing feet, twisting into solid body hooks, smacking Nicky’s washboard abs. Whelan backs away, moving opposite way to Marais, finds the ropes, sliding down the long side and skipping out. Takes a left hook to the temple, stumbles further to the corner. Nicky’s seeing double, shaking it off, no time, Jessica is in there pasting the torso, brutal body blows to the bell!

Round 2

Stand in Trainer Sonia Kruger all in Nicky’s face at the break, Whelan has the spring back. Marais teasing her, back to that cautious guard, worried look, comes on nervously. Whelan jabbing left to the forehead, Marais slipping backwards, resetting, coming on again. Left again through the gloves, Whelan gaining confidence. Marais backing right away to the ropes, Whelan coming on strong popping that left jab to the forehead again. Viper like jabs, stinging shots. Jessica leaning on the ropes. Stinging body shot, perhaps a little low, as she leans on Nicky, banging shots at the kidneys in the clinch. Thought Marais was foxing, but she looks a bit stunned by Whelan’s dominance. Nicky pushing her rope side to the corner, they work apart, SOLID LEFT JAB through the guard of Jess as she loses the mouthguard, fight stopped temporarily and that allows Marais the break. Whelan springing in as Jess slides along the ropes taking a barrage of body shots, just coming undone a little, OH HARD LEFT JAB again from Whelan, puts the actresses head over the top rope at the bell. Dominant round from the underdog.

Round 3

Whelan invigorated, all bouncing and lively. Comes on strong, flashing jabs and the right cross but missing. Marais wearing that high guard, crouching low, touching the jab on the chin of Whelan, just enough to let her know she is still there. Whelan puts yet another on the forehead, Marais just toughing her on the chin again with the jab, one for one mid ring. OH HARD RIGHT UPPERCUT out of the couch from Jess and that hurt Nicky, begrudgingly backing away, twitching the jaw, resetting and getting all springy again. Marais in a low tight stance, shoulders all swaying as Nicky’s jab whizzes past and she’s scoring on the counter. Working hard Marais, good footwork, slips the jab, returns fire, jabbing up top and hooking the rib cage. Whelan slowly letting up, a little less lively, taking hard punches to the body. Backing off now as the workmanlike Marais takes control, ones and twos at the body, shoulders swaying, left jab to the chin. Hard punches from Jess, Whelan coming apart again. Really skipping away now, she’s hurting. Finds the ropes, doesn’t want to get caught, stepping wide along rope side. Jess closes in works the body, wide right hook, clubbing her girl into position at the ropes, left and rights to the chin, right hook misses, Whelan leaning right back on the ropes. Takes a pounding to the abs, knees shaking, wincing with each hard shot and the bell ends a destructive round from Marais.

Round 4

Whelan springs into action again, doing her corner proud, but visibly hurting from that last round. Marais all long and lean, coming in with both hands at her hips. Raises one hand when she sees Whelan approach. Fires the left jab straight at the chin, left again, right hook comes up off the hip and slashes across the cheek, Whelan belted sideways, right arm reaching out for the ropes, left arm covering her ear. ON COMES JESSICA, clubbing right hooks up and down the left side of Whelan. Hanging onto the ropes with one arm, she turns her back into the punches as the Ref comes in and orders Jess away, Whelan urged to fight. Nicky does that, on her toes, pushing the jab forward, it’s lost its sting, but gets a follow up right cross to Jessica’s chin. Marais changing it up again, crouching low sliding on strong legs, left and right to the body, left uppercut to the chin, swift right hook to the jaw, Whelan’s wobbly. Jess stepping left twisting into a CRUNCHING RIGHT HOOK to the temple, Whelan tilting sideways to the ropes, catches herself, legs twisting in underneath her. Jessica loping in, clubbing right hook into the ribs as the ref pulls her off. Whelan still upright, don’t know how. Finds her legs and slowly turns to face the ref, no idea where she is, AND IT”S ALL OVER! TKO4 JESSICA MARAIS!!

Impressive performance there from Jessica but not the worst from Nicky either. Fought back strongly in the second round after the knockdown and took probably her best round in her last 4 fights. Marais looked in control for the majority of the fight and is showing signs of the class that made her such a formidable opponent pre-pregnancy. “I’m happy with that. I was foxing a little bit through the second just to give her a bit of false hope and I showed that throughout the 3rd and 4th. She rallied a bit but I was always in control. I’d expect Melissa George will be dodging me now. She has Imbruglia while I’m resting, so I’ll miss my shot at the scalp I have been wanting for years”, says Marais.

Rumour has it she is right, and she’ll likely take on a fighter from the new stables.