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10 August 2014 Anna Popplewell vs Nicole Beharie

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

Anna Popplewell 01.jpg Nicole Beharie.jpg

CELEBRITY BOXING AFTER DARK

Writing: Anon Results: Lookout

Posted by Anon on August 10, 2014, 8:46 pm

"She looks tough on paper, but I think I have what it takes to pull this one off," commented Anna Popplewell, showing a good opinion of her opponent. "Nicole's only fight was against a boxer past her prime. She's never had to endure someone with comparable endurance. I feel good about my chances here."

"I think this girl is a little bit beneath my notice, given my accomplishments, you know?" said Nicole Beharie, obviously referring to her KO win against Lucy Liu. "Unless she's got some hidden reservoir of experience she isn't telling anybody about, I can't see her making it past round 5."

Nicole Beharie entered the ring in maroon trunks and bra, followed shortly after by Anna Popplewell in black.

Round 1:
Beharie took control early in the fight, landing a straight left to Popplewell's nose that the taller actress was unable to respond to. This early exchange set the tone for the round; though Popplewell was still very much in the fight, she was unable to beat Beharie's defenses, moving in to fight only to be beaten back after having accomplished little.

Round 2:
Looking to stay in the groove she established in the first round, Beharie came out of her corner in the second round on a careful offensive. Unfortunately for her, Popplewell had other ideas. Beharie's shots failed to connect early in the round, and Popplewell was able to respond with slightly more success, peaking late in the round when a poorly timed swing from Beharie allowed her taller opponent to counter with a right cross that knocked the shorter actress back and stopped her offense dead.

Round 3:
As both fighters had proven themselves dangerous, the action slowed down in the third round as all involved tried to determine how the remainder of the fight might play out to their advantage. Though no dramatic exchanges took place, Popplewell was able to slowly take control, bobbing and fading when Beharie attacked, and moving in to punish her when she backed off. Beharie left the round unhurt, but shaken.

Round 4:
Behind in both score and momentum, Beharie left her corner looking to make a big play that would turn things around. However, Popplewell was proving herself to be a serious problem for her opponent, shutting down her offense with the threat of well timed counters. Late in the round, Beharie did manage to pull ahead, landing a solid hit to the side of Popplewell's head after her opponent parried her opening combo. Popplewell was unable to respond and forced to cover up, ending the round with little to show for her efforts.

Round 5:
In the fifth round, both fighters dug in. With the chances of a knockout for either side seeming low, Beharie and Popplewell were both likely planning for a fight that would go the distance. The early stages of the round saw many jabs and few hits. Later, Popplewell took the fight to her opponent, scoring two body blows in a heated exchange that saw both fighters largely able to block their opponent's attacks. Unable to capitalize on her victory, Popplewell still ended the round on the offense.

Round 6:
The fight took an unexpected turn in the sixth round. Both fighters seemed resigned to continue the longer contest of endurance. However, in the first few seconds of the round, Popplewell went on the offense with a one two combination aimed at Beharie's head. Putting her efforts into blocking the first punch, Beharie failed to respond to the second. It caught her on the nose and sent her to the mat flat on her back. Popplewell relaxed in her corner as her opponent recovered, rising to her feet well before the count ended. Suddenly, the threat of a knockout had become very real, and both fighters had to adjust appropriately. As Popplwell moved to finish things off and Beharie attempted to execute a comeback, the fight turned into a direct brawl in the center of the ring. Beharie got her way, blocking the first flurry of punches and slipping past the final one, striking Popplewell on the chin. The taller actress was clearly stunned, and her opponent followed up by punishing her midsection. Popplewell, in clear danger, was forced to retreat in defeat, covering herself up as Beharie took clear control. However, Popplewell was far from out of the fight, and soon she had her opponent on the run, returning to the fight with a straight right hand that made a mess of Beharie's comeback. The round ended with the momentum clearly behind Popplewell.

Round 7:
Popplewell patiently looked for an opportunity to end the fight in the second round. Wearing down the weakened Beharie with the occasional body blow and preventing her counter attacks, the taller actress had Beharie in a dangerous position. Finally, Popplewell judged her opponent to be sufficiently worn out, and moved to finish things. Though Beharie was able to cover herself adequately against the opening swings, she could not disengage in time to avoid a left hook to the chin that caused her legs to go limp. Beharie barely caught herself, landing on her hands and knees. Once again, Popplewell had the opportunity to catch her breath and watch her opponent's painful recovery. Beharie demonstrated considerable toughness by beating the count, but her performance was clearly starting to suffer from the damage she had taken.

Round 8:
Given the hits she had taken in the previous round, things were looking bad for Beharie. However, she seemed to have recovered some of her ability to fight between rounds, and in an exchange early in the round, she endured a barrage of parried punches to respond with a left hand to Popplewell's chin. The taller actress was stunned and perfectly set up for Beharie's follow up, a right hand that made Popplewell fall to the canvas on her butt with a thud. Clearly dizzy, Popplewell nevertheless beat the count and continued the fight. With the score somewhat evened and both fighters seemingly in danger of not lasting the full ten rounds, Beharie and Popplewell both began to fight more conservatively to avoid a potentially fight ending mistake. Beharie got the better of the careful exchange that followed, shutting down Popplewell's offense with a flurry of punches and driving her off conclusively.

Round 9:
Though things seemed even currently, Beharie was behind on points and could not afford to play it safe. By going all in, she gave herself a chance of winning the fight where none existed if she had been more timid. Popplewell, apparently having made the same calculation, was reluctant to engage, but could not put off the inevitable. Cornering her opponent, Beharie opened with a flurry of punches and finished with a right hook that threatened to end the fight. Popplewell rolled with the punch and survived, though her counterattack fell short as Beharie backed away in time. Shaken, Popplewell finished the round clearly on defense.

Round 10:
Still needing a big victory to grant her the win, Beharie was clearly giving it all she had in the final round. She immediately went on the attack, scoring two hits to Popplewell's body in an early exchange that left the taller actress winded and covering herself up at a safe distance. But it wasn't enough to put Popplewell out of the fight, and given a few seconds to recover, she went back in. Swinging at the same time, Popplewell demonstrated superior footwork as she slipped past Beharie's swing to land her own. The punch caught Beharie on the chin, rocking her head and closing her eyes as she stumbled, already off balance after her own miss. With plenty of time to follow up, Popplewell landed an uppercut under Beharie's chin. Beharie's body collapsed before she hit the mat. The crowd was on its feet, sensing the end of the fight. Popplewell smiled with her hands on her hips as the referee counted, but Beharie managed to rise by the count of eight. Once again serious, Popplewell moved to finish things. With Beharie having little fight left in her, she was quickly trapped in a corner. Popplewell was free to unload, barely needing to worry about her own defenses as she sent her opponent's head wobbling back and forth. After a few seconds it was clear that Beharie had no ability to defend herself left, and the referee awarded Popplewell a tenth round TKO. The victorious Popplewell hopped into the air with a grin, raising her fists for a short victory walk as Beharie collapsed in her corner, unaware of her opponent's celebrations.

"It makes me think I've underrated myself a little bit," said an excited Popplewell immediately after the fight. "I don't mind going up against relative unknowns at this stage of my career, but taking them down like this makes me look forward to taking on a better tier of fighter, you know?"