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26 September 2014 Karen Gillan vs Rachel Nichols

Page history last edited by Archer844 9 years, 5 months ago

Karen Gillan.jpgRachel Nichols 08.jpg

 

 

 

Posted by Lookout! Boxing on September 26, 2014, 7:36 pm, 

 

RACHEL NICHOLS (FOXFIRE BOXING) VS KAREN GILLAN (LOOKOUT ATLANTIC BOXING)


Writing: Archer  Results: Lookout


Before:  Rachel Nichols cheerfully explains to the press: “I have been looking for some new opponents, especially tall girls like Karen. She’s been wasting a lot of time a welter, I think she could do much better at lightweight, BUT not so much better that she actually beats me.”

Karen Gillian just smiles at this: “Rachel has a point about my being better at lightweight, but I will be the first to admit that I am the underdog here. I intend to try very hard to pull off an upset. Don’t worry Rachel, if I DO beat you, I promise to apologize to you for my rudeness.”
Rachel just smiles back: “That would be rude, wouldn’t it? But I am not worried, Karen, just do your best and I’ll deal with it.”

Nice to have at least one fight on this card where the fighters aren’t breathing fire at one another. (Though some might think this a disappointment.) Come fight night, both fighters look great, Rachel in form fitting black piece with dark red trim, cut high on the thigh to show off her long legs. Dark red boxing boots with black lacing.  Dark red gloves.  Dark hair pulled back into a tight bun. Karen in a metallic blue one piece with silver trim, also cut to show off her long stems. Blue boots with silver lacings and blue gloves. Red hair still short from being shaved for “Guardians of the Galaxy”.  Politeness continues during instructions, but when they go to test gloves, the two of them start pushing in a test of strength. Startled referee moves between them.

“I’m not going to be that easy to beat, dearie,” Karen says her eyes flashing.

Rachel’s eyes narrow: “And neither I am—dearie!”

Well, you just never know when a fight will catch fire. Rachel and Karen go to their corners and look VERY eager to start. Soon enough they get their chance when the bell rings.

R1: Rachel moves quickly to assert control of this fight  lighting Karen up with a quick left/right combination to rock the Scottish girl’s head. However, Karen then ducks down when Rachel attempts to follow up and plants a hook squarely into ther Nichols solar plexus! Rachel momentarily frozen in shock and Karen pounds in another shot in the Nichols middle. Rachel falls back in confusion with Karen showing too much eagerness with some wild haymaker swings that Rachel able to deflect. Rachel then swings back with a carefully aimed right that smashes off Karen’s wide open jaw and the redhead reels away, her head full of stars. Rachel shaking off the solar plexus shot now bears down on Karen looking for payback, but the Scottish girl has her jab going and forces Rachel to circle, using long-armed lashing to keep Karen ducking. Karen moves forward, trying some offensive moves of her own, finally finding Rachel’s skull with some bouncing punches, but Rachel hooks her hard to the midsection and forces her back. Two circle and punch to the end of a surprisingly competitive first round. Judges give it to Rachel Nichols by a narrow margin.

R2: Two fighters engage in another close-in battle for supremacy. Rachel plainly irked at Karen’s resistance and is trying to beat it down, but the redhead is fighting back with good counters that light up Rachel’s torso and bounce off her skull. Rachel not about to back down and keeps hammering away Karen., mainly to the ribs and stomach, but getting to that chin with a couple of good ones that put a tremor in Karen’s long legs. Karen has to back off to clear her head, but uses her jab to keep Rachel from doing more damage, though this round goes to the Foxfire boxer, too.

R3: The battle continues into the third stanza, as the fighters circle each  and swing into each other with growing intensity. Rachel just can’t seem to resist trying to knock Karen’s block off with repeated attempts to land on the redhead’s jaw and skull. The Scottish fighter’s clearly gotten to the veteran and she’s not fighting very smart at this point. Karen moving her head well to dodge Rachel’s head shots and she is cutting up Rachel’s face with her jabs. Hooks to that tender brunette belly at taking a toll on Rachel as well. Rachel finally has to start clinching and backing off. Karen takes her first round and she looks very pleased with herself.

R4: Karen on the attack from the bell, racing across the ring in an attempt to blitz Rachel back into her own corner. The veteran sees her coming and greets Karen with a furious barrage of leather. Karen’s knocked back as a straight right bangs off her forehead, but she hunches up and comes boring in, driving her gloves into Rachel midsection, doubling the brunette up. Karen puts a short right uppercut to Rachel’s chin and the brunette’s knees buckle. Rachel wraps her arms around Karen in a clinch, though the redhead pumps a couple of quick hooks into the Nichols belly and making her gasp. Once referee separates them, Karen starts back in, but Rachel backpedals away and uses her jab to punish the redhead. Rachel finally stops running at mid ring and goes into another circling series of exchanges with Karen. Rachel’s getting the worst of it, mainly to the body, though Karen’s gets her head knocked around a couple of times during the action. Karen wins her second round by a narrow margin.

