Post by Lookout! Boxing on Jan 26, 2018 20:03:48 GMT -6
Sammi Hanratty vs. Natalie Portman
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)
BEFORE:
If anyone wants to research how many times a Consortium fighter has stepped in the ring with a young ingenue who's made her bones on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon and done what Consortium fighters DO to girls of that nature, well, feel free to count. We'll just use the word "many" to make our point that, well, we've been here before. But. There HAVE been those Disney/Nickelodeon brats who've made their marks in such bouts, right 'Nessa? And, Sammi Hanratty clearly plans to be the next Vanessa Hudgens and not the next "all the rest of those girls." "Sure," says Sammi with a nod. "I know how good she is. I mean, how many times has she been champion? but. She's not exactly 25 anymore, is she? I'm not sure she can go out into deep water with girls like me anymore. In fact, I'm pretty sure she CAN'T."
"Well," says Natalie with an absolutely chilling smile. "Perhaps we won't have to WORRY about 'deep water', you know what I mean?"
ROUND ONE:
Hanratty throws a curve ball. Everybody expecting the younger woman to do some recon against the Hall of Famer in the first, but, not so much. No, Sammi wants to push the pace, get physical, take the fight to Portman. Natalie a bit taken aback by this tack, and ends up on her back foot for the first half of the round. But. Queen Natalie is Queen Natalie, the girl who's enforced the Pax Portmanica for a decade and a half now, and she's quite capable of hitting the curve. She begins to manage Hanratty as the round goes on, using the jab and excellent footwork. She enforces the distance and the geometry she wants and slows Sammi's advance to a crawl. The younger woman stays aggressive, but, the aggression is no longer effective, and, by the bell, Nat's getting the better of things. Still, Hanratty's early run is enough to claim the points close and give her the 10-9 lead.
ROUND TWO:
Sammi keeping on with the pressure. Clear that she's not going to try to out-box Portman, which, for almost everyone in the division, would be the height of folly. Instead, she wants to use the physicals. Problem is, Natalie's had, oh, about a HUNDRED opponents try this over the years, and she knows well how to handle these tactics. To her credit, though, Sammi makes the veteran work, makes her keep moving and jabbing, keep moving the head and shoulders, moving the gloves, working hard on the defenses to manage the sustained offensive efforts of the younger woman. And, perhaps, this is the real plan, to make Portman work. Hard. To wear her down. And, then, catch her in that deep water. No question both fighters are pouring sweat when the bell rings ending the second. Again, it's fairly close, but, this time, it's Portman, and Natalie's evened things at 19.
ROUND THREE:
More pressure from Sammi. She's determined to take the fight to the older woman, and, while, again, her aggression's being managed by Queen Natalie, all that managing is far from easy. Hanratty's working very, very hard, and she's making Portman do the same. Maybe...just maybe...BOOM! Sammi's HURT! Natalie walks her into an absolutely VICIOUS right hook and Hanratty's steppin' in fence post holes. Portman then steps to, looses a BRUTAL flurry and DOWN GOES SAMMI! Hanratty blown to her back by a six-punch combination to the head. Natalie quickly to a neutral corner to watch and wait. Referee counts as Sammi stares, blankly, up at him. By seven, it's clear how this is going to end. Hanratty just staring, unmoving, as the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO3 is Natalie Portman!
AFTER:
Natalie all but SNEERING in the post-fight. "In case anyone wonders," she says, "I'm still QUITE capable of handling my self in 'deep water'. However. I have no intention of going there against the likes of Sammi Hanratty, who isn't fit to carry my bag."
(Words: Front Street / Results: Lookout!)
BEFORE:
If anyone wants to research how many times a Consortium fighter has stepped in the ring with a young ingenue who's made her bones on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon and done what Consortium fighters DO to girls of that nature, well, feel free to count. We'll just use the word "many" to make our point that, well, we've been here before. But. There HAVE been those Disney/Nickelodeon brats who've made their marks in such bouts, right 'Nessa? And, Sammi Hanratty clearly plans to be the next Vanessa Hudgens and not the next "all the rest of those girls." "Sure," says Sammi with a nod. "I know how good she is. I mean, how many times has she been champion? but. She's not exactly 25 anymore, is she? I'm not sure she can go out into deep water with girls like me anymore. In fact, I'm pretty sure she CAN'T."
"Well," says Natalie with an absolutely chilling smile. "Perhaps we won't have to WORRY about 'deep water', you know what I mean?"
ROUND ONE:
Hanratty throws a curve ball. Everybody expecting the younger woman to do some recon against the Hall of Famer in the first, but, not so much. No, Sammi wants to push the pace, get physical, take the fight to Portman. Natalie a bit taken aback by this tack, and ends up on her back foot for the first half of the round. But. Queen Natalie is Queen Natalie, the girl who's enforced the Pax Portmanica for a decade and a half now, and she's quite capable of hitting the curve. She begins to manage Hanratty as the round goes on, using the jab and excellent footwork. She enforces the distance and the geometry she wants and slows Sammi's advance to a crawl. The younger woman stays aggressive, but, the aggression is no longer effective, and, by the bell, Nat's getting the better of things. Still, Hanratty's early run is enough to claim the points close and give her the 10-9 lead.
ROUND TWO:
Sammi keeping on with the pressure. Clear that she's not going to try to out-box Portman, which, for almost everyone in the division, would be the height of folly. Instead, she wants to use the physicals. Problem is, Natalie's had, oh, about a HUNDRED opponents try this over the years, and she knows well how to handle these tactics. To her credit, though, Sammi makes the veteran work, makes her keep moving and jabbing, keep moving the head and shoulders, moving the gloves, working hard on the defenses to manage the sustained offensive efforts of the younger woman. And, perhaps, this is the real plan, to make Portman work. Hard. To wear her down. And, then, catch her in that deep water. No question both fighters are pouring sweat when the bell rings ending the second. Again, it's fairly close, but, this time, it's Portman, and Natalie's evened things at 19.
ROUND THREE:
More pressure from Sammi. She's determined to take the fight to the older woman, and, while, again, her aggression's being managed by Queen Natalie, all that managing is far from easy. Hanratty's working very, very hard, and she's making Portman do the same. Maybe...just maybe...BOOM! Sammi's HURT! Natalie walks her into an absolutely VICIOUS right hook and Hanratty's steppin' in fence post holes. Portman then steps to, looses a BRUTAL flurry and DOWN GOES SAMMI! Hanratty blown to her back by a six-punch combination to the head. Natalie quickly to a neutral corner to watch and wait. Referee counts as Sammi stares, blankly, up at him. By seven, it's clear how this is going to end. Hanratty just staring, unmoving, as the count passes her by. It's OVER! And your winner by KO3 is Natalie Portman!
AFTER:
Natalie all but SNEERING in the post-fight. "In case anyone wonders," she says, "I'm still QUITE capable of handling my self in 'deep water'. However. I have no intention of going there against the likes of Sammi Hanratty, who isn't fit to carry my bag."
