Ming Xi vs Joy Corrigan

Ming Xi vs Joy Corrigan
(Fates Boxing vs Lioness Club)
(9-6, 9 KO vs 16-8, 16 KO)
Results: Lookout!; Story: Vassago

BEFORE: Chinese model Ming Xi signed with Fates Boxing only last month and enters the PPV action mere days after shocking Nina Agdal on the Vixens' Rising Suns fight card over in Tokyo. That result has send shockwaves through the Lioness Club since neither Claudia Schiffer nor Joy Corrigan believed Ming is any as good as Fates had advertised when they made the original challenge! In fact Ming was supposed to be a perfect 'bounce back' target since Joy comes off three straight losses and simply can't afford another one with Sandra Kubicka firmly taking the prime lightweight spot and Kelly Rohrbach set to return next month: "I won't be reduced into beach bunny undercards! Not so frickin' fast! Maybe Nina Agdal was drunk or what have you but there is something wrong with Ming taking her down. Has to be!"

Ming Xi wears a black bikini set & red gloves. Long black hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Joy Corrigan wears a pink bikini set & silver gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a sleek ponytail.The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division.

Round 1:
Joy gets off to a flying start as she seemingly tries to catch Ming tired after the epic Agdal test; she pounds away in furious fashion and sticks her mitts all over the brunette's face in the opening minute but somehow ends up taking the biggest knock of the round when the fellow model whacks her in the chin and begins to mount a steady jabbing response. Joy fends off the threat with some quick footwork and switches her attacks downstairs come the second minute, she shades Ming from the inside and keeps targeting her in the guts to the point the Chinese model does look a little second-hand on short notice. But she tries to fire back some response into the blonde's midriff alas Corrigan covers her off and underlines her dominance by blasting the older model on the chin right at the bell.

Rounds 2 & 3:
Ming finds the slugging range and matches the otherwise aggressive blonde in another crowd-pleasing dust-up in the center of the ring. Joy has full belief in her slugging ways and one has to simply punch it out of her - which Ming is unable to do despite having the superior spell by the numbers. The stats don't lie and Ming carries several clean hits into the blonde's face but gets pounded to the body in response as the phone booth action continues in the third. Ming reverts back to some head-hunting tricks before tackling the American to the body but this is right where Corrigan can flex her muscles and she also digs deep to punish the Chinese midsection. Ming thumps her back and lands the best head-snapping combo before a vicious uppercut on the jaw makes Joy think better off it. She circles back into mid-range while Ming is happy to calm things down as the Fates corner indicates she'll take the round on points anyway.

Round 4:
More slugging action from Corrigan who knows only one way how to handle business and that's to stick it to the other girl. She trades high blows with the older model who slowly but surely begins to find her stride. Still nothing as exceptional as in the Agdal fight but she carries several clean hits to keep the blonde honest. Joy tries her chances downstairs but gets pushed off at first and only finds the target on the rebound. Ming gets more animated once she knocks a couple of high shots into the blonde's mouth before a chest bump drops her onto the ropes. She tries to swing from there but Joy finds her mark first and whacks the brunette across the nose to come away with the better impression overall.

Round 5:
Back to the phone booth we go and Ming delivers the gut-checking series before blasting the American on the jugs. Joy tries to ignore those attacks and works the overhand response but Ming's uppercuts make the difference after all and she has to bail out after one of her cups touches the slumped chin. Ugh! Ming keeps hassling the younger model around the ring and pounds her back to the ropes where she traps her with more heavy jabbing before picking off the exposed liver area. Corrigan has to clinch the menacing Asian but she still get turned back to the post where Ming drops more harpoons on the midsection to leave Joy slumped in spasms at the bell.

Rounds 6 & 7:
Ming tries to force the issue now but perhaps there is some fatigue on display as she's unable to land the haymaker series with Joy still leaking plenty of leather overall. The fight takes a slugging turn again but the punching resistance remains extremely impressive other than Ming maybe feeling the Agdal post-fight effects? She takes a nasty hook on the eye and develops a noticeable swelling in this round which only fuels the blonde's attacks. Joy lands her punches on target to drive the Asian onto the ropes but she can't escape a stubborn clinch and Ming's body checkdowns which drag the fight into a wrestling test of strenght along the ropes. More of the same in the seventh, Joy lands the better punches early, gets clinched into a stalemate by the seemingly stronger woman down the stretch. Ming looks worn out but still competitive and she digs more leather around the elbows to slow the American down as well.

Rounds 8 & 9:
Time for Corrigan to run out of juice as she pushes through her punches here with Ming settling down to pick her off over the top. Not the finest of hours for the blonde when she trips into an uppercut double on the jaw but manages to lock a fortunate clinch even with Ming bumping her onto the ropes where she can put some heat on the exposed midsection. Joy pulls & claws herself into a reasonable position but Ming's body assault leaves her gassed down the stretch. She struggles to find an aggressive response in the ninth either however Ming is running on fumes too. Basically a mind over matter contest here with both models trading single blows all over the place and barely connecting with a meaningful combo. Ming manages to drive the ailing blonde to the ropes where she keeps plugging her in the guts to maybe escape with a valuable round on points but we still head into the decider with no clear winner in sight....

Round 10:
One knockdown could swing the scorecards right at the end and Joy feels like she has to go for it. Ming slips through the initial attack but then takes a wild hook on the jaw and wobbles into an uppercut pounce. Ming's footwork allows her to catch a small breather but Corrigan keeps coming forward with her last battery load. She lands more single punches up the middle and gives the Asian a late cut under the left eye but she misses on the big one-punch heroics. Ming falls back to ride out the clock in mid-distance and we will go to the scorecards after full ten rounds. Joy drops to her knees and looks utterly spend. Ming walks around with hands on hips and this one is truly too close to call with no knockdowns for either woman... here's the official verdict... comes back 95-95... the fight is declared a DRAW!!!

AFTER: Some very long stares in both corners as a one-point duke was otherwise expected. However we have a draw and both Fates & Lionesses are happy to settle this match-up with another fight on a later date rather than go for a special overtime tonight. Ming feels relieved that's the case but some fans believe she would have defeated Corrigan if it wasn't for the Agdal battle of attrition few days ago. Meanwhile Joy cuts an angry figure for a moment but offers her praise after thinking it over: "Well, she is a tough cookie. Not a pushover by any means. And hell, I lasted full ten rounds for the first time in my career. Nina Agdal or Sandra K. could never!" (winks).

Official Result: Ming Xi vs Joy Corrigan - Draw.