R5: Rachel Nichols gets a stern talking-to from lightweight trainer Jennifer Garner. “Stop being mad at the girl, it’s making you sloppy, concentrate on beating her. That’s all you should do!” Rachel nods grimly. The bell rings and she comes out with fresh determination, Trouble remains that Karen Gillan is feeling pretty determined to win this thing herself. This leads into rapid-fire exchange back and forth and around the ring. Rachel showing more mobility, cleverer moves and she hitting Karen more often and more effectively, Karen’s face starting to lump but her body is being scrubbed as well. Karen fighting hard, but she’s not able to connect so well this time and she looks frustrated at the end of the round. No surprise that the judges give it to Rachel by a wide margin.

R6: Rachel looking more confident as she comes out and starts punching Karen with in a systematic body attack. Karen really getting pasted to the ribs, belly and Rachel finds the redhead’s solar plexus. Karen writhing under this attack, but she glares defiantly as she swipes at Rachel’s jaw with her counters. They don’t do much damage, but a jab that lifts Rachel’s chin at least gives the Foxfire veteran notice she’s not quitting. Rachel shakes that off, but she’s more cautious as she circles the redhead, then she launches a fresh attack, going into Karen’s tummy with hooks that lift the redhead up on her toes. Karen stumbles back, but manages to stay on her feet and keep Rachel from swarming over her by using a stubborn jab to punish the brunette. Remains closely fought to the bell, but Rachel Nichols takes the points this time.

R7:  Karen Gillan comes roaring into this fight with a rapid advance across the ring and fast, well-directed series of punches that rock Rachel Nichols head from side to side. Rachel falls back in obvious surprise at this resurgence from the Scottish fighter. Karen trying hard to stay on her opponent, but Rachel able to get her jab going and buy herself some distance. Karen forced to circle around and look for openings. Rachel trying hard to keep up her defense, but Karen gloves banging up her face, cut blossoms over brunette’s right eye. As the crimson dribbles down Rachel’s cheek, she tries to strike back at the redhead, who avoids a good many of the counters. Round goes to Karen wide. Karen smiling happily, Rachel looking frustrated as she trudges back to a stern-looking Jen Garner.

R8: Jen Garner does not lecture Rachel between rounds as the veteran knows she got careless, Comes out with determination and goes toe to toe with Karen. Despite the lateness of the round, both fighters throwing a lot of punches with considerable energy. Cut over Rachel’s eye re-opened and bleeding, but Karen’s chin being knocked back again and again. The redhead hangs with her familiar stubbornness and keeps the round close, but Rachel still takes it. Karen has a wobble in her step as she tries to get back to her stool, she’s paid a price for hanging in with the veteran and it’s showing.

R9: Karen makes another surge in the opening minute and pushes Rachel back with some tasty work to the tummy that makes the brunette momentarily hunch forward. However, Karen’s guard is loosened by the offensive and Rachel strikes back to the Scottish fighter’s already swollen chin.  Rachel follows with a hook to the belly and Karen goes down on her butt with a crash. Redhead makes it up as the count reaches 9, but she looks vacant-eyed, though the referee doesn’t seem to see it. Instead, the official waves Rachel back in and the brunette wastes little time in pounding Karen back to the ropes. Karen’s trying to keep her arms up, but has trouble getting her jab organized. Then Rachel smashes that chin up, throwing Karen against the ropes, her arms spread out across the top strand leaving her wide open. Rachel slinging away at Karen’s head with lefts and rights. Ringsiders are screaming for the fight to be stopped! AND THE REFEREE JUMPS IN. Official shields the helpless Karen Gillan with his body, though Rachel Nichols backs off and accepts the cheers of the crowd. 
The Winner: Rachel Nichols TKO9

After: “Well, she started it!” Rachel Nichols looking uneasily across the ring as Karen is slowly revived on her stool. “I don’t know what got into her. I guess she thought I only wanted to fight her because she’s be an easy win. That is just not true! Yes, she was a lot more of a fighter than I expected and I hope she’s not hurt, but when you go in that close, for that long with a veteran like me, you take a lot of damage. I think she did make her point though, she is a credible fighter at lightweight.”

Karen Gillan not able to speak to the press until the next day admits: “Yes, I was trying to make a point. My record hasn’t been great either here or in the UK. I could tell she was taking me lightly. Well, I made her fight HARD. Okay, so I still failed to win this time, but I think I would have beaten just about anyone else. Once these bruises heal, I’ll be looking for more fights, especially at lightweight. I am going to succeed. That’s a promise!”

Bold words, from a fighter who did exceed expectations for this fight, but Karen Gillan still lost to Rachel Nichols. If she wants to succeed she’s going to have to win. Meanwhile, Rachel can feel satisfied that she pulled out a hard-won victory.

 

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