Mikie Hara vs Maki Itoh

In Japan, youngsters and newcomers have to prove themselves to the old guard before they are accepted. To cement her place as a boxer in the FCBA, Maki Itoh has taken Mikie Hara’s challenge to step into the ring with her. Both are in sports bras and shorts evocative of training attire.

R1: Maki shows potential by ducking under Mikie’s opener and throwing an uppercut into her chin on the rise. Surprised and hurt, Mikie flounders, allowing Itoh to take control of the rhythm and force her back to the ropes. There she throws punch after punch at the older woman, but very few hit, as Mikie, a former BBU flyweight champ, is not to be messed with. Despite Itoh dominating the round, Hara is almost unhurt. The round goes to Itoh by a wide margin.

R2: Prior to round two, Mikie’s coach exchanges a few words with her, and it seems that she has figured Itoh out. A counterpuncher to the core, Itoh’s repertoire is not large enough to accommodate sudden changes in style. Hara could, for without this ability she would not have been champion. And her dominance hurts, as Mikie’s punches slip around Itoh’s guard, hitting their mark with power and precision. Though this round also went “by a wide margin”, Itoh is hurt much more than Hara was at the end of the last round.

R3: Itoh is showing a hint of worry as she is trying to box more defensively around the ring, firing out more single punches as she looks keen to keep Mikie at range, but it is to no avail as an overhand right smacks her across her cheek as Mikie dips under a jab. Then a left hook to her jaw turns her head in a spray of sweat and spit.

Before she can recover, Mikie lands an uppercut that shakes Maki’s legs. In rapid succession, Mikie lands another left hook that rocks her opponent and a right that sends her down for good.
The count passes Itoh by as she marvels at the awesomeness of her senpai’s power and is too dazed to rise.

Winner: Mikie Hara via KO3!

Some might say that Itoh was too easy, but a win’s a win, and a great boost in confidence to help Mikie carve a career in the FCBA.