Part 4: the fight
Lizzy handed the microphone out the ring, her heels in friends hands as she waves the fighters to her at the middle of the ring, telling them “ok ladies you signed up to this, we expect good sportsmanship in the fight, afterwards it’s your choice, there is no limit to the rounds, three minutes in length and till one of you is out cold, quits or has the towel thrown in by your corner crew, touch gloves and return to your corners” the fighters scowl all the way through the speech at each other, cracking their gloves into their opponents set before jogging to their corners, the bell is then rung on an automatic timer, Lizzy yelling “fight ladies!” to a roar from the crowd.
Round 1:
Both come out in an orthodox stance, Natalie looking to pressure up the middle with body shots, Misty dancing more on her toes between them, firing her jab at the top of the smaller fighters head to keep her back, opening minute is mostly a feeling out process since neither woman has a good how good their opponent is, Natalie though does look to be pushing the pace more as maybe nerves getting to Misty as she has some fans ringside chanting her name, eating an overhand right to her cheek as she drops her left too low for a moment too long, then finding herself pressed to the ropes as the teacher looks to school Misty on inside fighting.
Pushing off Miss Bradford, Misty starts to use more combinations, mostly a slick jab/straight combo that slams into the face of her opponent, Natalie weathers the punches to come in with looping hooks into the ribs of the younger woman, clearly hoping to cut her down to size or at least slow her down, both looking confident as their bodies flex when they punch, neither has missed a gym day as they exchange more at midrange, slaps of leather on flesh ringing out as their breasts jiggle.
Less then a minute left in the round, Misty misses with a straight, taking a counter right on her lips as Natalie crouches down, then a clubbing left smacks the Irish-American lass on her chin, getting a good test of it as Natalie drives her onto the ropes, the cables firmly in her back as Nat works the body, while Misty covers up top till she can get a firm clinch on her opponent, both fighters trade kidney shots with a free fist till Lizzy can split them up with a warning to keep it clean, Natalie finishing the stronger as Misty boxes off the back foot for the remaining twenty five seconds, strong start for the older woman, who stands in her corner glaring at Misty, who doesn’t look too bothered as she stands in her own corner chatting to her friend Mel.
Round 2:
Trading more heavy leather now they have an idea of each other’s skills, Natalie is looking to cut the ring off, Misty though is starting to land several good clean lancing like straights into the face of the older fighter, the redhead opens a cut on the bridge of Natalie’s nose, a target for her as she uses her jab to slam into it to cause a trickle of claret to run down the end of the blondes nose, Natalie showing her steel to keep on coming forwards to work, throwing her punches around the chest and abs of her opponent to try to wear her down.
Second minute of the round sees Natalie get caught again coming at Misty, who looks to have the faster reflexes as she lands a clubbing right to the eye of the older fighter, who stumbles back a step as Misty then lands a jab/straight/jab combo right into her face, Misty holding the middle of the ring now, making Natalie work as she makes her move around the ring, slamming punches into any gaps she sees in Nat’s defences, the Ohio girl not looking worried yet, though she is being outworked and not landing enough to really throw Misty off her game by the looks of it.
With the final thirty seconds seeing Misty land a jab into the forehead of Natalie, an uppercut follows to send beads of sweat flying off Natalie’s head, her face shows a hint of pain for the first real time, Misty planting her feet now, whacking in hooks with Natalie trying to match her, maybe a lack of discipline or simply not used to being beaten like this, Natalie should maybe be holding as she feels her head being pinballed around till the bell dings, Nat this time sits on her stool as she gets her nose cleaned up and water poured over her head to get her ready for the next round.
Round 3:
Natalie looks to push the pace early in the round, starting to create a pink hue around the sides of Misty’s body as the redhead grits her mouthpiece, a shove to Natalie’s face by the left glove of the younger woman opens her up to a right cross, Misty landing another left/right hook combo that knocks Natalie onto her heels, then an uppercut sends the teacher onto her backside to cheers from the Lovelace fan club at ringside, Misty blowing them a kiss as Lizzy first asks if Natalie quits, then begins to count when she gets a firm no, 1…2…3…4.. Natalie pushes to her knees as she shakes her head in disbelief she is struggling so much here, 5…6… pushing to her feet, raising her gloves as she walks to the referee to show she is ok to fight on.
They resume with Misty being patient, opening the cut up more on Natalie’s nose as the older fighter is starting to swing more, missing her target as Misty grins watching her opponent load up so much, this is a different league to beating other untrained teachers up, Natalie is showing her toughness to stick in but is being beaten back, there’s swelling now around the left eye of Bradford, with some in the crowd wondering if Lovelace is even going at her top gear, she looks to be in second as she knocks her opponent around the outside part of the ring with piston like punches.
Late in the round Natalie does club Misty with a right hook, maybe some life left in the old dog or Misty got too lax, either way Natalie desperately forces Misty onto the ropes with her left forearm to her chest, pounding the top of Misty’s waistband with short rights till she is forced into a front headlock, the redhead looking pissed off by those shots, digs in her right to the kidneys of Nat till again they are split apart, dying moments of the round Misty steps in with a jab/right cross combo that has Natalie reeling back three steps, the bell maybe saving the smaller woman as she looks a little shaky returning to her stood, Misty meanwhile is glistening in sweat and other then a few marks, she mostly looks in great shape.
Round 4:
Though most see this as a lost cause, Natalie steps out to resume fighting, problem for her is she is met by a double jab into her swollen eye, making her yelp out as she shuts her eyes, not seeing the uppercut till it hits her chin, up on her toes goes the teach and down in a heap she goes, Lizzy doesn’t bother to count as it is clear she is out for the count!